IT Project Management Capacity Building Course

Invitation to IT Project Management Capacity Building Course: APractical and Effective Approach to Managing IT Projects, 1-3 October 2008, eDevelopment House, Nairobi

As organisations seek to operate effectively and efficiently in acomplex and fast-moving world, there is an increasing trend towardsproject-oriented work practices. Project management is a fast-growingdiscipline that is widely used in the IT industry. The net effect is agrowing need for individuals to assume responsibility for projectdelivery on time, within budget, meeting the desired level of quality. Significant organisational resources are involved in project work(once off activities), either directly or in a supportive role. However, those managing these resources often have no formal trainingin the basic techniques that can make the difference between asuccessful project and an expensive failure. IT projects, oftencutting across different business disciplines, represents asignificant business challenge. These projects, notorious for beingover budget and time and not delivering what the business needs, canalso benefit from being managed in a more disciplined manner by usingthe tools and techniques associated with project management.This course has been designed specifically for individuals andorganisations using project management to deliver IT initiatives andwill equip project managers, owners and key resources on IT projectswith the knowledge required to successfully complete IT-intrinsicprojects.

Course Objective

For IT project managers being fully trained in the tools and techniques of the trade is not an optional extra; it is the entrancedoor into the profession.The aim of the course is to equip participants with a basictheoretical knowledge of project management as a discipline, as wellas to illustrate the practical application of this knowledge.Participants will become familiar with tools to assist inestablishing, resourcing, controlling and monitoring projects, andwill develop an appreciation for the interrelationships betweenefficient and effective project management, people management, and successful project outcomes. All aspects of IT systems development and implementation are covered,including bespoke software development and the roll-out of majorenterprise systems (e.g. ERP, CRM or SCM). Although the program doesnot present a specific methodology (e.g. PRINCE2, Rapid or Agile) itcovers all the key subject areas of IT project management. Theimportance of people and processes to support the technology deployedis a central focus point of the course.

Audience

This course is aimed at all resources intimately involved in majorbusiness projects with a strong IT component. All levels of projectmanagers, as well as those line managers within an organisation thatneed to develop an appreciation for the role of project management,will benefit from this course. Senior managers wishing to introduce aproject based approach to their IT department will also find thecourse highly beneficial, as will IT staff that have acquired theirproject skills “on the job” and have never had any formal projectmanagement training.

Format

The course is led by an instructor, with interactive case studies andexercises to enable participants to apply techniques in the classroomenvironment. Participation by students is encouraged. Ample provisionis made for relevant discussions within the course.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course the participant will be able to:

Define and describe the discipline of project management.
Understand the generic IT project life cycle and thedeliverables within this life cycle
Understand the current generic methodologies and standards(PMI / PRINCE2 / APM) used in the project industry, including itsbenefits and limitations.
Understand the role of the charter and the statement of workfor IT projects. a.. Identify the many factors involved with developing systems(human and automated) and balance these factors to protect the projectteam from outside distractions.
Appreciate the role of task definition and management andcomprehend the impact of prerequisites on project tasks. a.. Understand the importance of people management in projectmanagement success.
Communicate effectively in a project team and understand howeach team member’s effective communication contributes to the abilityof the project manager to effectively plan and control the project.
Partake in a formal risk and issue management process and beable to identify project risks and issues for IT projects.
Compile a project status report.

Course Assessment

In the final session of the course students will be assessed by usingexamples of practical project related challenges. Students will bepresented with project problems ranging from simple to relativecomplex and will be required to present their recommended solutions.PresenterIt is from this background that African eDevelopment Resource Centeris hosting a three-day (1-3 October 2008) IT Project ManagementCapacity Building Course: A Practical and Effective Approach toManaging IT Projects. The Course Faculty will be conducted by MartinButler, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch BusinessSchool. Martin holds an MBA (Cum Laude) with specialization in projectmanagement and is currently pursuing his PHD in this area. At theUniversity he has developed Courses and Lectured on: InformationSystems Management on MBA program, Innovation and Technology forUSB-Ed’s EDP, Management Information Strategies for USB-Ed’s SMP andStudy guidance for Master’s students. Prior to joining the Universityhe was involved in a host Enterprise Systems Implementation Projectsfor over 8 years as a Project Manager and Regional Manager.The registration fee for the workshop is US$ 750 / Ksh 50,000 +16 %VAT which will cover all the documentation, administration and mealsduring the workshop. To participate in this workshop, please fill outthe attached registration form and return it to the email or faxindicated. Due to the nature of the course we have a limited number ofspaces available and will be allocated on a first-come-first-servedbasis.Please find attached the Course Outline, the Registration Form and theTrainer’s CV.

Thanking you for your continuous support.

Regards

Steve Njenga

African eDevelopment Resource Centre

eDevelopment House, 604 Limuru Rd.Old Muthaiga, Nairobi.PO Box 49475 00100Nairobi, KenyaCel +254 721 749 239Land +254 20 3741646, 3741647

Mail: [email protected]