COURSE MODULE

I. COURSE CODE : IT9

II. COURSE TITLE : Information Technology Project

Management

III. CREDIT : 3 Units

IV. TOTAL NO. OF WEEKS/ HOURS : 18 weeks / 54 Hours

V. PRE-REQUISITE : CBE2IT

VI. COURSE DESCRIPTION :

The IT Project Management course is a non-laboratory course that focuses on planning, monitoring, controlling
and maintaining IT Projects. The course will help the students to understand different approach in conducting a
project, learn different methods and be able to create a proper team structure for a project. The course will also
help the students to identify the processes, techniques, tools, bodies of knowledge needed to manage an IT
project, and best practices applied to various areas of Information Technology. The course is not limited to the
concepts of Project Management but it also integrates the methods of an Object Oriented Approach.

VII. COURSE OBJECTIVES :

At the end of the semester, the students are expected to:

1. Learn how to create IT project proposal

2. Understand the job roles of an IT project manager
3. Learn the best practices in managing IT projects
4. Understand different IT project management processes
5. Learn to develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
6. Learn how build a proper project team for IT projects
7. Identify key issues in IT project management procedures
8. Understand how to control the IT project execution process
9. Learn how to create IT project schedules and estimates
10. Learn how to manage overall change control
11. Understand the importance of OOA in IT Project Management

VIII. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1.Lectures/Class and Group Discussions

2.Class Recitations
3.Case Study
4.Quizzes, Seatwork, Assignments
5.Major Examinations (Midterm and Final)

IX. GRADING SYSTEM :

MIDTERM GRADE (MTG) FINAL TERM GRADE (FTG)
Class Standing 60% Class Standing 60%
Assignments Assignments
Quizzes Quizzes
Recitation Recitation
Case Studies Case Studies
Seat works Seat works
Research Works Research Works
Projects Projects

Midterm Examination 40% Final Examination 40%

FINAL GRADE = ( MTG+ FTG ) / 2
 Week 1 - Class Orientation
1. Course Overview
2. Getting to know activity
3. Grading System
4. House Rules and Policies
General Rules:
1. Students should attend to their classes regularly, including make-up classes. The student will be
held liable for all topics covered and assignments made during his/her absence in class. The
university guidelines on attendance and tardiness will be enforced.
2. Withdrawal and dropping from the subject should be done in accordance with existing policies and
guidelines of the university.
3. The course is expected to have minimum of (2) quizzes.
4. Assignments, exercises, research and report works will be given throughout the semester. Such
requirements shall be due upon the deadline set as announced in the class. Late submission shall be
penalized with grade deductions (5% per day) or shall no longer be accepted, depending on the
discretion of the subject instructor. These are designed to assist the students in understanding the
materials presented in class, and to prepare them for the examination.
5. Any evidence of copying or cheating during any examinations may result in a failing grade from
the examination for all parties involved. University policies and guidelines pertinent to these shall
be strictly enforced.
6. Students are advised to keep graded work until the semester has ended.
7. Mobile phones, radios or other listening devices are not allowed to be used inside lecture and
laboratory rooms to prevent any distractive interruption of the class activity.
8. No foods, drinks, cigarettes, nor children are allowed inside the lecture and laboratory rooms.

Week 2 - INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT

WHAT IS A PROJECT?
Project is a temporary endeavor to create a unique product or service.
- Has a definite goal and can be divided into several phases.
- an endeavor to produce/accomplish the following below through a unique set of interrelated tasks and
an effective utilization of resources

WHAT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT?

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in
order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project.
- the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project
requirements. (PMBOK2000)

portfolio is a collection of projects or programs and other works that are grouped together to facilitate an
effective management of that work to meet strategic business objectives.

program refers to a group of related projects that is managed in a coordinated way.

Major Management Elements

1. Scope
2. Time(schedule)
3. Cost
4. Quality
5. Risk

Triple Constraints
Scope - the sum of the products and services to be provided as a project.
Time - refers to the amount of time (hours, days, weeks, months) allocated to completing the project.
Cost - refers to the resources being spent (usually money) in order to turn the requirements into an
acceptable system.

What is I.T. Project Management?

Information Technology Project Management (ITPM) is a sub-discipline of Project Management in
which information technology projects are planned, monitored and controlled.

