INFM 706
Project Management
Course Syllabus – Fall 2013
Instructor: Prof. Vikas Sahasrabudhe
Class location: HBK 1108
Class time: Wednesdays 6 – 8:45 PM
E-mail: vsahasra@umd.edu
Office: HBK 4101
Office hours: Before and after class
Course Description
This course provides a comprehensive overview of project management, focusing on the needs
of information resource (IR) projects. The course covers the concepts and techniques for
planning and execution of projects including developing work breakdown structure, estimating
costs, managing risks, scheduling, staff and resource allocation, team building, communication,
tracking, control and other aspects of successful project completion.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
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Plan IR project with work breakdown structure of activities, costs, schedule, people and
other resources, quality, procurement and communication
Identify activities to manage risks to success of IR projects
Apply concepts and technique of Earned Value Management for monitoring,
assessment/evaluation and control for successful execution of IR projects
Recognize the role of project manager
Use basic functions of industry standard software tools to support management of IR
projects.
Textbooks
Information Technology Project Management by Kathy Schwalbe; Course Technology Cengage
Learning; 7th edition; 2013; ISBN 978-1133526858
CMMI for Development, Version 1.2; available on-line from Software Engineering Institute at
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/06.reports/06tr008.html
Recommended Reading
Project Management: A Managerial Approach; by Jack R. Meredith and Samuel J. Mantel, Jr.;
Sixth edition; John Wiley & Sons; 2006
Project Management Book of Knowledge, from Project Management Institute, 5th edition, 2013
References to additional papers and cases will be provided during the term. Students will have
to search for further relevant information from academic and professional publications. UMD
libraries provide links to many of the websites for specific trade press journals and the
databases/collections of journals and books that are relevant to these topics. MIM students
should access the website http://lib.guides.umd.edu/mim.
Instructional Method
All the class sessions will include discussion of cases and articles that are assigned as homework,
and introduction to new topics. Slides for the new topics will be made available in ELMS
(elms.umd.edu) before each class. You are expected to read the textbook chapters assigned for
each lecture session (in the Class Calendar) before the class – this will help you get the most out
of the sessions. You may be asked to lead a class discussion on mini-cases included in those
chapters in the textbook.
Participation in the class discussions provides you with the opportunity to clarify your
understanding of the concepts and to practice applying them to the cases and articles. Your
participation in the class discussions also provides your colleagues with insights drawn from
your experience and perspective. Hence, you are expected to attend all classes, and participate
actively in all the discussions. We will also use the ELMS for additional discussions outside the
classroom.
If you cannot attend a lecture session for unavoidable causes, you need to inform the instructor in
advance and you will still be responsible to submit assignments that are due that day. Since each
assignment will be discussed in class on the day it is due, late submissions will not be accepted.
Attendance
Regular attendance and active participation in each class is the best way to grasp the contents of
the course. It is your responsibility to inform the instructor in advance of any intended absence
for religious observance. For absence due to medical emergency, a reasonable effort should be
made to inform the instructor in advance of the class. The instructor may ask for documentation
signed by health care professional for absence for more than one lecture session.
Course Assessment
Your course grade will be based on a weighted total of scores for the five components described
below:
Group project
Article reviews (three)
30 %
30 %
Tests (two)
Class participation
Total
30 %
10%
100%
Your letter grade for the course will be based on the weighted total score, rounded with Excel
algorithm, using the following scale:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CF
93 and above
90 to 92
87 to 89
83 to 86
80 to 82
77 to 79
73 to 76
70 to 72
Less than 70
Group project:
This semester-long project will be carried out in groups, each group consisting of three or four
students. You will be given a case about an IR project and will be asked to plan the project,
optimize the plan, and carry out earned value analysis given some data on actual work done in
the middle of the project. The project will require the use of project management software.
Detailed information and instructions for the project will be distributed later. Three deliverables
from the project will be:
1. Baseline project plan,
2. Optimized project plan,
3. Earned value analysis.
Article reviews:
There will be three articles/mini-cases to be worked on individually. In each assignment, you
will be given an article or a mini case related to information systems project management, and
you will be asked questions that will require a critical review of the article/mini-case. Your
answers, limited to 2 pages (double spaced with 12 point font size), must clearly include all the
major points made by the author related to the questions and also include your thoughts on those
major points, such as whether your agree with the author, giving a logical rationale for your
thoughts. You can also include additional thoughts, not mentioned in the article/mini-case, that
are appropriate in answers to the questions. You are expected to submit your assignment in the
ELMS by the start of the class on the due date even if you are away and cannot attend that class.
Tests:
There will be two (in-class, open-book) tests, on the concepts and practices of project
management covered in the textbook, class notes, and class discussions. Details about the
structure of the tests will be discussed in class before each test.
Class participation
You are expected to participate actively in class discussions. Your participation should cover
items from reading assignments and all home work assignments relevant to the topic under
discussion, and also express your thoughts/judgment/analysis. As stated earlier in Instructional
Method, participation in the class discussions provides you with the opportunity to clarify your
understanding of the concepts and to practice applying them to the cases and articles/chapters.
Your participation in the class discussions also provides your colleagues with insights drawn
from your experience and perspective. Hence, you are expected to participate actively in all the
discussions.
Students with disabilities
If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are
encouraged to contact the instructor and Disability Support Services (314-7682), as early as
possible in the term, but not later than the second week of class. Disability Support Services will
verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.
Academic Integrity
The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic
Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic
integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student, you are
responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be
aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more
information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit
http://www.shc.umd.edu.
Class Calendar
The schedule of lectures and lab sessions, assignments, tests and the project is tentative and
subject to change without notice. Updated information will be available on the ELMS system.
Session
Agenda
Reading
1. 9/4/13
Course overview
Project Management (in general)
1-4
2. 9/11/13
Managing IR projects
1-4
3. 9/18/13
Project planning basics
CMMI
4. 9/25/13
Project planning
(for scope)
5
CMMI
5. 10/2/13
Project planning
(for time and cost)
6-7
CMMI
6. 10/9/13
Project planning
(for quality, risks, procurement,
HR and communications)
8-12
CMMI
7. 10/16/13 Optimizing project plan
5-12
Reviews
Project
Assigned
Review 1
Step 1
Review 2
8. 10/23/13 Test 1
9. 10/30/13 Project monitoring and control
(for scope, time and cost)
5-7
CMMI
10. 11/6/13
6,7
Earned value management
11. 11/13/13 Project monitoring and control
(for change and quality)
5-10
CMMI
12. 11/20/13 Project monitoring and control
(for contracts and risks)
11,12
CMMI
13. 12/4/13
1-4, 9,13
Role of project manager
Project closing
14. 12/11/13 Test 2
Step 2
Review 3
Step 3