Course Title: Support small scale IT projects

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2015

Course Code: BUSM7885C

Course Title: Support small scale IT projects

School: 155T Vocational Health and Sciences

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4299 - Certificate IV in Information Technology Networking

Course Contact: Geoff Moss

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4852

Course Contact Email: geoff.moss@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 60

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

There are no pre-requisites for this course.

Course Description

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to support the management of low risk, straightforward information technology (IT) projects within an organisation.

This unit applies to information and communications technology (ICT) practitioners who need to support the initiation, implementation and completion of small-scale IT projects. The projects can range across a wide range of ICT related financial, management and business areas. The provision of support within these projects is a key component of ICT environments.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

ICAPMG401A Support small scale IT projects

Element:

1. Support project commencement

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Confirm business opportunity to ensure the project objectives are understood
1.2 Identify stakeholders and gather requirements
1.3 Prepare a project charter or project proposal and obtain agreement from project sponsor

Element:

2. Support project plan development

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Break down the requirements to identify tasks and resources needed to complete the project plan
2.2 Compile a schedule of project tasks, including realistic timeframes and costs if required
2.3 Allocate task responsibilities to project team members
2.4 Agree on a process with the sponsor to manage risks or unexpected events that may arise and affect project objectives or expectations

Element:

3. Support project completion

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Work with project team to ensure project activities meet timeframe, scope, cost and quality expectations
3.2 Monitor and control project risks and issues according to the agreed process
3.3 Verify that project deliverables meet project expectations and sign off as complete
3.4 Train users if applicable

Element:

4. Support project closure

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Prepare IT support or maintenance documents if applicable
4.2 Obtain final project sign-off from sponsor and key stakeholders
4.3 Document lessons learned and close the project


Learning Outcomes


Activities in this course aim to develop your communication skills in negotiating with clients and stakeholders and to introduce you to project management skills and tasks. You will work as part of a team to ascertain the needs and expectations of a client in developing a project. In designing the project you will be required to identify the tasks and resources needed to complete the project and develop a project plan that will involve a costings plan and a project management tool – a Gannt chart. You will then implement this project plan to complete the project.

The Internet will be used as a learning tool and a resource for students to seek and locate relevant information.

Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

  • Identify stakeholders within an organisation
  • cope the task
  • Set project objectives
  • Provide cost estimates
  • Develop a budget within a task prescription
  • Understand milestones and predecessors
  • Undertake resource management
  • Develop a schedule or timeline
  • Develop a work breakdown structure (WBS)
  • Develop a simple Gannt chart
  • Relate work in this course to the work in other courses within the cluster.


Details of Learning Activities

Activities in this course are aimed at enhancing student understanding and knowledge of the concepts of simple project management and its application in the workplace and the IT profession.
You will work through an Integrated Project - Airport which will involve other courses in the Certificate IV Information Technology Networking program. For the project you will be presented with a networking business problem where you and YOUR colleagues, in a group, will be required to ascertain the requirements of the business clients from a business case study and through gathering relevant information about the problem presented to you. You will be required to develop a network according to the specification set out in the Integrated Project and task requirements specified in class and on Learning Hub / Blackboard. There will be a range of class activities and exercises which you will be required to complete for each of the courses in the Integrated Project - Airport.
 

For this course you will be required to:

  • Develop a Business Case (Project Proposal) for the problem where you will ascertain and clarify the project’s objectives and the stakeholders.
  • Scope the Project gather information from a client and various sources to scope the integrated project
  • Create a Work Breakdown structure (WBS) and then develop a Gantt Chart for the integrated project
  • Create an Invoice
  • Maintain a Risks Analysis
  • Produce a Report which will include a Project Tender and Security report


As part of this course you will also complete the following short online courses from the website Lynda.com:

  • Project Management Fundamentals, and
  •  Writing Business Reports.

On completion of this short course you will receive a certificate, a copy of which you will be required to submit.
You should retain a copy of the certificate for your Resume or CV.
The Internet and YouTube videos will be used as a learning tool and a resource for students to seek and locate relevant information.
Learning activities may be modified during the semester to meet the needs of students in the current program and, in the case of trainees, the needs of their workplace.
 

