The Information Systems and Computing - Term Paper Example

Feasibility of providing a short course (1-4 weeks maximum) on project management leading to a professional qualification Introduction The report aims to undertake secondary and primary research and write a project report for the Information Systems and Computing (ISC) department of Brunel University. Further, the study would monitor and control the team’s progress through a project plan prepared in advance. The task for the team is to investigate and report to ISC on the feasibility of providing a short course (2-4 weeks maximum) on project management leading to a professional qualification. Some the issues that the feasibility report would address are: finding out the number of universities offering courses on project management systems, the duration of the study and the course fees; finding out whether there is a strong market for project management courses in the UK and whether the people who have undertaken such courses are able to further their career; detailing the resources required by ISC to handle this course, included details on staff training, teaching rooms, course timings etc.; giving details about the pre-requisites for the course i.e. the qualifications requirement for the students to enroll for the course; and finding out the suitable fee structure for the course. Integrated in this feasibility study is to the project progress report. In order to understand and measure the progress of the project, the team divided the work as per various activities and assigned timelines to them. Every activity is given a proposed timeline and then once the activity is undertaken the actual timeline is being drawn against it (Bentley and Whitten 2007). Also, the proposed and actual resources are allocated to measure the progress of the project. All this has been plotted through various Gantt charts. The progress report has been divided into three phases as per the presentation dates: February 4, 2010, February 18, 2010 and March 4, 2010. The team divided the work in various phases as per the presentation dates. Some of the major activities undertaken by the team are: Phase 1: February 4 Defining the scope of the study Setting business objectives Setting cost structure Preparing work schedule and team roles Understanding current market through secondary search Discussing findings Preparing presentation based on secondary search Phase 2: February 18 Creating primary research objectives and methodology Creating questioner Conducting interviews Collating data in a single format Analysing data Illustrating findings Preparing presentation based on primary interviews Phase 3: March 4 Selecting the project management system Preparing cost analysis Preparing course pre-requisites Preparing course framework Providing recommendations Preparing final presentation Phase 4: March 26 Incorporating any changes suggested by supervisor/team members Through understanding of the project Assigning project modules to team members Practicing modules as per sequence Giving mock presentation in front of the supervisor Progress report till February 4, 2010 In the first phase of undertaking this feasibility report, the team aimed to define the scope of the work, set the project objectives and goals, allocate the available resource, create a measurable work schedule, conduct secondary research on the topic and present the findings at the end of the first phase to the supervisor (Kandall 2003). The various activities proposed by the team during the first phase were: Defining the scope of the study: Even before starting any project, it is essential to define the scope of the progress. Therefore, without setting up the scope or objective of the project, it would not be possible for the project to succeed. (Frigenti and Comninos 2002). Setting up project goals and objectives: The team set up milestones for the projects including understanding the current trends in project management through secondary search, procuring primary data to understand the actual scenario and requirement, analysing the results, and giving recommendations (Kanawaty 1994). Setting up a cost structure: Cost calculation is an essential part of any project. For this research as well the team calculated the cost in terms of labour, research and overhead costs. (Kerzner 2006). Setting up the work schedule: In a feasibility study, it is very important to assign a deadline for completing the project. Thus, the team decided to plot the required activities in terms of days and hours and allocated specific amount of time for each activity (Lewis 2007). Assigning responsibilities to project team members: As feasibility reports are fairly comprehensive and require plenty of resources, the team decided to assign roles and responsibilities according to the skill sets of the person (Ambrosini and Bowman 2009). Risk analysis: The team also undertook a risk analysis process to understand how to handle unavoidable and unforeseen circumstances. It conducted a comprehensive analysis and offered various suggestions. Risk detail Level of risk (effect on the project) Solution Absence of a team member due to illness Medium In case the member is severely sick, work should be distributed among others If the member is suffering from mild illness, he or she can work from home on his allocated module Cancellation of meeting due to severe weather conditions High The team might try to conduct the meeting over conference call/webcams Cancellation of primary interview due to participant being busy or ill Low Team can replace the participant with another one or take the interview over phone Actual work completed during the first phase: During the first phase of the report, the team defined the scope of the study, i.e. to undertake a comprehensive secondary and primary research to find out the feasibility of providing a short course on project management that would lead to a professional qualification. The team also found that the project would require at least 70 hours per student to complete the project on time i.e. by March 4, 2010. The team created various goals and objectives for the entire report cycle