IS5540 Project Management and Quality Assurance

Part I

Course Duration:
One Semester
Credit Units:
3
Medium of Instruction:
English
Level:
P5
Prerequisites:
Nil
Precursors:
Nil
Equivalent Courses:
IS6501 Information Systems Project Management


Part II


Course Aims:

Introduce the concepts, methods and procedures and best practices for information systems project management.


Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

No.

CILOs

Weighting
(if applicable)

1.

Explain the basics of what project management is, the organization and technology context of information systems projects

2

2.

Elaborate the tools and techniques used in various aspects of project management including management of project scope, time, cost, quality, risk and human resources

3

3.

Apply the project management knowledge, skills, tools and techniques learnt to project activities of an IT/IS-related project to meet project requirements

3

4.

Utilize a project management software (E.g. MS Project) to help plan and manage a small IT/IS project.

2

(3: Relatively most focused CILOs; 2: moderately focused CILOs; 1: less focused CILOs)

Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs)

(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to facilitate students’ achievement of the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)


Seminar: 2 hours per week
Tutorial: 1 hour per week

TLA1. Lecture/Seminar: Concepts on project management, especially the management of IT/IS projects, and the skills and techniques required for a project manager are explained by the instructor.

TLA2. Demonstrations: How the project management skills and techniques and how a project management software can be used are demonstrated.

TLA3. Practical/Workshop: Hands-on skills on applying the theories, skills and techniques taught in lectures will be practiced by students in workshops.

TLA4. Case Studies: Real-life cases are used to help the students appreciate the importance of proper project management best practices on IT/IS projects.

TLA5. Discussions: This allows students to do reflections, raise questions and discuss among themselves on lecture and tutorial materials.

CILO No

TLA1

TLA2

TLA3

TLA4

TLA5

Hours/week
(if applicable)

CILO 1

2

 

 

1

1

---

CILO 2

2

1

2

1

1

---

CILO 3

1

1

2

1

1

---

CILO 4

 

2

2

 

1

---

(1: Indirectly Supporting CILO; 2: Directly Supporting CILO)

Assessment Tasks/Activities

(Indicative of likely activities and tasks designed to assess how well the students achieve the CILOs. Final details will be provided to students in their first week of attendance in this course)


Coursework: 60%
Examination: 40% (one 2-hour examination)

AT1.  Class and Tutorial Participation: This will reflect the students’ participation in classes, tutorial sessions and on-line discussions.  Students are encouraged to attend those sessions and actively participate in discussions. This is an individual mark.

AT2.  Class Assignments: This includes in-class assignments and take-home assignments.  The take-home assignment is an individual research report regarding an IT project management success or failure case.

AT3.  Group Project: This is a group project to let students apply the project management skills and techniques learnt in class to solve practical problems.  The project includes the following components:

  • A final group report which is a project plan for executing the IT/IS project.
  • A final project presentation.

AT4.  Examination: A two-hour written examination is developed to assess students’ competence level of the taught subjects.

** Students must pass BOTH coursework (AT1 + AT2 + AT3, total 60%) and examination (40%) in order to get an overall pass in this course. **

CILO No

AT1

AT2

AT3

AT4

Remarks

CILO 1

1

1

1

2

1 –  CILO moderately assessed by AT;
2 – CILO heavily assessed by AT

CILO 2

1

1

2

2

CILO 3

1

2

2

2

CILO 4

1

 

2

 

(1: CILO moderately assessed by AT; 2: CILO heavily assessed by AT)

Grading of Student Achievement:


Class and Tutorial Participation (AT1):

CILO

A

B

C

D

CILO1-4

- Actively participate in class and tutorial sessions and on-line discussions and

- Achieve an attendance of 80% or more

- Fairly active in participating in class and tutorial sessions and on-line discussions and

- Achieve an attendance of 70% or more

- Not much participation in class and tutorial sessions and on-line discussions and

- Achieve an attendance of 60% or more

- Not much/no participation in class and  tutorial sessions and on-line discussions and

- Achieve an attendance of less than 60%

Class Assignments (AT2):

CILO

A

B

C

D

CILO1 - 3

- Demonstrate an in-depth understanding on what project management is and its associated skills and techniques and be able to apply them to real-life cases.

- Demonstrate a fair level of understanding on what project management is and its associated skills and techniques and be able to apply some of them to real-life cases.

- Demonstrate only a shallow understanding on what project management is and its associated skills and techniques and be able to apply only a few of them to real-life cases.

- Can hardly demonstrate understanding on what project management is and its associated skills and techniques and can hardly apply them to real-life cases.

