Information Technology Project

Management – Fifth Edition

By Jack T. Marchewka
Northern Illinois University

2-1 Copyright 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 Project Methodologies and Processes

Chapter 2

2-2 Copyright 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Learning Objectives
 Define what a METHODOLOGY is and describe the role it serves in IT
projects.
 Describe the project life cycle (PLC).
 Describe the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) and be
familiar with its knowledge areas and process groups.
 Describe PRINCE2® and be familiar with its core principles, processes,
and themes.
 Describe the Systems Development Life Cycle ( SDLC).
 Describe the Waterfall method for developing the project’s product or
system.
 Describe the Agile approach for developing the project’s product or system
as well as two commonly used approaches called eXtreme Programming
(XP) and Scrum.
 Describe and apply the concept of Learning Cycles and lessons learned.

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Introduction
 Project Methodology
 A strategic-level plan for managing and controlling the
project
 Game plan for implementing project and product lifecycles
 Recommends phases, processes, tools, and techniques for
supporting an IT project
 Must be flexible and include “best practices” learned from
experiences over time.
 Can be
 Traditional (e.g., Waterfall)
 Agile (e.g., XPM, SCRUM)

2-4 Copyright 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The Project Life Cycle

Collection of logical stages or phases that

 maps the life of a project
 from its beginning, through its middle,
to its end,
 to define, build, and deliver the product.

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Project Phases
 Phase Exits, Stage Gates, Kill Points
 These are the phase-end review of key deliverables
 Allows the organization to evaluate project performance and
take immediate action to correct errors or problems
 Each phase must be officially exited (approved) before the next
phase can begin. The decision points at the end of each phase
are called Phase Exits.
 Stage Gates, divided project over several stages. These stages
are separated by so-called ‘gates’; the decision points for
whether or not to proceed to the next stage.
 Kill points are when the stakeholders decide that the project is
not worth completing in its current state. It may be restarted
with different criteria.
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Project Phases
 Fast Tracking
 Starting the next phase of a project before approval is obtained
for the current phase
 Can be used to reduce the project schedule
 Can be risky and should only be done when the risk is
acceptable

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Figure 2.1 – A Generic Project Life Cycle

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Project Life Cycle – Define and Plan
 Define Project Goal
 The project goal should be focused on providing business value
to the organization
 Provides a clear focus and drives the other phases of the project
 How will we know if this project is successful given the time,
money, and resources invested?

 Plan Project
 Project Objectives
 Resources
 Controls

2-9 Copyright 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Project Life Cycle – Execute, Close, and Evaluate
 Execute Project Plan
 Manage the project scope, schedule, budget, and people to
ensure the project achieves its goal
 Progress must be documented and compared to the baseline
plan
 Project performance must be communicated to all of the
stakeholders
 Close and Evaluate Project
 Ensures that all of the work is completed as planned
 Final project report and presentation to the client
 Postmortem review
 Lessons learned and best practices documented and shared

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Figure 2.2 – The PMBOK® Guide – The
10 Project Management Knowledge Areas

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PMBOK® Guide – The 10 Project Management
Knowledge Areas
1. Project integration management
2. Project scope management
3. Project time management
4. Project cost management
5. Project quality management
6. Project human resource management
7. Project communications management
8. Project risk management
9. Project procurement management
10. Project stakeholder management

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Figure 2.3 – PMBOK® Project Management
Process Groups

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The Five (5) PMBOK® Project Management
Process Groups
1. Initiating

2. Planning

3. Executing

4. Monitoring and Controlling

5. Closing

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Figure 2-4 – PRINCE2® PRINCE2® = Projects
IN Controlled Environments 1
– The Seven (7) Processes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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The PRINCE2® – Seven (7) Processes
PRINCE2® = Projects IN Controlled Environments

1. Start Project

2. Initiate Project

3. Direct Project

4. Control Stage

5. Manage Product Delivery

6. Manage Stage Boundaries

7. Close Project
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The PRINCE2® – Themes
(guidelines to aid project goal achievement)
PRINCE2® = Projects IN Controlled Environments

