Project Assignment
Assessment item 1: Project Charter and PMP
Task
Project Charter and Project Management Plan
In this assessment item you have to define the high-level goals and objectives of your project. The Project Charter is a contract between you and the client. It specifies the goals the client wants your project to achieve and items that are in and out of scope for this particular project. All the other phases of the project will be based on the goals specified in this Charter.
In addition to the Charter, you also have to devise an initial Project Management Plan. This plan will document the resources (people and budget) for the project as well as a timeline for the different project phases and project milestones. In the Project Management plan you also have to evaluate potential risks that your project may face and propose risk migration strategies.
This is a real project (not theoretical). The type of project you do will depend on your major. Information will be given in the first week of classes.You need to make sure your submission matches the nature of the project that you are doing. Thus different majors will have different flavours to this submission. Please consult with your lecturer for further advice as needed.
The templates for the Project Charter and Project Management Plan are located in the resources section of the ITC306 Interact site.
Rationale
Demonstrate the student's ability to identify the different steps in the project development, as well as develop the main artifacts of the process, using project management tools. Demonstrate effective communication skills.
Assessment item 2: Requriment
Task
This task has a different nature depending on your major. It is always related to the requirements though.
Network engineering / systems administration students will do a requires specification; IT management and business analysis students will do a feasibility study
Software development will do the lifecycle objective milestone (LCOM) More details follows.
Network Engineering / Systems administration
Requirements Specification and Research Report on Candidate Technologies
The purpose of a Requirements Specification document is to provide a thorough and complete description of the requirements for your project. It should contain in detail specifics of any existing constraints as well as provide a detailed discussion of the business requirements, functional requirements and technical requirements. The purpose of the Research Report on Candidate Technologies is to provide an overview of candidate technologies that may be incorporated into your solution.
You are required to submit the following: Requirements Specification
Research Report on Candidate Technologies
IT Management /Business Analysis students
You are required to complete a feasibility study, using a TELOS framework, that investigates moving all of the services required by your client to the Cloud. You will need to investigate cloud-based alternatives for file shares, directory services, desktop applications and any other requirements as identified to meet the business requirements set out in the project briefing.
You are required to submit this study in a report format (Word limit 2000).
Software Development Students
You are required to achieve the LifeCycle Objective Milestone (LCOM) for the application you are developing. In short this is about developing your initial requirements, plan for you application and deliver some artefacts to show that you have done this.
You are required to use the Unifed Process model throughout the analysis, design, development and deployment of the Project to demonstrate understanding and benefits of using the industry-standard Unified Modeling Language (UML) when managing the Software development lifecycle (SDLC) for producing high-quality Software that meets end-user needs. In particular this assessment item is about the inception phase of the unifed process model.
Details about the possible Software development projects will be provided (and discussed) in the class and handout related to that will also be given during the first week of session.
In more detail, you will need to deliver the following artefacts to substantiate that you have achieved LCOM:
1. An Initial Requirement Model - which identifies the scope of the intended software, and the functional, non-functional and technical requirements.
2. A Proposed Architecture - which indicates what technologies you think you need to achieve the functional and non-functional requirements set out in your Vision and supporting documents.
3. A Technical Competency Demonstrator - which indicates that you have the technical skills to achieve those goals using your proposed technology. In particular you need to show your coordinator that you have setup the appropriate development environment and casn use it. [Linked to the technical requirements - an opportunity for your lecturer to give feedback for the feasibility of your task as needed].
Also include in this submission to allow for feedback for later parts of the project:
4. An updated Project Plan (This expands on your previous assessment and gives the opportunity for your lecturer to provide feedback to any changes you have made. This aspect is about setting up your path for success in later assessments).
5. The start of a Master Test Plan - which indicates roughly how you intend to verify that your project meets its aims. (This will be expanded and marked as part of your next assessment item - however including something here gives a chance to receive feedback).