Stakeholder - individuals and organizations that are actively involved in the project, or whose interests
may be positively or negatively affected as a result of project execution or project completion.

PMBOK - Project Management Body of Knowledge

- is the sum of knowledge within the profession of project management

PMI - Project Management Institute

- International professional society for project managers.
 - They developed the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) which is de facto standard
in Project Management.
- PMI performs Project Management Professional (PMP) qualification authorization

PMP: Project Management Professional

- Certification provided by PMI that requires documenting project experience, agreeing to follow the
PMI code of ethics, and passing a comprehensive examination.

6 PHASES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS

Dividing a project into phases makes it possible to lead it in the best possible direction. Through this
organization into phases, the total work load of a project is divided into smaller components, thus making
it easier to monitor. The following paragraphs describe a phasing model that has been useful in practice. It
includes six phases:
1. Initiation phase
2. Definition phase
3. Design phase
4. Development phase
5. Implementation phase
6. Follow-up phase

Project roles and responsibilities

1. Project ManagerThe project manager is the team leader and is responsible for ensuring that all of
the project management and technical development processes are in place and are being carried out
within a set of specific requirements, defined processes, and quality standards.
2. Project SponsorThe project sponsor may be the client, customer, or organizational manager who
will act as a champion for the project and provide organizational resources and direction when
needed.
3. Subject Matter Expert(s) (SME)The subject matter expert may be a user or client who has specific
knowledge, expertise, or insight in a specific functional area needed to support the project.
4. Technical Expert(s) (TE)Technical expertise is needed to provide a technical solution to an
organizational problem. These individuals are responsible for defining, creating, and implementing
the technical and organizational infrastructure to support the product of the IT project.

THE ROLE OF THE PROJECT MANAGER

Leader focuses on long-term goals and big-picture objectives while inspiring people to reach those
goals.
Manager often deals with the day-to-day details of meeting specific goals.
Project manager
- in charge of managing a specific project, and is expected to meet the approved objectives of a project,
including project scope, cost, and time
- has the overall responsibility for planning, organizing, integrating, managing, leading, decision making,
communicating, and building supportive environment for the project
- Leads the project by establishing direction, aligning people and motivating, and inspiring
- Balances quality, availability of resources, and risk management
- Schedule appropriate feasibility reviews to ensure that the project is realistic, necessary, and well defined
- Determines the schedules, resource plans, and budgets needed to achieve project objectives

THE ROLE OF THE PROJECT MANAGER

1. Leader
2. Manager
3. Motivator
4. Problem-solver
- Make Decisions (analyzing the problem to identity viable solutions)
- Always has alternative plan
- Think out of the box
5. Quality Assurance Officer
6. Model Member
7. Communicator or Negotiator
- The Bridge between the Stakeholder and the Project Team

SKILLS OF A PROJECT MANAGER

1. Project management skills
should have an understanding of the many facets of the business aspect of running a project and
expertise in the areas of organization, communication, finance, and human resources
2. People skills
Soft skills or human relations skills
formal authority and persuasion skills
must be able to address and solve problems within the team, as well as those that occur outside
the team
 must be able to motivate and sustain people
Establishing direction, leading people to the direction, motivating and inspiring
3. Integration skills
integrate the phases of the project, such as planning, execution, reporting, and management
the more complex the project, the greater need for integration
4. Technical skills
technical expertise is necessary to identify possible problems
must focus on managing the project and allowing the team members do the technical work
if lack of these skills, training is one option being mentored or coached by a more experienced
individual is another
5. Knowledge of the organization
Project environment knowledge
should understand the companys culture, policies, politics, and personalities
must also know the personalities, needs, and desires of the people in the organization
Understand the mechanics of power and politics

THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSION

Project management was recognized as a distinct discipline requiring people with special skills and, more importantly,
the desire to lead project teams.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT HISTORY:

