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Planning and Management of Information Technology Projects and Systems (PGPSI)

Credits Dept.
7.5 (6.0 ECTS) ESSI

Instructors

Person in charge:  (-)
Others:(-)

General goals

The software production and information system design and implementation processes must be conceived of in the same fashion as other industrial processes and, in particular, in the same manner as the engineering design process. Only in this manner can one proceed in the business of information technology with an entrepreneurial and industrial vision, which is far removed from the handcrafted ideal characteristic of the beginnings of all industrial production.

As this process takes place in the context of organisations, one must first be familiar with the problems involved in the planning and management of information systems in organisations, as specific projects form part of a generalised strategy, and second, with those aspects linked to human resources and quality management. Industrial vision and its applied concepts: methods, techniques, tools, metrics and quality will allow information technology to reach the levels of quality and service that today's world needs. The objectives of this subject are to provide students with the techniques, methods and ways of working (so that when they enter the profession and apply them, they will become habit), that will enable them to use basic management principles from engineering in their careers as computer scientists.

Specific goals

Knowledges

  1. Learn the nature of an information system, its importance as a work tool and strategic resource in organisations.
  2. Learn IS planning techniques and the role of the responsible of this department
  3. Learn the various functions performed by a Project Director regarding organisation, management, and conduct of computing projects.
  4. Learn how to define and evaluate computing projects, and take into account resource, planning, monitoring, personal management, and quality management aspects.
  5. Round of Software Engineering training with knowledge of how to adapt methodologies to projects, and of the link between strategy and methodology.

Abilities

  1. Learn techniques to : estimate the effort and resources required by projects; plan and monitor projects; use tools for these purposes.
  2. Learn how to prepare, debate, and defend reports defining projects in an industrial setting.
  3. Ability to adapt a general approach to a given project in an organisational context.
  4. Foster active participation in group discussions on course and related themes, communicate effectively orally and in writing, and to listen to the contributions of others.

Competences

  1. Teamwork
  2. Critical spirit
  3. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
  4. Abstraction
  5. Understand the socio-economic and personal aspects of software engineering.

Contents

Estimated time (hours):

T P L Alt Ext. L Stu A. time
Theory Problems Laboratory Other activities External Laboratory Study Additional time

1. Information Systems and Organisations.
T      P      L      Alt    Ext. L Stu    A. time Total 
4,0 0 0 2,0 0 4,0 0 10,0
  • Other activities:
    Presentation and debate of articles previously read by students with regard to a given theme.
  • Laboratory
    Definition and characteristics of Information Systems (ISI).
    Organisational models of computing activities.
    Integrating an IS in an organisational setting.
    Management areas and their organisation.

2. Planning Information Systems
T      P      L      Alt    Ext. L Stu    A. time Total 
4,0 0 0 2,0 0 4,0 0 10,0
  • Other activities:
    Presentation and debate of articles previously read by students with regard to a given theme.
  • Laboratory
    The strategic planning concept
    Integrating IS in business strategy
    The Systems Plan

3. Managing Computing Projects
T      P      L      Alt    Ext. L Stu    A. time Total 
14,0 0 6,0 0 4,0 10,0 0 34,0
  • Laboratory
    The project and its characteristics
    The 4 Ps: project, product, process, and people.
    Project types.
    Project Directors - profiles and functions.
    Metrics and project estimation techniques.
    Time planning of projects.
    Risk assessment.
    Control and monitoring of projectes.
    Laboratory: estimation exercise and planning using MSProject.

4. Managing people and relationships
T      P      L      Alt    Ext. L Stu    A. time Total 
2,0 0 0 2,0 0 0 0 4,0
  • Other activities:
    1 talk by guest practicing Project Managers on the nature of their work
  • Laboratory
    External relations in the project.
    Users and computing projects.
    Human aspects of project management.

5. Quality management.
T      P      L      Alt    Ext. L Stu    A. time Total 
4,0 0 0 0 0 2,0 0 6,0
  • Laboratory
    Quality assurance and standards.
    Planning and controlling quality.
    Process evaluation and improvement.

6. Project execution strategies and methodologies.
T      P      L      Alt    Ext. L Stu    A. time Total 
0 28,0 0 2,0 0 28,0 0 58,0
  • Other activities:
    1 talk by guest practicing Project Managers on the nature of their work
  • Laboratory
    Strategies for developing and maintaining systems.
    Relationship between strategies and methodologies.
    The classic approach.
    Fast-track methods.
    Projects: definition, design, installation, and maintenance.
    Carry out two practical assignments: one defining a project, and one designing methodological adaptations.


Total per kind T      P      L      Alt    Ext. L Stu    A. time Total 
28,0 28,0 6,0 8,0 4,0 48,0 0 122,0
Avaluation additional hours 4,0
Total work hours for student 126,0

Docent Methodolgy

Contents 1 - 5 are basically imparted in the theory classes.



Themes 1 and 2 include reading and presentation of articles by students. Theme 4 covers talks by practicing Project Managers: these additional activities will also be given in theory classes.



Theme 6 will initially be imparted in the problem classes, in which debate will be fostered on the themes under discussion. Two exercises will be conducted: one defining a project, and one designing methodological adaptations.



Theme 3 will introduce estimation and planning techniques before proceeding to a lab exercise: these lab sessions will be held during the last 6 weeks of term.







The first 8 weeks of the course include 3 hours of theory classes, and two hours of problems. From the 9th week onwards, there will be 2 hours of theory a week and 1 hour in the lab.

Evaluation Methodgy

Student assessment for these activities will be weighted as follows:

Project definition (25%).
Implementation plan (25%).
Estimation and planning exercise using MS Project(10%).
Active participation in theory sessions (5%)
Final exam (35%, split between 15% for a test, and 20% for the questions).

At the beginning of the course, the student can resign the active participation in the computation of the final grade, and its percentage (5%) be added to the value of the questions in the final exam.

Basic Bibliography

  • Roger S. Pressman Ingeniería del software : un enfoque práctico, McGraw-Hill, 2006.
  • Ian Sommerville Ingeniería de software, Addison-Wesley Iberoamericana, 2002.
  • Walker Royce Software project management : a unified framework, Addison-Wesley, 1998.
  • ROS, Àngel; VIÑALLONGA, Jordi Gestió dels Sistemes d'Informació a l'empresa, Edicions UPC, 1995.

Complementary Bibliography

  • Chris Edwards, John Ward, Andy Bytheway Fundamentos de sistemas de información, Prentice Hall, 1998.
  • Rafael Andreu, Joan E. Ricart, Josep Valor Estrategia y sistemas de información, McGraw-Hill, 1996.
  • John Ward and Joe Peppard Strategic planning for information systems, J. Wiley, 2002.
  • Frederick P. Brooks, Jr. The Mythical man-month : essays on sotware engineering, Addison-Wesley, 1995.
  • Tom DeMarco & Timothy Lister Peopleware : productive projects and teams, Dorset House Publishing, 1999.

Web links

  1. http://www.csi.map.es/csi/metrica3/


  2. http://www.agilemodeling.com/


  3. http://www-306.ibm.com/software/awdtools/rup/


  4. http://www.pmi.org/


  5. http://www.stickyminds.com/projectmanagement.asp


Previous capacities

Students should be familiar with and have practical experience of software engineering processes (definition of requirements, modelling, design, etc.).

Knowledge of organisations and interest in social and human things linked to technology would be useful.

Students should have taken Software Engineering I, Software Engineering II, Databases, Introduction to Companies, and The Business Environment. We recommend students have taken the Software Engineering Project, and Databases courses


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