Project Management and Implementation of Smart Technology for the University

Learning outcomes assessed within this piece of work as agreed at the programme level meeting

Learning outcomes assessed within this piece of work as agreed at the programme level meeting

On successful completion of this module students will be able to

1.Ability to create appropriate project management documentation such as business case, project charter, and Gantt chart and in doing so to demonstrate project management skills.  

2.Critical appraisal of project management approaches and methodologies.

3.Critical analysis of literature related to contemporary issues in project management.  

Critical appraisal of the role of project manager in implementing successful IT projects and the social, ethical and legal responsibilities of a successful project manager

The university wishes to implement smart technology (e.g., smartboards) to optimize the delivery platform by driving efficiencies, streamlining online lectures workflows, increasing inclusive learning, maximizing value, growing smarter, creating new KPIs and standardizing processes. This will involve a major launch event to publicize this as it may help attract students and make the university more competitive as well as celebrating the success of the project.

You are the project manager for this project and have now been asked to manage this new project. Explain and simulate the steps you would take to implement and deliver this project successfully. This may include different kinds of information such as:

·Sample Project Initiation Document (PID)  

·Management of IT Projects

·Budgetary Information

oSoftware and IT Equipment’s (Estimation)

·Timescales

·Stakeholder Analysis

·Risk Assessment

You will also be required to do a risk management in case the project does not go as planned and does not complete on time. Assess what would your strategy be.

Your first task is to prepare a suitable case description for a substantial IT project from the scenario explained above. You may use another project case description. In this context, a “case” means a description of the project, including the main events during its execution, what were the challenges/problems encountered, and how they were addressed. You may search the web, use the online library, or any other resources accessible to you. You may use a case that is the property of a membership organisation, such as the PMI or may use an undocumented case from your own personal experience. Relevant assumptions, should be made and justified.

Tasks / Deliverables of Assignment 1

Provide a reference or link to the case. If the case is from your own personal experience and is undocumented, then state this at the start of the section. This task comprises the following sections:

Task-1:

1.1Provide an academic summary of this case which highlights points most relevant to the management of IT projects. [5 Marks]

1.2Discuss how the need for the project arose. [5 Marks]

1.3Evaluate the methods used to gather, analyse and manage the requirements for the project. [10 Marks]

Total: [20 Marks]

Note: Case descriptions never have complete information, so you may need to make certain assumptions.

Task-2: Identify and categorise the stakeholders of the project. Critically evaluate the approach the project team took in managing stakeholders and communicating with them. What mistakes did the project manager make and how can these mistakes be avoided? [25 Marks]

Task-3: What is software estimation and why is it important during software project management? How can a project manager improve their estimation accuracy? What options are available to them? [25 Marks]

Task-4: For the selected IT project (case) from the above scenario, identify the risks associated with your IT project and prepare a suitable risk management approach. You must refer to the current project management literature in your risk management approach. [20 Marks]