*This course is available in eTraining format. If you choose to take up this course in eTraining format, there is a 42-days window to complete the course.  

Today's IT projects present unique challenges to the project manager requiring coordination with many stakeholders and integration of various technological capabilities. In this comprehensive introductory course, you'll discover critical success factors and hidden risks inherent in IT projects - and you'll leave with an understanding of strategies and techniques developed in the field by experienced IT project managers for successfully managing IT projects.

"IT" means different things to different people. This course addresses all areas of IT project management: hardware, software, systems integration, communications and human resources. It addresses the role of the project manager and the project team at each phase of the project life cycle, helping you gain the foundation, basic experience, techniques and tools to manage each stage of your project. You'll learn techniques to determine customer requirements, set goals tied directly to stakeholder needs, get the most from your project management team, and utilize project management tools to get work done on time and within budget.

By extending traditional project management concepts into the IT arena, this course will help you gain an understanding of the strategies and skills necessary to manage IT projects of any size. You'll take home powerful tools to enhance your IT project management capabilities, as well as written text in your course binder explaining the concepts in each unit for reference when you return to the workplace. In addition, you'll receive Project Management Terms: A Working Glossary, second edition, by J. LeRoy Ward, PMP.

You'll learn IT project management skills through hands-on exercises, interactive case studies and relevant discussions with your peers and an experienced IT project management instructor.

This approach allows you to practice new skills and ask questions as you assimilate a broad array of practical experiences that can immediately be applied when you return to the workplace.

Learn how to:     

- Define the role of the IT project manager     

- Develop a results-driven project management team     

- Identify, interpret and manage the real project requirements     

- Develop a focused project plan to manage IT projects     

- Estimate IT project costs and schedules using proven techniques     

- Find solutions to problems specifically related to IT projects PMBOK® Guide knowledge areas:

• Project Integration Management
• Project Scope Management
• Project Quality Management
• Project Time Management
• Project Cost Management
• Project Risk Management
• Project Human Resource Management
• Project Communications Management

Professional Development Units (PDUs): 22.5

1. Overview of IT Project Management   

   a. Definition and characteristics of IT project management     

   b. Common reasons why IT projects fail    

   c. Critical factors for IT project success    

   d. The IT project life cycle and the activities of each life cycle phase     

   e. Project processes common to all projects

2. Concept Phase     

   a. Selecting and funding IT projects     

   b. Identifying key project stakeholders     

   c. The purpose and content of an IT business case     

   d. Preparing a project charter

3. Requirements Phase     

   a. Identifying and articulating customer requirements     

   b. Distinguishing between functional and technical requirements     

   c. Using different methods for gathering requirements     

   d. Developing a requirements traceability methodology

4. Planning Phase     

   a. Key components of the project plan and the planning process     

   b. Constructing a work breakdown structure showing all work components     

   c. Building a project schedule     

   d. Estimating duration, resources and costs     

   e. Risk management planning and risk response planning     

   f. Subsidiary management plans, including communications, procurement and quality

5. Design Phase     

   a. Major activities of the preliminary and detailed design activities     

   b. Typical contents of the technical specification document     

   c. Design techniques used in developing the technical solution     

   d. Make or buy decision methodology

6. Construction Phase     

   a. Developing a project team to build and deliver the product     

   b. Quality assurance activities, testing and audits     

   c. Assessing project performance     

   d. Developing and using a change request methodology     

   e. Developing risk response strategies

7. Delivery Phase     

   a. Key activities of the delivery phase     

   b. Four major product/system conversion strategies     

   c. Understanding the "go-live" transition responsibilities of the project manager     

   d. Developing scope verification and customer acceptance strategies