ICT Project Management

This topic focuses on the management of ICT projects. Project Managers need to be concerned about all aspects of project planning and implementation, including goal setting, organization, resource and cost management, and handing over the project outputs and deliverables to the project owners. ICT projects need to be aligned with these goals and mandates.

Topic Outcomes

1. Present an overview of project management within the information and communication technology for development (ICTD) framework Explain the representation of data in a computer.
2. Define key concepts in ICT project management, including the knowledge areas, basic project phases and processes, and important elements and variables of managing ICT projects.

This topic discusses the importance of people; both the project personnel and stakeholders in ICT project management. Projects are brought into fruition through human activity from the project conception to its completion. The bearers of the project intentions and results are people who work for the project, as well as the project stakeholders.

Topic Outcomes

1. Discuss the importance of project personnel and stakeholders in ICT project management.
2. Identify the roles and functions of project team members in ICT project management.

This topic discusses the importance of people; both the project personnel and stakeholders in ICT project management. Projects are brought into fruition through human activity from the project conception to its completion. The bearers of the project intentions and results are people who work for the project, as well as the project stakeholders.

Topic Outcomes

1. Discuss the importance of project personnel and stakeholders in ICT project management.
2. Identify the roles and functions of project team members in ICT project management.

This topic focuses the importance of the project initiation, stages that need to be identified, the feasibility studied are needed and the role of project plan and deliverables. All projects need to be justified. There must be a good rationale for pursuing a project. This rationale is the business case for the project. Technically speaking, a business case is a document that justifies an intervention or initiative as a means of addressing an issue or correcting a problem.

Topic Outcomes

1. Identify the stages of initiation phase in project management.
2. Explain the needs of feasibility studies in project management.
3. Identify the role of project plan and deliverables.

It covers the concepts, issues and practices during the project implementation process, which includes project monitoring and control. The approval of the Project Management Plan is the signal that project implementation has begun. This is normally the longest phase of the project. It is when the deliverables are physically built. To ensure that requirements are met, the project manager must monitor and control the production of each deliverable by executing the appropriate monitoring and control processes.

Topic Outcomes

1. Explain the methods applied in time management.
2. Explain the steps involved in acceptance management.
3. Differentiate between tangible and intangible cost items.
4. Identify the two levels of change management.
5. Explain the strategies used in communication planning.
6. Identify the possible risks that might occur during project management.
7. Describe the process involved in procurement management

This topic describes the project control and monitoring concepts, issues and practices. Monitoring is the systematic and continuous collection, analysis and use of management information to support effective decision-making. There are multiple levels of monitoring. At the activity level, the project team must keep track of how the project is progressing in terms of expenditure, resource use, implementation of activities, delivery of results and management of risks.

Topic Outcomes

1. Explain the areas that the monitoring system should cover.
2. Describe the importance of reporting progress.
3. Identify the types of reporting

This topic focusses project closure concepts, issues and processes. Project closure involves finalizing all project activities that have been completed. It includes establishing procedures to coordinate verification and documentation of project deliverables, formalize the acceptance of project deliverables, and document reasons for actions taken if an activity is terminated before completion.

Topic Outcomes

1. Describe the activities involved in project closure.
2. Compile the lessons learned from the technical, managerial and process aspects of the project.
3. Analyze the focus that should be given in each evaluation activities

This topic discusses the need to ensure that project products or outcomes are integrated into regular operations and sustained. A project ends when the project closure and product handover are undertaken. However, the results of the project, specifically the product that the project has borne, will take on a new life in the user (client or customer) environment. The processes undertaken to ensure the usability and effectiveness of the product in that context will determine the product’s future life.

Topic Outcomes

1. Study the needs to ensure that project products or outcomes are integrated into regular operations and sustained.
2. Analyze the importance of the policy support to ensure the development of e-governance and ICTD projects.
3. Identify the project sponsor role in supporting the development and maintenance of the product or system