Group Project (AT3):

CILO

A

B

C

D

CILO1-4

(based on interim and final report)

- Demonstrate good understanding of the basic project management concepts

- In-depth thought and research has been made in applying the skills and techniques learnt in class to the project

- The report has covered all the specified requirements

- The report is well-structured, well-written and well presented.

- Peer evaluation report reflects at least an average contribution ratio.

- Demonstrate fair understanding of the basic project management concepts

- Some thought and research has been made in applying the skills and techniques learnt in class to the project

- The report has covered all/most of the specified requirements

- The report is fairly well-structured, well-written and well presented.

- Peer evaluation report reflects an average contribution ratio.

- Demonstrate reasonable understanding of the basic project management concepts

- Reasonable thought and research has been made in applying the skills and techniques learnt in class to the project

- The report has covered most of  the specified requirements

- The report is not so well-structured, well-written and well presented.

- Peer evaluation report reflects a lower than average contribution ratio.

- Poor understanding of the basic project management concepts

- Little thought and research has been made in applying the skills and techniques learnt in class to the project

- The report has covered only some of the specified requirements

- The report is poorly-structured, poorly-written and poorly presented.

- Peer evaluation report reflects a very low contribution ratio.

CILO2 & 3

(based on group presentation)

- The presentation is well-structured and presented in a logical sequence. Time control is good. Powerpoint slides are of high quality.

- The team is able to tackle all/most of the questions raised.

- The presentation is mostly well-structured and presented in a logical sequence.  Time control is good. Powerpoint slides are of fairly high quality.

- The team is able to tackle some of the questions raised.

- The presentation is not so well-structured and sequence of presentation can be improved.  Time control is fair. Powerpoint slides are of medium quality.

- The team is unable to tackle the questions raised.

- The presentation is poorly-structured and presented out of logical order. Time overruns.  Powerpoint slides are of poor quality.

- The team is unable to tackle the questions raised.

CILO1 - 3

(based on individual performance in presentation)

- Excellent presentation skills and language skills

- Appropriate use of visual aids in presentation

- Good presentation skills and language skills

- Appropriate use of visual aids in presentation

 

- Fair presentation skills and language skills

- Use of visual aids in presentation can be improved

 

- Poor presentation skills and language skills

- Inappropriate use of visual aids in presentation

 

Examination (AT4):

CILO

A

B

C

D

CILO1

- Evidence of good understanding of the importance of good project management to an IT/IS project

- Evidence of fair understanding of the importance of good project management to an IT/IS project

- Evidence of reasonable understanding of the importance of good project management to an IT/IS project

- Evidence of little/no understanding of the importance of good project management to an IT/IS project

CILO2

- Accurately describe all/most key concepts; and demonstrate a thorough understanding of all/most of the terms and techniques

- Accurately describe most key concepts; and demonstrate a fairly thorough understanding of some the terms and techniques

- Can only accurately describe some key concepts; and demonstrate a only shallow understanding of most of the terms and techniques

- Unable to describe most key concepts; and cannot demonstrate an understanding of the terms and techniques

CILO3

- Demonstrate the ability to apply all/most of the skills and techniques learnt to the management of IT/IS projects.

- Demonstrate the ability to apply a fair amount of the skills and techniques learnt to the management of IT/IS projects.

- Demonstrate the ability to apply some of the skills and techniques learnt to the management of IT/IS projects.

- Demonstrate the ability to apply only a few skills and techniques learnt to the management of IT/IS projects.


Part III

SYLLABUS

Project Management Basics
Introduction to information systems project management, roles of the project manager, organisation and technology context of information systems projects, project life cycle, project management processes and knowledge areas

Project Integration Management
Strategic planning and project selection, project execution, monitoring and controlling project work, project closing

Project Scope Management
Scope planning, project scope statement, creating the work breakdown structure, scope verification and control

Project Time Management
Activity definition, sequencing, resource and duration estimating, schedule development and control

Project Cost Management
Cost estimating, cost budgeting and cost control using earned value techniques

Project Quality Management
Quality planning, quality assurance, quality control, tools and techniques used in quality assurance and quality control

Project Human Resource Management
Motivation theories, human resource planning, acquiring the project team, developing the project team, managing the project team

Project Communications Management
Communications planning, information distribution, performance reporting, managing stakeholders

Project Risk Management
Risk identification, qualitative and quantitative risk analysis, risk response planning, risk monitoring and control

Real-life Project Management
Effective management in specific projects (e.g., IT outsourcing, managing global projects)

Related Links
Department of Information Systems