Lead Global Digital Projects

Course introduction (day 1)

Class Discussion (day 2 & 3)
– Biafore Introduction
– Biafore Chapter 1
– Biafore Chapter 2

Videos (day 2 & 3) – Project Management Foundations
– Introduction
– Getting to Know Project Management
– Exploring Project Management Knowledge Areas

Web Research (day 2 & 3)
– What percentage of IT projects are successful?
– What are some of the most important attributes of a successful project manager?
– What is the triple constraint?
– Who is the PMI, what is a PMP and what is PMBOK?
– What is an “alpha” project manager?
– What is a “kick-off meeting” for a project?

Studio (day 1)
– Read Biafore Chapters 3, and 4.  Come to class prepared to work your way through the creation of the project plan outlined in the textbook.

Class Discussion (day 2)
– Biafore Chapter 6

Videos (day 2)– Project Management Foundations
– First Things First
– Developing a Project Plan

Web Research (day 2)
– What is the “project scope”?
– What is “scope creep”?
– What is “change control”?
– What is a “deliverable”?
– What is “project scope management”?
– What is “scope verification”?

Change Leadership (day 3)
– After reading the introduction chapter, The Heart of Change, come to class prepared to compare and contrast the difference in the techniques and the relative strengths/weaknesses of See-Feel-Change vs. Analysis-Think-Change.
– Come to class prepared to discuss at a very high level the eight steps of successful large-scale change.

Class Discussion (day 1)
– Biafore Chapter 7

Change Leadership (day 2)
Kotter – Chapter 1 : Increase Urgency
– Getting the Boss’ Approval
– The Videotape of the Angry Customer
– When Alligators are Nipping at Your Heels
– Gloves on the Boardroom Table
– The CEO Portrait Gallery

• Prepare a brief PowerPoint presentation (2-5 slides) for your 3 favorite short stories. The first slide will “tell the story”. The following slide(s) will include key lessons learned the reader should take away from the case and how it relates to your current project.
• Students will be selected at random to lead the class discussion on one of these short stories and will use this slide deck to add structure to their discussion.

Studio (day 3) : Project & Team Introduction
– Project Documents: We will review the documents that your team needs to begin creating for your final project

– Bring to class a first draft of the problem statement

Class Discussion (day 1)
– Biafore Chapter 5

Videos (day 1)- Project Management Foundations
– Building a Project Schedule
– While You Run the Project

Web Research (day 1)
– What is “sequencing activities”?
– What are “dependencies” between activities?
– What is “critical path analysis”?
– What is a “project milestone”?
– What is a “buffer”?
– What is “Murphy’s Law”?
– What is “Parkinson’s Law”?
– What is “critical chain scheduling”?

Studio (day 2)
– Bring the first draft of your project charter

(this week work with your BA on the scope document)

Change Leadership (day 3)
Kotter – Chapter 2 : Build the Guiding Team
– The Blues versus the Greens
– The New and More Diverse Team
– General Mollo and I were Floating in the Water
– Meetings Down Under

Studio (day 1)
– Bring the first draft of your communication plan and a list of your stakeholders

(this week work with your BA on the scope document)

Class Discussion (day 2)
– Review for Exam

First Assignment due : Building a budget by end of day February 15 (day 2)

Exam 1 (day 3) : February 18, week 1-5 material

Video (day 1)– Project Management Foundations
– Working with Teams

Class Discussion (day 1)
– Biafore Chapter 8

Web Research (day 1)
– What is the difference between “intrinsic” and “extrinsic” motivation?
– What is Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs?
– What are Herzberg’s “hygiene factors” and “motivators”?
– What does it mean to be an “empathetic listener”?
– What is the “Tuckman model of team development”?  What are the phases teams go through?
– What is “over allocation”?

Studio (day 2)
– Finalize your scope document & bring your first draft of the risk management plan (what are your risks?), quality management plan and change management plan to class.

