INF2040: Project Management
Course Syllabus
Winter 2010
Instructor: Kelly Lyons
Phone: 416 946 3839
email: kelly.lyons@utoronto.ca
Office: 45 Willcocks (south east corner with Spadina) #314
Office Hours: by appointment via email
TA: Steve Szigeti
email: steve.szigeti@utoronto.ca
Office Hours: by appointment via email
Note: Questions should be posted to the discussion board of the Blackboard course site. Students are encouraged to post answers to the questions of other students where appropriate.
Important: Questions posted to the discussion board or sent by email to the Instructor or TA will be answered within two (2) business days.
Textbook: Successful Project Management 4th Edition by Jack Gido and James P. Clements this is available for purchase in the University of Toronto bookstore.
This course covers an introduction to the theory and practice of project management. Students will bring past experience in project situations together with insights from the course textbook and complementary readings to develop new understandings and knowledge that will help prepare them to participate in, contribute to, lead, and succeed in future project opportunities.
Project management techniques are used in every industry today ranging from planning charitable fundraisers to the development of Web2.0 or e-commerce applications. Governments are putting an increasing focus on Project Management [1, 2]. Recent articles note the importance of project management skills in IT-related careers [3]. A quick search of job openings in the American Library Association’s JobLIST shows a large number of jobs requiring project management experience and skills [4]. It is clear that knowledge of project management techniques is critical for successful future careers, in volunteer efforts, and for implementing personal or home projects. Each of us will participate in or lead a project that is using (or would benefit from using) formal project management techniques.
There are no prerequisites for this course, however INF1230 presents complementary topics on management in organizations.
The main textbook for the course is Successful Project Management Fourth Edition by Jack Gido and James P. Clements. It is available for purchase from the University of Toronto Bookstore and available for loan at the Inforum. Some additional readings and hand-outs will be available on the course Blackboard site. Additional readings here may also be useful.
Consider the Wikipedia definition of project management:
“Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. ... A project is a temporary endeavor, having a defined beginning and end (usually constrained by date, but can be by funding or deliverables), undertaken to meet particular goals and objectives, usually to bring about beneficial change or added value. The temporary nature of projects stands in contrast to business as usual (or operations), which are repetitive, permanent or semi-permanent functional work to produce products or services. In practice, the management of these two systems is often found to be quite different, and as such requires the development of distinct technical skills and the adoption of separate management.” (links removed; see full citation for links) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management
High Level Course Description:
This course covers the nature of
projects, project management tools, techniques and management and leadership
issues in project management within the context of the different types of
projects in the information profession. The course will cover project
management principles in general, project scope, organizational, interpersonal
and political aspects of project management, and tools and techniques to
support planning, budgeting, resource allocation and other technical aspects of
project management. Students will work in project teams to define, scope, and
produce a project plan for a project that is similar to one they may face in
the future as information professionals. Lecture topics will be augmented with
in-class group-based activities and guest lectures and panels.
The first part of
the course covers project management principles in general and students will
establish goals and learning objectives and scope a project in some
detail. The second section looks at the
organizational, interpersonal and political aspects of project management such
as being a leader, managing and working on project teams, understanding
cultural issues and managing diverse stakeholders. Students will use what they
learn in this part of the course to work in project teams for the third section
of the course.
The third and final
section of the course focuses on tools and techniques available to support
project management. Students will work in project teams to define, scope, and
produce a project plan for a project.
Students will have an opportunity to experiment with different
techniques and tools and share their experiences with one another, offering
critiques and comparing tools that are designed to help project managers and
teams plan, implement and successfully complete projects more effectively.
Throughout the
course, students are expected to practise project management principles in
every aspect of their coursework and interactions (see “Practicing Project Management Principles”).
Lecture topics will be augmented with in-class group-based activities
and guest lectures and panels.
See the detailed course outline here.
