Information Technology Project Management - Essay Example

Report Name Tutor Institution Course Date Executive Summary The four evaluation criterion for the methodologies that has been developed includes technology vision and leadership, technology management, technology infrastructure and data management. The methodologies that have been evaluation using the criteria include XP, SSADM and Prince 2. The evaluation indicates that prince 2 is the most suitable methodology for the hospital. During the evaluation, assumptions have been made that the hospital has full internet connectivity and an information technology team. Considering the needs of the hospitals is the major strength of the evaluation criteria. It weaknesses is the failure to capture some operational aspects of the hospital. Criteria for evaluating the methodologies Technology vision and leadership This criterion was selected since it incorporates the aspects of management and perception of the staff members regarding the methodologies. It also deals with the technological assets that are utilized in the methodology. The approach used in these criteria involves how the management and the staff members perceive the methodology. The methodology has to be viewed as an investment as opposed to being an expense (Staehr, 2010). This is considering that several assets will be required to support the methodologies. The assets include hardware, software, interfaces as other intellectual assets such as staff based expertise. The ability of the technology to support new components is also an aspect that is considered in these criteria. The ability of the methodology to achieve a link between technology and achieving the mission is also an approach in these evaluation criteria. This evaluation criterion also considers the aspects of technology enabled aspects as well as the engineering processes in the methodology. This is criteria is relevant to the hospital as it considers the aspects that are directly related to the operations. Technology management This criterion was selected since the technology usually undergoes changes from time to time. The changes require the technology to be managed effectively. Each methodology has its own needs regarding the management process (Staehr, 2010). The criteria therefore analyses the management needs of the methodology in relation to the capacity of the hospital. The criteria analyses the capacity of the hospital to in terms of the staff members required and the committee that may be set up to manage the technology. Accountability in terms of decision making with regards to technology is also considered through the use of this criteria. The budget required by the organization to manage the technology is also considered during the evaluation of the methodology. This involves the aspects of costs that are involved in the management of the methodology. The ability of the methodology to fit into the strategic planning of the organization is also an important aspect that is dealt with in these criteria. Each of the methodology has cost implications and hence the need for considering the ability of the organization to meet the requirements. Technology infrastructure The methodologies require an agency to have infrastructure that supports. The required infrastructure differs with each of the methodology. This criterion was selected as it provides information regards to the nature of the infrastructure that is required by each of the methodology. The evaluation criteria analyses the type of connectivity required to operate the methodology. Bandwidth and the internet are required by the methodologies in order for it to function (Staehr, 2010). The availability of such infrastructure at the hospital is an important aspect that needs to be considered when dealing with the methodologies. This is for the purposes of avoiding the use of methodologies that are not supported by the infrastructure that is available at the facility. The ability of the equipment to be up-to-date and interoperatable is also an approach that is involved in these evaluation criteria. Upgrades band replacements are required for some of the methodologies. This is an aspect that has to be considered in order to determine the requirements for the upgrades. The needs of different hospital are therefore an important aspect that is required in order to determine compatibility. Data management This criterion was selected due to the sensitive nature of the data that needs to be handled at the hospital. At the hospital confidential information of the patients has to be maintained. The criterion is thus useful in terms of determining the ability of the methodology to handle the data that will be generated at the hospital. The hospital has to documents all its data needs which have to be evaluated in relation to the methodologies. This is important in terms of ensuring the methodology has the capacity and capability to handle the information that will be required at the hospital. The methodology must also have a clearly defined and written procedure for entering the data (Schwalbe, 2013). The methodology must also have a mechanism of ensuring that accountability for the data system is maintained. The accountability of the data is useful in ensuring that all the information is well maintained. The criterion is therefore important in ensuring that all the information is handled as required. The methodology has to ensure the security of the data in order to guarantee that the information of the patients will not be accessed by unauthorized personnel. Methodologies XP This methodology meets the requirements if the users in terms of the technology vision and leadership. XP is a methodology that encourages the building and dissemination of the institutional knowledge among the development team. A shared view of the system that matches the views commonly held by the users of the system is also enhanced by XP (Schwalbe, 2013). In terms of technology management, the methodology has some difficulties that may affect the hospital. It is not possible to develop a realistic estimate of the work effort that is required to provide a quote. This is because of the difficulties involved in determining the scope requirement. This therefore makes it difficult to develop a budget and ensure that the strategic planning and accountability is attained. In some instances, XP is considered as a means to bleed money from the customers through lack of a properly defined deliverable product. Simplicity is however one of the main aspect that is associated with XP. This therefore makes it easy to use when a simple infrastructure is in place. The presence of reliable internet connectivity is enough to support XP. The hospital has the ability to obtain a reliable internet connectivity to support the methodology. XP has the ability to deal with the changes once proper coding is developed (Schwalbe, 2013). This is useful in ensuring that the data is well managed. It therefore has the ability to ensure that the management of the data is effective at all times. The data at the hospital can be managed well through the use of XP. SSADM In terms of technology vision and leadership, this methodology is effectives as it covers various aspects of the software and hardware. The staff requirements are considered during the development stages. This is therefore useful in ensuring that it is seen as an investment rather than an expense by the hospital. It can also be incorporated in the mission of the hospital in order to improve on its use. In terms of technology management, this methodology requires a committee to oversee its implementation. However the technology can also be utilized by the individuals in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. The logical data modeling concepts is utilized in order to ensure that the technology used is effective (Schwalbe, 2013). The estimates can also be developed and it can be incorporated in the strategic planning process of the organization. A lot of documentation is required for the purposes of ensuring that the processes are carried out effectively. The documentation therefore allows for the development of an infrastructure that supports the operations of an organization. Internet connectively is however an important aspect of infrastructure that the hospital must be equipped with. Data management is an important aspect of this methodology. Logical data modeling is an important aspect that is used in the model. This process ensures that all the data is accounted for and properly managed. The documentation process is also useful in enabling the organization to meet all the data requirements. PRNCE 2 In terms of technology leadership and vision, the methodology has principles that support the technology assets. This is achieved through the focus on the product that is tailored to suite the project environment. A clear link between the technology and the business is established through the use of the seven themes that are available in the methodology. In terms of the technology management, it requires the executive level personnel to form a management committee. An executive and a project manager have to be selected in order to manage the technology (Schwalbe, 2013). This is within the means of the hospital as it has senior level members of staff dealing with information technology aspects. Setting up project controls is also required when the methodology is being implemented. This therefore plays a vital role in ensuring that accountability is developed and a budget put in place. In terms of the infrastructure the methodology requires internet connectivity. High internet connectivity is useful in ensuring that the activities are carried out effectively. This methodology is up-to date with a lot of documentations being made. Data management is also one of the most important aspects of the methodology. Documentation is carried out in order to ensure the accountability of the data. The methodology ensures that all the data elements are clearly defined. The methodology is process driven and it also promotes business justification. The seven themes in the methodology ensure that the needs of the organization are met and the data well managed. It is recommended that the hospital should utilize this methodology as it meets all its needs. Assumptions made regarding the hospital Some assumptions regarding the hospital were made during the process of evaluating the hospital. One of the main assumptions that were made is that the hospital has an information technology department. There is also an assumption that the hospital has senior level information technology personnel who will be in charge of the committees developed. This assumption is important as each of the methodology requires the involvement of experts in the in the field of information technology. Assumptions have also been made regarding the capacity of the hospital in terms of the infrastructure. It has been assumed that the hospital has access to high internet connectivity to support the methodologies. It has also been assumed that the staff members will be able to utilize the methodology selected. In most of the organizations, the training of the staff members is usually carried out whenever a new system is put in place (Staehr, 2010). Assessment of the evaluation criteria The evaluation criterion that has been used has various advantages which make it reliable. The criteria have considered the needs of the hospital in relation to the methodologies. The technical aspects of the methodologies have also been considered which is useful in terms of determining the implementation capacity. The criteria used have also considered the vital aspects that could affect the operations of the hospital. Issues such as the management and security of the data have been considered in the evaluation criteria. However, the weakness of the criteria is its lack of all inclusiveness. The criteria have not considered some of the aspects of the methodology including their efficiency and limitation that may affect the operations at the hospital. An evaluation criterion must consider the crucial aspects in order to ensure that it is effective (Schwalbe, 2013). References Staehr, L., 2010. Understanding the role of managerial agency in achieving benefits from ERP Systems. Information System Journal, Vol 20(3), pp. 213-238. Schwalbe, K., 2013. Information technology project management. Cengage Learning. Read More