PRINCE, Agile and other project management methodologies for managing modern IT projects
Assignment 1 Individual Assignment
This document contains details of the individual assignment for ITPM. The assignment is worth 60% on the entire module mark. Indicative marking is given for each criterion, but tutors will mark the assignment as a whole and take into account students’ performance across both parts.
This is an academic pieces of work. As such it should be influenced by wide reading of quality academic literature, appropriately referenced, as well as observations based on experience and personal analysis. Students should read the guidance note thoroughly before starting work. In particular you should look at the guidance on how to approach academic study.
Based upon your reading, research and experience, discuss the following issue in IT Project Management.
With developments such as Cloud, Big Data, Mobile computing and Social Networking the nature of IT and IT projects has changed dramatically over the last 5 years. How suitable are PRINCE, Agile and other project management methodologies for managing modern IT projects.
You should investigate and discuss the issue in depth.
The aim of the assignment is for you demonstrate your understanding of the main issues affecting IT Project Management.
Specific objectives are for you to:
• find out about the issue through reading and internet search
• describe what you understand to be the main points
• analyse the issues
• describe your observations and conclusions
Your discussion and conclusions should be based upon your analysis of literature, web site content, lectures and seminars. You are also very welcome to relate this to projects or companies from your personal experience
You should include a short reflection on the lessons you have learned about your potential as an IT Project Manager during the module and from this research and assessment.
This is a wide question. Here is a list of suggested questions.
Question (Choose ONE of these) Research areas
How suitable are PRINCE II and AGILE Methodologies for managing modern IT projects such as Mobile or Cloud ?
• PRINCE II
• AGILE
• How they plan to change for the future
• Examples of new types of IT project
What do you think will be the most suitable Project Management method, Structured (like PRINCE II) or AGILE, in the future for managing a specific type of IT project ?
PRINCE II and AGILE
Specialist area of IT
Case Studies / examples
Types of IT project (choose ONE)
• Databases
• Enterprise systems
• Mobile
• Cloud
• Big data
• Wireless networks
• Social networking
• E-commerce
• E-Government
How will IT project managers need to adapt their methods of working in order to manage the next generation of IT projects ?
PRINCE II
AGILE
Other methods e.g. PMBOK
Project Manager skills and characteristics
Examples of successful and unsuccessful project management
How will developments in the way Information Technology is implemented and used change the way projects need to be managed in the future?
PRINCE II
AGILE
Other methods e.g. PMBOK
Project Manager skills
Case studies and examples of successful and unsuccessful project management
You may wish to address your choice of a specific aspect of this issue. This is acceptable as long as you agree it will your tutor first.
There are no right or wrong answers. The criteria is aimed at judging your understanding of the subject so there is plenty of flexibility for you to apply your own interpretation of what is important. Where you give your own views and observations you should back them up with evidence. Your discussion should make use of good quality literary material as evidence but it must be in your words.
Copying out lists of points from articles or websites is not acceptable and could lead to problems over plagiarism.
The suggested length is 2500 – 3000 words.
Writing the Assignment
Read as wide as possible before sitting down to write the assignment.
Plagiarism and Collusion
Teamwork, discussion and collaboration are good working practices. Plagiarism and collusion are bad academic practices. It can be difficult to judge which is appropriate so here is some guidance.
General
• look at your notes from the RPP module;
• always identify where you have used an external source;
• always identify where work is individual or the result of team effort;
• ask for tutor guidance where you are unsure.
Individual Assignments
• discuss with others but work on your own;
• identify anywhere you may have had help e.g. “I discussed this with friends and concluded that ……”
• structure the work to make clear what is derived from other writers and what is yours;
• list everything your read, identify it in the text.
A suggested approach:
• what is the issue or problem?
• who are the experts on this subject?
• what do the experts say in text books, websites and papers?
• do they agree or are there differences?
• what do I think about the issue or problem?
• why do I think this, what is my evidence or reasoning?
• how have the experts influenced my opinion?
The marking criteria below will tell you what we are looking for when we award marks. It is an individual assignment, but discussion is a valuable way of developing ideas and knowledge. The inclusion of a personal reflection will enable us to take into account how much students have contributed to discussion and classwork, either during lectures or through Blackboard.
