ITC

Course Syllabus

Course Description

Results in the completion and delivery of the first phases of a faculty-approved information technology (IT) project management plan through a capstone project course. This course includes readings in project management, development of a project management plan, and the practical application of project management software.

uCertify

This course will utilize a tool called uCertify, which will provide you with readings and other activities needed to complete the course. Please refer to the uCertify link in the Course Content menu in Blackboard to access this information.

Course Textbook(s)

No physical textbook is required; resources are integrated within the course.

Additional Required Course Material(s)

See each Unit Study Guide for additional required course material(s).

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Explore the components of a software project. 2. Evaluate the triple constraint of project management. 3. Explain key elements of the project management framework. 4. Use project management tools. 5. Develop techniques used to produce project resource management tools such as Gantt charts, project network

diagrams, and a work breakdown schedule (WBS). 6. Apply project resource management tools and techniques for managing business. 7. Develop a framework for a basic information technology project management plan.

Prerequisite(s)

ITC 4010 - System Analysis and Design or equivalent

ITC 4150 - Database Design and Implementation or equivalent

ITC 4210 - Programming Concepts and Problem Solving or equivalent

Credits

Upon completion of this course, the students will earn 3 hours of college credit.

Course Structure

ITC 4760, Information Technology Evaluation and Implementation I

ITC 4760, Information Technology Evaluation and Implementation I 1

1. Study Guide: Course units contain a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required reading assignments, and supplemental resources.

2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit.

3. Unit Lesson: Unit Lessons, which are located in the Study Guide, discuss lesson material. 4. Reading Assignments: Units contain Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook and/or

outside resources. 5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed within the Study Guide. Students are encouraged to read the

resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings. 6. Learning Activities (Nongraded): Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of

study. 7. Discussion Boards: Students are required to submit Discussion Board posts in Units I-VIII. Discussion Boards

provide students the opportunity for student-to-student and professor-to-student interaction based on relevant course concepts and ideas. Specific information about accessing the Discussion Board rubric is provided below.

8. Unit Assessments: This course contains Unit Assessments, which test student knowledge on important aspects of the course. These tests may come in many different forms, ranging from multiple choice to written response questions.

9. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below.

10. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides students with an opportunity to ask their professor general questions or questions related to course content.

11. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with other classmates.

CSU Online Library

The CSU Online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes databases, journals, e-books, and research guides. These resources are always accessible and can be reached through the library web page. To access the library, log into the myCSU Student Portal, and click on “CSU Online Library.” You can also access the CSU Online Library from the “My Library” button on the course menu for each course in Blackboard.

The CSU Online Library offers several reference services. E-mail ([email protected]) and telephone (1.877.268.8046) assistance is available Monday – Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The library’s chat reference service, Ask a Librarian, is available 24/7; look for the chat box on the online library page.

Librarians can help you develop your research plan or assist you in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help, and other services.

LibGuides

Think of a LibGuide (a Library Guide) as a mini-website to help you with your assignments. It has relevant information such as databases, e-books, and websites specific to your courses. If you have any questions, please reach out to your friendly library staff.

Click here for the LibGuide for this course.

Unit Assignments

Unit III Project

In this unit, we will begin our project to build a new information technology (IT) data center for the company listed in our course project scenario. We will utilize and build upon this scenario through the remainder of this course. Throughout the course, we will complete activities that take us from the project initiation phase through the project closeout phase. Click here to access the course project scenario sheet.

In this unit, you will complete activities associated with the project initiation phase, which include the project charter and the project stakeholder register.

Project Charter

Using the course project scenario sheet linked above and the information presented in this course, create a project charter. Click here to access a project charter template. Fill out each section of the project charter template, and remember to use the scenario information as the focal point for each of the functional areas of the template. In the “Business Problem” section of the charter, be sure to identify characteristics of computer systems and software applications that will ensure the success of this project. You are also encouraged to be creative and innovative in addressing the needs of the company identified in the scenario.