Change Leadership: (day 3)
Kotter – Chapter 3 : Get the Vision Right
– Painting Pictures of the Future
– Cost Versus Service
– The Plane Will Not Move!
– The Body in the Living Room

First weekly Progress due by EOD 2/24

Scope document due by EOD 2/25

No class on 2/27 & March 1

Spring Break March 4-8

Change Leadership
– Kotter – Chapter 4 : Communicate for Buy-In
– Preparing for Q&A
– My Portal
– Nuking the Executive Floor
– The Screen Saver

Class Discussion (day 1 & 2)
– Biafore Chapter 9
– Biafore Chapter 10

Web Research (day 1 & 2)
– What is “effort-driven” scheduling?
– What is a “cost” and how is it typically measured?
– What is the difference between “capital” and “expense”?  Can I convert one to another?
– What are “tangible costs/benefits” vs. “intangible costs/benefits”?
– What is “procurement”?
– What is “outsourcing”?  Why do people do it?  What are the pros/cons?
– What is a “contract”?
– What is an “SLA”?
– What is the difference between a fixed price contract and a time and materials contract?
– What is a “statement of work” (SOW)?
– What is an RFP?
– What is an RFQ?

Studio (day 3)
– Come to class with your stakeholders register, an org chart of your team and a draft RACI chart showing roles and responsibilities.

Some teams will be asked to present their material.

3/20,  3/22,  3/25

Studio (day 1)
– Bring your draft WBS

Class Discussion (day 2, 3)
– Biafore Chapter 11
– Biafore Chapter 12
– Biafore Chapter 13
– Biafore Chapter 14

Studio (day 1)
Come to class prepared to present and discuss the following :

• Your final WBS
• Your draft budget

Change Leadership (day 2) & Review Exam 2
Kotter – Chapter 5 : Empower Action
– Retooling the Boss
– The Worldwide Competition
– I Survived, So You Can To-
– Making Movies on the Factory Floor
– Harold and Lidia
and Review for Exam #2

Exam #2 (day 3) : April 1, week 6-10 material

Class Discussion (day 1)
– Agile Methodology. No assigned reading, just web research

Web Research (day 1):

• What is the agile methodology?
• What is SCRUM?
• What are the SCRUM benefits to the organization?
• What are Agile Events?
• What is a Sprint?
• What is a Sprint Planning Session (SPS)?
• What is a stand up meeting?
• What is a user story?
• What is an epic?
• What is a “spike”?

Change Leadership (day 2)

Kotter – Chapter 6 : Create Short-Term Wins
– The List on the Bulletin Boards
– Creating the New Navy
– The Senator Owned a Trucking Company
– Hoopla

Class Discussion (day 3)
– Quality and Risk Management.  No assigned reading, just web research.

Web Research (day 3)
– What is “project quality management”?
– What is the purpose of and who performs the following type of testing:
– Unit testing
– Integration testing
– System testing
– User acceptance testing
– What is “project risk management”?
– What are “known risks” vs. “unknown risks”?
– What are “contingencies”, “fallback plans”, and “contingency reserves”?
– Where are most of the risks associated with IT projects?
– What is a “risk register” and what does it contain?
– What is “qualitative risk assessment”?
– What is “quantitative risk assessment”?
– What are the four major risk response strategies?

Studio (day 1)
– Come to class with a revised risk management plan and quality management plan.

Class Discussion (day 2)
– Biafore Chapter 15
– Biafore Chapter 16

Videos (day 2)- Project Management Foundations
– Monitoring and Controlling Progress and Performance

Web Research (day 2)
– Is conflict within your project a good thing or a bad thing?
– What are the pros/cons of the following 5 conflict handling modes:
   1 – Compromise
   2 – Smoothing
   3 – Forcing
   4 – Withdrawal
   5- Collaboration
– What is a “stakeholder”?
– What is a “stakeholder register”?
– What is a “stakeholder management strategy”?
– What is a “communications management plan” and what would you expect to find in it?
– What are some of the different methods of communicating the status of a project?  Are some better/worse than others?

Change Leadership (day 3)

Kotter – Chapter 7 : Don’t Let Up
– PE Ratios
– The Merchant of Fear
– Reducing Twenty-Five Pages to Two
– The Street

Studio (day 1)
– Assignment #3 presentations

Class Discussion (day 2)
– Biafore Chapter 17

Video (day 2)– Project Management Foundations
– Closing a Project
– Conclusion

Change Leadership (day 3)

Kotter – Chapter 8 : Make Change Stick
– The Boss Went to Switzerland
– The Path to the Patient
– Promoting the Thirty-Something
– The Home Mortgage

Studio (day 1)
– Final project work session / all documents (bring your team binder).

– Review for exam #3

Class Discussion (day 2)
– Class cancelled on Friday April  26

Exam #3 and Hand In Project (day 3) : April 29