J.E.

Cairnes School of Business & Economics

Systems Development & Project Management

MS804
Module Outline 2022-2023
The objective of this course is to develop in students an understanding of
the fundamentals of project management within the context of
information systems development. Topics include the systems
development life cycle, project integration, requirements analysis and
Aims &
scope management, time management, cost management, risk
Objective
management, communications management etc. In addition, different IS
development methods will be covered (Waterfall, SDLC, RAD, and Agile
methods) as well as business process modelling techniques (e.g. DFDs).

Name Office Contact E-mail

Lecturer Prof. Kieran Conboy 378 [email protected]
Dr. Anastasia Griva 345 [email protected]
Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
• Understand the key activities of the information systems
development (ISD) process
• Compare and contrast alternative ISD process models such as
the “waterfall” model and agile approaches
• Model process requirements using techniques such as Data Flow
Overall Diagrams, Functional Decomposition Diagrams, Use Cases, Flow
Module Charts, State Diagrams
Learning • Understand how requirements management relates to time and
Outcomes cost estimation in ISD project management
• Explain common causes of ISD project success and failure
• Use techniques such as Gannt Charts, Work Breakdown
Structures, PERT/CPM, and Burndown / Kanban Charts to
manage ISD projects

Programme AE1; AE9; DEB1; MBY1; MIS1; MIS2; 1DTR1; 1CCY1

Venue:
Lectures:
Times Day: Monday Time: 6 -8pm O’Flaherty
Sem I
Theatre
Core Text Course materials, Academic papers, Case studies
Credit weighting: 5 ECT
Lecture hours: 24
Independent & Directed
Workload
Learning 96
Final exam 2
Total Student Effort: 122 hours

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Units Readings
Week 1 and Week 2: Introduction to
Systems Development and Project
Course materials; articles
Management
• Core concepts of Systems Development
• Core concepts of Project Management
Week 3: Project Modeling
Course materials; articles;
• Functional Decomposition Diagrams
exercises
(FDDs)
• Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs)
Week 4 and Week 5: UML Modeling
• Use Case diagrams
Course materials; articles;
• Sequence diagrams
exercises
• Activity diagrams
• Class diagrams
• State machine diagrams
Week 6: Project Modeling recap
Exercises; working session
• Assistance with assignment
Week 7: Requirement Determination &
Project Scope Management
Course materials; articles
• Requirements elicitation techniques
Module • Requirements analysis strategies
Content & • Project Scope Management Processes
Learning Course materials; articles;
Week 8: Requirements determination,
Material case study
Intel case study on software analytics
Week 9: Project selection & Control
Course materials; articles
• Types of control
• Contemporary examples
• Agile methods
Week 10: Project Cost Management
Course materials; articles;
• Estimating costs
exercises; case study
• Determining budgets
• Controlling costs
Week 11: Project time management Course materials; articles
• Network diagrams
• Gantt Charts
• PERT
• Critical path
• Critical reflection on time
Week 12: Large Scale Development and Course materials; articles
Process Transformation
• Challenges of large scale transformation
• Overview of large scale transformation
methods e.g. SAFE, Scrum at Scale,
Spotify
• Limitations of these methods in practice
Monitoring attendance has a positive impact on student engagement,
especially when you can review your own attendance on Blackboard
and receive emails about absence. You should attend in-person on-
Attendance
campus for all aspects of this module unless for legitimate reasons (for
example, disability, medical, or family emergency) which you have
reported to the lecturer. To support students, the J.E. Cairnes School of

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Business & Economics will monitor attendance at classes to (i) identify

students that may be failing to engage with the programme and (ii)
student participation in various modules. Qwickly Attendance will be
used within Blackboard to allow lecturers to take attendance at the
module level, and for students to keep track of the same. Lectures will
outline instructions for attendance in class.

Student principles on general attendance can be found here

End of Year Examination: 70%

Continuous Assignment: 30%

Details on the continuous assignments will be provided during the term.

To avail of the associated marks each student must submit the
Assessment
assignment by the date indicated on assessment material (to be
announced).

Late submissions will not be accepted.

Plagiarism is the use of another person’s ideas or work without

appropriate acknowledgement or credit. Plagiarism may be intentional
or unintentional.

If you are unsure of the acceptable methods of acknowledgment you

should refer to the NUIG Code of Practice for Dealing with Plagiarism,
Plagiarism consult with your lecturer or the library staff. Proven plagiarism is a very
serious matter which may result in severe disciplinary action and/or
exclusion from the University.

Ensure all assignment submissions include a signed plagiarism

statement.

Correct referencing and citation avoids plagiarism. There are varying

referencing styles available but the most popular is the Harvard
Referencing Style. Details on how to reference journal articles, books,
Referencing
electronic information and various other supports is available from the
& Citation
NUI, Galway Library at the following link:
http://libguides.library.nuigalway.ie/c.php?g=543943&p=4591416

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Please contact the lecturer if you experience any accessibility issues for
this module material. Should you have a visual disability and require the
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Support is available to students with a disability and is granted on the

basis of medical evidence. Where applicable, a LENS Report (Learning
Educational Needs Summary) should be completed and the relevant
LENS Report
disciplines notified. It is your responsibility to send your LENS report to
your lecturers/ course coordinator at the beginning of each semester.
Students should let their lecturers know that relevant exam
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J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics

accommodations are required. Lecturers can also request that students

let them know if they are registered with the Disability Support Service
and have a LENS Report.

We are guided by our core values of respect in our actions, excellence in

our work, openness in our outlook and sustainability in our approach. We
focus on equality by treating people with respect and dignity, and
providing everyone with access and opportunities to fulfil their potential.
We embrace diversity to enrich our School environment by sparking
innovation and creating a rewarding and vibrant student community.
Within the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, at a module-
level we aim to create and nurture an environment that is respectful and
Classroom inclusive for all. To achieve this, we will:
Charter
• Treat each other with dignity and respect.
• Listen to each other’s point of view, recognising that there may be
disagreement.
• Keep discussion, comments, and module feedback on the topic, and
off the people.
Do not use inflammatory or offensive language, sarcasm or raised
voices.

This module outline is available on blackboard in pdf format. Should you have a visual disability
and require the document in another format, please contact us and we will oblige.

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