IS 669: Project Management Operations (3 credits)

This course is designed to give students both practical and academic insights into modern practices in the area of information systems project management. A general introduction to project management is followed by readings and exercises for topics that include:

• Integration and scope management,
• Time/cost/quality management, and
• Human resource and risk management.
• The traditional management aspects of initiating, panning, executing and controlling will also be examined.

The course will conclude with discussions involving what is involved in closing a project. Students must successfully complete IS 631, and IS 634 prior to enrolling for this course.

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Example Syllabus - IS 669: Project Management Operations

Each syllabus is an example of a course structure and assignments and is subject to change at any time by the course instructor or Program Director.

Course Description

This course provides an overview of the theoretical and practical aspects of managing information systems (IS) projects. A life cycle management model is the overriding model for conceptualizing and organizing the course. Throughout the course, the content examines the underlying theory and practice for project management, such as organizational behavior, team dynamics and economic analysis. The course focuses on the theory and practice of grounding IS projects in larger organizational strategies; creating project plans, budgets, and schedules and related monitoring activities. The focus is achieved through readings, on-line discussions of readings, periodic quizzes, essays on selected topics, and the creation of a detailed IS project plan from start to finish. The material seeks to address the question of what makes managing IS projects, and in particular software projects, particularly complicated and prone to failure.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand the theories and practice of some of the human elements of managing IS projects like team dynamics and organizational theory;
2. Understand the principles and practices of lS project management, program management and life cycle management. This will entail examining issues such as strategic alignment, selection criteria, cost estimation techniques, and performance measurement for IS projects;
3. Working with automated project management software, construct work breakdown structures, project schedules, and project budgets and use these techniques as management tools for project monitoring; and
4. Examine the literature and case studies IS and software project failures and the related techniques that are available for risk mitigation and risk management in project management.
   

Outcome Competencies:

The student who successfully completes this course will achieve the following competencies:

1. Understand the genesis of project management, its importance to the success of information technology projects, and its intellectual context and literature as a scholarly discipline.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of project management concepts and methodology to include the following:
   • The triple constraint of project management,
   • The project life cycle
   • Project selection methods,
   • Work breakdown structures,
   • Network diagrams and critical path analysis,
   • Cost estimating techniques and project budgets,
   • Project monitoring, included earned value analysis,
   • Risk Management, and
   • Motivation theory and team building
3. Use project management software to plan and manage a case study information technology project in a group setting.
4. Write essays about critical issues in information technology project management.
5. Be familiar with current research literature and its importance to the discipline.
   

Required Materials

Kathy Schwalbe, Information Technology Project Management, 2ed. Thompson Learning. 2002. ISBN 0-619-03528-5. The book has a limited time license for MS Project 2000 for your individual use during the semester.

Recommended Materials

While MS Project is user friendly, students may find an “after-market” guide to MS project helpful. Most bookstores or computer stores have a myriad of these to choose from. Alternatively, the Schwalbe text has an Appendix devoted to the use of MS Project 2000 that we may rely on for examples and exercises.

Course Grading

Your participation in this course indicates that you are motivated to achieve excellence on all course requirements. Your responsibilities include monitoring the status of the online grade book to make certain that you have entries for all assignments as they are posted throughout the semester. You are also responsible for all course updates and revisions that may be posted on the Announcements.

Final letter grades are based on a percent of total points accumulated by students at the conclusion of the course. The relative contribution of the individual assignments is reflected in the point value for each assignment. The point values of the assignments are as follows:

Unit quiz 110 points (10 points per quiz for 11 quizzes)
Unit essay 200 points (50 points per essay for 4 essays)
Online Discussion 50 points (05 points each for 10 sessions)
Applied Project 140 points as described below

The grading policy is as follows:
	90% of total points or above:		A
	80% to 89.5% of total points:		B
	70% to 79.5% of total points:		C

Students who are in danger of receiving a grade lower than B will be warned about a problem by email. Students who fail to heed a warning and to remedy a problem will receive a grade lower than B. All course requirements must be completed by the dates on the course schedule, and no material will be accepted after the last class of the semester

Parts of this course are paced. The essays, project deliverables, quizzes and discussions have due dates, but feel free to turn in early if you like. Late essays and discussion entries will receive lowered point values. Quizzes are no longer available at 11:55 pm on the date they are do. Note the quizzes are timed for 20 minutes.

Any student who is having a problem with the course should not hesitate to contact the instructor. It is the intent of the instructor and course supervisors to assist you to attain the highest possible professional and academic returns on your investment of time and energy.

Your participation in this course indicates that you understand and accept these policies.