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FIT2002 IT Project Management , Unit Information Guide (Semester 1, 2006)
Lecturers
Gippsland :
Iqbal Gondal
Outline
ASCED Discipline Group classification: 029999
The unit provides both a theoretical and practical overview of processes involved in managing large projects, with particular emphasis on projects common to the information technology industry. Topics include the project life cycle, problem definition, project evaluation, high and low level planning. team building and people management, monitoring and control, reporting and communication, termination and assessment.
Objectives
On completion of this unit students will be able to:
Describe the characteristics and phases of a project and its life cycle and explain the role played by the project manager.
Explain the need for and develop specific goals, detailed plans and control strategies in large scale projects and relate this to the major reasons for the failure of IT projects.
Develop relevant, achievable and measurable project goals.
Explain and use standard project management techniques including Project Networks, Critical Path Analysis and Management, Gantt Charts and Time-Phased Budgets for high and low level project planning.
Discuss the communication, people handling and team management skills required of a project manager and explain some of the techniques that may be employed.
Identify and critically discuss the impact on a project of external influences, including organisational structure, and stakeholders.
Explain the processes involved in selecting and initiating a project and prepare various critical documents required for these processes, including financial justification.
Explain the importance of resource availability on project plans and develop and manage resource constrained project plans.
Describe the need for Quality Management in projects and explain, compare and use various techniques currently employed by professional project managers.
Describe the impact of risk on a project manager's decision process, explain how that risk may be managed and/or mitigated and develop an appropriate risk management plan..
Monitor the progress of a project, determine performance against the plan, develop strategies to manage any variation and discuss formal change control processes.
Produce useful, informative progress reports for various project stakeholders and conduct stage and post project reviews
Prerequisites
Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed [
Completion of at least 24 points of level one IT study.
] , or equivalent.
Unit relationships
FIT2002 is a [core/elective] unit in the [enter the name(s) of the major(s)] of the [enter the names of the degrees]. It is a [prerequisite/corequisite] for Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed [
Completion of at least 24 points of level one IT study.
] , or equivalent.. You may not study this unit and [enter the unit codes of the prohibited units] in your degree.
Texts and software
Required text(s)
Schwalbe K., Information Technology Project Management, 3nd Ed. Course Technology (2004)
Meredith J.R and Mantel S.J., Project Management a Managerial Approach, 5th Ed. Wiley (2003)
Klastorin T., Project Management, Tools and Trade-Offs, Wiley (2004)
Gido J. and Clements J.P., Successful Project Management, 2nd Ed., South-Western (2003)
Cardle J. and Yeats D., Project Management for Information Systems, 4th Ed., Prentice-Hall (2004)
Mantel S.J., Meredith J.R., Shafer S.M. and Sutton M.M., Project Management in Practice, 2th Ed. Wiley (2005)
Kerzner H., Project Management, A Systems Approach to Planning Scheduling and Controlling, 8th Ed., Wiley (2003)
Tavani, H.T. Ethics & Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information and Communication Technology. John Wiley & Sons (2004)
Hawthorn D., Luxford K., Jeganathan S., Martin R and White C., Project Management Basics, Epsilon (1998) }
Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.
Software requirements:
MS Project
Vision
Hardware requirements:
Students studying off-campus are required to have the minimum system configuration specified by the faculty as a condition of accepting admission, and regular Internet access. On-campus students, and those studying at supported study locations may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook. You will need to allocate up to n hours per week for use of a computer, including time for newsgroups/discussion groups.
Recommended reading
Schwalbe K., Information Technology Project Management, 3nd Ed. Course Technology (2004)
Meredith J.R and Mantel S.J., Project Management a Managerial Approach, 5th Ed. Wiley (2003)
Klastorin T., Project Management, Tools and Trade-Offs, Wiley (2004)
Gido J. and Clements J.P., Successful Project Management, 2nd Ed., South-Western (2003)
Cardle J. and Yeats D., Project Management for Information Systems, 4th Ed., Prentice-Hall (2004)
Mantel S.J., Meredith J.R., Shafer S.M. and Sutton M.M., Project Management in Practice, 2th Ed. Wiley (2005)
Kerzner H., Project Management, A Systems Approach to Planning Scheduling and Controlling, 8th Ed., Wiley (2003)
Tavani, H.T. Ethics & Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information and Communication Technology. John Wiley & Sons (2004)
Hawthorn D., Luxford K., Jeganathan S., Martin R and White C., Project Management Basics, Epsilon (1998) }
Library access
You may need to access the Monash library either personally to be able to satisfactorily complete the subject. Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.
