Introduction and Defining the MSITM capstone

Introduction and Defining the MSITM Capstone Course Requirements

The overall Capstone Case paper is arranged in three distinct parts. The course provides you with directions about how to respond to, and set up, each case segment. In Module 4, all the previous segments are brought together in a final comprehensive paper, along with an addendum regarding your intended use of the MSITM degree. The following guidelines must be followed in preparing each case segment and the overall Capstone paper.

Specific Considerations:

1. The overall purpose of this Capstone Case Series is to allow you to reflect on and summarize and expand your entire MSITM experience. In this light, the case in each module asks you to respond to unique questions highlighted by the assignment’s directions. It is important to note that in each case paper, you must reflect on your various MSITM courses with additional resources provided to discuss, cite, and reference ideas and learning that support points you make in response to the assignment’s unique questions. While you may cite military/corporate papers/Wikipedia, these are not academic papers. You may, however cite relevant magazine articles from CIO and other substantial IT sources. Each Capstone Case module paper must contain at least five academically sound citations. Do not turn in any Case or SLP papers without the required academically sound citations and references. Cases require a minimum of five academic citations and references; SLP papers a minimum of three.

2. Please recall that a key ‘organizing principle’ of your entire MSITM program has been General Systems Theory and Socio-Technical Systems Theories, a concern for the structural, social, as well as technical issues apparent in IT management and supervision. Use these social-technical principles along with the IT governance materials provided in the reading as you develop a plan of IT governance for your selected organization. Make sure elements of this perspective are brought forward and integrated/cited in your various module papers as relevant.

3. The organization you select in Module 1, which is the basis for your continued discussion/issue integration in your successive individual case papers, must be one where you have personal and detailed knowledge. If you do not, it will be nearly impossible to integrate bits of your learning from previous classes into the paper’s structure -- you simply will not know the details. To comment, you often have to know precise details. Your current or a recent organization (unit level) would likely be the best bet. If in doubt, e-mail me and we can discuss your choice of a topic organization.

4. Note that if you integrate the successive case papers into a cumulative paper as you go, only one introductory paragraph is required. When integrating case segments one through three into your final Capstone Case paper in Module 4, include a single introductory paragraph followed by a smoothly flowing paper and a conclusion.

5. Integrate and properly cite materials in each module’s Case Assignment. Again, each module’s Capstone case effort must cite at least five academic references from your previous MSITM coursework. You may cite other references, such as lay, military, corporate, Wikipedia, etc., if they support your work, but these are not part of the required five references.

6. The Module 4 case is to be a smooth-flowing paper that integrates the papers from the previous three modules and gives the reader a review of what you have learned in the MSITM program. Thus, the individual/unique module cases are simply a ‘straw-man’ (if you will), giving you a forum for showing what you have learned in this program. Again, when you put together the final Module 4 Capstone paper, please go back and remove any segment introductions, providing only a single, overall introductory paragraph.

7. Use the significant feedback from the early modules to correct any deficiencies prior to integrating those papers into the Module 4 final Capstone Case. The final paper will consist of the discussions from your previous papers integrated into a paper that flows nicely and includes the references you used, in proper format. There should be 15 to 20 references in this final paper, most of which should be academic.

8. If for some reason you do not submit enough work during the regular modules for the professor to provide ample comments, feedback, and guidance, there is a strong likelihood that the papers submitted during any post-session extension could incur failing grades.

9. Note that if you keep current with the Capstone Case and follow this guidance as well as the personal guidance provided via feedback for each case segment, passing this course should not be problematic. Students who take this approach typically do very well. Your professor considers it a unique privilege to work with you to help you develop a Capstone Case paper that you can use as a sample of the work you did in your graduate program.

Optional Supplemental Materials

The Capstone course is a summary of your learning from all previous MSITM coursework. Thus, it has no assigned academic readings except for additional resources/videos that should be helpful with your IT Governance Plan. Your course resources are the readings, background information, and other learning from your overall program. In addition, you are free to integrate relevant information found through your own preparation. A limited number of background readings will also be made available within this course for your review as interested.