during the second day of the first phase itself. This helped the team in understanding the magnitude of the project and analysing the work required from each team member. Further, the team also decided that they would complete the first milestone i.e. understanding the current trends in project management by conducting secondary search, in this phase. The team also estimated the cost required to undertake the project and allocated it as per the sanctioned budget. This included internet cost for secondary searches, transportation cost for conducting primary interviews, stationery cost etc. (Winter 2003). In this phase, the team also assigned specific deadlines for each activity. This helped in measuring the progress of the project effectively. The team created a detailed Gantt chart for each phase to measure the assumed and actual time taken for each activity. Following creation of a detailed work schedule as per the activities, the team divided these activities amongst themselves as per their skills. Secondary research on project management Further, the team also conducted a comprehensive secondary research on various project management courses offered by universities in the UK. The team studied six universities offering project management course to find out the course detail, the duration of the study and the course fees. It created a detailed analysis based on the above mentioned criteria and presented the analysis as a presentation to the supervisor. The major findings of the project were: Name of the University: Bristol Management Centre, Bristol University Course offered: Success in Project Management Duration: 1 week Fees: £1,635 The Bristol University provides a one-week comprehensive residential programme to equip managers to develop and lead on projects in any business scenario. The course also includes a module on PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner. The major focus areas of the course are developing evaluation skills, critical thinking, planning, financial and risk assessment. The module uses a mix of teaching technology which varies from using a comprehensive manual, theme focused lectures, tutorials and case study analysis. The course also requires preparation for 20 hours pre-module before undertaking the actual course. After the successful completion of the course, the candidates are awarded 12 Units of Credit towards the Level 5 or 7 Executive Management qualifications. Further, one the candidates pass relevant examinations, they are awarded with PRINCE2 Foundation or Practitioner certificates. Name of the University: Birkbeck, University of London Course offered: Project Management Duration: 5 days + 40 hours e-learning Fees: £1,500 Birkbeck has become the first institute in the UK to provide PRINCE2 professional accreditation. The course taught in association with ILX Group also provides options to student to not just learn PRINCE2 but also receive PRINCE2 accreditation. The course even includes 40 hours e-learning sessions undertaken by ILX. The innovative teaching blend of classroom sessions as well as e-learning modules help in developing the skill sets of the students in an efficient and cost effective manner. The institute also offers a comprehensive post-graduate course in project management known as Project Management for Informatics (PMI). Students who have successfully completed the basic project management course can also apply for PMI module. Name of the University: Coventry University Course offered: PRINCE2 Foundation/Practitioner Duration: 5 days Fees: £1,404.89 The PRINCE2 course offered by the university includes foundation as well as practitioner levels. It is a part of the postgraduate course in project management, but can also be taken as a standalone course. The university undertakes both the foundation and practitioner levels as a part of a single course. After the completion of the course and successfully passing the relevant examinations, the students receive a registered PRINCE2 Practitioner status. The university does not have any formal requirements for this course. Name of the University: Leeds Metropolitan University Course offered: PRINCE2 Duration: 5 days Fees: £1295 The Leeds Metropolitan University has a dedicated Centre for Project Management that aims to fulfill the requirement for Project Management training in the area. The centre provides a wide variety of programmes from undergraduate to postgraduate degrees and short courses. It also provides a 10-week intensive course in project management and a three-day long PM software training course. However, for this study, we considered the five-day long intensive course on PRINCE2. It is a regular course and also includes the examination to get Foundation and Practitioner certificates. Name of the University: Cranfield University Course offered: Intermediate Project Management Course (IPMC) Duration: 5 days Fees: £1,500 The five-day long regular course provides basic knowledge about project management and covers various topics related to the subject line. The aim of the course is to provide knowledge on how to handle small projects and how to become an effective team leader or project lead. It only dwells upon the basics of project management and does not include any specialised courses such as PRINCE2. Name of the University: University of Essex Courses offered: Introduction to Project Management/ Mastering Project Management Duration: 3 days Fees: £495 The university offers two comprehensive three-day full-time courses on project management. While the first provides an overview on project management, the second course dwells upon the concept of project management in detail. Both the courses consist of group discussions, case study analyses, presentations, practical exercises and coursework. Although, participants completing the course are awarded with credits, they are not given any specialised training on PRINCE2 or other such project management systems. Courses: A comparative chart University Name Course duration Fees Pros Cons Bristol Management Centre, Bristol University 1 week £1,635 A comprehensive residential course Includes module on PRINCE2 Awards