Project Stakeholder Register

Using the course project scenario sheet linked above and the information presented in this course, create a project

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stakeholder register. Click here to access the project stakeholder register template. Fill out each section of the stakeholder register template, and use the scenario information as the focal point for each entry on the template. Include at least 12 stakeholders in your register. You are also encouraged to be creative and innovative in addressing the needs of company identified in the scenario. Each entry should address the potential impact/benefit the individual stakeholder might have on the project. The “Comments” section should be used to provide additional information if necessary. If you identify stakeholders other than those listed in the course project scenario sheet, you can add these to this list and identify why they are important to the project.

Be sure to upload both documents for grading. Outside sources are not required for this assignment.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit IV Project

In this unit, you will complete three activities associated with the project scheduling phase, which include the work breakdown structure (WBS), Gantt chart, and project critical path method (CPM) network diagram. Use the course project scenario and the information presented in this unit to complete the activities. Click here to access the course project scenario sheet. Templates are provided for all three activities required in this unit.

Produce a WBS for the MSI project. Click here to access the WBS template. Remember to use the scenario information as the focal point for the work breakdown elements of the template. Create a Gantt chart to reflect project scheduling. Click here to access the Gantt chart template. The template currently has task names, start and finish dates, and durations from the e-mail example. Replace these with information for the MSI project. Fill out the sections of the Gantt chart template by using the scenario information and the WBS as focal points for each entry on the template. The final task of this unit project is to produce a CPM project network diagram using the WBS and project schedule/Gantt chart to map out the activities and critical path for the project. Click here to access the CPM network diagram template.

You are also encouraged to be creative and innovative in completing your work products and tasks identified in the assignment. Be sure to upload all three documents for grading. Outside sources are not required for this assignment.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit V Project

In this unit, you will be required to use the information provided in the work breakdown structure (WBS) and the project schedule that you previously created to develop a cost estimate and an initial project budget.

Use the course project scenario and the information presented in this unit to complete the activities. Click here to access the course project scenario sheet. Templates are provided for both the cost estimate and the budget.

Click here to access the cost estimate template. Complete at least 12 items in your estimate template. Click here to access the project budget template. Complete at least three main categories with subcategories and sub- subcategories as necessary in your budget template.

Use the project charter and WBS as a guide for customizing the estimate and budget forms. Include/add additional elements or details as you see fit to best align with the course scenario. While the equipment and labor costs do not need to be exact, do some cost estimate research to make these as close to real-world as possible.

You are encouraged to be creative and innovative in completing your work products and tasks identified in the assignment. Be sure to upload both documents for grading. Outside sources are not required for this assignment.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VI Project

In this unit, your assignment is to create an organization chart and fill out a RACI matrix using the scenario worksheets provided in earlier units.

Create a project organization chart using any drawing program of your choice (e.g., PowerPoint, Word, SmartDraw). Be sure the positions listed in the chart cover the required activities for this project. Make sure that you save your chart in a format that is easy for the professor to open, such as .jpg, .docx, or .pdf. Using the RACI matrix template, fill out a sampling of activities from your work breakdown structure (WBS), and match these activities to individual team members. Click here to access the RACI matrix template. List at least 10 assignments/activities in your matrix.

Include/add additional elements or details as you see fit to best align with the course scenario. You are encouraged to be creative and innovative in completing your work products and tasks identified in the assignment. Be sure to upload both documents for grading. Outside sources are not required for this assignment.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VII Project

In this unit, your assignment is to create an example of a risk register and probability/impact matrix for the MSI Data Center relocation project scenario.

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Using the scenario worksheets provided in previous units, complete the templates provided below to identify, define, and rank potential project risks. List at least five risks in the risk register and probability impact matrix.

Click here to access the risk register template. Click here to access the probability impact matrix template.

When completing your probability impact matrix template, the numbers that you plot should correlate with the risk numbers from your risk register template. Include/add additional elements or details as you see fit to best align with the course scenario. You are encouraged to be creative and innovative in completing your work products and tasks identified in the assignment. Be sure to upload both documents for grading. Outside sources are not required for this assignment.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VIII Project

Your final project will be to draft an information technology (IT) project management plan using the materials you generated throughout the various assignments in this course.

A project management plan is an overarching plan that addresses how the organization is going to organize, execute, and manage the plan and provides the team with a roadmap for how the project will be organized, managed, and monitored by the project manager, stakeholders, and senior management.

