Foundation in IS Project Management Training

ISEB Foundation in IS Project Management focuses on project management issues in the context of IS/IT applications. The Foundation in IS Project Management course considers the nature of projects and project work and the need for effective project planning. It then focuses on monitoring and control, change control, configuration management and quality issues, before considering project estimation and risk. It concludes with essentials of project organisation and communication.

The Foundation in IS Project Management training course acts as an important first stepping stone in acquiring a more formal knowledge of IS/IT project management principles and is ideal for those about to take up a management role for the first time. Each participant is provided with a copy of the BCS textbook Project Management for IT-Related Projects which defines the basis of the course.

We also provide private and in-company Foundation in IS Project Management courses. Call 01273 622272 to discuss.

Foundation in IS Project Management Course Objectives

Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following principles and techniques. Within an IS project management context. Key areas are:

• Projects and project work
• Project planning
• Monitoring and control
• Change control and configuration management
• Quality
• Estimating
• Risk
• Project communications and project organisation

BCS Certification

This course prepares delegates for a one-hour, closed book examination leading to the IS Project Management Foundation Certificate. This certificate is a specialist module in the BCS Diploma in Business Analysis.

Download the full IS Project Management Foundation course outline

Foundation in IS Project Management Training Course Content

Project environment

• Characteristics of a project
• The ‘triple constraint’ of time/cost/quality and the importance of safety
• Project and operational responsibilities
• Special features of computer projects
• Role of the Project Manager
• Project success and failure
• Development lifecycles

Project initiation

• Stakeholder analysis and management
• Defining the objectives and scope of the project
• The role of the Client and their responsibilities
• Project constraints and resources
• Project Initiation Document

Project planning

• The importance of breaking work down
• Product breakdown structures
• Project and User deliverables
• Standard deliverable sets and templates
• Product flows and work packages
• The concept of dependencies

Estimating deliverables

• Key concepts in estimating
• Estimating difficulties
• Estimating by analogy
• Parametric estimating
• Effort and elapsed time estimates
• Schedule compression

Planning networks and charts

• Precedence diagrams and project networks
• The critical path and its implications
• Gantt charts and resource histograms
• Planning at an appropriate level
• The use and abuse of planning software

Working in teams

• The elements of a good team
• Team composition
• Team roles

Motivation and management style

• The roots of motivation at work
• Approaches to motivation (Maslow, Herzberg)
• The effect of management style

Project risk management

• Purpose of risk management
• Risk management process
• Identifying and assessing risks
• Introduction to quantitative risk assessment

Project quality plans

• Principles of quality management
• The contents of a quality plan
• Quality Management
• Configuration management

The project plan

• Elements of a project plan (schedule, quality, risk)
• Contents and structure of a project plan

Project monitoring, reporting and control

• The importance of monitoring and control
• Allocating personal deliverables
• Progress measurement
• Time recording
• Introduction to earned value analysis
• Dealing with non-delivery
• Slippage and re-planning – corrective actions
• Change control, scope creep and over-engineering
• Reporting structures

Project completion

• Project sign-off and the need for a controlled close
• Post-project reviews

The project manager

• The project manager’s role revisited
• Qualities and characteristics of effective project managers