BCS Foundation Certificate in IS Project Management

This course is intended for delegates who are new to the project management discipline, and working within an IT project environment.

Delegates who successfully pass the Foundation Certificate (taken at the end of the course) are able to demonstrate an understanding of project management principles relating to the following areas:

• Project Planning
• Monitoring and Control
• Change Control
• Configuration Management
• Estimating
• Quality within a project environment
• Management
• Communication between Stakeholders

• The delegates learn the tools required for successful IS project management along with terminology and techniques.
• They will also be prepared to sit the exam after the course concludes.

The course as such carries no special prerequisites but is meant for Project Support Personnel and IS Staff.

Photographic evidence is also required to be in possession of the candidates while appearing for the exam. A candidate may not be allowed to sit the exam without a valid id proof.

Differently-abled candidates are given more time as are the candidates who have a different native language than that of the exam.

Projects and Project Work

• Projects and Project Management
• System and Project life cycles.
• Implementation strategies.
• Purpose and content of Key Project Documentation.
• The use and significance of Discounted Cash Flows as a method of Investment Appraisal.
• Post Implementation Review.

Project Planning

• Project deliverables and intermediate products.
• Work and product breakdowns.
• Product definitions.
• Check-points and Milestones.
• Activity-on-Node Networks.
• Resource Allocation, smoothing and leveling
• Resource Histograms.
• Work Schedules and Gantt charts.

Monitoring and Control

• The Project Control Life-Cycle.
• Collecting progress information.
• Presenting progress information.
• Content of progress reports.
• Use of Earned Value Analysis.
• The Reporting Cycle.
• Reporting structures in projects.
• Tolerance and contingency.
• Exception Reports and Plans.

Change Control and Configuration management

• Reasons for Change and Configuration Management.
• Change Control Procedures.
• Role of Change Control Boards.
• Configuration Management.
• Configuration Items and Product Baselines.

Quality

• Quality Control Vs. Quality Assurance.
• Detection of defects during the project life cycle.
• Quality Procedures.
• Types of testing.
• The inspection process, peer reviews.
• Principles of IS0 9001:2000 QMS.

Estimating

• Effects of over and under-estimating.
• Effort versus duration; relationship between effort and cost.
• Use of expert judgement.
• The Delphi approach.
• Top-down and bottom-up approaches to estimating.
• Use of analogy in estimating.

Risk

• Definitions.
• The risk management process.
• Risk responses and actions.
• Typical risks associated with information systems development.
• Assessment of the costs/benefits of risk reduction activities.
• Maintenance of risk registers and risk logs.

Project Communications and Project Organisation

• Identifying stakeholders and their concerns.
• The project sponsor.
• Establishment of the project authority.
• Reporting structures and responsibilities.
• Desirable characteristics of project manager.
• Role of the project support office.
• The project team and matrix management.
• Management styles and communication.
• Team building and team dynamics.

Sample Examination & Exam Technique

• Questions are given, from an approved BCS list, following each Learning Session in order to consolidate learning