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ARCHIVED - Project Management Core Competencies
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5. IT Management
Objective: To create or acquire quality IT product.
Introduction
IT management involves those specific skills needed to manage a hardware/software project typical in the IT industry. All of the competencies imply a constant endeavour to improve these skills so that the IT system development process (maturity) level becomes as high as possible on the Systems Engineering Capability Maturity Model (SE-CMM) scale developed by the SEI (reference 4).
| KNOWLEDGE AREA | OBJECTIVE |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle Management | To manage a project according to a standard process by understanding and using a systems development lifecycle. |
| Tools and Techniques Management | To optimize specific activities in the development of a system by selecting and using the best tools, and by performing the technical activities correctly. |
| Architecture Management | To manage the implementation of systems so that their design and components fit into the existing (or future) departmental standard infrastructure, software and hardware. |
5.1 Lifecycle Management
Objective: To manage a project according to a standard process by understanding and using a systems development lifecycle. The recommended lifecycle is described in ISO 12207 (reference 6).
The core competencies in this section conform to the Process Areas (PA) defined in the SE-CMM (reference 4). The PAs detailed in the other sections are not repeated here.
|
PM Levels Core Competencies |
Project Sponsor |
Project Leader |
PM Master |
PM Profes- sional |
PM Intern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derive and Allocate Requirements | |||||
| Determine a baseline for the agreed-upon requirements and control changes using the baseline. | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Produce realistic, short-term written requirements that are as firm as possible and acceptable to all stakeholders. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Keep all plans, products and activities consistent with the requirements. | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Integrate Disciplines | |||||
| Ensure that everyone affected agrees to the client's requirements and the commitments among the engineering groups. | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Ensure that the engineering groups identify, track and resolve intergroup issues. | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Inform affected groups of the status and content of baselines. | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Understand Customer Needs and Expectations | |||||
| Analyze requirements to determine realistic client needs. | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Ensure Quality | |||||
| Adapt the standards as necessary; for example, simplify them for a smaller project. | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Manage all projects according to defined standards. | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Plan and perform peer review activities. | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Manage Configurations | |||||
| Write a configuration management plan that lists which configuration items will be managed, the required configuration management (CM) processes, activities, timeframes and responsibilities. | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Identify, control and make available work products under CM control, according to the plan. | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Control changes systematically. | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Define Organization's System Engineering Processes | |||||
| Describe the processes and the purpose of each in a standard lifecycle, either one's own or one of the processes described in documents such as ISO 12207. | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Choose an appropriate lifecycle standard. Define and maintain the standard processes. | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Collect, review and make available information about the standards. | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Disseminate any 'lessons learned' to optimize the processes. | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Improve Organization's Systems Engineering Processes | |||||
| Co-ordinate process development and improvement across the organization. | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Plan organization-level process development and improvement. | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each process relative to a standard. | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Provide Ongoing Skills and Knowledge | |||||
| Develop training on lifecycle management and make the training available. | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Ensure that everyone who needs this knowledge takes the training. | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Make sure that the processes are repeatable by making process documentation and training available. | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
For more information, see Section 3 - Project Management: Project Quality Management.
5.2 Tools and Techniques Management
Objective: To optimize specific activities in the development of a system by selecting and using the best tools, and by performing the technical activities correctly.
The specific activities should be based on standards such as ISO 12207.
|
PM
Levels Core Competencies |
Project Sponsor |
Project Leader |
PM Master |
PM Profes- sional |
PM Intern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be aware of tools such as those available in a tools workbench. Select, implement and manage the use of system development support tools, such as CASE, prototyping, estimating, design, testing, verification, documentation, security and project management tools. | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Design appropriate security into the system. | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Manage the definition of requirements for the new system and technology. Manage the acquisition, design, development, testing, integration, installation, acceptance and subsequent support of the new system and technology. Ensure that they satisfy performance criteria. | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Manage the production and configuration control of all appropriate project and user documentation. | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Use function point analysis (FPA) to determine software project size and to help estimate the length and cost of the project. | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| Divide the software project into manageable pieces, as determined by standard formulas for maximum recommended FPA size. Take the organization's size, maturity, development methods and so forth into account. | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Control the size of the software project during development and react as necessary. | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
5.3 Architecture Management
Objective: To manage the implementation of systems so that their design and components fit into the existing (or future) departmental standard infrastructure, software and hardware.
|
PM
Levels Core Competencies |
Project Sponsor |
Project Leader |
PM Master |
PM Profes- sional |
PM Intern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Understand architecture principles, which state preferred architectural direction and practice. Expanding on IT policies to support the business, they include the fundamental structures of technology, information, telecommunications and applications. | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Understand business architecture, which is the set of policies and rules that govern an organization's planned arrangement of computers, data, human resources, communication facilities, software and management responsibilities. | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Understand work architecture, which outlines ways to link a system (work flow and processes), people and technology to optimize productivity. | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Understand information architecture, which outlines how and why computers, data, human resources, communication facilities and software fit together; where they are located; when they are needed; and how and why changes will be implemented. | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Understand applications architecture, which refers to the design of an application and the way its components are connected to, and operate with, each other. | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Understand technology architecture, which refers to the design of fundamental hardware, software and telecommunications systems that provide the infrastructure on which business applications are developed and on which they run. Manage the production of a technical design that satisfies the project objectives and that complements the department's and government's strategic architectural directions, as well as their information and telecommunications investments. | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 |