COURSE CONTENT COURSE DESCRIPTION

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Course: ICS 406– IT project management system (2Credits – Compulsory) Duration: Two hours per week for 15weeks (2 hours)

(15h (T), 45h (P); C. Lecturer:

Email:

Office Location: Department of Information and Communication Science, Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin. Nigeria.

Consultation Hours: 12:00noon – 2:00pm on Mondays and Wednesdays

COURSE CONTENT

Issues in Information Technology project-Management. Project quality assurance, project risk management, project cost estimation, project time management, project human resource management, system reliability, system testing etc.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Information Technology project management is a sub-discipline of project management in which information technology projects are planned, monitored and controlled. The basic issues in IT project management are

Project quality assurance, cost estimation, risk management, time management,

human resource management, system reliability, system testing, all this elements of IT projects

will be practically analyzed and discussed

COURSE JUSTIFICATION

As project management becomes the order of the day in most establishment and working environments, project management has been an established field for many years, managing information technology projects requires ideas and information that go beyond standard project management. By weaving together theory and practice, this course will presents an understandable, integrated view of the many concepts skills, tools, and techniques involved in project management. Because the project management field and the technology industry change rapidly, you cannot assume that what worked even five years ago is still the best approach today. Therefore this course will provide up-to-date information on how good project management and effective use of software can help you manage projects, especially Information Technology Project; this course seeks to equip students with requisite knowledge and skills to be able to partake in creating IT software project and managing Information Technology Project in general.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The main objective of this course is to enable the student manage an IT project in a successful and profitable manner in order to satisfy and meet the demand of their clients in the labour market,

Course Requirements

Students must have a minimum of 75% attendance. As well, all students will be involved in the learning process by participating in assignments individually and in groups. Each student is required to have a yahoo mail address to facilitate students’ web interaction and web group discussion. Admittance into each class will be strictly subject to presentation of individual laptops.

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Methods of Grading

Course Delivery Strategies

The strategies for delivering this course will include lectures, group work and web-interactions.

Week 1: Issues in information technology project-management

Objective

The next two weeks will be based on this topic.

By the end of the lecture, students will be able to clearly differentiate between an “issue” and a “problem” in IT project management system, students will be able to identify basic challenges or issues that arise in IT project management, and students will also understand the growing need for better project management.

Description First Hour (Week 1)

An introduction to issues in IT project management

Practical Hours (Week 1) Management plan processes.

Study Questions 1. What is a project?

2. What is an Information technology project management ?

3. Differentiate between a PROBLEM and an ISSUE in an information technology development project management system?

4. Mention the five processes in an IT PROJECT management development cycle?

5. States the advantages of using a project management ?

Reading List

Kathy schwable (2006). Introduction to Project Management (illustrated Ed.).Cengage Learning. pp1-316.ISBN:I418835595, 978118835590

Kathy schwable (2009). Information Technology Project Management (6th Ed). Cengage Learning cengagebrain.com.pp 1-490 ISBN: 0324786921, 9780324786927

Week 2: Issues in information technology project-management

S/N Description Score (%) 1 Assignment 15 2 Class Participation 5 3 Class Test 10 4 Examination 70 Total 100

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Objective

By the end of the lecture, students should be able to describe project management, process in an IT project management development cycle and discuss key elements of project management frame work.

IT project management development cycle

Practical Hours (Week 2)

The class will be divided into groups to carry out a mini IT project Plan and present before the end of the semester. (Developing a project plan, understanding the problem, feasibility studies, design solutions, implementing the project plan, testing, evaluating and maintaining.)

Study Questions 1. What is a project plan? 2. What is project management?

3. Mention the five processes in an IT PROJECT management development cycle? 4. Mention the various communication strategies used in a project plan?

5. List the social and ethical implications to be considered when planning a project? 6. Briefly explain a PROTYPE?

7. What is feasibility study?

8. Mention five design tools used in developing a new project system?

9. Explain the following terms Implementation, Testing, Evaluating and Maintaining?

Reading List

Kathy schwable (2006). Introduction to Project Management (illustrated Ed.). Cengage Learning. pp1-316.ISBN:I418835595, 978118835590

Kathy schwable (2009). Information Technology Project Management (6th Ed). Cengage Learning cengagebrain.com.pp 1-490 ISBN: 0324786921, 9780324786927

Week 3: Project quality assurance

Objective

This week student will examine the role of Project quality Assurance in an information technology project and how to certify that a generated IT project meets specified criteria with respect to quality and reliability.

Description First Hour (Week 3) Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance techniques in a project development process.

