Project Management PTM721S Faculty of Computing and Informatics 17 July 2017 Project Management PTM721S Lesson 2 – Project Management and Information technology (IT)

Project management and Information Technology (IT) Faculty of Computing and Informatics Project management and Information Technology (IT) A systems view of project management The three spheres model of project management Four frames of understanding organisations Organisational structures Stakeholder management Importance of top management commitment Systems development life cycle Project management job functions

Systems view of project management Faculty of Computing and Informatics Systems view of project management Systems thinking – a holistic view of carrying out projects as it relates to the larger organisation Systems approach – analytic approach to solving complex problems that include using a systems philosophy, systems analysis and systems management Systems are sets of interacting components with an environment to fulfil some purpose, e.g. human body Systems analysis – problem solving approach that divides systems into components Systems management – business, technical and organisation issues associated with making a change to a system

Three sphere model for systems management Faculty of Computing and Informatics Three sphere model for systems management Business Cost of technology Cost of making it available to consumers Support costs Impact Organisational Who does the project impact mostly? Training of users Who will administer support Technology (OS, application software, hardware specifications)

Four frames of understanding organisations Faculty of Computing and Informatics Four frames of understanding organisations 4 frames – Structural, Human Resource, Political, Symbolic frames Structural frame – organisational chart focusing on different roles and responsibilities Human Resource frame – harmony between the needs of an organisation and its employees Political frame – competition among groups for power and leadership Symbolic frame – symbols and meanings, e.g. dress code, working hours

Organisational structures Faculty of Computing and Informatics Organisational structures Functional structure – Its specialties such as engineering, manufacturing, IT, HR. The project managers in these structures report to CEO Project organisational structure – specific projects consisting of staff with various skills needed to complete projects – Project managers report to CEO Matrix organisational structure – middle ground between functional and project structures. Personnel report to both functional managers or more project managers

Stakeholder management Faculty of Computing and Informatics Stakeholder management People involved in/or affected by project activities Can be internal to organisation or external to organisation Internal include project sponsor, project team, support staff, internal customers, top management, other project managers External stakeholders include project’s customers, competitors, suppliers, concerned citizens, government

Importance of top management commitment Faculty of Computing and Informatics Importance of top management commitment Project managers need adequate resources Project managers require approval for project needs timely Project managers must have cooperation from people in other parts of the organisation Project managers need someone to mentor and coach them

Project phases and project lifecycle Faculty of Computing and Informatics Project phases and project lifecycle Project life cycle – collection of phases Project feasibility Concept (management plan, preliminary cost estimate) Development (project plan, budgetary cost estimate) Project acquisition Implementation (work package, definitive cost estimate, performance reports) Close out (completed work, lessons learned, customer acceptance)

Systems development life cycle Faculty of Computing and Informatics Systems development life cycle Predictive life cycle – the scope of the project can be clearly articulated and the schedule and cost clearly predicted Waterfall model - well-defined linear stages of systems development Spiral life cycle – iterative or spiral approach rather than linear Prototyping – development of software to clarify user requirements requires heavy user involvement Rapid application development (RAD) – developers work with evolving prototype Adaptive software development – projects are mission-driven and component-based using time-based cycles to meet target dates Extreme programming – in rapidly-changing environment, developers program in pairs for synergy and increase productivity SCUM-iterative development to address changing requirements. Repetitions are called sprints

Project management job functions Faculty of Computing and Informatics Project management job functions Define scope of project Identifying stakeholders Develop detailed task list with breakdowns Estimate time requirement Develop initial project management flowchart Identify required resources and budget Evaluate project requirements Identify and evaluate risks Prepare contingency plans

Project management job functions cntd. Faculty of Computing and Informatics Project management job functions cntd. Identify interdependencies Identify and track critical milestones Participate in project phase review Secure needed resources Manage the change control process Report project status

Skills for a project manager Faculty of Computing and Informatics Skills for a project manager To understand the organisation they work in Soft skills – strong management, communication, leadership and political skills Organisational skills – plan, analyse, set and achieve project goals More effective use of technology as it relates to the project

Thank You. Faculty of Computing and Informatics 13 Storch Street Private Bag 13388 Windhoek NAMIBIA T: +264 61 207 2258 F: +264 61 207 9258 E: fci@nust.na W: www.nust.na Faculty of Computing and Informatics Thank You.