Course Description

The Foundation Certificate in IS Project Management provides a comprehensive introduction to core IT and IS project management principles. Over three intensive days, you'll explore a realistic case study to gain practical insights into common project challenges. Delve into project fundamentals, monitoring techniques, quality management, organisational structures, and effective communication strategies. This hands-on approach will equip you with essential skills to navigate the complexities of IS project management successfully.

The Foundation Certificate in IS Project Management is also a Knowledge-based module on the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

Pre-requisites

There are no formal requirements for entry to the course although the candidate should have a basic working knowledge of IT.

Target Audience

This certificate is appropriate for anyone involved in or affected by IT projects; this extends to users, buyers and directors. The Foundation Certificate in IS Project Management is also a Knowledge-based module on the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

Course Materials

We'll send a printed copy of the latest comprehensive course manual to your home address well before your course begins. Additionally, you'll receive an email with a link to access a digital version of the same manual, ensuring you have both physical and electronic references for your convenience and future use.

Exam

The course prepares delegates for the BCS Foundation Certificate in IS Project Management examination. If this course is part of your BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis programme you have a choice of further modules which include the Core BA Diploma modules, Business Analysis Practice and Requirements Engineering.

The exam is accessible only at the registered date and time. Candidates with disabilities or special considerations, including English as a second language, may request adjustments or additional time in line with BCS reasonable adjustments policy.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, candidates will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The context for delivering Information Systems projects
• Making a business case and managing stakeholders
• Initiating projects and planning deliverables
• Estimating effort, understanding dependencies and scheduling the work
• Establishing, motivating, and managing project teams
• How to manage quality, risk, and change in projects
• Monitoring, controlling and reporting on progress

Course Content

Project environment

• Characteristics of a project; the 'triple constraint' of time/cost/quality
• Project and operational responsibilities
• Special features of computer projects
• Role of the Project Manager
• Project success and failure
• Development lifecycles

Project initiation

• Stakeholder analysis and management
• Defining the objectives and scope of the project
• The role of the Client and their responsibilities
• Project constraints and resources
• Project Initiation Document

Project planning

• The importance of breaking work down
• Product breakdown structures
• Project and User deliverables
• Standard deliverable sets and templates
• Product flows and work packages
• The concept of dependencies

Estimating deliverables

• Key concepts in estimating
• Estimating difficulties
• Estimating by analogy
• Parametric estimating
• Effort and elapsed time estimates
• Schedule compression

Planning networks and charts

• Precedence diagrams and project networks
• The critical path and its implications
• Gantt charts and resource histograms
• Planning at an appropriate level
• The use and abuse of planning software

Working in teams

• The elements of a good team
• Team composition
• Team roles

Motivation and management style

• The roots of motivation at work
• Approaches to motivation (Maslow, Herzberg)
• The effect of management style

Project risk management

• Purpose of risk management
• Risk management process
• Identifying and assessing risks
• Introduction to quantitative risk assessment

Project quality plans

• Principles of quality management
• The contents of a quality plan
• Quality Management
• Configuration management

The project plan

• Elements of a project plan (schedule, quality, risk)
• Contents and structure of a project plan

Project monitoring, reporting and control

• The importance of monitoring and control
• Allocating personal deliverables
• Progress measurement
• Time recording
• Introduction to earned value analysis
• Dealing with non-delivery
• Slippage and re-planning – corrective actions
• Change control, scope creep and over-engineering
• Reporting structures

Project completion

• Project sign-off and the need for a controlled close
• Post-project reviews

The project manager

• The project manager's role revisited
• Qualities and characteristics of effective project managers