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1. What is project Quality Assurance?

2. Mention and explain the various Quality Assurance techniques?

3. Mention the sets of procedures used to certify that generated product or project meets specified criteria with respect to quality and reliability?

4. List and describe the role of quality Assurance in an information technology project management?

Reading List

Boris berizer (1984) .Software system Testing and Quality Assurance.Van Nostrand Reinhold company inc.ISBN:0-442-21306-9 .

Week 4: Project risk management

Objective

By the end of this lecture students will understand, what Risk is and the importance of good project risk management.

Understanding Risk, importance of good risk management, elements of risk management planning, common sources of risk on information technology projects, process of identifying risk.

How to create a risk Register, quantitative risk analysis process and how to calculate risk factors and create probability /impact matrix and apply the top ten risk items tracking technique to rank.

Study Question

1. State five importance of good project risk management? 2. Discuss the elements involved in risk management planning? 3. List the common sources of risk on IT projects?

4. Briefly describe the process of identifying uncertainty or constraints? 5. State the eight-step process used in managing an project risk?

Reading List

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Week 5: Project risk management

Objective

By the end of the lecture, students should be able to understand risk management and describe how software can assist in project risk management.

Different risk response planning strategies to address both negative and positive risks, monitoring and controlling risks, how software can assist in project risk management.

Quantitative analysis process and how to apply decision trees simulation and sensitivity analysis to quality risks

Study Questions

1. Mention three elements of risk control? 2. Explain the term risk mitigate ?

3. Discuss the role of a project manager in monitoring and controlling a project?

4. Mention the three things that can be measured and controlled in a risk management project? 5. Describe how software can assist in project risk management?

Reading List

Kathy schwable (2009). Information Technology Project Management (6th Ed). Cengage Learning cengagebrain.com.pp421-490 ISBN: 0324786921, 9780324786927

Week 6: Project cost estimation Objective

By the end of this topic student will understand the importance of project cost management, the basic project cost management principles, concepts and terms, the different types of cost estimates, cost budgeting and cost control.

Project cost management principles, concepts and terms. Practical Hours (Week 6)

Methods of preparing cost estimates and processes involved in cost budgeting.

Study Questions

1. Explain the basic principles of cost management.

2. Discuss different types of cost estimates and methods for preparing them. 3. How does project portfolio management help assist in cost control.

4. Describe how project management software can assist in project cost management.

Reading List

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Leslie G. Eledenburg (university of Arizona), Susan K. Wolcott (wolcottlynch Associates) Cost Management(2005) John Wiley &sons, inc ISBN 0-471-2059-4.

Week 7 and Week 8: Project time management Objective

Week 7 and week 8 will focus on project time management and by the end of this topic student will understand the processes required to manage timely completion of an IT project.

Tools and techniques used in Define Activities Process, outputs of DA process, Decomposition, Tools and techniques of Sequence Activity process, Dependencies.

Precedence Diagram method (PDM), Conditional Diagram method (CDM), Schedule Network Templates, Project schedule network diagram.

Study Questions

1. Explain the various tools and techniques in DA and SA process? 2. Mention the outputs of DA process?

3. List and explain the different types of dependencies? 4. Briefly explain a (PDM)?

5. What is Subnetwork or Fragment network?

Reading List

Kathy schwable (2009). Information Technology Project Management (6th Ed). Cengage Learning cengagebrain.com.ISBN: 0324786921, 9780324786927

Harold Kerzner(2006)

Estimate activities resources, Estimate activity durations, Develop schedule, and Control schedule.

Matmatical Analysis, schedule compression, Simulation, Resource leveling and Critical chain method. Schedule updates, Schedule Baseline, Rebase-lining and New Target Schedules.

Study Questions

1. Explain Estimate activity resources with reference to Estimate cost process? 2. Outline the outputs of Estimate activity resources?

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4. List the project documents that may be updated in project time management?

Assignment

1. Briefly explain Estimate Activity Duration and state the various Tools and techniques? 2. Explain the following-: Schedule Network Analysis.

Critical Path Method. Critical Chain Method. Resource Leveling. What if scenario Analysis. Leads and Lags.

Schedule Compression. Schedule Tool.

Constraints and Milestones.

Reading List

Kathy schwable (2009). Information Technology Project Management (6th Ed). Cengage Learning cengagebrain.com. ISBN: 0324786921, 9780324786927

Week 9: Class Test and Course Review Objective

This is to access the student knowledge on this course. Description

First Hour (Week 9) Class test (theory) Practical Hours (Week 9) Class test (Practical)

Week 10: Project human resource management Objective

By the end of this lecture students will be able to explain the purpose and benefits of having a human resources management plan. They should also be able to provide a general description of what the plan includes and explain how the project manager and project team can use the plan to help them manage the project effectively.