Foundation & Practitioner certificates Requires completion of 20 hours pre-module Residential course might be difficult for full-time employees to attend Fee is higher than other universities Birkbeck, University of London 5 days + 40 hours e-learning £1,500 First institute to provide PRINCE2 professional accreditation in UK Course includes 40 hours e-learning sessions by ILX E-learning along with classroom course might be taxing for full-time employees Coventry University 5 days £1,404.89 Participants can also take postgraduate course Does not have any formal requirements Does not offer separate courses for Foundation & Practitioner levels Cranfield University 5 days £1,500 Good for senior executives planning to upgrade their management skills Helps in handling small projects Does not offer any specialised course, only provide project management basics Course fee is on the higher end No suited for high ranked executives University of Essex 3 days £495 Very economical Intensive course on project management Does not offer any specialised course Leeds Metropolitan University 5 days £1295 Provides an intensive course on project management & PRINCE2 Includes examination to get Foundation & Practitioner certificates Course fee comparatively lesser than other universities Five-day regular course might be a little difficult to attend for regular employees. However, the university has flexible 3-day and 10-week courses as well Also, read Appendix I for detailed project progress report for Phase I. Progress report till February 18, 2010 After the completion of the first phase, the team members were well aware about the various project management courses in the market through their secondary search. However, it was also important to understand the actual scenario. In order to find out whether there is an actual demand of such courses or not in the market, the team decided to undertake a primary research on the topic (Hoffer et al 2002). With secondary data, the team was able to establish the hypothesis that project management courses are rampant in the market. However, there wasn’t any detailed analysis on the efficacy of such courses and there was a lack of data on how people used these courses to further their career. This part was essential for this feasibility study as without knowing the efficacy of the courses for the students, the team would not have been able to create a strong case (Schultheis and Summer 1999). Thus, the team undertook comprehensive primary interviews in order to find out whether there is a strong market for such qualifications, what are the industries or sectors that have shown preference for such qualifications etc. For the second phase of the study, the team first of all created detailed scope, objectives and methodology for undertaking the primary research. Thereafter, they developed a comprehensive questioner, conducted interviews within the targeted group, collated the data in a single format and analysed the data to present the findings in a presentation. Actual work completed during the second phase: The team set the objective of the primary interview i.e. to find out whether there is a strong market for project management courses in the UK and whether the people who have undertaken such courses are able to further their career. After creating the scope of the project, the team developed a comprehensive questioner, which is given below: Name, Designation, Career level, Industry Name of the project management course undertaken? Duration of the course: Within a week Between 1-2 weeks More than 2 weeks Course fee: Less than £1000 Between £1000 to £2000 More than £2000 Was the course self funded or company funded Self funded Company funded Were you given leaves from the company to complete the course? Yes No, if no, how did you manage to complete the course Were you given added responsibilities in your company after the completion of the course? Yes, if yes, what kind of responsibilities No Do you think this course would help you in getting promotion? Yes No, if no, why? Is there a demand for this course within your industry? Yes No Would you recommend others in your industry to undertake this course? Also, which project management system do you find most relevant for today’s business world? Yes No, if no, why? Once, the questioner was built, around 30 professionals who have undertaken various project management courses were queried. Thereafter, their answers were collated together to analyse them in a better manner. Some of the key analyses that came out from the primary interviews are as follow: Many felt that the companies they work for want their employees to undertake various project management courses to sharpen their skills Some of the respondents did the courses through company funding Almost every respondent said that they undertook the course to further their career. However, most were not too sure if the course can help them in getting promotions Nonetheless, there was a universal acceptance of the fact that the project management course made them better managers Further, most agreed that PRINCE2 was the best project management system and a course in PRINCE2 definitely helps in advancing the career of a person These findings were then compiled in a presentation, which was then presented in front of the supervisor. Also, read Appendix II for detailed project progress report for Phase II. Progress report till March 26, 2010 Once the primary interviews were conducted and the data analysed, the team was left with the biggest task of the feasibility report i.e. to create the actual report to be presented to the Information Systems and Computing (ISC) department of Brunel University. For this final phase, the first and the foremost activity that the team undertook was to brainstorm and zero in on a project management course that would provide maximum visibility and profitability for the University. Thereafter, the team prepared detailed pre-requisites for the course and conducted a cost analysis for the course. Based on the results of these two parameters, a detailed course framework was prepared (Alter 2003). However, the team felt that the course