Agile Development Techniques and Project Management: A Critical Analysis

Module Learning Outcomes assessed in this piece of coursework

1. Critically analyse and explain the concepts, strengths, limitations and suitability of agile development techniques;

2. Develop appropriate use of Project Management qualitative techniques within an Agile framework, such as Feasibility Study, Planning, Control and Estimating, Risk Management and Configuration Management and quantitative techniques such as PERT and CPN

3. Apply management and team building techniques to appropriately managing an information systems development project

4. Critically discuss social and professional issues associated with Information systems Project Management.

5. Select and apply object-oriented development techniques within an agile development environment;

6. Manage the development of a system by applying an agile framework.

Your project should be a response to one of the issues identified on the next page,and should take advantage of some of your design and technical skills and should help aspecific group or organization, for example, by raising awareness, increasing membership or activity, raising funds, or providing services, developing new products or interfaces, ortraining programs for users ortheir supporters or some combination of these.

Interfaces to computer programs, or other IT tools are areas where there are many opportunities for small projects. It may also be possible for you to consider ways of developing these or exploiting new technological developments such as mobile computing, wireless communication, digital imaging, new media, or electronic business processes in appropriate ways. You should develop an application or website prototype that will allow users to benefit from your project.

You are invited to propose a project that will help a small organization, group of users, or people who support your users. For example, there are a large number of organizations that provide support or advice to people, attached to local or national health, educational or community establishments. You will need to do some research on your chosen organization or user group,but you are not required or expected to contact them directly.

One of the project criteria is to decide the scope of the project.You may decide to limit your project to a specific local organization, a specific group of users, or a national organization. You must identify a specific area where such a project development would be useful and feasible and justify your choice.You are required to submit a Project Proposal and Project Initiation Document (PID). You will get feedback on your initial proposals during the sessions during the taught module, and you will then be expected to work these up into a full Project Plan, with illustrative supporting material. In addition to your PID, you will be asked to submit a small “look and feel” prototype or walkthrough, and slides for
boardroom presentation that describe the business case for your deliverables.