Northeastern University
Bouvé College of Health Sciences and College of Computer and
Information Science
Master of Science In Health Informatics Program
Summer 2010
Course Title:
HINF-6215 Project Management
Course Days and Time:
Tuesday, 6pm to 8pm
First Class:
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Location:
Kariotis Hall 202
Credits:
3SH
Faculty:
Scott Bradley, Masters of Engineering Management, MBA
Senior Product Manager, PHT Corporation
Email: sbradley@phtcorp.com
Phone: 617-681-6312
Course website:
www.blackboard.neu.edu
Prerequisites:
Enrollment in Master Program in Health Informatics or
Permission of Health Informatics Graduate Program Director
Course Description:
Introduce students to managing healthcare informatics projects including the tools and
techniques used to manage small, medium, and large software and systems projects.
Topics include project planning, project management tools, estimating, budgeting, human
resource management, etc. All phases of a project are discussed and students are required
to develop a project plan for a health informatics project as part of the course.
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the students will be able to:
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Demonstrate an understanding of the scope and structure of healthcare informatics
projects in contemporary organizations
Demonstrate knowledge of characteristics of good project leaders and a well run project
Describe current tools to support project management
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Demonstrate the ability to use project planning software to manage a project
Describe a typical project life cycle
Demonstrate an understanding of evaluation and management techniques appropriate for
the different project management knowledge areas and process groups
Demonstrate that they can apply project management concepts by developing a project
deliverables, organizational process assets, or a project plan for a health informatics
project during the course
Demonstrate an understanding of how to evaluate project outcomes
Teaching Methods:
Core text readings and case studies assigned for each week should be completed prior to each
class. Classes will consist of interactive discussion of key issues in reading materials, review of
recent literature and case studies.
Required Texts and Materials:
1. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: (PMBOK Guide) by Project
Management Institute (Paperback - Dec 31, 2008)
2. Information Technology Project Management (with Microsoft Project 2007 CD-ROM)
by Kathy Schwalbe (Paperback - Mar 24, 2009)
3. Microsoft Project 2007, evaluation version (available free online and included with text)
Grading Criteria:
A minimum grade of B- or above is required for satisfactory completion of the course. Students who
receive a grade below that on the mid term examination are strongly advised to consult with the
instructor as soon as possible.
Grade Dispute
If you disagree with any grade you receive on an examination or assignment you may dispute that
grade within one week of receipt of the grade. The format used to dispute the grades must be
followed: 1) your name, 2) name of assignment or exam, 3) the question being disputed, 4)
points given, 5) accepted or posted answer, 6) your answer, 7) rationale for your answer stated
with the appropriate reference source/page number (class notes not accepted). After your dispute
has been reviewed you will receive a written response or will be scheduled to meet with the
instructor to review the issue. The instructor will respond within one week.
Special Requirements:
All written assignments are due on the assignment due date. Any assignment not turned in on time
will receive a 0, unless the student has requested and received a prior extension from the instructor.
It is at the instructor’s discretion to grant such extensions. Excused late assignments may be subject
to a point deduction.
Policy Regarding the Use of Tape Recorders:
University policy dictates that students must seek the instructor’s permission to tape-record class
lectures. Please turn off all cell phones and pagers during lecture or recitation section.
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Professional Behavior:
Professional and ethical behavior is expected during all interactions with instructors and peers.
Unprofessional conduct will not be tolerated. Repeated offenses are subject to University
disciplinary procedures.
Academic Honesty:
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Refer to the Graduate Student
Handbook for information concerning disciplinary action in cases of academic dishonesty. Group
work in lab and preparing for examinations/ presentations is encouraged. However, plagiarizing,
copying and reproducing another’s work with out proper citation is not acceptable. Students who are
found cheating on assignments or examinations will receive a zero on that assignment. A second
offense will result in a failing grade for that course and disciplinary action through Northeastern
University’s student judicial committee.
Grading:
Please note that written work may be significantly marked down for improper formatting,
grammatical and spelling errors, or sloppiness.
Participation (20%)
Being prepared, actively participating and contributing high-quality content to the classroom
discussions. In your group assignments, participation will be evaluated through team member
feedback. Absences will impact this grade. Participation is graded by evaluation based on
individual performance.
Assignments (20%)
Several short take-home assignments will be given during the semester. The assignments are
focused on a single topic and used to evaluate understanding of specific elements of project
management theory. Individual.
Mid Term Evaluation (25%)
The mid term exam will cover the fundamentals and theory of project management. The
evaluation will be a written take-home exam. Questions in the mid-term will be similar to
those in each chapter’s review questions and exercises sections. Individual.
Group Project (35%)
Groups of two people will be assigned a project to complete during the course. This may be a
written project plan detailing a healthcare IT project, or may be a major deliverable during a
healthcare IT project. Each team will give a short presentation about their project to the class
on the day the deliverable is due. Partial deliverables may due throughout the semester.
Course Schedule:
Week
Topic
Introduction to
Week 1
Project Management
May 11
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Class Agenda
 Introduction and history of PM
 Discussion
3
Due
ITPM ch.1
PMBOK ch.1
Week 2
May 18
Information
Technology Project
Management
Week 3
May 25
PM Process Groups
Week 4
June 1
Project Integration
Management
Week 5
June 8
Project Scope
Management
Week 6
June 15
Project Time
Management
Week 7
June 22
Project Cost
Management
Week 8
June 29
Project Quality
Management
July 6
No Class
Week 9
July 13
Week 10
July 30
Project Human
Resource
Management
Project
Communications
Management
Week 11
July 27
Project Risk
Management
Week 12
Aug 3
Project Procurement
Management
Week 13
Aug 10
Project Close-out
Trends in PM
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Discussion
Groups: Review Articles
Review Project Scenarios
Discussion
 Discussion
 Project Selection Exercise
 Discussion
 Discussion
 Possible Guest Speaker
ITPM ch.2
PMBOK ch.2, App.F
ITPM ch.3
PMBOK ch.3
ITPM ch.4
PMBOK ch.4
ITPM ch.5
PMBOK ch.5
Project Concept
ITPM ch.6
PMBOK ch.6
 Discussion
ITPM ch.7
PMBOK ch.7
 Discussion
 Possible Guest Speaker
 Take Home Mid-Term
ITPM ch.8
PMBOK ch.8
SOP
 Hand-in/email Mid-Term
 Discussion
ITPM ch.9
PMBOK ch.9 App.G
Mid Term
ITPM ch.10
PMBOK ch.10
 Discussion
 Discussion
 Hand back and Review MidTerms
 Discussion
 Discussion
4
ITPM ch. 11
PMBOK ch.11
ITPM ch. 12
PMBOK ch.12
Project Management
Plan Due
Evaluation Due