1. Business Case

2. Organization

3. Risk

4. Quality

5. Planning

6. Change

7. Progress
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The PRINCE2® – Principles
(provide foundation for good project management practices that provide Universal
guidance for all projects) PRINCE2® = Projects IN Controlled Environments

1. Business Case Driven

2. Product Focus
3. Lessons Learned
4. Manage the Stage
5. Adapt to the Project
6. Manage by Exception
 to empower project stakeholders by allowing them to make decisions without
having to ask for approval from the next higher levelof authority.

7. Accountability
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Figure 2.5 The Systems Development Life Cycle

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Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

 Planning
 Analysis
 Design
 Implementation
 Maintenance and Support

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Figure 2.6 – The Project Life Cycle (PLC) and
the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

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Copyright 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Implementing the SDLC
 Definesall of the subphases and deliverables
associated with the Execute and Control
Project Management Life Cycle phase.
 Number of Ways to implement the SDLC
 Waterfall
 Agile

2-22 Copyright 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 2.7 – The Waterfall Model
- a sequential and logical flow of software development activities.
- one phase need to
completed before the
next phase can start.
- Although iteration is
allowed where the
developers can go back
to a previous stage, it is
not always easy or
desirable.
- Time and effort is spent
in the early phases to get
the requirements and
design correct because it
is more expensive to add
a missing requirement in
the later phases of the
project.

2-23 Copyright 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Agile Systems Development – What is Agile?

 Condenses the SDLC into an iteration or sprint

 Usersand developers work closely together to
define and prioritize important (“must have”)
features
 Emphasize working software to measure
progress and rely heavily on face-to-face
communication
 Umbrellaterm that includes a number of
approaches or methods (eg SCRUM, XP
programming)
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Figure 2.8 – The Agile Manifesto

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Agile Systems Development – Four (4)
Themes or Categories

 Customer

 Product

 Project Team
 Performance

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Agile Methods: Extreme Programming
(XP) and Scrum
 Methods for project management that are becoming increasingly
popular
 Characterize many of today’s projects that exemplify speed, uncertainty,
changing requirements, and high risks
 XP
 User requirements first documented as user stories
 Document user stories in an object oriented model called a class diagram
 Transfers the system in a series of versions called releases
 Scrum
 Three important roles:
 Scrum master – similar to project manager
 Product owner – represents the business side, ensures the most important features are included
 Development team – responsible for delivering a quality product or system
 Product backlog – team prioritizes features that need to be developed/delivered
 Sprint – iterations lasting a few weeks (usually) and delivers a complete product
 Daily scrum – short stand-up meeting
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Figure 2.10 – A Learning Cycle

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 Figure 2.11 – An Example of a Team Learning
Record

What we know What we think we know What we don’t know

(Facts) (Assumptions) (Questions to be Answered)

Company has too much It may be an efficiency Why are inventory levels so
inventory on hand problem high?
Cost of maintaining current Management believes a new What are the current levels of
inventory is becoming information system will inventory?
prohibitive improve efficiency and
therefore lower inventory
levels

Inventory turnover needs to What is the desired level of

be increased inventory?

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Figure 2.12 – An Example of an Action Plan

Who? Does What? By When?

Shedelle and Steve Interview sales team to understand Tuesday

past, current, and future trends for
the company’s product.

Myra Provide a detailed count of the Thursday

current physical inventory on
hand.

Corean Research potential inventory Thursday

management system commercial
packages

Steve Research average inventory levels Wednesday

for the industry

2-30 Copyright 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Figure 2.13 – Team Learning Cycles over the
Learning
Project Life Cycle Cycle
Learning
Cycle

Learning
Cycle
Learning
Cycle

Each cycle provides the opportunity to

challenge framing assumptions, create new
understanding & find radical solutions
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Team Learning

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