IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Introduction to Project Management

Institute of Information and Communication Technology
University of Sindh, Jamshoro

Dr. Zeeshan Bhatti

MPhil (IT)
Lecture 1
1

Course Code:

COURSE DETAILS

Course Title: IT Project Management

Lecturer: Dr. Zeeshan Bhatti, zeeshan.bhatti@usindh.edu.pk

Schedule: Thursday 2:00-06:00

Blog:
http://zeeshanacademy.blogspot.com/
My web page:
https://sites.google.com/site/drzeeshanacademy/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/drzeeshanacademy

ABOUT ME
Dr. Zeeshan Bhatti completed his PhD (Information Technology) in field of
Computer Graphics and Animation, at Kulliyyah of Information and
Communication Technology, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
His PhD research topic is Oscillator Driven Central Pattern Generator (CPG)
System for Animating Quadrupeds Locomotion In 3D. He is specifically
conducting research on generating procedural simulations of quadruped
locomotion's, with gait analysis, biomechanics of quadruped motion, and
motion pattern generation through mathematical modeling. He did is MPhil
(Information Technology) from IICT, University of Sindh, Jamshoro in the field
of Natural Language Processing, working specifically on Sindhi computing and
Sindhi spell Checking Algorithms. His expertise is in the domain of Multimedia,
Computer Graphics, Animation and Simulation, Natural Language Processing,
Spell Checkers, Linguistics and Corpus development through dictionaries. Dr.
Bhatti is part of Research group in IICT, under which various Sindhi Language
projects have been developed and made available online along with an
Online learning academy providing free notes, lectures and tutorials. He has
published more than 35 research papers in international/local journals and
conferences, with author of 4 international books also published under IIUM
press. Currently, Dr. Bhatti is working as Lecturer in Institute of Information and
Communication Technology, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan.

Dr. Zeeshan Bhatti

https://sites.google.com/site/magicrgroup/home

The mission of this group is to establish a research environment,

promoting research and development in the field of Multimedia,
Animation and Computer Graphics. Through this group, pioneering
research work would be initiated and conducted to make significant
scientific contribution in various domain, while supporting and
facilitating research students under one unified group working in same
subject
area.
4

SUBJECT AREAS
Multimedia Technology
Computer Animation
Computer Graphics
Image Processing

Gesture Recognition
Artificial Intelligence
Natural Language Processing

IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
6

COURSE CONTENTS - IPM

Course Title:

IT Project Management

Credit Hours:

04

Course Pre-requisite: Data Organization and Software Engineering Concepts

Course Objectives:
This course is designed to introduce and explore the basic concepts and practices
of project management and help students understand how to plan and manage IT
projects successfully. Throughout the course, students will be asked to utilize course
concepts, methodologies, and tools while utilizing technology applications and
addressing real-world problems. Students will learn the skills necessary to define
project scope, create workable project plans, and manage projects with quality,
budget, and schedule in mind. The course is structured around the key phases of
project lifecycle, including initiating a project, developing project plans, executing
and managing a project, and closing out a project. In addition, students will be
taught how to identify and address the change management and political issues
associated with project management.
7

COURSE CONTENTS - IPM

Course Outline:
Foundation of concepts and solutions that supports the planning,
scheduling, controlling, resource allocation, and performance
measurement activities required for successful completion of a project.
Project Fundamentals, Proposals and Bidding, Project Structure,
Resource Management, Project Personnel, Project Communications and
Organizational Issues
Text Books/Reference Books:

1. Jack Gido and James P. Clements, Successful Project Management, 5th ed. (Mason,
OH: Thomson/South-Western, 2012). ISBN-13: 978-0-538-47898-4
2. Harold Kerzner, Project Management Case Studies, 4th ed. (Indianapolis: Wiley,
2013).ISBN-13: 978-1-118-022283

OTHER BOOK REFERENCES FOR READING

Hughes and Cotterell
Software Project Management

Cadle and Yeates

Project Management for Information Systems

Lockyer and Gordon

Project Management and Project Network Techniques

PLAN
Introduction
Project planning

Project planning
Resource analysis

Gantt chart and WBS

Risk management

Project planning

Quality

Network analysis I

Project planning
Network analysis II

Budgets and cost control

Project teams

Review

THIS LECTURE
Introduction
What is a project?
The project management process
Project management information systems

Lecture Slide By:

Dr Martin Stanton (m.stanton@mmu.ac.uk)

A PROJECT
A unique process, consisting of a set of coordinated and controlled
activities with start and finish dates, undertaken to achieve an
objective conforming to specific requirements including constraints of
time, cost and resources

(Lockyer and Gordon, 1996)

A PROJECT
Unique process

Coordinated and controlled activities

Start and finish dates
To achieve an objective
Specific requirements
Constraints of time, cost and resources

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS
Organisation is temporary

Often forms part of a larger project

Objectives and product characteristics may be defined and achieved
progressively

Result may be the creation of one or several units of a project

Interrelation between activities may be complex

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS

Project management is principally concerned with the management of

change

(Lockyer & Gordon, 1996)

Change management in IS development

Change management in organisations

PROJECT FACTORS
Size of the project
Budget/costs, Size of team, Size of product

Complexity
Industry in which it is carried out
Civil engineering
Manufacturing
IS/IT

CLASSIFYING PROJECTS (LOCK, 1996)

Civil Engineering
Realisation phase is outdoors, large capital = many
contractors = communication headaches

Manufacturing Projects
Development of specialised hardware, physical design

Management Projects
Projects that do not result in a produced piece of hardware
(including software projects?)