Study resources
Study resources for FIT2002 are:
Unit book
Text book
FIT2002 MUSO website
Discussion groups
Structure and organisation
Week
Topics
Study Guide
Key Dates
1
The Project and the Project Manager
Assignment #1: 7th April 2006
2
Project Start Up
Assignment #2: 14th May 2006.
3
Evaluation of Alternative Proposals
4
Project Scope Management
5
Project Time Management
6
Project Scheduling Technique
7
Budget and Cash-flow Management
Non-teaching
8
Project Quality Management
9
Human Resource Management
10
Project Communication Management
11
Project Risk Management
12
Project Termination
13
Revision
Timetable
The timetable for on-campus classes for this unit can be viewed in Allocate+
Assessment
Assessment for the unit consists of 2 assignments with a weighting of 40% and an examination with a weighting of 60%. Read this section VERY carefully.
Assessment Policy
To pass this unit you must:
Your final grade will be calculated on one of the following conditions:
1. If your project assignment component is equal to 0%, then Final grade = E / 2.5 2. If your examination component is equal to 0%, then Final grade = A / 2.5 3. If both your examination and assignment components are greater than 0%, then Final grade = (R*A*E) / (((R-1)*A)+E)
Your score for the unit will be calculated by:
Final grade = (R*A*E) / (((R-1)*A)+E)
Assessment Requirements
Assessment
Due Date
Weighting
Assignment #1
7th April 2006.
20 %
Assignment #2
14th May 2006.
20 %
Assignment specifications will be made available FIT2002 website :MUSO. Information about assignments will be published on the Unit's Notices Newsgroup.
Assignment Submission Methods
Assignments will be submitted by electronic submission to muso.monash.edu.au. Do not email submissions. The due date is the date by which the submission must be received/the date by which the the submission is to be posted.
Extensions and late submissions
Late submission of assignments
Assignments received after the due date will be subject to a penalty of [describe penalty for late submission, describe the deadline for late assignment acceptance or any conditions that are placed on late assignments, e g, "Assignments received later than one week after the due date will not normally be accepted."]
This policy is strict because comments or guidance will be given on assignments as they are returned, and sample solutions may also be published and distributed, after assignment marking or with the returned assignment.
Extensions
It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions.
Requests for extensions must be made by [method of request, for example, 'email to the unit lecturer'] at least two days before the due date. You will be asked to forward original medical certificates in cases of illness, and may be asked to provide other forms of documentation where necessary. A copy of the email or other written communication of an extension must be attached to the assignment submission.
Grading of assessment
Assignments, and the unit, will be marked and allocated a grade according to the following scale:
HD High Distinction -
very high levels of achievement, demonstrated knowledge and understanding, skills in application and high standards of work encompassing all aspects of the tasks.
In the 80+% range of marks for the assignment.
D Distinction -
high levels of achievement, but not of the same standards. May have a weakness in one particular aspect, or overall standards may not be quite as high.
In the 70-79% range.
C Credit -
sound pass displaying good knowledge or application skills, but some weaknesses in the quality, range or demonstration of understanding.
In the 60-69% range.
P Pass -
acceptable standard, showing an adequate basic knowledge, understanding or skills, but with definite limitations on the extent of such understanding or application. Some parts may be incomplete.
In the 50-59% range.
N Not satisfactory -
failure to meet the basic requirements of the assessment.
Below 50%.
We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within two weeks after assignment receipt.
Feedback
Feedback to you
You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This feedback may be provided through your participation in tutorials and class discussions, as well as through your assignment submissions. It may come in the form of individual advice, marks and comments, or it may be provided as comment or reflection targeted at the group. It may be provided through personal interactions, such as interviews and on-line forums, or through other mechanisms such as on-line self-tests and publication of grade distributions.
Feedback from you
You will be asked to provide feedback to the Faculty through a Unit Evaluation survey at the end of the semester. You may also be asked to complete surveys to help teaching staff improve the unit and unit delivery. Your input to such surveys is very important to the faculty and the teaching staff in maintaining relevant and high quality learning experiences for our students.
And if you are having problems
It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem with your study. The semester is short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.
Plagiarism and cheating
Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.
In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work.
When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer.
Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.
Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.
Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.
Communication
Discussion groups, email, lectures. Discussion groups can be found at muso.monash.edu.au
Notices
Notices related to the unit during the semester will be placed on the Notices Newsgroup in the Unit Website. Check this regularly. Failure to read the Notices newsgroup is not regarded as grounds for special consideration.
Consultation Times
Wednesday 12.00-2.00
If direct communication with your unit adviser/lecturer or tutor outside of consultation periods is needed you may contact the lecturer and/or tutors at:
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All email communication to you from your lecturer will occur through your Monash student email address. Please ensure that you read it regularly, or forward your email to your main address. Also check that your contact information registered with the University is up to date in My.Monash.
