Syllabus

IT Resource Planning: IT343, Sections 2 & 3

Fall 2007

Professor James Moody email jmoody@gmu.edu Office Bull Run Hall, Room 122 Office Hours Wednesdays 3:30 - 4:30 PM

Text:

McConnell, Steve, Rapid Development, Microsoft Press 1996, ISBN: 1-55615-900-5

The list price for this book is $35. It is, however, widely discounted at $23-$25. Used copies are available on the net for $5 and up.

Case Studies:

A packet of case studies from the Harvard School of Business:

• Timberjack Parts: Packaged Software Selection Project
• The Rise and Fall of Iridium
• BAE Automated Systems (A): Denver International Airport Baggage-Handling System
• BAE Automated Systems (B): Implementing the Denver International Airport Baggage-Handling System
• Singapore TradeNet: A Tale of One City
• A&D High Tech (A): Managing Projects for Success
• A&D High Tech (B): Managing Scope Change
• David Fletcher
• Managing Conflict in a Diverse Workplace

Supplementary Materials:

Additional electronic texts are posted on WebCT:

• links to some of Joel Spolsky's pieces at joelonsoftware.com
• link to Marc Andreeson on startups' risks
• link to MSDNAA FAQ
• pdf of Longstreet, Function Point Training Manual
• pdf of Wilkens, Earned Value, Clear and Simple
• pdfs of selected chapters of Yochai Benkler's Wealth of Networks

Course Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of project management in improving the success of information technology projects.
2. Understand the constraints of project management.
3. Learn about project lifecycle methodologies and the Project Management Institute's knowledge areas and process groups.
4. Learn tools and techniques of project management, such as:
   • Work breakdown structures,
   • Scheduling algorithms,
   • Cost estimation,
   • Use of software tools
   • Earned value management,
   • Team building,
   • Conflict resolution,
   • Risk management,
   • Quality Management,
   • Contract Management.
5. Appreciate the importance of good project management and share examples of good and bad project management.

Course Structure:

The course will be conducted as a mixture of lecture and discussion. Most class sessions will be treated as two 75-minute sessions: one devoted to a lecture, one to discussion of a case study. Students are expected to actively participate. A team of students will be assigned to research the case study and present their findings to the class as a foundation for subsequent discussion. All students are expected (1) to have read the the case study presented and (2) to be prepared to participate in the subsequent discussion. Prior to each case study session, the instructor will suggest "assignment questions" for that case: questions to be kept in mind while studying the case and which will help guide the subsequent discussion.

Writing Intensive Requirement:

This course fulfills the University Writing Intensive Requirement for the IT major. It does so through requiring students to write four memoranda in response to "memo question", further described below, and through requiring students to write a research paper, again further described below. The topic and sources for the research paper will be submitted first. Then a draft will be submitted, which will be reviewed and returned with comments. Finally, a polished final version will be submitted. All writing will be submitted in electronic form through WebCT. Documents submitted in Microsoft Word 2007 proprietary format (.docx) will not be accepted.

Research Paper:

Students will research a project of their choosing (not necessarily, at least not required to be, an IT project) and write a paper (between 1500 and 2500 words) describing at least one management decision taken by the project manager. The situation the project was in should be described, the information available to the project manager, the decision process, in so far as it can be reconstructed, followed by the project manager and the consequences of the decision.

The actual paper is an artifact. The value of this requirement is that the student seek to understand how a real-life project manager comes to a decision. The bulk of the grade will therefore be allocated to how well the student has succeeded in gaining this understanding. But some of the grade will be reserved for how much care the student has taken in presenting his/her understanding.

There are two intermediate milestones to be met in doing the paper. The papers Topic (the project to be researched and candidate decisions to be analysed) and Sources (where the data to support the paper is expected to be found) are to be submitted about a third of the way into the semester. A Draft of the paper is to be submitted about two-thirds in.

Memo Questions:

During the middle of the semester, between the Topic and Sources deliverable and the Draft deliverable of the research paper, there will be four memoranda due on "memo questions." A memo question is a question that invites response at memorandum length. Memoranda should not exceed 700 words. Arguments on each side of the question should be summarized and a conclusion drawn -- in less than 700 words.

Microsoft Project Exercise:

In conjunction with the A&D High Tech (A): Managing Projects for Success Case Study, students will create a plan for that case in Microsoft Project. Students may download a copy of Microsoft Project through the Microsoft Developers' Network Academic Alliance, to which the Volgenau School subscribes. A link to the relevant FAQ is provided on WebCT.

Presentations:

Students will sign up to be part of a team to present on some aspect of one of the Harvard Business School Case Studies. Each student will prepare and present a presentation coordinated with the rest of their team on part of their team's assigned case. The combined presentations of the team should cover its assigned case. Students should sign up for their preferred case as soon as possible: first come, first served. Presentations should be intended to run approximately 10 minutes. Presentations will be evaluated on coordination, content, delivery and class response.

Exams:

There will be two exams: a Midterm and a Final. The Midterm will be closed book, in-class. The Final will be open book. There will be no makeup exams for any reason.

Grades:

The numerical score is then translated into a letter grade using the following scale:
A: 94-100
A-: 90-93
B+: 86-89
B: 83-85
B-: 80-82
C+: 75-79
C: 70-74
D: 60-69
F: 0-59

Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and may be punished by failure on an exam or assignment or failure in the course. They are also violations of the GMU Honor Code and may be reported to the Honor Committee.

Schedule: