Monash University Handbook 2010 Postgraduate - Unit
FIT9006 - Information technology management
6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Synopsis
This unit presents IT management as a project-based activity, oriented to fulfilling corporate goals, meeting business operational requirements and delivering value for an organisation. Core concepts are established: strategic contexts of IT management, systems, information systems, systems development, business processes and modelling, and IT as support for core business processes. An overview of project management processes, tools and techniques used for software development projects follows. IT-related issues and trends posing complex challenges to management and organisation of the IT resource in contemporary organisations are explored. Ethics in IT management is a central theme.
Objectives
At the completion of this unit students will have -
A knowledge and understanding of:
- the strategic contexts of IT management, including: the strategic value and impacts of IT; the strategy process; the need to effectively align business strategy and IT strategy; the value of a portfolio approach to managing IT investments and mitigating risk; the critical importance of a customer-centric approach to IT strategy; and key management roles and relationships (eg CEO-CIO);
- the more common business processes, and the role that IT can play in managing these processes and in providing information systems that are appropriate for an organistions operational needs;
- the technical processes of a generic SDLC model, contract development, outsourcing and package purchase as alternative approaches to providing information systems;
- the project management processes related to in-house and contract software development, software outsourcing, package acquisition and implementation;
- the requirements for ongoing management of the IT infrastructure of an organisation that takes appropriate advantage of technological innovation to address the short-term and long-term objectives of the business;
- IT professional ethics, and ethical issues in the management and use of IT within organisations.
Developed attitudes that enable them to:
- have a systematic approach to IT provisioning in a business whilst maintaining a pragmatic approach to business needs;
- critically assess the worth of technological innovations for their contribution towards meeting business objectives in both the short-term and the longer term;
- recognise the management of IT infrastructure as a corporate resource, and business information as critical to meeting business objectives;
- develop a project management approach to developing information systems that are appropriate to the organisations needs;
- maintain ethical principles and practices in IT management.
Developed the skills to:
- apply selected systems development techniques associated with SDLC-based system developments;
- model business processes using industry standard modelling conventions and a standard commercial business process modelling software package;
- determine requirements and specifying development or acquisition projects, using both traditional and innovative techniques and methods;
- apply project management techniques and using project management software.
Demonstrated the communication and teamwork skills necessary to:
- acquire understanding of the IT management and project management processes not only in terms of objective criteria like budgets, resources and software tools, but also as social activities and relationships involving individual, group and corporate-wide objectives and imperatives.
Assessment
Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%
Chief examiner(s)
Dr Mahbubur Rahim
Contact hours
2 hrs lectures/wk, 2 hrs laboratory/wk
Prohibitions
IMS9043
Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:
http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit9006