Using the project management plan template provided below, your task is to complete the project management plan by filling in the seven areas identified. Click here to access the project management plan template. This will require that you use the project scenario worksheets, the textbook material, and the assignments that you completed during this course. Some areas will be as simple as inserting tables, charts, and graphs that you previously prepared while other sections of the document will require that you generate written descriptions.

Each of the seven sections of the project management plan will require an introductory paragraph of no less than 150 words that explain your understanding of the topic.

Section 1—Introduction: This section should provide a recap of what the MSI project is about. In this section, you will also provide the mission statement. Section 2—Project Charter: In this section, you will provide the various elements produced in the MSI project charter as well as the organizational chart you developed. Section 3—Scope Management: This section will be completed using the work breakdown structure (WBS) that was completed for the MSI project. Section 4—Schedule/Time Management: Following the introductory paragraph, there are three elements that you will use to complete this section: the RACI matrix, project schedule, and your CPM network diagram. Section 5—Cost/Budget Management: Using your budget and estimate assignments, you will complete this section. Section 6—Quality Management: This section will require you to describe your understanding of project quality management and how it applies to the MCI scenario. The writing requirement for this section is a minimum of 250 words. Section 7—Risk Management: Your risk register and risk matrix will be the sources for your entries into this section.

You are encouraged to be creative and innovative in completing your work products and tasks identified in the assignment. You are required to use at least one source from the CSU Online Library for this assignment. Use APA style to reference and cite appropriately.

Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.

APA Guidelines

The application of the APA writing style shall be practical, functional, and appropriate to each academic level, with the primary purpose being the documentation (citation) of sources. CSU requires that students use APA style for certain papers and projects. Students should always carefully read and follow assignment directions and review the associated grading rubric when available. Students can find The CSU Citation Guide by clicking here. This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Writing Center.

Grading Rubrics

This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities.

Rubric categories include (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments).

The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I’s Discussion Board submission instructions.

The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit

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Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment.

Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting “Tools” and then “My Grades.”

Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades.

Communication Forums

These are nongraded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu.

Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums.

Ask the Professor

This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students.

Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a non- public nature, please feel free to e-mail your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or e-mailed by the professor within 48 hours.

Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information.

Student Break Room

This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers.

Schedule/Grading

The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted.

Unit I Overview of Project Management [ Weight: 10% ]

Read/View: Unit I Study Guide Chapter 1: Overview of Project Management Reading Assignment (1 presentation): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit I Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit I Assessment 8%

Unit II Roles and Responsibilities of Project Managers [ Weight: 10% ]

Read/View: Unit II Study Guide Chapter 2: Roles and Responsibilities of Project Managers Reading Assignment (1 presentation): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit II Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit II Assessment 8%

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Unit III Project Initiation [ Weight: 14% ]

Read/View: Unit III Study Guide Chapter 3: Project Initiation Reading Assignment (1 presentation): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit III Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit III Project 12%

Unit IV Project Schedule [ Weight: 13% ]

Read/View: Unit IV Study Guide Chapter 4: Project Planning: The Schedule Reading Assignment (1 presentation): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit IV Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit IV Project 11%

Unit V Cost Estimation and Budgeting [ Weight: 13% ]

Read/View: Unit V Study Guide Chapter 5: Project Planning: The Cost Estimate and Budget Reading Assignment (1 presentation): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit V Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit V Project 11%

Unit VI Human Resource, Communication, Procurement, and Quality Plans [ Weight: 12% ]

Read/View: Unit VI Study Guide Chapter 6: Project Planning: Human Resource, Communication, Procurement, and Quality Plans Reading Assignments (1 presentation, 3 articles): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit VI Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VI Project 10%

Unit VII The Risk Management Plan [ Weight: 13% ]

Read/View: Unit VII Study Guide Chapter 7: Project Planning: The Risk Management Plan Reading Assignment (1 presentation): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit VII Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VII Project 11%

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Unit VIII Building the Project Team [ Weight: 15% ]

Read/View: Unit VIII Study Guide Chapter 8: Project Execution: Build the Project Team Reading Assignment (1 presentation): See Study Guide

Discuss: Unit VIII Discussion Board 2%

Submit: Unit VIII Project 13%

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