Rationale
Demonstrate student's ability to analyse and document requirements using appropriate modelling techniques and tools. Demonstrate student's ability to evaluate and determine suitable technologies to be used in the project. Demonstrate student's ability to identify and analyse standard testing parameters used in evaluating system performance. Demonstrate effective communication skills.
Assessment item 3: Draft Design - Detailed PMP - Prototype
Task
The precise require for this assessment item depends on your major. However, for all majors you need to show significant progress in your project and in return you get a chance for some feedback which you can then act on for future tasks.
Networking engineering and systems administration students will submit their draft design document and test plan.
IT Management and business analysis students will submit several artefacts - in particular aprocurement managment plan (PMP).
Software development students will create working prototype and a test plan. More details below.
Network Engineering / Systems administration
Solution Design Document (Draft) and Test Plan
The purpose of a Solution Design Document is to provide a thorough and complete description of your proposed solution.
It has to include the logical (network topology, addressing, naming, VLANs, VPNs etc) as well as the physical design (which equipment to use, chosen LAN and WAN technology etc) for solution and provide information on how the design is to be implemented (Installation plans, user guides, administration plans etc). The design decisions that you have made need to be justified by referring back to the customer requirements set out in the Requirements Specification. You will need to show how your proposed design is a valid solution to fulfill these requirements. An electronic copy of the templates for the Design Document can be found in the resources section of the ITC306 Interact site.
Test plan
The purpose of a test plan is to clearly document the testing parameters for the system you are building in order to ensure the system is accurately evaluated against the system requirements documented in Assessment Item 2.
IT Management /Business Analysis You are required to submit: Detailed Project Management Plan
An updated detailed Project Management Plan that includes: Quality Management plan
High level WBS and budget Change Control plan
Reporting Templates
Templates for your team submissions including: Change request forms
Change log, Issue log,
Team meeting agenda and minutes other templates as identified
Software Development Students
You are required to complete the design for the critical, core, risky, difficult (CCRD) use case; create a comprehensive test plan and build a prototype for the CCRD use case.
Before giving details, it is important to realise that for assessment item 4, you will expand your prototype to fully implement the CCRD use case at production quality and fully tested with your test plan. So remember to develop with that in mind.
Moreprecisely, youshould submit
1. A Revised Requirement Model which sets out the final functional and non-functional requirements, the data model, and includes a Full Use Case Description for the CCRD use case.
2. A Final Architecture which explains and illustrates the final approach and technological platform that will be used to support the completed implementation.
3. A Master Test Plan - which sets out the final concept of the test regime including user acceptance testing (for CCRD).
4. A working prototype that supports the normal flow for the CCRD. The user interface need not be production level. Also, alternate and exceptional flows do not need to be implemented. [They will be required for the last assessment item though.] You will need to show the source code you have written as part of the prototype. These should be organised as work items committed to version control with people's names attached to the items. Work items should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Releant, Time bxed).
Rationale
Network Engineering / Systems administration
Demonstrate student's ability to apply appropriately the different steps in the project development, as well as develop the main artifacts of the process.
IT Management /Business Analysis
Demonstrate student's ability to apply appropriately the different steps in the project development, as well as develop the main artifacts of the process.
Software Development Students
Demonstrate student's ability to apply appropriately the different steps in the project development, as well as develop the main artifacts of the process;
Demonstrate student's ability to identify and analyse standard testing parameters used in evaluating system performance.
Assessment item 4: Presentation & Final Documentation / LCAM
Task
All Students
In addition to the specific tasks detailed below, for this assessment item you and your team must present and also submit a recorded presentation. The presentation should be 10-15 min in length (10-15 slides) and targeted at your client. The purpose of the presentation is to show the client that you understand the business problem and vision for the project, that you have identified the requirements, scope and risks for the project, and that you have a solution that will suit the client. This means that your presentation should be delivered in a manner and using language that your client will be able to understand. It should include a general overview of your design and how it meets the specified business goals, and may discuss specific technical design issues or trade-offs that you have made in your design.
Network Engineering / Systems Administration students, your presentation should also include a short proof of concept/prototype demonstration that makes it clear that you are on track to deliver a fully working solution in ITC308.
Software development students will need to demonstrate their working executable architecture.
An electronic copy of the templates for the Design Document and Presentation can be found in the resources section of the ITC306 Interact site.
Network Engineering / Systems administration
Final Solution Design Documentation and Proof of Concept Prototype Presentation
You are required to submit a revised Solution Design Document based on the feedback from Assessment Item 3. This assessment item is your final Design Document documenting the entire solution that you propose for your project. You should now be able to implement your project based on this Design Document.
IT Management / Business Analysis
Definitive Cost Estimates, WBS, Procurement Management and Presentation
Based on your approved design, you are required to prepare a definitive cost estimate and WBS utilizing MS Project, incorporating the allocation of costs and resources. Your MS Project submission should also be baselined. You are also required to submit a Procurement Management Plan.
Software Development Students
You are required to achieve the LifeCycle Architecture Milestone (LCAM) for the application you are developing. In short this is about having executable architecture for the critical, core, risky, difficult (CCRD) use case and evidence of thorough testing.
To make it clear, you need to have working code and need to demonstrate it as part of the presentation. The presentation should demonstrate normal and alternate flows at a production level.
In detail:
Deliver the following artefacts to substantiate that you have achieved LCAM. Most components will be available from earlier assessment items (but may need to be updated based on lecturer feedback or your own experience). Most of the marks are allocated to the bolded items. Remember though, that you need to do more in ITC308 and so continual updates as needed are important .
1. A Revised Project Vision, which sets out the final concept for the completed application.
2. A Revised Requirement Model which sets out the final functional and non-functional requirements, the data model, and includes a Full Use Case Description for the CCRD use case.
3. A Final Architecture which explains and illustrates the final approach and technological platform that will be used to support the completed implementation.
4. A Revised Master Test Plan - which sets out the final concept of the test regime.
5. An Executable Architecture which embodies complete end-to-end production quality support for the critical, core, risky, difficult (CCRD) use case, using the chosen architecture, deployed in the intended production environment.
6. Evidence of Testing. Specifically:
a. User Acceptance Tests to verify and validate support for the CCRD use case, together with test results.
b. Unit and Integration Tests to verify implementation of the CCRD use case.
7. A Revised Project Plan which sets out the final schedule for implementing all remaining functionality for the project.
You also need to give a presentation. In addition to what is mentioned above, the presentation should show your client your working executable architecture. As part of explaining what you have done, you need to clearly explain the different layers of the 3-tier architecture and how it applies to your project.
Rationale
Demonstrate student's ability to apply appropriately the different steps in the project development, as well as develop the main artifacts of the process, using project management tools to assist in timely completion of milestones; Demonstrate effective communication skills.
Additionally for software development students:
Be able to identify and analyse standard testing parameters used in evaluating system performance;
Prescribed Text
There is no prescribed text for this subject.
Recommended reading / resources
Kloppenborg, T. J. (2015). Contemporary Project Management - Organize / Plan / Perform (Third Edition). Mason, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning. [ISBN-10: 1-285-43335-1] [ISBN-13: 978-1-285-43335-6]
Marchewka, J. (2015). Information technology project management: Providing measurable organizational value (Fifth Edition). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. [ISBN: 978-1-118-91101-3]
Project Management Institute (PMI) (2013). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) (5 ed.). Newton Square, Pennsylvania, USA: Project Management Institute (PMI). [ISBN-10: 1935589679] [ISBN-13: 978-1-935589-67-9]
Schwalbe, K. (2010). Information technology project management (6th ed.). Boston, USA: Course Technology. [ISBN-10: 0-324-78692-1] [ISBN-13: 978-0-324-78692-7].
Attachment:- Project-Assignment.rar