Activities will include:

  • Classroom discussion
  • Classroom activities and Activity Tasks
  • Case Studies
  • Internet research


Teaching Schedule

Teaching Schedule - ICAPMG401A - Support small scale IT projects

 

Weeks Topics Software / Reading Practical Tasks Assessment
1 Introduction to topic.
Overview of course
Introduction to Integrated Project - Airport
Integrated Project - Airport    
2 Basic project management concepts and terms Lynda.com - Project Management Fundamentals Lynda.com - Project Management Fundamentals  
3 Fundamentals of Project Management Lynda.com - Project Management Fundamentals Lynda.com - Project Management Fundamentals Lynda.com - Project Management Fundamentals
Integrated Project - Airport - Analysis
Integrated Project - Airport - Objectives
4 Fundamentals of Project Management Lynda.com - Writing Business Reports Lynda.com - Writing Business Reports  
5 Fundamentals of Project Management Lynda.com - Writing Business Reports Lynda.com - Writing Business Reports Lynda.com - Writing Business Reports
Integrated Project - Airport - Assets list and costings
6 Excel spreadsheets - introduction, functions
Costings; Invoice
Excel; class and Blackboard notes Excel exercises
Costings sheet; Invoice
 
7 Developing Invoices for business using Excel Excel; class and Blackboard notes Invoices Integrated Project - Airport - Invoice
8 Project Introduction Business Case document   Integrated Project - Airport - Business Case
9 Scoping the project Scope Statement document Scoping document Integrated Project - Airport - Project scoping document
10 Work Breakdown Structure Excel; class and Blackboard notes WBS document Work Breakdown Structure
11 Gantt Chart Excel Gantt Charts  
12 Gantt Chart Excel Gantt Charts Gantt Chart
13   class and Blackboard notes    
14 Risk Analysis
Report Writing
Excel; class and Blackboard notes Risk Analysis document Risk Analysis document

 

Weekly program shown above does not necessarily relate to consecutive weeks.
Delivery of program will also depend on delivery of other courses in the Integrated Project. In 2015. The Integrated Project- Airport will commence in late in Semester 1 and its delivery will continue until the end of semester 2. Structural timetable differences occur due to administrative issues.
The course will be delivered in relation to student needs and, in the case of trainees, practices in their workplace.
 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

All relevant materials will be on Blackboard.

Lynda.com short courses:

  • Project Management Fundamentals, and
  • Writing Business Reports.

PowerPoint presentations on Learning Hub

Other:

  • Internet
  • Case studies
  • Newspaper and Internet news extracts


Overview of Assessment

The competency based Assessment will consist of a range of class activities and the completion of an Integrated Project where you will be a member of a team. The integrated tasks will be assessed within a cluster of courses as well as being assessed individually for this course.

The assessment will involve both in-class and group-based elements. It will also involve observation of your understanding, knowledge and practice of the elements in both the theoretical and practical environment.

You must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of a particular competency to be deemed competent. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks.

You are advised that you are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate your assessment work to your teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met. 


Assessment Tasks

Individually, you will complete two Lynda.com courses as specified in course information on Blackboard.

  • Project Management Fundamentals, and
  • Writing Business Reports.

As a member of a team you will produce the following:

  1. Project Proposal / Business Case
  2. Scope document
  3. Work Breakdown Structure
  4. Draft Gantt Chart
  5. Costings and Invoice
  6. Risk Analysis
  7. Report: Final Draft and Proposal documents; Security report
  8. Evaluation and Close documentation

There will also be a range of Practical class activities.


Assessment Matrix

Assessment Matrix

 

Element Integrated Project Prac Tasks Lynda.com
1.1 x    
1.2 x x  
1.3 x    
2.1 x x x
2.2 x    
2.3 x x  
2.4 x    
3.1 x    
3.2 x x x
3.3 x x  
3.4 NA    
4.1 x x  
4.2 x    
4.3 x x  

Other Information

Access to an internet connected computer outside of class times - Internet connected computers are available in the School of Vocational Health and Sciences labs on levels 4, 6 or 8 of building 51, 81 Victoria Street, Melbourne.
Further lab access can be found in the student lab on level 3 (ground floor) of Building 8, in Swanston Street, Melbourne; as well as RMIT Libraries.

Plagiarism
RMIT has a strict policy on plagiarism. Please refer to the RMIT website for more information on this policy. http://www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=sg4yfqzod48g1

Late work
Late work that is submitted without an application for an extension will not be corrected.

Extension of Time for submission of assessable work
A student may apply for an extension of up to 7 days from the original date. They must lodge the application form (available on the web:http://www1.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment/extension) at least the day before the due date. The application is lodged with the School Admin Office on Level 6, Building 51. Students requiring longer extensions must apply for Special consideration.

Special consideration Policy (Late Submission)
Students requiring longer extensions must apply for Special consideration. Form available online at: http://www1.rmit.edu.au/students/specialconsideration/online.
For missed assessments such as exams and tests, you (and your doctor, if you are ill) must fill out a special consideration form. This form must be lodged at the HUB or online with supporting evidence (e.g. medical certificate) prior to, or within 48 hours of the scheduled time of the exam or test.

If you miss an assessment task due to unavoidable circumstances you need to follow the procedure of special consideration and apply within the allowed time frame.

If you have any questions about this assessment process, feel free to email me on:
geoff.moss@rmit.edu.au

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