In 1917, Henry Gantt developed the famous Gantt chart for scheduling work in factories.
Gantt chart, network diagram, and critical path analysis were the project scheduling tools developed in the
early 1900s.
Gantt chart is a standard format for displaying project schedule information by listing project activities and their
corresponding start and finish dates in calendar form. Initially, managers drew Gantt charts by hand to show
project tasks and schedule information. This tool provided a standard format for planning and reviewing all the
work on early military projects.
Network Diagram is a graphical way to view tasks, dependencies, and the critical path of your project. Boxes (or
nodes) represent tasks, and dependencies show up as lines that connect those boxes.
Critical Path Analysis (CPA) or the Critical Path Method (CPM) helps you to plan all tasks that must be
completed as part of a project. They were developed in the 1950s to control large defense projects, and have been
used routinely since then as with Gantt Charts. CPA formally identifies tasks which must be completed on time
for the whole project to be completed on time. It also identifies which tasks can be delayed if resource needs to be
reallocated to catch up on missed or overrunning tasks. The disadvantage of CPA, if you use it as the technique by
which your project plans are communicated and managed against, is that the relation of tasks to time is not as
immediately obvious as with Gantt Charts. This can make them more difficult to understand. A further benefit of
Critical Path Analysis is that it helps you to identify the minimum length of time needed to complete a project.
Where you need to run an accelerated project, it helps you to identify which project steps you should accelerate to
complete the project within the available time.
A PERT chart is a project management tool used to schedule, organize, and coordinate tasks within a project.
PERT stands for Program Evaluation Review Technique, a methodology developed by the U.S. Navy in the
1950s to manage the Polaris submarine missile program. A similar methodology, the Critical Path Method (CPM)
was developed for project management in the private sector at about the same time.

The Manhattan Project, which the U.S. military led to develop the atomic bomb in World War II. The
Manhattan Project involved many people with different skills at several different locations. It also clearly
separated the overall management of the projects mission, schedule, and budget under General Leslie R. Groves
and the technical management of the project under the lead scientist, Dr. Robert Oppenheimer. The Manhattan
Project lasted about three years and cost almost $2 billion in 1946.
Manhattan Project was the 1st project that used modern project management techniques.
During the Cold War years of the 1950s and 60s, the military continued to be important in refining several
project management techniques. Members of the U.S. Navy Polaris missile/ submarine project first used network
diagrams in 1958. These diagrams helped managers model the relationships among project tasks, which allowed
them to create schedules that were more realistic.
By the 1970s, the U.S. military and its civilian suppliers had developed software to assist in managing large
projects. Early project management software was very expensive to purchase, and it ran exclusively on mainframe
computers. For example, Artemis was an early project management software product that helped managers
analyze complex schedules for designing aircraft.

As computer hardware became smaller and more affordable and software companies developed graphical, easy-
to-use interfaces, project management software became less expensive and more widely used. This made it
possibleand affordablefor many industries worldwide to use project management software on all types and
sizes of projects.
New software makes basic tools such as Gantt charts and network diagrams inexpensive, easy to create, and
available for anyone to update.
In the 1990s, many companies began creating Project Management Offices to help them handle the increasing
number and complexity of projects.
Project Management Office (PMO) is an organizational group responsible for coordinating the project
management function throughout an organization.
 By the end of the 20th century, people in virtually every industry around the globe began to investigate and apply
different aspects of project management to their projects. The sophistication and effectiveness with which project
management tools are being applied and used today is influencing the way companies do business, use resources,
and respond to market requirements with speed and accuracy. Many organizations are now using enterprise or
project portfolio management software to help manage portfolios of projects.

Today, project management is used in some form in virtually all organizations and disciplines, and project
management software is making specialized project management techniques easier to use.

Week 3 - THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CONTEXT

A SYSTEMS VIEW OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Systems are sets of interacting components that work within an environment to fulfill some purpose.

Systems thinking describes this holistic view of carrying out projects within the context of the organization.

Systems approach emerged in the 1950s to describe a holistic and analytical approach to solving complex
problems that includes using a systems philosophy, systems analysis, and systems management.

Systems philosophy is an overall model for thinking about things as systems.

Systems analysis is a problem-solving approach that requires defining the scope of the system, dividing it into
components, and then identifying and evaluating its problems, opportunities, constraints, and needs.

Systems management addresses the business, technological, and organizational issues associated with creating,
maintaining, and modifying a system.

