(COnstructive COst MOdel) A method for estimating a software project which was conceived by Dr. Barry Boehm in his 1981 book, "Software Engineering Economics." The heart of COCOMO is based on the Effort Equation, which applies a value to the tasks at hand based on the scope of the project (ranging from a small, familiar system to a complex system that is new to the organization). The Costar package from Softstar Systems, Amherst, NH (www.softstarsystems.com) has been using the COCOMO method since 1986. See also DOCOMO.