Project fundamentals

• Defining how to manage an Information System development project.
• Breakdown into steps, standard project, maintenance project.
• Project management variants: Agile methods, Merise.
• Steps carried out and validated by the project owner and the deliverables produced.
• Relationships with the lead contractor. The service contract.
• Method, technique, and tools for project oversight.

Advisability study

• Defining the result objectives.
• Identifying the project's issues and constraints.
• Assess how the project fits into the IS strategic plan.
• Field and limits of the project (budget, timeframe, etc.).
• Expected deliverables: Framework memo, project sheet, macro-schedule, and budget.

Feasibility study

• Carry out the study of what exists, the maintenance techniques, the summary work.
• Propose and evaluate scenarios.
• List the main expected functions.
• Learn the initial elements of a technical architecture.
• Define the means (human, financial, time).
• Define the scenarios' profitability thresholds (ROI technique).

Launching and organizing communications

• Launch communications.
• Organizing steering committees and project committees: Objectives, role, participants, agenda.
• Project team meetings.
• Different communication channels, internal and external.
• The communication plan throughout the project's lifecycle.

Functional specifications

• Modeling business processes, support processes, and control processes.
• Risk analysis.
• Risk reduction measures, development plan.
• Specifications and their major clauses.
• Chapters of the functional specifications.
• What to do when subcontracting activities.
• Define and prioritize the system's major functions (functional scope).

Validation

• Validation and decisions by various bodies (steering committee, user group).
• Validation and decision cycle.
• Quality validation. Functional validation.
• Techniques that facilitate validations.

Functional acceptance

• Role of the project owner in defining the software's quality. Quality benchmarks.
• Acceptance methodology. Break down into batches.
• Receiving the delivery. Temporary and final acceptance.
• Plans, test campaigns, and testing basis.
• Techniques for carrying out test campaigns.
• Formalizing and evaluating the results, making decisions.
• Presenting standard acceptance documents.
• Contractual documents (when subcontracting).

Change management and implementation

• Positioning the various change makers within the project.
• Studying the various causes of resistance to change.
• Creating user documents, user guide, reference manual.
• Organization and logistics: Inserting the new system into the organization.
• Training, preparing plans, and creating materials.
• Adapting actions based on types of resistance.

Project planning and monitoring

• Load estimation, methods: Delphi, functional points, proportional breakdown.
• Task planning: PERT chart, Gantt chart.
• Assigning resources: Leveling, smoothing.
• Break down into monitoring components, follow-up meetings, techniques.
• Individual monitoring and project monitoring.
• Organizing and unifying a project team.

Tools for project owners

• Modeling and documentation tools (Rose, AMC, etc.).
• Prototyping tools (Visio, Word, etc.).
• Management tools (MS Project, etc.).
• Acceptance testing tools (HQ Quality Center, Test Link, Salomé, etc.).
• Training tools (Authorware, Toolbook, etc.).
• Document management tools (Novaxel, etc.).
• Workgroups.