Description

First Hour (Week 10)

Introduction to Human Resources planning, Roles and Responsibilities(job analysis), Staffing Management plan, Reward management.

Project Organizational charts, resource histogram

Study Questions

1. Define the following terms (a) Role

(b) Authority (c) Responsibility (d) Competency

2. State the project team roles and responsibility of I. Project Manager (PM)

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II. Design Engineer (DE) III. Implementation Manager (IM) IV. Training Lead (TL)

V. Functional Manager (FM)

3. What is the function of an organizational chart? 4. Explain the following-:

(a) Staff Acquisition (b) Resource Calendar (c) Training

(d) Performance Review (e) Recognition and Reward

5. State five benefits of Human Resources to an IT project?

Reading List

Derek Torrigton, Laura Hall, Stephen Taylor,(2008) Human Resource Management 7th Ed, pearson Education Limited ISBN-:978-0-27371075-2

David Boddy Management An Introducation 3rd Ed, pp336 to 365,ISBN

Week 11: System reliability Objective

Students will understand the essence of system reliability

Description

Introduction to system Reliability, system failure mechanism, system reliability models, system reliability metrics and system reliability improvement techniques.

The Bathtub curve for system reliability.

Study Questions

1. Describe a system reliability model? 2. Mention the various reliability techniques?

Reading List

John D Musa,Software Reliability Engineering move 2nd Ed, first published by Author House 2004 ISBN:1-4184-9387-2.( Available at the School Library)

Musa97] John D. Musa, Introduction to Software Reliability Engineering and Testing, 8th International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering (Case Studies). November 2-5, 1997. Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Week 12: System testing Objective

By the end of this lecture students will understand the essence of system testing which is to evaluate the system’s compliance with the specified requirements.

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Description

Definition of testing, importance of testing, types of testing, test levels, testing models, test plans and test case, test tools, test deliverables, Verification and Validation, Automation testing .

How to test a web-based application

Study Questions

1. What is system testing?

2. State Importance of system Testing?

3. Types of Testing?

4. What is scenario Testing?

5. What is software testing life cycle (STLC)?

6. What is the difference between smoke and sanity Testing?

Reading List

Boris berizer (1984) .Software system Testing and Quality Assurance.Van Nostrand Reinhold company inc.ISBN:0-442-21306-9 .

Paul .C. Jorgensen (2002), Software Testing 2nd Ed, ISBN-:0-8493-0809-7

Weeks 13 and Week 14: Presentation Objective

students will be divided into groups to carry out a small IT Project.

Description

First Hour (Week 13) Presentation

Second Hour (Week 13) Presentation

Description

First Hour (Week 14) Presentation

Second Hour (Week 14) Presentation

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Week 15: Revision

All topics treated will be revised. Questions will be entertained on all topics taken from the beginning of the course and hopefully clarifications would be made on ambiguous concepts and grey areas

Further Reading List

Boris berizer (1984) .Software system Testing and Quality Assurance.Van Nostrand Reinhold company inc.ISBN:0-442-21306-9 .

Paul .C. Jorgensen (2002), Software Testing 2nd Ed, ISBN-:0-8493-0809-7

John D Musa,Software Reliability Engineering move 2nd Ed, first published by Author House 2004 ISBN:1-4184-9387-2.( Available at the School Library)

Musa97] John D. Musa, Introduction to Software Reliability Engineering and Testing, 8th International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering (Case Studies). November 2-5, 1997. Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Leslie G. Eledenburg (university of Arizona), Susan K. Wolcott (wolcottlynch Associates) Cost Management(2005) John Wiley &sons, inc ISBN 0-471-2059-4.

Web References

Review Questions

1. What is an Information technology project management?

2. Mention the five processes in an IT PROJECT management development cycle? 3. States the advantages of using a project management?

4. Mention the various communication strategies used in a project plan?

5. List the social and ethical implications to be considered when planning a project? 6. Briefly explain a protype?

7. What is feasibility study?

8. Mention five design tools used in developing a new project system?

9. Explain the following terms Implementation, Testing, Evaluating and Maintaining?

10. List and describe the role of quality Assurance in an information technology project management? 11. State the eight-step process used in managing an IT project risk?

12. Explain the basic principles of cost management?

13. Explain Estimate activity resources with reference to Estimate cost process? 14. State five benefits of Human Resources to an IT project?

15. Describe a system reliability model?

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