This course is intended to help prepare students for successful careers in the information professions where much of the work is organized through projects conducted by a designated project team. The course is designed to help students understand the terminology used in and theories behind project management and to help them function successfully in project environments. At the end of this course, students should be able to:
· Apply project management principles and practices (including specific techniques) in a variety project contexts (demonstrated in all three assignments)
· Describe the role and importance of project management in an organization and identify projects that support organizational goals and strategy (demonstrated through in-class activities and assignment 1)
· Determine and describe their own personal goals, motivations, and ways of working individually and within teams (demonstrated in assignment 1)
· Explain and interpret the social dynamics of teamwork and how people work individually and in teams (demonstrated in assignment 2, through in-class activities)
· Apply and describe the management and communication techniques and skills that lead to successful project outcomes (demonstrated in assignment 2 and through in-class activities)
· Determine when and under which circumstances to apply specific project management techniques (demonstrated in assignment 3)
· Identify the role of time, cost and quality management in successful projects and determine trade-offs (demonstrated in assignment 3 and through in-class activities)
· Explain the role of communication in project management and demonstrate effective communication both orally and in writing (demonstrated in all three assignments and through in-class activities)
· Put into practice effectively working on a project team and as a project manager (demonstrated in assignment 3 and through in-class activities)
The class sessions will be a combination of lectures, discussions,
teamwork, interactive exercises and in-class activities. Blackboard will be used
as a learning management system to support project teams (groups), sharing of
information, weekly slides, important dates, assignments, and other information
about the course, as well as the facilitation of interaction among students on
topics related to the course.
This is a professional masters program course and most students have some
(if not, extensive) experience working on or leading projects. As such, we will learn together, from one
another, and relate the knowledge learned through the course to our past
experiences and imagined future opportunities.
I will provide an outline and structure for the course, present
lectures, define assignments, and assign readings, but students will largely
define the scope of their project assignments and will be asked to contribute
and share relevant materials and readings as well. The interaction among
students and their collaborative work is essential in making the course a
success. Students are expected to use the experiences and knowledge they bring
into the course to help define their learning objectives, identify and define
projects, contribute to the course content, and complement their own learning
experience and that of their classmates.
See also my general teaching philosophy and class
expectations.
In this course,
there are three required assignments and a participation requirement. Full
descriptions of each will be available on the course BlackBoard site as they
are assigned:
|
Assignment 1 |
Setting Learning Objectives
and Scoping an Information Project |
Part A: Report due
week 3: Jan. 18/19 start of class |
5% |
|
Part B: Report due
week 4: Jan. 25/26 start of class |
15% |
||
|
Assignment 2 |
Managing Teams, Leadership,
and Effective Communication |
Paper due week 8: Mar. 1/2 start of class |
30% |
|
Assignment 3 |
Scoping and Planning a
Project and Project Management Tools |
Report due week 13: Apr. 5/6 start of class |
35% |
|
Participation |
In addition to
general participation, as part of the participation evaluation, each student
is expected to present results of in-class activities on behalf of their
group at least once during the course |
|
15% |
Each of the course
requirements will be completed using a slightly different format.
The first assignment
is an individual assignment which will be submitted in two parts as
reports. Reports follow a pre-specified outline
(which will be supplied as part of the assignment details). They must be
well-written, concise, and communicate the necessary information
effectively. See important details about
what is expected in papers and reports here.
Near the beginning
of term, you will be put into groups and assigned a project that you will refer
to for the rest of your work in the class and in assignment 3. The tools, techniques, and practices
discussed throughout the course will be studied within the context of this
assigned project and within your assigned group. You will not implement the
project but will go through the process of planning, scoping, scheduling,
budgeting, and allocating resources to the project.
The second
assignment is an essay paper on a topic you choose from categories covered in
the second section of the course. See
important details about what is expected in your papers and reports here.
The third assignment
will be submitted as a report. In this assignment, you will conduct your
research and discussion in your groups (teams) but will submit an individually
written report. You should appropriately cite your group members’ contributions
in your individually written work. The
required report sections will be provided in the assignment definition. Having a group assignment with individual
submissions enables to you learn from your peers and share ideas to help guide
the overall perspectives and thoughts that will make up the content of the
report but allows you to be assessed on your individual contribution.
