Study information

IT Project Management - 2019 entry

MODULE TITLEIT Project Management CREDIT VALUE15
MODULE CODEECM2428 MODULE CONVENER Huw Evans (Coordinator)
DURATION: TERM 1 2 3
DURATION: WEEKS 12 0 0
Number of Students Taking Module (anticipated) 15
DESCRIPTION - summary of the module content

***DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP STUDENTS ONLY***

This module introduces the processes, methods, techniques and tools that organisations use to manage their IT projects.   You will learn how to apply a systematic methodology for initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing projects. Project management in modern organisations is a complex team based activity, where various types of technologies (including project management software as well as software to support group collaboration) are an inherent part of the project management process. This module also acknowledges that project management involves the use of resources both from within the firm, as well as contracted third parties from outside the organisation.

AIMS - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to ensure that you gain a working knowledge of IT project management. In particular, you will be able to demonstrate the following competences:

  • Follow a systematic methodology for initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing technology solutions projects.
  • Apply industry standard processes, methods, techniques and tools to execute projects.
  • Able to manage a project (typically less than six months, no inter-dependency with other projects and no strategic impact) including identifying and resolving deviations and the management of problems and escalation processes.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs) (see assessment section below for how ILOs will be assessed)

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge

1. Able to construct a project plan for a multi-threaded project.

2. Demonstrate an ability to manage a project (typically less than six months, no inter-dependency with other projects and no strategic impact) including the rescheduling for deviations, the handling of review meetings and the management of problems and escalation processes.

3. Initiate projects, including project selection, defining project scope, and determining the feasibility of projects.

4. Manage moderately complex IT projects effectively and efficiently.

5. Manage project teams, including the fundamentals of leadership and team motivation.

6. Manage project communication, both internal to the team, and external to other project stakeholders.

7. Estimate the various activities that are required as part of an IT project

8. Manage project schedules with appropriate techniques and tools.

9. Monitor project performance against agreed tolerance levels

10. Manage project resources, including human resources, capital equipment, and time.

11. Manage project quality, including the identification of the threats and risk to project quality,

12. Manage project risk, including the identification of risk, and techniques for ensuring project risk is controlled.

13. Manage the project procurement process, including understanding external acquisition and outsourcing, as well as the steps for managing external procurement.

14. Manage project execution, including monitoring project progress and managing project change, and appropriately documenting and communicating project status.

15. Control projects through information tracking and cost and change control techniques.

16. Close projects, including administrative, personnel, and contractual closure.

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge

17. Understand the foundations of IT project management, including its definition, scope, and the need for project management in the modern organisation.

18. Understand the issues of quality, cost and time concerned with project implementation, including contractual obligations and resource constraints.

19. Aware of how to roll out a project in a customer friendly way and consistent with the business needs.

20. Understand different approaches for managing projects in an IT environment.

21. Understand the phases of the project management lifecycle.

22. Understand the techniques for measuring project quality, and how to ensure that project quality is achieved.

23. Understand the mechanisms for dealing with exceptions and issues in projects.

24. Appreciate ethnic cultural differences in working with global teams either internal to organisations or by engaging offshore outsourcers.

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge

25. Communicate orally and in writing

26. Solve problems creatively

27. Think analytically and critically

28. Organise your own work

29. Work to a deadline

30. Collaborate and negotiate

31. Make decisions

 

 

SYLLABUS PLAN - summary of the structure and academic content of the module

Introduction to IT project management (2 weeks)

•          Need for project management

•          Quality, cost and time

•          Contractual obligations and resource constraints

•          The project management lifecycle

•          Alternative approaches for IT projects (waterfall; PRINCE2; agile; Scrum)

 

Initiating projects (1 week)

•          Project selection

•          Defining scope

•          Determining feasibility

•          Managing procurement

 

Project planning (2 weeks)

•          Estimating

•          Scheduling techniques and tools

 

Project execution (3 weeks)

•          Managing resources (human resources, capital equipment and time)

•          Monitoring and communicating progress

•          Cost and change control

•          Review meetings

•          Management of problems, exceptions and issues; escalation processes

•          Rescheduling

•          Managing roll out

 

Closing projects (1 week)

•          Administrative, personnel, and contractual closure

 

Advanced themes (3 weeks)

•          Managing teams, leadership and team motivation

           o          Cultural differences in global teams

•          Managing internal and external communication

•          Managing project quality

           o          Measuring quality

           o          Identifying and dealing with threats to quality

•          Identifying and controlling risk

LEARNING AND TEACHING
LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities 22 Guided Independent Study 128 Placement / Study Abroad 0
DETAILS OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS
Category Hours of study time Description
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 18 Online learning activity, including virtual workshops, synchronous and asynchronous virtual lectures and other e-learning.
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 2 Lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities 2 Group workshops
Guided independent study 128 Coursework, exam preparation and self-study

 

ASSESSMENT
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT - for feedback and development purposes; does not count towards module grade
Form of Assessment Size of Assessment (e.g. duration/length) ILOs Assessed Feedback Method
Contribution to class discussion N/A 1-31 Verbal
       
       
       
       

 

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (% of credit)
Coursework 50 Written Exams 50 Practical Exams 0
DETAILS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Form of Assessment % of Credit Size of Assessment (e.g. duration/length) ILOs Assessed Feedback Method
Project initiation and planning exercise 50 2500 words 1,3,7,8,10-12,17-21, 25-31 Written
Written exam 50 1.5 hours 1-29, 31 Written
         
         
         

 

DETAILS OF RE-ASSESSMENT (where required by referral or deferral)
Original Form of Assessment Form of Re-assessment ILOs Re-assessed Time Scale for Re-assessment
Project initiation and planning exercise (50%) Project initiation and planning exercise 1,3,7,8,10-12,17-21, 25-31 Completed over summer with a deadline in August
Written Exam (50%) Written Exam (1.5 hours) 1-29, 31 August assessment period
       

 

RE-ASSESSMENT NOTES

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be deferred in the assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you may be required to sit a referral. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%.

RESOURCES
INDICATIVE LEARNING RESOURCES - The following list is offered as an indication of the type & level of
information that you are expected to consult. Further guidance will be provided by the Module Convener

ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk

 

Reading list for this module:

Type Author Title Edition Publisher Year ISBN
Set James Cadle, Donald Yeates Project Management for Information Systems Prentice Hall 2008
CREDIT VALUE 15 ECTS VALUE 7.5
PRE-REQUISITE MODULES None
CO-REQUISITE MODULES None
NQF LEVEL (FHEQ) 5 AVAILABLE AS DISTANCE LEARNING No
ORIGIN DATE Tuesday 10th July 2018 LAST REVISION DATE Wednesday 18th September 2019
KEY WORDS SEARCH Project Management

Please note that all modules are subject to change, please get in touch if you have any questions about this module.