ICT Applications in Colleges Project Management Paper Project Charter Template: Sections 2 (Project Executive Summary) & 3 (Project Overview) During this

ICT Applications in Colleges Project Management Paper Project Charter Template: Sections 2 (Project Executive Summary) & 3 (Project Overview)

During this course you will develop, plan, organize and execute a project of your choosing using a Project Management prospective. First you must identify/decide on your project. To assist in the decision process, Blackboard contains the following resources in Module 1:

A Project Management Prospective: Table Of Contents provides summary details of 18 case studies. These summaries provides ideas that may help you decide what type of project you would like to do.
A Project Management Prospective: Chapters 2, 14, 19 provides full case studies in three different areas.
Designers Sharing Their Experiences are videos on the resource Project Management for Instructional Designers.
You may also look at Job Descriptions from a jobs website by searching for instructional designer or project managers
Finally you may want to consider adopting one of your designs from a previous course.

Your project can be business, medical, governmental, or educational related. Some project examples could be; new training materials, a one to one hardware or software initiative, transitioning of instruction such as Lecture to Problem Based Learning or F2F to Online, or creating a mobile app for a desktop application.

After you have decided on the project you will be undertaking, you will begin the process of creating a Project Charter. The project charter defines the scope, objectives, and overall approach for the work to be completed. A Template is provided for this

purpose, but since this is a “virtual” project you will be allowed some flexibility in its completion. For this Blog you are to complete Sections 2 & 3. You will add Section 1 which is a part of your response to the discussion for this week.

TEXTBOOK: TRILLING, B. & GINEVRI, W. (2017). PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR EDUCATION: THE BRIDGE TO 21ST CENTURY LEARNING. NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA: PMI EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION.

*NOTE: This book can be flipped over so you can read from both the Learning Guide for Project Managers side and the Learning Guide for Educators side. Reading assignments for both sides of the book will be given each week.