CASE ASSIGNMENT

This first case paper will set the stage for the balance of your Capstone project. Choose an appropriate project organization of suitable size, and with which you are familiar enough to conduct suitable critical analysis. Please choose an IT-related organization. This can be your current organization/unit, or a reasonable portion thereof. The focus can also be a recent organizational assignment within a given organization. If your work or assignment situation is not primarily IT-related, you may still use it. You will simply need to detail how IT and ITM figure into the performance and outcomes of this organization. If you are not currently employed outside the home or in an IT setting, find an organization, or IT personnel in your organization, who would be willing to provide you such IT information as is required as you proceed through the various segments of the Capstone Case. In this case, you must involve IT issues in some meaningful way. For this first Case segment, at minimum, for your chosen organization, provide as much of the following descriptive and analysis information as possible:

· Describe and discuss the organization: what it does; its services, products, outputs, or mission; how it fits in any overall larger system; how it is staffed, structured, and organized, etc.

· What sort of ‘environmental' challenges is this organization facing: social, economic, and technological? How are they responding? What are some of the key opportunities, problems, and challenges your organization is facing? What are the IT Governance issues?

· You will wish to detail your personal role and contributions to this organization as well as the personal challenges and opportunities you face.

Background Required Readings:

IT Governance Plan

Guide to Preparing an IT Governance Plan: ISACA https://www.isaca.org/Certification/CGEIT-Certified-in-the-Governance-of-Enterprise-IT/Prepare-for-the-Exam/Study-Materials/Documents/Developing-a-Successful-Governance-Strategy.pdf

Lectures on IT Governance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU8iGQ5hUQQ&list=PLpOpdfLqna0v-4DYXQHUsELjWssH00-1i https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU8iGQ5hUQQ&list=PLpOpdfLqna0v-4DYXQHUsELjWssH00-1i&index=2

IT Governance: A Wholistic View https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zISRWFAM5FM

ITIL Service Lifecycle for Aligning with the Business Needs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrfYljubKrU

ITIL – IT Infrastructure Library – set of best practices for adding value to customers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RqX3kcCRbM

ITIL and Service Management  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rye6SDItzBY

Securing the Enterprise

Use this  Library Guide  to learn how to use the Trident Online Library.

Soper, Daniel (2017). Information Privacy and Security. Security Lesson #1. Introduction to Computer Security https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBFB34YGK1U

Soper, Daniel (2017). Information Privacy and Security Lesson #2 Identification and Authentication. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZIlaWhfhpQ&list=PLlYw7XsK0HV-r0T5fypBv9-a1gbq8xkZR&index=2

Soper, Daniel (2017). Information Privacy and Security. Security Lesson #3 Software Program Security https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeFyCGpclwY&list=PLlYw7XsK0HV-r0T5fypBv9-a1gbq8xkZR&index=3

Soper, Daniel (2017). Information Privacy and Security. Security Lesson #4 Malicious Code – Malware https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn-uVP8HncA&list=PLlYw7XsK0HV-r0T5fypBv9-a1gbq8xkZR&index=4

Soper, Daniel (2017). Information Privacy and Security. Security Lesson #5 - Illicit Data Interception and Access https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_obVu9HknQ&list=PLlYw7XsK0HV-r0T5fypBv9-a1gbq8xkZR&index=5

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3GdGemRGXo

Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGND4tvzVYg

Developing a Disaster Recovery and Business Plan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQCTkX4M3VY

Data Governance

Data Governance Strategies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASoi9GIre5I

Journey and Roadmap to a Data Governance Program https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTd9RwblaD4

Master Data Management https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9-lLrUSRJY

Design and Implementation of a Security Architecture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDQxzz42Bs0

COBIT5 – Business framework for governance and management of the enterprise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaGSmJ21hlE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEqtgFZ4Pfo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U24cmu-JiWY

TOGAF – Architecting IT – ITIL and Cobit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euzTVDn8wmc

Enterprise Architecture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuG5JGi2CZo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH0AGFJ0KzY

Gaining Competitive Advantage from Enterprise Architecture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScHG63YmJ2k

Digital Disruption https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wq6xQxaLGE

Digital Transformation of Society https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eYUQPPw0T0