In one embodiment a method is provided for rendering a software map. The method includes storing, in an electronic database, information associated with a software development project, the information including start and end dates of particular efforts made in connection with the software development project and dates of specific events associated with the software development project, rendering on a display a timeline, and rendering on the display a software map, wherein the software map includes horizontal lines representing the particular efforts that extend between endpoints defined, substantially, by the start and end dates, and that are aligned with a time scale of the timeline, and vertically or substantially vertical extending lines between and connecting pairs of horizontal lines, wherein each vertically or substantially vertically extending line represents one of the specific events associated with the software development project.