Master the skills needed for top-notch IT project management, From planning, scheduling and controlling IS/IT projects…to managing critical interfaces with users and vendors…to balancing development needs with system maintenance…you’ll find your IT project management solutions here, In this course, discover how to optimize IT development and delivery processes so that you can bring information technology projects online more effectively, more quickly and on budget.

 How You Will Benefit

• Maintain control of your information technology projects with proven scheduling techniques
• Deliver quality systems on time
• Plan for the unexpected
• Budget more effectively
• Keep conflict at a minimum
• Expertly use PM software tools to manage information technology projects

Overview of Essential IT Project Management Tools

• Project management framework and terminology—process groups and the nine knowledge areas of the PMBOK

Essentials for Leading Project Teams

• Making the transition from practitioner to project manager
• Six classic functions of management
• Leading in an IS/IT environment

Project Planning: Starting with Scope Management

• Creating the project charter
• Using the SMART model when writing objectives

Defining Project Activities

• Creating a customized WBS
• IS/IT WBS examples: Phase approach vs. requirements approach

Developing a Dynamic Project Schedule

• Determining the sequence of activities

Project Estimating Techniques

• Five considerations when making estimates

Components of Project Planning

• The planning process group
• Establishing project performance baselines

Information Technology Project Planning Methodologies

• Identify different approaches to planning information technology projects: Systems development life cycle (SDLC) vs. rapid application development (RAD)

Monitoring and Controlling Projects

• Status reports… project baselines…identifying variances
• Using earned value management (EVM) to evaluate project performance

Project Closure

• Administrative closure vs. contractual closure
• Categorizing by project endings: integration…starvation…addition…or extinction

Directors and managers of IT, project managers and team leaders, programmers/analysts, systems analysts, project office staff members.

The Project Management Framework

• Define the Basic Project Management Framework
• Describe Key Project Management Terminology
• Explain the Triple Constraint (Project Triangle)
• Differentiate Between Operations and Projects
• Describe Project Management in a Business Context

Initiate the Project

• Discuss How Projects Are Initiated
• Identify the Difference Between Project Requirements and Product Requirements
• Describe the Purpose and Content of the Project Charter
• Describe Two Methodologies for Developing Software—Waterfall and Iterative
• Describe the Purpose and Content of the Product Requirements Document
• Use the SMART Model When Writing Requirements
• Identify Information-Gathering Techniques

Identify the Work

• Discuss the Purpose of a Kickoff Meeting
• Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Estimate the Work

• Discuss General Guidelines for Making Better Estimates
• Describe Specific Estimating Techniques for Increasing Accuracy in IT/Software Projects
• Describe the Process for Estimating the Number of Iterations

Schedule the Work

• Describe Task Dependencies
• Identify the Sequence of Tasks via Precedence Diagramming
• Develop the Project Schedule

Create the Budget

• Determine the Personnel Costs Needed for the Success of the Project
• Determine the Expense Costs Needed for the Success of the Project
• Differentiate Between Bottom-Up and Top-Down Cost Budget Planning, and State Which Is More Appropriate for Different Situations

Complete the Plan

• Create the Project Communications Plan
• Describe the Project Risk Management Processes
• Describe the Purpose of the Project Procurement Plan
• Discuss the Purpose of Reserves

Execute the Plan

• Create a Project Status Report
• Describe the Key Elements Required to Determine Project Health
• Describe How to Run an Effective Project Status Meeting
• Describe the Change Management Process

Close the Project

• Identify the Elements of Both Administrative and Contractual Project Closure Procedures
• Describe the Different Ways That Projects Can Be Terminated
• Explain the Importance of a Repository and Lessons Learned