Case :
Module's Case is about the processes involved in planning, scheduling, budgeting IT projects, and stakeholder's accountability. There are some fairly well-established rules and procedures to serve as guidelines here.
Here are two short online presentations that give a fairly useful overview:
Gurmin, S. (2010). Effective project management. online presentation, ISSUU. Part 1
Here's a good basic treatment of resource allocation issues:
Drinkwater, A. (2011) Proper methods for resource planning.
It's also important to keep in mind that all project decisions operate in an environment with some degree of uncertainty and/or risk; keeping risks (or unanticipated consequences) to a minimum is very important, because your stakeholders do NOT like surprises. Consider this good advice:
Bart, J. (2011). 10 Golden rules of project risk management. ProjectSmart.
Now we come to the interesting part. Here is a summary of a case of planning and scheduling in the construction industry. As you read through it, you'll recognize many of the issues encountered in the descriptions of IT project planning.
CEIM Reporter. (2011, March 8). Owner's project schedule management for high rise office building projects: A case study of scheduling. Professional Project Management Education.
In addition, the optional readings expand on many of the central points; you may also want to do some independent Internet-based research of your own to clarify any issues that concern you.
For accountability management, it is about the advice that we're given by the literature and the practice wisdom about how we should maintain relationships with the project's "stakeholders" and others to whom the project must report.
One of the more systematic articles would be:
Barron, M. & Barron, A. (2011, April 5). Project stakeholders. The Project Management Hut.
Consider also the use of various accountability maintenance processes
Ten Step. (n.d.). Monitor and control the project.
Gunlach, M. (2009, June 30). Understanding how project monitoring and controlling integrates to other processes. Bright Hub.
Your task for Question 2 below is to assemble some propositions about how and when accountability for project operations and results can and should be determined. There is no shortage of advice, in these sources and elsewhere; some are likely to be better supported by the literature and the evidence than others. Obviously, as noted below, this will obligate you to actually be able to present such evidence in an academically respectable manner. You will need to consider what accountability is, to whom it is owed, what sorts of things project managers are accountable for, and the relative costs and benefits of various degrees of accountability.
Case Assignment
When you have read through the articles and related material, please compose a 6- to 8-page critical analysis paper on the topics:
1. Issues and conclusions regarding project planning, scheduling, and risk management from the construction case that also apply to information technology projects.
2. Discuss and recommend how to maintain effective accountability in project management.
Assignment Expectations
Your paper should be short (6-8 pages, not including cover sheet and references) and to the point. It is to be structured in the following manner.
You are expected to:
- Begin this paper by stating your recommendations for accountability maintenance clearly and concisely
- Citing appropriate sources, present the reasons why you take this position. Be sure to make the most effective case you can.
- Then present the best evidence you can, again citing appropriate sources, against your position-that is, establish what counterarguments can be made to your original position.
- Finally, review your original position in light of the counterarguments, showing how they are inadequate to rebut your original statement.
- By the end of your paper, you should be able to unequivocally re-affirm your original position.
SLP:
You'll remember that the general project for this term involves creating an implementation plan for the new TUI learning management system, Desire2learn (D2L). You've already had the opportunity to review some project management software; now you'll have the opportunity to begin to put together an actual plan using it.
- For the first part of this assignment, you should think about the specific steps involved. Up to now, you've only had the project broken down by general stages. Now, try to develop a more specific series of steps, and plot them out relative to each other. Try to make the best estimates you can about timing and required resources.
- Use your software to incorporate these steps into your project plan; allocate and distribute your resources as you think they will be needed. If you need to make specific assumptions about anything, don't hesitate to do so as long as you keep a record of such assumptions and make them explicit in your write-up. Don't hesitate to contact your professor if you have questions or want to clarify any particular points.
- Prepare a brief (2-3 pages) for part 1 of this report summarizing your activities regarding the previous two steps-action definition and plan design. Attach your plan report either as a component of the document (not counted against the page requirement). Be as personal and reflective as you can; remember, your aim is to describe what you learned from this process and how it might affect your behavior and your career.
- After part 1 of SLP4 is completed, you should go back over SLP1-3 and make any needed revisions consistent with the feedback that you've received on your plan through the first four modules. Refine your model, add any necessary steps, and make sure that the conclusion of your plan is a smoothly operating system with controls and maintenance built in.
- Use your software to incorporate these steps into your project plan; allocate and distribute your resources as you think they will be needed. If you need to make specific assumptions about anything, don't hesitate to do so as long as you keep a record of such assumptions and make them explicit in your write-up. Don't hesitate to contact your professor if you have questions or want to clarify any particular points.
- Finally, prepare a brief (2-3 pages) report summarizing your activities regarding the previous two steps-action definition and plan design. Attach your plan report either as a component of the document (not counted against the page requirement). Be as personal and reflective as you can; remember, your aim is to describe what you learned from this process and how it might affect your behavior and your career.
- Please conclude your paper with a brief overall evaluation of your experience using planning software, and any suggestions you may have for improving the effectiveness of this assignment as a way of learning about project planning and implementation.
SLP Assignment Expectations
Your paper will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Complete the SLP assignment. Length of 4-6 pages (since a page is about 300 words, this is approximately 1,200-1,800 words)
- Conducted evaluation and analysis as required
- Precision: the questions asked are answered.
- Clarity: Your answers are clear and show your good understanding of the topic.
- Breadth and Depth: The scope covered in your paper is directly related to the questions of the assignment and the learning objectives of the module.
- Critical thinking: Incorporate YOUR reactions, examples, and applications of the material to business that illustrate your reflective judgment and good understanding of the concepts.
- Your paper is well written and the references are properly cited and listed.