should also provide customisation and flexibility to the students and therefore suggested various recommendations. Subsequently, the final presentation was prepared and presented to the supervisor before submitting it to the board. Actual work completed during the third phase: As per the results of the primary interviews and secondary research, the team decided to create a course framework for PRINCE2 project management system. It was found that the project management courses offered by most universities also included a module on PRINCE2 due to its growing popularity (Nokes 2007). Further, courses offering only project management were mostly providing credits to the students, whereas, PRINCE2 courses mostly gave the option of giving Foundation & Practitioner certifications. Further, research found that around 25,000 people undertook PRINCE2 accreditation in 2009 and it is predicted that more than 700 people would go for PRINCE2 course every week in 2010. Thus, there is a huge demand for good accredited courses to teach PRINCE2 (Augier and Teece 2009). Also, the secondary search suggested that PRINCE2 is the most widely adopted project management system in the UK as well as globally. It has been found that a PRINCE2 qualification helps in improving the job prospects of the learner as well as boosting his or her confidence and skills while undertaking projects. In fact, most private and public sector companies have made PRINCE2 mandatory and hire people qualified with PRINCE2 certifications (Lock 2007). Traditionally, PRINCE2 was used in Information Technology (IT) industry. However, these days, the project management system is being used in engineering, construction, telecom and finance sectors as well (Molen 2006). Most of the companies worldwide recognise the PRINCE2 method. Therefore, people with certification from UK in PRINCE2 can also seek work in the international market (Thomsett 2009). This certification has also been adopted in other countries, especially in Australia and Western Europe. Further, variants of project management courses are in demand in the US as well (Managing successful projects with PRINCE2 2005). Once PRINCE2 was selected for the report, a detailed cost analysis for the course fee was undertaken. The various fee structure of other universities was studied and also the costs that the respondents gave to study PRINCE2. It was found that £1200 was an ideal fee for course duration of 10 days. Further, a detailed course framework was also made. The detailed framework Course name: Certificate in PRINCE2 Course description: PRINCE2 provides a planned approach towards project management. This methodology manages projects inside a clearly defined structure. This certification course aims to offer students with a through understanding of the theories and prepare the students to undertake the PRINCE2 Foundation certification exam. Pre-requisites: Does not need any formal entry requirements Course structure: PRINCE2 Overview Starting the project Planning the Project Executing the Project Closing the Project Taking the Foundation Exam Course fee: £1200 Course duration: 10 days/part time course However, while making the framework, the team felt that the course should be flexible enough to accommodate students from all walks of life. Therefore, the team made the following recommendations: Staff training: ISC should provide training to the staff members on how to teach and handle international students as a number of foreign students have shown willingness to learn this course. Teaching room: In order to provide real time experience in handling the software, ISC needs to provide teaching rooms equipped with computer terminals and a big projector, so that the students can conduct practical courses in the class itself. Course timings: The course should be a combination of online and part-time module. The timing should be post-office hours so that the students need to take any leaves from their offices. Further, the students should be given the option to submit their assignments online. Course pre-requisite: The course did not specify any pre-requisites as the team believed that it would constraint participants from attending the course. Also, read Appendix III for detailed project progress report for Phase III. References: Alter, S., 2002, ‘Information Systems’, 4th Edition, Pearson Education, pp.481 Ambrosini, V. and Bowman, C., 2009, ‘What are dynamic capabilities and are they a useful construct in strategic management?’ International Journal of Management Reviews, pp. 29-49. Augier, M. & Teece, D.J., 2009, ‘Dynamic capabilities and the role of managers in business strategy and economic performance,’ Organization Science, pp. 410-421. Bentley, L and Whitten, J, 2007, ‘System Analysis & Design for the Global Enterprise’, 7th ed., pp. 417. Frigenti, Enzo and Comninos, Dennis, 2002, ‘The practice of project management: a guide to the business-focused approach’‎, Kogan, pp. 9-36. Hoffer, J.A., George J.F. and Valacich, J.S., 2002, ‘Modern Systems Analysis and Design’, Pearson Education, pp.168 to 181. Kanawaty, George, 1994, ‘Introduction to work study’‎, International Labour Office, p. 224. Kandall, J. E., 2003, ‘Systems Analysis and Design’, 5th Edition, Pearson Education, pp.55-63. Kerzner, Harold, 2006, ‘Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling’,‎ 9th edition, Wiley, pp. 2-7. Lewis, James P., 2007, ‘Mastering Project Management: Applying Advanced Concepts to Systems Thinking,’ McGraw Hill, pp. 21-39. Lock, Dennis, 2007, ‘Project management‎’, pp. 187. Managing successful projects with PRINCE2‎, 4th edition, 2005, Great Britain. Office of Government Commerce. Molen, Michiel van der, 2006, ‘PRINCE2 for the project executive’‎, pp.15-23. Nokes, Sebastian 2007, ‘The Definitive Guide to Project Management,’ 2nd Ed. London, Financial Times / Prentice Hall. Schultheis, R. and Summer, Mary, 1999, ‘Management Information Systems’, Tata McGraw Hill, pp. 544-545. Thomsett, Michael C., 2009, ‘The Little Black Book of Project Management’‎, Amacom, pp. 121. Winter, S.G., 2003, ‘Understanding dynamic capabilities,’ Strategic Management Journal, pp. 991-995. Read More