IT Project and Portfolio Management (Autumn 2019)

Abstract

This course will enable the student to analyze, reflect on, and manage IT projects and IT project portfolios in an organizational context.

Description

The organization and management of IT projects is of growing importance for many organizations, whether in the private or public sector. Development and implementation for IT projects go hand in hand, and competent project management will be an important factor for the many types of tasks and areas in the companies. Moreover, competent portfolio management is required to ensure that organizations choose the right projects to undertake.  

This course covers both methods from practice and insights from research, although the emphasis will lie on research. The participants will learn to use methods for classic and agile IT project and portfolio management. Furthermore, the participants discuss the strengths and shortcomings of various methods by learning about research on IT project and portfolio management. Moreover, the participants will learn how to apply concepts from IT project and portfolio management research in order to understand the challenges in real cases of IT project and portfolio management.

Formal prerequisites

The general admission requirements at ITU.

Intended learning outcomes

After the course, the student should be able to:

• Identify the different theoretical perspectives on IT Projects and portfolio management and their implications for how we understand IT Projects and how each perspective is linked to various types of management tools
• Apply and account for what different theoretical perspectives means for problem identification and analysis, and solutions in relation to a chosen case
• Compare and contrast the different theoretical perspectives on several dimensions
• Relate theoretical perspectives to practice and explain the types of considerations that may arise from a project/portfolio manager or project responsible person
• Critically analyse the identified and/or used perspectives to address the need for other/new approaches to project/portfolio management

Learning activities

The course is an introduction to different perspectives on project and portfolio management and consists of a combination of lectures, class discussions, project work and peer-to-peer feedback. Thus, a high level of active participation and reflection is expected from the students. 

The lectures will focus theoretically on reading and discussing various perspectives. Further, during group work you will identify project and portfolio management tools and discuss them in relation to the different perspectives.

Course literature

The course literature is published in the course page in LearnIT.

Ordinary exam

Exam type:
C: Submission of written work, internal (7-trinsskala)
Exam variation:
CG: Submission of written work for groups.
Exam description:
Written individual assignment (max 3000 words, everything included), possibility of group work.

Time and date