THREE-SPHERE MODEL FOR SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

1. Business
2. Technology
3. Organization

UNDERSTANDING ORGANIZATIONS
ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMES
Structural frame
focuses on the groups various roles and responsibilities to be able to achieve the goals and policies set by
top management, and on coordination and control
organizational charts
Human resources frame
focuses on providing agreement between the needs of the organization and the needs of the people
identifies the mismatches between the needs of the organization and the needs of individuals and groups,
and works to resolve any potential problems
Organizational Frames
Political frame
attends to the organizational and personal politics which take in the form of competition among groups or
individuals
assumes that organizations are coalitions composed of mixed individuals and interest groups
key issues are conflict and power
emphasize on tactics and strategies
Symbolic frame
focuses on symbols and meanings related to events
issues related are the meaning of work in high technology environments and the image of IT workers as
being either key patterns in the business or a necessary cost
addresses how meetings are run, employee dress codes, and expected work hours

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES
Functional organization
used for routine work functions and maintenance of quality and work standards
main criticism is the lack of built-in employee recognition, measurement, and reward for project
performance
Project organization
designed for executing projects
specifically customized to meet the demands of complex projects through isolating unique work and
maintaining a strong focus on completing the project
main criticisms are its inefficiency in technology and use of resources
Matrix organization
represents the middle ground between functional and project structures
used when there are multiple projects being coordinated at once
Personnel in a organizational structure often report to two or more bosses
 Organizational Cultures and Styles
Cultural norms
common knowledge on how to approach the work that needs to be done, what ways are acceptable to get
the work done, and who has influence in facilitating the work getting done

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT
Stakeholders are the people involved in project activities or affected by them.
Stakeholders can be internal or external to the organization, directly involved in the project, or simply affected
by the project.
Internal project stakeholders generally include the project sponsor, project team, support staff, and internal
customers for the project. Other internal stakeholders include top management, other functional managers, and
other project managers.
External project stakeholders include the projects customers (if they are external to the organization),
competitors, suppliers, and other external groups potentially involved in the project or affected by it, such as
government officials or concerned citizens.

Stakeholders request projects, approve them, reject them, support them, and oppose them.
Because stakeholder management is so important to project success, the Project Management Institute decided
to create an entire knowledge area devoted to it as part of the Fifth Edition of the PMBOK Guide in 2012
The purpose of project stakeholder management is to identify all people or organizations affected by a project, to
analyze stakeholder expectations, and to effectively engage stakeholders in project decisions throughout the life of
a project.

FOUR PROCESSES IN PROJECT STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

1. Identifying stakeholders
- involves identifying everyone involved in the project or affected by it, and determining the best ways to manage
relationships with them. The main output of this process is a stakeholder register.

2. Planning stakeholder management

- involves determining strategies to effectively engage stakeholders in project decisions and activities based on
their needs, interests, and potential impact. Outputs of this process are a stakeholder management plan and project
documents updates.

3. Managing stakeholder engagement

- involves communicating and working with project stakeholders to satisfy their needs and expectations, resolving
issues, and fostering engagement in project decisions and activities. The outputs of this process are issue logs,
change requests, project management plan updates, project documents updates, and organizational process assets
updates.

4. Controlling stakeholder engagement

- involves monitoring stakeholder relationships and adjusting plans and strategies for engaging stakeholders as
needed. Outputs of this process are work performance information, change requests, project documents updates,
and organizational process assets updates.

PROJECT PHASES AND THE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE

Project life cycle is a collection of project phases.
Project life cycles define what work will be performed in each phase, what deliverables will be produced and
when, who is involved in each phase, and how management will control and approve work produced in each
phase.

A deliverable is a product or service, such as a technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a
segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project.

PROJECT PHASES
Project phases vary by project or industry, but general phases in traditional project management are often
called the concept, development, implementation, and close-out phases.
The first two traditional project phases (concept and development) focus on planning, and are often referred to
as project feasibility. The last two phases (implementation and close-out) focus on delivering the actual work,
and are often referred to as project acquisition.

Concept phase
managers describe the project briefly they create a summary plan for the project
preliminary cost estimate (or rough cost estimate) is developed, and an overview of the work involved is
created
project work is usually defined in a work breakdown structure (WBS)
Development phase
more detailed project plan
more accurate cost estimate
more thorough WBS
 Implementation phase
creates definitive or very accurate cost estimate
delivers the required work
provides performance reports to stakeholders
Close-out phase
all of the work is completed
there should be customer acceptance of the entire project
project team should document their experiences on the project in a lessons-learned report

Work breakdown structure (WBS) outlines project work by decomposing the work activities into different
levels of tasks. The WBS is a deliverable-oriented document that defines the total scope of the project.

PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE Models

Systems development life cycle (SDLC)
framework for describing the phases involved in developing and maintaining information systems
include waterfall model, spiral model, incremental build model, the Rapid Application Development
(RAD) model, and prototyping model
Predictive life cycle
the scope of the project can be clearly communicated and the schedule and cost can be predicted
Adaptive software development (ASD) life cycle
presumes that software development follows an adaptive approach since the requirements cannot be
predicted early in the life cycle
includes attributes such as:
Mission driven and component-based projects
Use of time-based cycles to meet target dates
Use of iterative approach in developing requirements
Risk-driven development
Rapid Application Development (RAD) life cycle model uses an approach in which developers work with an
evolving prototype. This life cycle model also requires heavy user involvement and helps produce systems
quickly without sacrificing quality.
Developers use RAD tools such as CASE (computer-aided software engineering), JRP (joint requirements
planning), and JAD (joint application design) to facilitate rapid prototyping and code generation. These tools
are often used in reporting systems in which programmers enter parameters into software to generate reports for
user approval. When approved, the same parameters will generate the final production system without further
modification by the programmer.
More recently, the term AGILE software development has become popular to describe new approaches that
focus on close collaboration between programming teams and business experts.
Agile approaches are used in rapid software development and to handle frequent system changes and
maintenance to production systems. Because many of these changes might be relatively minor, the more
traditional project approaches would take much longer and cost more. Agile techniques have an iterative, short-
cycle focus on delivery of working software.

THE CONTEXT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS

Project managers need to consider several factors affected by the unique context of IT projects. The diverse nature
of these projects and the wide range of business areas and technologies involved make IT projects especially
challenging to manage. Leading project team members with a variety of specialized skills and understanding
rapidly changing technologies are also important considerations.

Unlike projects in many other industries, IT projects can be very diverse. Some involve a small number of people
installing off-the-shelf hardware and associated software. Others involve hundreds of people analyzing several
organizations business processes and then developing new software in a collaborative effort with users to meet
business needs. Even for small hardware-oriented projects, a wide diversity of hardware types could be
involvedpersonal computers, mainframe computers, network equipment, kiosks, laptops, tablets, or
smartphones, to name a few. The network equipment might be wireless, phone-based, cable-based, or require a
satellite connection. The nature of software development projects is even more diverse than hardware-oriented
projects. A software development project might include creating a simple, stand-alone Microsoft Excel or
Access application, or a sophisticated, global e-commerce system that uses state-of-the-art programming
languages and runs on multiple platforms.

RECENT TRENDS AFFECTING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Several recent trends have affected IT project management. Increased globalization, outsourcing, virtual teams,
and agile project management have changed the way many IT projects are staffed and managed. Project managers
must stay abreast of these and other trends and discover ways to use them effectively.
Globalization
IT is a key enabler of globalization. Even though major IT companies such as Microsoft and IBM started in the
United States, much of their business is globalindeed, companies and individuals throughout the world
contribute to the growth of information technologies, and work and collaborate on various IT projects.
Outsourcing is an organizations acquisition of goods and services from an outside source.
 Offshoring is sometimes used to describe outsourcing from another country. It is a natural outgrowth of
globalization. IT projects continue to rely more and more on outsourcing, both within and outside their country
boundaries.
Virtual team is a group of people who work together despite time and space boundaries using communication
technologies. Team members might all work for the same company in the same country, or they might include
employees as well as independent consultants, suppliers, or even volunteers providing their expertise from around
the globe
Agile means being able to move quickly and easily, but some people feel that project management, as they have
seen it used, does not allow people to work quickly or easily. As technology and businesses became more
complex, the approach was often difficult to use because requirements were unknown or continuously changing.
Agile today means using a method based on iterative and incremental development, in which requirements and
solutions evolve through collaboration. Agile can be used for software development or in any environment in
which the requirements are unknown or change quickly. In terms of the triple constraint, an agile approach sets
time and cost goals but leaves scope goals flexible so the project sponsors or product owners can prioritize and
reprioritize the work they want done. An agile approach makes sense for some projects, but not all of them.
Scrum is the leading agile development method for completing projects with a complex, innovative scope of
work.

BOOK REFERENCE:
Information Technology Project Management, Seventh Edition
By Kathy Schwalbe