1. Assignment 3 Interview an IT Project Manager By Ian De Vlieger

2. To interview an IT project manager to understand how they practise IT project manager along with the techniques, project management skills, methods and software tools they use. Objective 3. Andrew is a seasoned IT project manager, managing a number of large and complex projects for large international financial institutions over the pasts 15 years. Interview 4. As an IT project manager Im responsible for: Stakeholder management and organisational culture Planning, controlling and monitoring all areas of the project Control and monitor project scope, time and cost, also known as the triple constraints of a project Managing and reporting project progress (baseline, costs, schedule, work in progress, and work completed) to the relevant stakeholders. Completing project objectives within the constraints of the project along with the outcomes (success or failure) of the project. Risk management - identifying, monitoring, and responding to risk. What are your overall responsibilities as an IT project manager? 5. Problem solving A day doesnt go buy with out some sort of issue i.e. project resources are sick, delay in delivery of key hardware component's etc. Communication Stakeholder management through project reporting (status, financial, risk and issues) and meetings Resource management - Scheduling and coordinating resources Raising change request for work to be carried out on production systems What day to day tasks do you carry out as a IT project manager? 6. The main project management tool that Andrew used in the past week was Ms project 2012 and Primavera. For managing Andrews projects he use Microsoft project to plan tasks at activity and resource levels. Primavera is a corporate tool used to manage very large projects / programs i.e. Building sub stations etc. Andrews ICT department requires all project managers to use primavera to report the weekly status of ICT project including up coming resource requirements, this information is the rolled up to report over project status at an executive level as well as highlighting any overall resource constraints. The other key tool was the phone either desk or mobile to coordinate resource, track deliveries, status updates etc. What project management tools have you used in the past week? 7. Framework Andrew has always used PRINCE2 methodology and have my certification in PRINCE2. Through his career as a project manager Andrew has worked for international financial institutions based in Europe where PRINCE2 is the project methodology of choice. Why PRINCE2 Andrew feels that the PRINCE2 methodology delivers the following the value and benefits: Standardisation - everyone on the project has a common approach to the work. Process based a step-by-step method from conception to close. Business Case driven PRINCE2 methodology requires updates and re-assessment of the business case at key points of the project to ensure that the project is delivering value to the organisation. Defined Roles and Responsibilities -each member of a project team has a written role description specifying their responsibilities. What framework (methodology) do you use and why? 8. Yes, the PRINCE2 framework enables Andrew to deliver successful projects through Manage by Stages planning is done at a manageable and foreseeable level, projects are planned, monitored and controlled on a stage-by-stage basis, providing control points at major intervals throughout the project Defining Roles and Responsibilities ensures that the right people are involved and that all parties understand what is expected of them. Manage by Exception clear limits of authority for each level of the project management team is documented and understand by the team. These are based on the performance objectives of time, cost, scope and risk assisting to provide a full picture of the projects success. Does the choice of framework (methodology) have an impact on project success? 9. Communication skills The ability to communicate with people at all levels is the most important skill a project manager can have. Clearly communicating; goals, responsibility, performance, expectations and feedback. Ability to Effectively negotiate and use persuasion when necessary to ensure the success of the team and project. Planning Establishing the desired outcome of the project; its objectives and defining the deliverables. Establishing the people, resources and budget that is required to complete the project. Defining the deliverables and creating the activities that are required to produce each deliverable. Involve the project team to assist in estimating how long the activities will take as they will be the ones actually doing the work. What is the difference between a good (successful) IT project manager and an average IT project manager? 10. Lead by example The example the project manager sets will determine how the rest of the team behave and respond to the challenges as they arise. Encourage openness and honesty within the team. Managing to get the best out of the team There is no I in a team, a project manager cannot complete the project on their own; a collective team effort gets results. Identifying and utilise the strengths in each of the team and allocating roles that will enable them to deliver. Motivate and push the boundaries of the team to get the best results. What is the difference between a good (successful) IT project manager and an average IT project manager? Continued 11. My interview with Andrew to understand how he project manages IT project aligns with what I have learnt in class. It has confirmed that the use of the following tools and techniques will assist in achieving a successful project: Project management framework A project needs to follow a number of phases There is more than one project management framework used to manage IT projects. Project management planning tools Microsoft project is the most widely used project planning tool for managing small to large IT projects. For very large IT project / programs with an extensive number of task and deliverable interlinking with each other a product like Primavera can be used. Stakeholder management Knowing who can influence the projects success Organisational culture understanding the culture of an organization assists in your planning to manage the project success. In summary, managing a project is in some ways like a being a traffic cop; directing and coordinating activities to ensure that they are achieved on time without issue, good clear communication, all stakeholders interests are managed to ensure project success. Analyses of interview 12. Primavera. (n.d), Retrieved from http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/primavera/p6- professional-project-management/overview/index.html PRINCE2 . (n.d), Retrieved from http://www.prince-officialsite.com/home/home.aspx Schwalbe, K. (2011) Information technology: Project management, revision 6e :course technology (pages 4 123) References