IFB295 IT Project Management


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Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Unit code:IFB295
Credit points:12
Pre-requisite:Completion of 96 credit points of study
Equivalent:INB201
Anti-requisite:IAB304 - Project Management
Coordinator:Ignatius Chukwudi | ignatius.chukwudi@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

In your information technology career, you will participate in and then lead project teams that are expected to deliver real benefits to stakeholders. This unit builds on your previous studies of earlier units to define a high-level solution by using a range of approaches of project management methodologies and frameworks. You will enhance your learning of these approaches (Agile, PRINCE2 etc.) by practicing it collaboratively with other students. To be successful in a complex environment, you need to employ appropriate project management strategies, tools and techniques for a given context. This unit provides you with the necessary knowledge and skills to enable you to effectively manage your project in the IFB398 Capstone Project (Phase 1) and IFB399 Capstone Project (Phase 2) and to be prepared for a project environment in industry.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Explain and compare different project management strategies, tools and techniques.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 5, 5.2
  2. Apply appropriate project management strategies, tools and techniques relevant to a given context.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 5, 5.2
  3. Analyse a business context to develop a project plan to manage a project.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 5, 5.2
  4. Develop project artefacts using agile methodology relevant to a business context.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 5, 5.2
  5. Apply high performing team concepts to proactively build an effective team.
    Relates to: ACS CBOK: 1, 1.3
  6. Communicate effectively with peers within an IT project environment.

Content

This unit will cover the following themes of project management:

  • Project Management Overview: The nature of projects, project management, project management frameworks and the difference between project management and software development are included in this overview.

  • Project Management Methodologies and Frameworks: You will be introduced to scrum, dynamic system design methodology (DSDM) as agile approaches and PRINCE2 as a waterfall approach to project management. The project management lifecycle is covered including planning, execution, control and closure.

  • Project Management Practices:
    It is not good enough to just DO Agile Project Management, you also need to BE Agile to be successful. As a result studio workshops are designed to create a real Agile environment where you will collaborate with other students using different techniques in the following practices:
  • Requirements Management using Stories;
  • Agile Estimating;
  • Requirements Prioritisation;
  • Timeboxing;
  • Sprint and Release Planning;
  • Risk Management with Critical Success Factors;

    In the studio workshops for PRINCE2 Project Management, you will develop techniques in:
  • Product breakdown structures(PBS) and Work breakdown structures (WBS);
  • Estimating;
  • Scheduling;
  • Gantt and PERT activity on node charts;
  • Critical path analysis;
  • Resource levelling;
  • Risk management.

Learning Approaches

This unit is available for you to study in either on-campus or online mode. Learning in this unit includes weekly pre-recorded lectures, online activities, studio workshops and a unit communications channel, designed to facilitate communication with your peers and teaching staff outside of scheduled classes. You can expect to spend 10 - 15 hours per week involved in preparing for and attending all scheduled workshops, completing assessment tasks, and undertaking your own independent study to consolidate your learning.

The unit utilises project management concepts like continuous feedback, incremental delivery, self-organising teams, reviews, collaboration and prioritisation. Pre-recorded lectures will incrementally cover all key concepts in the reading material. Participation in the studio workshops is where you will apply these key concepts to cases and scenarios using collaborative exercises, assignments and games.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Advice and assistance will be provided by the teaching staff during studio sessions. You will receive formative feedback on your progress in this unit during these sessions.
Guidelines and learning outcomes will be provided for each piece of assessment to help you assess your progress.
Written feedback will be provided on items of assessment.
Consultation times, allowing individual contact between staff and students will be specified in the unit site.

Assessment

Overview

The assessment items are designed to develop understanding and skills of the techniques used by project managers.

The portfolio of your experiences and outcomes in activities assists you to develop and record your practical skills. You will prepare project plan documents on given industry based case study as well as present this work to evaluate and describe a project. The final assessment is an individual online open book exam to evaluate your knowledge and understanding of the entire unit content.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Portfolio

You will follow a modern agile method for the planning of delivering a sophisticated system in incremental stages by understanding the stakeholders’ needs.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 25
Individual/Group: Individual and group
Due (indicative): Throughout Semester
Related Unit learning outcomes: 2, 4, 5

Assessment: Problem Solving Task

Develop project planning documents using the given industry example demonstrating project management skills.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Weight: 35
Individual/Group: Individual and group
Due (indicative): Throughout semester
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

Assessment: Timed Online Assessment

An open book examination, which covers the material presented in the lectures, tutorials, readings and summaries throughout the semester.

Weight: 40
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Central Examination Period
Central exam duration: 2:10 - Including 10 minute perusal
Related Unit learning outcomes: 2, 3, 4

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Scrum Guide Version July 2013 by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland - available for free online at Scrum.org

The DSDM Agile Project Framework (2014 Onwards) - available for free online at Agile Business Consortium

A Leaders Framework for Decision Making by David J. Snowden and Mary E. Boone - available for free online at Harvard Business Review

ISO 21500:2012 Guidance on project management - available via QUT Library online reouerces

Lecture slides as they are published throughout the unit.

Use of these resources is a central component in the classroom discussions and required for successfully completing studio workshop assignment tasks.

Risk Assessment Statement

All commencing SEF students are required to complete the Mandatory Safety Induction

There are no extraordinary risks associated with the classroom/lecture activities in this unit.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Australian Computer Society Core Body of Knowledge

1: ICT Professional Knowledge

  1. Teamwork concepts and issues
    Relates to: ULO5

5: ICT Management

  1. IT project management
    Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, ULO4

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

IN01 Bachelor of Information Technology

  1. Demonstrate well-developed IT discipline knowledge
    Relates to: ULO1
  2. Employ appropriate IT Methods
    Relates to: ULO2
  3. Work independently and within effective teams
    Relates to: ULO5
  4. Communicate effectively in professional contexts
    Relates to: ULO6