1. Achieving ‘quality’ outcomes is important for all projects. Quality could be described as value to someone else. Describe a project where the stakeholders in the project had (or have) differing...

1.    Achieving ‘quality’ outcomes is important for all projects. Quality could be described as value to someone else. Describe a project where the stakeholders in the project had (or have) differing views of what represents a quality outcome for the project. Discuss their differences with respect to the quality of the project and the project’s product. Demonstrate methods of describing quality criteria and how these might be used to communicate the differences in desired quality. Discuss possible management action for proceeding with the project to monitor the achievement of quality as the project progresses. Discuss the possible impacts in terms of the project planning and control and the people involved. Provide means of detecting and managing these impacts.
2.    Estimates for project effort, duration and cost convey different messages to different people at different times in the project, especially when considered in relation to project progress. Describe the estimates used at various stages in a project with analysis of the estimating techniques used, the variety of messages communicated and the effect on the project including risk and team dynamics. Demonstrate how other techniques may have had other effects.
3.    There are now a number of standards that can be applied to systems projects and project management, including ISO standards, military standards, government requirements and accepted knowledge such as the PM Body of Knowledge. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of applying these standards demonstrating your conclusions with example project(s).
4.    Capers Jones suggests that the results of providing automated support for project management functions should prompt all companies producing large software systems to explore available commercial tools for software management functions. Investigate the range of software support available to project managers and critically evaluate two different types of project management software.
5.    Much of the literature on project management assumes traditional development methods and life cycle. Does Project Management have to change in these days of ‘internet time’, dominance of ‘time-to-market’ and alternative development methodologies (such as Agile, iterative, or component-based development)?
6.    Much of the literature on IS project management assumes that the software will be developed in-house. Discuss the challenges of managing the acquisition of an information system, including the management of the relationship with the supplier. (Don’t debate the pros and cons of outsourcing! Concentrate on how to manage an outsourcing project!)