Assessment of your individual contribution will include how well you have been
able to synthesize ideas and knowledge developed within your groups.
Groups / Teams: Project groups (teams) of size 4-5 will be selected by the instructor based on your course goals and learning objectives submitted in Part of A of Assignment 1. The intention is to put together project teams of people who bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives and whose learning objectives and goals complement one another’s. In addition to demonstrating how project managers build teams with diverse strengths, it is hoped that this strategy will maximize individual learning opportunities and create some interesting and thought-provoking discussions and situations.
Grading Guidelines: For all work in this course, I will be following the Faculty of
Information grading system here.
Late Assignment Policy: It is expected that, in practising
project management principles, students will manage their time sufficiently
to be able to meet the posted assignment deadlines. In the event that this is
not possible, students must submit a formal request to me (via Blackboard,
email, or in writing on paper) at least one business day prior to
the assignment due date a request that includes: 1) Progress on the assignment;
2) Amount left to complete; and, 3) Amount of estimated time needed to complete
the assignment. If the request is on
time, includes all three sections described above (just as would be required in
a real project situation), and is agreed to by the instructor, your late
assignment will be marked out of full marks. If your request is late, does not
include the required information or does not receive agreement from the
instructor, you will be docked marks. Assignments will receive a penalty of a
full grade if late (for example an A- would become a B+, or a B would become a
B-). Another full grade will be deducted every three days. Assignments that are
late by 14 days or longer will receive an F grade. Also note that late papers
will not include feedback comments, but only the grade.
Participation and Attendance: Classroom discussion and
interaction are important ways to learn. Sharing your experiences and ideas
with your classmates is central to your learning experience in this
course. As such, it is expected that you
will attend and participate in every class to the extent that is possible. There will be exercises and discussions that
you will participate in during class in groups and on-line. Some of the activities you participate in
during these discussions will be helpful in completing your third assignment.
Each class will
start on time. I will be on time and expect everyone else to make their best
effort to arrive on time as well.
Mid-Course Review: I will conduct a mid-term review of the course where I will ask you to
assess how well you are tracking to your objectives and get your feedback on
the course. This is a way for me to
learn how the class is going and where it can be improved (if so indicated)
before it is over. It is also a practice
used in project management to track progress and assess areas of concern at
various points through the implementation of a project. Of course, as is done in the implementation
of a project, you should be regularly assessing your progress toward your goals
and making adjustments accordingly. Similarly, you are welcome to come to me
anytime during the term with feedback.
Academic Integrity: Your conduct as a University of
Toronto student is covered in detail here.
Acting with integrity and respect for an individual’s ideas and rights is not
only required in your academic career but will be essential to success in your
future career and life interactions. In
particular, it is critical to learn how to cite others’ work properly in
academic writing and publications and to give appropriate credit.
Students with Special Needs
or Health Considerations: All students are welcome in this course and I
will make every effort to ensure a meaningful, respectful and positive learning
experience for everyone. If there are special considerations that you require
to help you successfully fulfill the requirements of the course, please feel
free to see me, the Faculty of Information Student Services, and /or contact
the Accessibility Student Office as soon as possible so we can ensure you are
able to successfully meet the learning objectives for this course. The Accessibility Services staff are
available by appointment where they will assess specific needs, provide
referrals and arrange appropriate accommodations.
[1]
Government Response to the Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on
Public Accounts: Large Information Technology Projects, http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/report/gr-rg/2008/0717c-eng.asp
[2]
Conference Board of Canada, Western Public Sector Project Management:
Achieving Project Management Excellence, http://sso.conferenceboard.ca/documents.aspx?did=2748
[3]
Keith Frampton, Closing the ICT skills gaps: The skills IT
employers want, Information Age, Feb/March 2008, 1—6.
[4]
ALA JobLIST, http://joblist.ala.org/