April :  Information Systems Project Management

Author(s) : Avison, David E., Torkzadeh, Gholamreza

Relevant Unit(s) : Computing and Information Systems Level 5, Unit 3

Description

View IS project management as an art as well as a science…. There are a number of books out there on project management. What is different and specific about this book? There is a balance between socio-cultural and technical aspects and there is a balance between qualitative and quantitative aspects – project management is seen as both an art and a science. It provides an information systems orientation for project management: neither information technology oriented on the one side nor production and operations oriented on the other, but of application to both within an organizational-wide view. It stresses information systems as a whole, not just software development – no project is successful if only software aspects are considered. It gives a truly international view of the domain – examples and experiences from different parts of the world add richness as well as context to the material. Globalisation has ensured that most projects take on an international dimension. The book provides a coherent explanation of the concerns of the project manager as the project develops through the project life cycle – it does not follow a’kitchen sink approach’.

Each chapter has the following consistent structure: introduction and outline, an exhibit, the main text with examples, chapter summary, exercises, discussion questions, interview with project manager and appendix – this structure provides coherence and consistency. The exhibit, interview and appendix contain real-world examples, experiences, case studies, discussion material, software descriptions and professional codes – these provide material for class discussion and group work. The material in this text has been proven successful through repeated use in courses in the United States, Europe, and Australia, by practitioners as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students.