Learning Guide for Project Managers side: Foreword, Preface, Author Page, Introduction, Chapter 1
Learning Guide for Educators side: Foreword, Preface, Author Page, Introduction, Chapter 1 1
Chapter 1
Project Management
of Educational
Technology Projects
Shahron Williams van Rooij
George Mason University, USA
F
O
O
R
P
L
Joi L. Moore
University of Missouri-Columbia, USA
A
B
O
L
G
Angela D. Benson
The University of Alabama, USA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Technology plays an important role in the delivery of education and training in
school and non-school settings. Educational technology projects range from providing
electronic whiteboards in K-12 classrooms to implementing campus-wide learning
management systems on college campuses to deploying mobile devices for training
delivery in non-profit organizations to developing performance improvement interventions for business organizations. These projects are carried out using a variety
of tools, methodologies, and process, both formal and informal. In general, these
projects can be described using the project management framework. This chapter
introduces the project management framework and draws conclusions about its use
in education and training from the 18 cases of educational technology projects presented in this book. The cases represent a range of project management approaches,
from the generic and foundational to the highly complex and sophisticated.
I
G
I
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-4237-9.ch001
Copyright ©2013, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.
Project Management of Educational Technology Projects
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Broadly speaking, project management is the planning, structuring, execution and
tracking of all resources and activities to achieve specific project goals. A project
is a temporary endeavor that has a definite beginning and end and is undertaken to
create a unique product, service or result (Project Management Institute, 2013). A
project ends when its goals have been achieved, when the project’s goals cannot be
achieved or when there is no longer a need for the product/service/result the project
intended to achieve. Although the project is temporary, its outcomes are not. Projects
are undertaken to produce a lasting outcome. Examples of projects include new
software applications, new or revamped educational programs or curricula, new
or improved work processes to enhance organizational efficiency, the construction
of a new building, or a research project to create a specific body of knowledge or
product that will benefit society. People will often utilize a project as a means of
achieving an organization’s strategic plan. Projects are typically authorized because
of market demand (such as authorizing a new brand of learning management system in response to dissatisfaction with existing brands); organizational need (such
as a training company authorizing a project to create a new course to increase its
revenue); customer request (such as a sales division asking the training and development unit to create a workshop for new sales reps); technology advances (such
as cloudy computing as a means of hosting teaching and learning applications);
legal requirements (such as mandatory compliance training at the federal, state, or
professional certification level).
Managing a project typically includes responsibilities such as identifying project
requirements; stakeholder needs and expectations when planning and executing the
project; establishing and maintaining active, effective, and collaborative communications among stakeholders, and; balancing competing project constraints such as
scope, quality, schedule, budget, resources, and risks.
Project management has its roots in several industries, particularly construction,
engineering and defense but emerged as a separate discipline in its own right in the
1950s. Specific tools, techniques, technologies, processes and procedures began to
emerge to facilitate project scheduling, cost estimation and management, as well
as human resource planning. Early practitioners of project management formed
professional associations focused on creating a standard set of project management
processes. Today the largest project management associations are the Europeanbased International Project Management Association (IPMA), a federation of 50
national associations with the U.K. and Germany representing the largest proportion
of members and the U.S.-based Project Management Institute (PMI), representing
more than 700,000 project management professionals worldwide. IPMA focuses
F
O
O
R
P
L
I
G
I
2
A
B
O
L
G
Project Management of Educational Technology Projects
on the technical, contextual, and behavioral competencies of a project manager
(International Project Management Association, 2013) and PMI focuses on project
management practices and processes (Project Management Institute, 2013). Project
management practices have been adopted by a variety of industries in which technology – including educational technology – plays an important role in organizational
success (Clark, 2008; Williams van Rooij, 2011).
F
O
Approaches
Like many other disciplines, project management has no single, agreed upon approach. However, there are a few approaches that are used most often for educational technology projects. Probably the most well-known of these approaches are
the traditional or generic approaches as exemplified by PMI and the PRINCE2
methodology, Agile Project Management, and Benefits Realization Management.
O
R
P
L
Traditional/Generic Project Management
The traditional or generic approach defines a sequence of stages that may be completed
either sequentially or iteratively, depending upon project complexity, the clarity of
project requirements, time and resources (Wysocki, 2011). The basic stages include
project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing. Not
all projects will have every stage, but many industries use variations of these stages.
Initiation consists of those processes performed to define a new project by obtaining
authorization to start that project. Planning consists of those processes performed to
establish the total scope of the effort, define and refine the objectives, and develop
the course of action (documented in the project plan) required to achieve those
objectives. Execution consists of those processes performed to complete the work
defined in the project plan to satisfy project specifications and involves coordinating people and resources, as well as integrating and performing the activities of
the project in accordance with the project plan. Monitoring and controlling consists
