IT Project Management

Learning Outcomes

The course pertains the study of fundamental concepts of digital systems project management, the study of best practices in the area of project management such as the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) of Project Management Institute (PMI), and the usage of such practices in project management of digital systems. The course will incorporate a laboratory session with project management software tools that allow students to practice some of the principles addressed.

Upon successful completion of the course the students will be able to:

• Recognize the need for IT project management
• Recognize the key issues during the IT project management procedures
• Describe the best practices in IT project management processes and follow an IT project management methodology – from project inception to project closure
• Create work breakdown structures (WBS)
• Create project plans
• Describe PMI project management process groups and PMI knowledge areas
• Recognize PMI project management principles and performance domain areas
• Use various methods and techniques for schedule and budget estimation
• Use various methods and techniques for project monitoring
• Use various methods and techniques for resource loading and leveling
• Assign tasks and resources using project management software tools
• Create a Gantt/PERT schedule using project management software tools
• Monitor project progress using project management software tools

Course Content

• Introduction to project management (e.g. project definition, projects typology, basic characteristics of projects). Selection criteria for projects. International Project Management Organizations. International Standards in Project Management.
• Project Life Cycle & Organizational Structures (e.g. project phases, product life cycle). A systems approach to project management. Organizational influences on project management (functional organization, projectized organization, matrix organization). Project Management according to PMI (PMI project management principles and performance domain areas).
• Knowledge areas & project management process groups (PMI Project Management (PMBOK)).
• Project Integration Management (Develop Project Charter, Develop Project Management Plan, Direct and Manage Project Work, Manage Project Knowledge, Monitor and Control Project Work, Perform Integrated Change Control, Close Project or Phase). Project selection methods. Basic project management plans.
• Project Scope Management (Plan Scope Management, Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Validate Scope, Control Scope). Requirements Traceability Matrix. Project Scope Statement. Create WBS.
• Project Schedule Management (Plan Schedule Management, Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Durations, Develop and Control Schedule). Gantt Chart. Activity Characteristics. The critical path. Network diagramming (ΑΟΝ, ΑΟΑ). CPM/PERT. PDM networks. Crash cost and optimization.
• Project Cost (Plan Cost Management, Estimate Costs, Determine Budget, Control Costs). Level of precision, Project Duration and Cost Estimation, Software engineering metrics and approaches (π.χ. Lines of Codes (LOC), Function Point Analysis, COCOMO, Heuristics, Use Case Points). Earned Value Method (EVM). Performance analysis (e.g. SPI, CPI).
• Project Quality (Plan Quality Management, Manage Quality, Control Quality). Quality Cost. Quality Management Plan. Quality Metrics. Quality Checklists. Quality Reports. International Quality Standards.
• Project Resource Management (Plan Resource Management, Estimate Activity Resources, Acquire Resources, Develop Team, Manage Team, Control Resources). Resource allocation and resource levelling.
• Project Communications Management (Plan Communication Management, Manage Communications, Monitor Communications). Communication Requirements Analysis. Communication Models. Communication Methods. Communication Skills. Communication Management Plan.

Suggested Bibliography

– Suggested bibliography:

• Project Management Institute (2021): A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Seventh Edition (PMBOK Guide), Project Management Institute.
• Project Management Institute (2017): A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Sixth Edition (PMBOK Guide), Project Management Institute.
• Marchewka (2016): Information Technology Project Management: Providing Measurable Organizational Value, Wiley.
• Schwalbe K (2013): Information Technology Project Management, Cengage Learning.
• Phillips J (2010): IT Project Management: On Track from Start to Finish, McGraw-Hill Education.
• Maizlish and R. Handler (2010): IT Portfolio Management Step-by-Step: Unlocking the Business Value of Technology, Wiley.
• Nicholas J (2004): Project Management for Business and Engineering: Principles and Practice, Butterworth-Heinemann.

– Related academic journals:

• International Journal of Information Technology Project Management (IJITPM), IGI Global
• International Journal of Project Management, Elsevier