Research Projects
Include a higher element of risk (including software projects?)

PROJECT FUNDING
Revenue projects
Carried out within the normal organisational structure
Normally within a single accounting period

Capital projects
May extend over a number of accounting periods
Occupy considerable time employ considerable capital
Not carried out within the normal organisational structure
(Lockyer & Gordon, 1996)

CAPITAL PROJECTS
Cross functional and time boundaries
Cannot be accommodated within the normal running of an organisation
A special organisational structure is set up the project team
This structure usually only exists for the duration of the project

ORGANISATION STRUCTURES
Hierarchical

Matrix
Project Management Structure

HIERARCHICAL

http://www.slc.co.uk/noframe/corpinfo/orgchart.html

LARGE CORPORATION

http://www.baesystems.com/aboutus/ovdiagra.htm

PROJECT TEAMS
Revenue Projects
Teams taken from within functions
All report to function manager

Capital Projects
Teams taken from various functions
Who do they report to?

MATRIX STRUCTURE

EXAMPLE 1 CAR MANUFACTURE

Manufacture of a production
car

The design, launch and initial

production for a new car

No Clear Finish
Not unique for each product
Standard Organizational
Structure

Defined start/finish
Unique for each product
Temporary organisational
structure

EXAMPLE 2 A NEW COURSE

Existing Course

New Course

Course Team

Working Group

Course Leader
Module Leaders
Administrator
Year Tutors

Team members may change

but team still exists

Chair
Committee
Administrator

Team set up for course

development but then hands
course over to course team.

QUESTION
What are the defining characteristics of Software/Information
Systems projects that make them different from other types of project?
See Sommervilles Software Engineering for examples

ALL PROJECTS SHOULD HAVE:

Project plan
Time frame
Product specification

Statement of required quality

Budget
Cost plan

Identification of areas of uncertainty

Risk evaluation and responses

INTRODUCTION
What is a project?

The project management

process
Project management information systems

PROCESS OVERVIEW
A project is broken down into stages

Each stage in turn will be broken down into smaller and more
manageable tasks
It important to include planning as part of the project management
process

FOUR PHASE MODEL

Lockyer (1996) describes a four phase model of the project process

Conception - assess the feasibility of the project

Development - prepare the project plan
Realisation - carry out the plan
Termination - close the project

CONCEPTION REPORTS ON
The capability of the organisation to
Produce the product in the time required
Support capital outlay
Procure external items or services

Conception
Development
Realisation
Termination

CONCEPTION REPORTS ON
The acceptability of
Geographical requirements on procurement or ecology specified in the project enquiry
Contract conditions specified in enquiry

Conception
Development
Realisation
Termination

CONCEPTION REPORTS ON
The final price for the product
The cost involved in development
The project budget
Specification of the product including quality and reliability requirements

Conception
Development
Realisation
Termination

CONCEPTION
Can it be done?

Yes or No?

Conception
Development
Realisation
Termination

CONCEPTION FEASIBILITY
It is possible that we will
reject the project!

What are the consequences

of:
Too much detail?
Insufficient detail?

DEVELOPMENT
As the organisation is now committed to the project it must:
Appoint a project manager
Assemble project team
Draw up a detailed plan of work

Conception
Development
Realisation
Termination

REALISATION
A reporting system is required to keep everyone informed:
Team, top management, customers etc.

A log is also kept of problems and how they were resolved

Conception
evelopment
Realisation
Termination

TERMINATION
Uses the project log to evaluate the project and
the process and indicate:
The success/failure of methods used
How team members performed
How reliable suppliers were

Conception
evelopment
Realisation
Termination

TERMINATION
Capital equipment that was used for the project is now likely to be redundant
Termination also involves getting rid of such equipment as profitably as possible

Conception
evelopment
Realisation
Termination

OBSERVATIONS
Often the phases of the project will overlap

There is often a pause between conception and the other phases

It is possible that each phase may be treated as a project in its own
right
This might affect continuity of the project

INTRODUCTION
What is a project?
The project management process

Project management
information systems

PM INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Projects need systems that can collect data in real time concerning the
project progress and costs
Data analysis and distribution of information must be carried out as
rapidly as possible

MS PROJECT GANTT CHART

MS PROJECT PERT CHART

RESOURCE ANALYSIS

OTHER SOFTWARE TOOLS

Project Management Tools

Accounting tools
e.g. spreadsheets, invoice generators

Documentation tools
Word processors, report generators

Group work tools

Discussion forums, GDSS

QUESTIONS
Is the development of an information system a project?
Explain your answer using information from this lecture

How does the four phase model compare to the waterfall model of
software development?

USEFUL LINKS
The OGC Project Management Web Site
http://www.ogc.gov.uk/sdtoolkit/reference/deliverylifecycle/impplans/p
roj_mgmt.html

Project Management Software Tools

http://www.project-management-software.org/
http://www.startwright.com/project1.htm

Example Project Definition Document

http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sccwspublications.nsf/f2d920e01
5d1183d80256c670041a50b/547330bbc5c2e99f80256c2a0059f4c7
/$FILE/Project%20Definition%20Document.pdf