of those processes required to track, review and regulate the progress and performance of the project, as well as identify any areas in which changes to the plan are
required and to initiate the corresponding changes. The key benefit of monitoring
and controlling is that project performance is observed and measured regularly and
consistently to identify variances from the project plan. Lastly, closing consists of
those processes performed to finalize all activities to formally complete the project.
It includes activities such as obtaining acceptance of the final deliverable by the
client or project sponsor; a post-project review and documentation of project lessons
learned, and close out of external procurement contracts with vendors and suppliers.
I
I
G
A
B
O
L
G
3
Project Management of Educational Technology Projects
Effective project management requires knowledge of the characteristics of the
project’s environment (e.g., technology, industry, etc.) as well as general management knowledge and skills, and interpersonal skills (Project Management Institute,
2013). Those interpersonal skills – particularly communication skills and leadership
skills – are deemed essential to successful project management in the digital age
(Horine, 2005). PMI’s PMBOK® Guide describes the knowledge and practices that
are applicable to most projects most of the time and which the project management
body of knowledge indicates consensus about the value and usefulness of those
practices. The PMBOK® Guide also provides and promotes a common vocabulary
with in the project management profession for using and applying concepts.
PRINCE2 is another traditional, structured approach to project management.
Originally developed as a UK Government standard for information systems (IT)
project management, PRINCE is an acronym for Projects In a Controlled Environment.
PRINCE2 was released in 1996 as a generic project management method and is now
a de facto standard for project management in many UK government departments
and among some members of the European Union. PRINCE2 describes procedures
to coordinate people and activities in a project, how to design and supervise the
project, and what to do if the project has to be adjusted if it does not develop as
planned. Each process is specified with its key inputs and outputs and with specific
goals and activities to be carried out. This allows for automatic control of any deviations from the plan. Divided into manageable stages, the method enables an efficient
control of resources. On the basis of close monitoring, the project can be carried
out in a controlled and organized way. PRINCE2 provides a common language for
all participants in the project. The various management roles and responsibilities
involved in a project are fully described and are adaptable to suit the complexity of
the project and skills of the organization (PRINCE2.com, 2013).
The traditional or generic approach can be used in a variety of industries and for
a variety of project types and sizes. Most of the cases in this book use some form
of the traditional or generic approach to project management.
F
O
O
R
P
L
I
G
A
B
O
L
G
Agile Project Management
I
In contrast with the traditional approach to project management, the agile approach
views a project as a series of relatively small tasks conceived and executed as the
situation demands in an adaptive manner, rather than as a completely pre-planned
process (Highsmith, 2009). The assumption underlying the agile approach is acceptance that project requirements are likely to change and as such, the project processes
must be able to respond accordingly. Agile employs iterative lifecycles focused on
delivering the highest priority business features, so that the project team can reflect
back and adapt the process at regular intervals. Greater emphasis is placed on com-
4
Project Management of Educational Technology Projects
munications and collaboration than on documentation. Agile project management is
used primarily in the software, Website, technology, creative and marketing industries where competition is intense and first mover advantage is paramount (Larman,
2003). This book offers one of the first examples of the application of agile project
management to educational technology projects.
F
O
Benefits Realisation Management
First developed in the U.K., benefits realisation management (BRM) enhances
traditional project management approaches by focusing on agreement as to what
outcomes should change (the benefits) during the project, and then measuring to see
if that is happening to help keep a project on track. Outcomes are changes identified as important by stakeholders and can be strategic or non-strategic. A benefit
is a measurable positive impact of change (Jenner, 2012). In short, rather than attempting to deliver agreed requirements, the aim is to deliver the benefit of those
requirements. An example of delivering a project to requirements could be agreeing
on a project to deliver a computer system to process staff data with the requirement
to manage payroll, holiday and staff personnel records. Under BRM the agreement
would be to use the suppliers suggested staff data system to see an agreed reduction
in staff hours processing and maintaining staff data (benefit reduce HR headcount).
In an effort to address increasingly tight budgets, state and local governments
in the U.S. have been adopting benefits realisation management as the model for
effective project management. For example, the State of Texas has adopted BMR
as the framework for information technology projects in government and education
(Department of Information Resources, 2012). This book contains contributions in
which BMR principles are applied to assess educational technology project success,
adding momentum to the conversation around BMR.
O
R
P
L
I
G
A
B
O
L
G
Project Management Maturity
Given the various approaches to project management, the question arises as to the
extent to which organizations systematically adopt and apply one or more of those
approaches. In other words, how mature is the level of project management in an
organization? Project management maturity refers to the progressive development
of an enterprise-wide project management approach, methodology, strategy, and
decision-making process (Crawford, 2007). The appropriate level of maturity will
vary for each organization based on its specific goals, strategies, resource capabilities, scope, and needs.
I
5
Project Management of Educational Technology Projects
Most project management maturity models place organizations on a continuum
ranging from a low level of maturity, where project management is hit and miss,
