ITEC 640 Information Technology Project Management 640Ses11FinalExamNov 27_2016.doc SESSION 11 Final Exam (post your exam by COB Sunday, Nov 27) This is an essay exam limited to six pages max, space and a half (that is new) with proper APA margins. Use a good font, too, please. To answer this exam you may need to use charts or indented sections with basic points or \"bullets\" identified. Note that the exam is 100 points. References are not required. Note the Course Objectives below. (These are objectives, not test questions). Identify major principles in IT Program/Project Management and the need for dynamic detail planning for 21st Century marketplace, differentiating IT Project Management from classical program management. Develop advanced job descriptions/requirements, and statement-of-work with detailed change management procedures for IT environment. Master the fundamental principles of Information Management into multiple projects to deliver a successful program and strategic direction for an organization. Develop an integrated project plan to include project goals and objectives, statement of work, work breakdown structure, project activity network diagram, project schedule and milestones, project budget, and cost-time performance tracking measures. Demonstrate the effect of IT life-cycle in industry and the need for efficient processes, organizational structure and implementation tasks. Use project management software to effectively plan, execute and track all types of projects. Examine the organizational and behavioral aspects of Information Management and develop "soft skills" to effectively lead, manage, communicate, and resolve conflicts. Examine the obsolescence factor in design and implementation programs of IT, addressing procurement issues. Some of the above have been asked in the Mid Term exam. Other aspects of the above was addressed in your individual paper and may be in your Team paper. You are now placed into a scenario or role playing mode. You are nearing the completion of your MS degree, are working for a mid sized Aerospace firm (or government office) and are walking down the hall of your office building. Catching up to you is the recently appointed Vice President of Information Technology/Research and Development. The VP says \"Hi, (your first name), how's that degree coming?\" Some pleasantries are exchanged then the VP hits you with, \"Our plans indicate we finally should be moving to IPv6 and starting to use VoIP. While I think we have the technical expertise to slowly implement these, I'm concerned about the planning and getting ready for these technology challenges. We may need a full up Project Management Office to supervise this, right? Plus, what about project closeout when we are all done? What have you learned in your classes that might help us on this?\" You respond by saying that you have learned a lot about planning, processes, procedures, risk assessment, scheduling, and the activities of closeout. You have learned that writing a simple plan is not usually sufficient to handle IT insertions that can have far reaching effects on the organization and/or parts of the organization. The VP nods affirmatively at your hallway conversation then says, \"Why don't you put together a point paper on the things I need to consider as we get ready to make these changes.\" You know what the VP really means. Put together a four to six page paper plus two to four charts to show that you know how to analyze and manage one or both of the projects mentioned. Do a good job on this 20 minute presentation, handle the follow on questions well, get back to the VP later with a multi hour planning session and the job is yours. Then you get to plan and fight for the budget, schedule, personnel and performance objectives. This is your opportunity to step up to the next level. Capture the job, be successful, then move on to bigger projects or take that cushy Department Head job at Pt. Magu, California, and enjoy the beach with your family. But first, capture the job with the initial 20 minute task. The task: prepare a four page (min) to six page (max) paper, with up to four charts (one minimum), to explain how you would plan for and manage a technological insertion into your organization. Use as a guide the course objectives above, as appropriate. Not all eight are needed. Make your \"exam technology\" generic and do not focus on IPv6 or VoIP. (Please read that sentence again. You do not have to use the provided technology topics). This can be concepted as a verbal flow chart or a step wise series of tasks as noted in the readings (or a used text and as supported with the PMBOK, if you bought one). You know that the VP, for this initial session, is not interested in a two hour tutorial of everything you know and have learned in this class or similar classes. (For the purposes of this exam, it will be better for you to focus on this IT PM class). Put your name on the exam. Put a date on it. Post it in the Assignments. If you look at the course objectives above, you'll note that the seemingly one question task of this exam is in reality a loosely structured exam with at least five major attributes to be addressed. Or is that six or seven or four? This exam is \"sized\" to be taken in class in about 2.5 hours. You have the advantage of it being a take home for you, and a week to boot. Do not make the mistake of overworking it, unless you have not kept up with the readings. Let me repeat that many years ago, a student proudly noted he had spent over 13 hours on a mid term. I realize that a two hour test becomes more time intensive when you rewrite some of it, research more and then proof it. Still, his was the best written \"B\" exam I've ever seen. Also, the results of this exam will make a fine and short presentation to your firm if they want to see what you have done this semester. Don't oversell it but you should be proud of your work. Good luck and I have high hopes for all of you, Rick