to a high level of maturity, where project management is consistent and systematic
throughout the entire enterprise (Ibbs & Kwak, 2000; Kerzner, 2005).
Thomas and Mullaly (2008) offer a five-level model of project management
implementation maturity in organizations derived from case studies of 65 organizations worldwide. Drawing on Humphrey’s (1992) Capability Maturity model for
software development, Thomas and Mullaly assess the project management maturity
of an organization as follows:
F
O
O
R
Level 1: (Ad Hoc) With no organizational implementation of project management;
any use of project management processes depends on the expertise of individual
project managers.
Level 2: (Some Practices) With incomplete or inconsistent application enterprisewide.
Level 3: (Consistent Practices) With a complete project management process in
place and applied consistently enterprise-wide.
Level 4: (Integrated Practices) With project management as an integral management
capability that is fully integrated with the organizational lifecycle.
Level 5: (Continually Improving Practices) With a holistic, fully integrated approach to managing projects with a formal and consistently followed process
of evaluating, assessing, and improving project management implementation.
P
L
A
B
O
L
G
In each of the cases in this book, the authors classify their respective organizations
into one of these five maturity levels and discuss the extent to which opportunities
for advancement to a higher maturity level will become available.
I
G
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS
The cases in this book present educational technology projects in four sectors: K-12;
higher education; healthcare; and industry, government and military. Three of the
four K-12 cases describe projects in organizations at Level 1 (Ad hoc) of project
management implementation maturity; one describes a project in an organization
at Level 2 (Some practices). Rice, Camp, Darroch and Fitzgerald (Level 1) discuss
the challenges of educational technology implementation without formal project
management methods and processes during a pilot project to provide elementary
school students with e-readers. Lamont (Level 2) provides an international perspective in highlighting the importance of stakeholder identification as well as project
management tools when implementing a project in the South African educational
I
6
Project Management of Educational Technology Projects
system. Benson and Tettegah’s (Level 2) discussion of the implementation of a
course management system in a religious school cooperative suggests that private
schools may not differ from their public counterparts when it comes to evolving
project management maturity, while Rice and Bain (Level 1) focus on how project
management expertise and tools contribute to success in a project to implement a
21st Century classroom.
Four of the eight higher education cases describe projects in organizations at
Level 1 (Ad hoc) of project management implementation maturity and four describe
projects in organizations at Level 2 (Some practices). Looking at what did and did
not work in the implementation of an active learning studio project, Means, Olson
and Spooner (Level 1) emphasize the need for and the value of project management
processes, along with committing the right level of leadership support to apply those
processes. McGee and Anderson (Level 1) underscore the importance of a solid
infrastructure to support project management, while Drabier and Burgard (Level
2) highlight the importance of continuous collaboration with stakeholders to the
successful transformation of a traditional library to a digital learning commons.
Tawfik, Reiseck and Richter (Level 2) discuss how project management methods
can be used to implement an online faculty development course, while Caines (Level
1) emphasizes the importance of piloting as a mechanism for introducing change
management and project management methods to an organization. Thomas and
Hollis’ (Level 2) case illustrates how the application of a formal project management methodology helped a New Zealand institution implement a new automated
lecture capture system following devastating earthquake losses and highlights the
importance of flexibility as well as collaboration in educational technology project
implementation. Boyd and Fresen (Level 2) illustrate the synergy between formal
project management methods and quality management methods in their discussion
of a British university’s education technology support unit, while Fisher (Level 1)
discusses the challenges associated with implementing online instruction initiatives
in the absence of formal project management processes.
One of the three healthcasre cases describes a project in an organization at at
Level 1 (Ad hoc) of project management implementation maturity; one describes a
project in an organization at Level 2 (Some practices); and one describes a project
in an organization operating at Levels 3 (Consistent practices) and 4 (Integrated
practices). Tawfik, Belden and Moore (Level 2) continue some of the themes
emphasized in the other sections of this book when discussing the value of communication within and across organizations, and the importance of flexibility in
the application of project management methods the implementation of a mobile
application for surgeon workflows. Dobrovolny, Horner, Kane, Miller and Chillemi (Level 1) highlight the importance of the project team when they discuss team
motivation and project manager-Subject Matter Expert (SME) collaboration in an
F
O
O
R
P
L
I
I
G
A
B
O
L
G
7
Project Management of Educational Technology Projects
e-learning development project to support nursing education. Providing an international perspective, El-Farargy (Levels 3 and 4) illustrates how well-developed
project management practices contributed to the success of an online continuing
professional development module in clinical psychology supervision.
One of the three industry, government and military cases describes a project in
an organization that began at Level 1 (Ad hoc) of project management implementation maturity and evolved to Level 2 (some practics); one describes a project in
an organization at Level 4 (Integrated practices); and one describes a project in an
organization at Level 5 (Continually improving practice). Rodriguez and Thorpe
(Level 4) offer a provider’s perspective as they discuss how consistent and sustained
project management processes, practices and expertise contribute to educational
technology project success. Dickson-Deane and Deane (Level 1 to Level 2) continue
the themes of expertise and stakeholder buy-in the…
Purchase answer to see full
attachment