In a broader term, Project Management means applying all available skills, experience, and knowledge to fulfill and realize a given project. A project is a finite product with a previously negotiated timescale, parameters, and budget, which must maintain the agreed criteria. In the case of Information Technology (IT), project management is concerned with every step of IT product realization, starting with the planning, scheduling, recruiting, organizing, monitoring, and reporting the final IT project. IT project management deals with IT projects concerned with IT infrastructure, computer systems, and databases. Examples of IT projects are web development, software development, software implementation, database management, IT emergency recovery, etc. IT Project management requires more skills, ability, and organization than other types of project management as the managers have to cope with possible risks, software configurations, and a wide range of information and databases.
The project of my particular interest is also connected with Information Technology. The project’s outcome is to create an online platform for people interested in learning coding, front-end and back-end development, and data analytics. This project can help people to gain enough knowledge and expertise to learn IT and find a job in this sphere in the future. The project aims to create a platform to connect programmers and teachers worldwide with students eager to acquire programming. One of the main features of this project is that people who accomplish the courses will be able to get certificates and will be able to find jobs in the future. The project will operate in the USA; however, its goal is to reach more countries in the future, creating an excellent opportunity for a wide range of people. As the sphere of Information Technology is rapidly changing and developing, there is a huge demand for professionals nowadays in the job market.
A crucial part of every project’s success is creating the project plan. It is an initial and formal step in project management. During this phase, it is important to identify all the possible risks and challenges that should be encountered. Several issues are specific to the field of IT Project Management: dependencies of IT components on each other and unavailability of enough expertise. An inevitable part of all IT projects is facing bugs and inaccuracies, and tackling them can be especially challenging in IT as all the components are interrelated. If a mistake is made in the initial steps, the project must be remade from the beginning. The second challenge is connected to the shortage of experts and professionals. Since the IT sphere is still developing, finding proficient team members can be problematic and costly.
In the case of the above-mentioned IT project, two possible risks should be taken into account and eliminated for the successful realization of the project: the possibility of students cheating and the high level of competition in the market. The first issue is likely to occur when students taking the courses do it because they desire to get the certificate without any effort. However, this risk can be mitigated by implementing weekly testing and questionnaires in the learning curricula. In addition, more practical tasks can also help to recognize a cheating student. If the first problem is connected with the internal constraints, the second risk is an outcome of the external market operation. Many programming schools and learning centers exist, and different online learning platforms, such as Coursera, offer a wide range of programming classes. Our suggested platform, however, will be distinct from others because it will not include previously recorded videos but will offer online courses with the top programmers and professionals.
A good and effective project manager can deal with project challenges. The most important traits inherent to this project manager are excellent communication and team-building skills. A good project manager should be able to communicate with people from all levels to mitigate the current issue. As team leaders, they should be able to find an approach to every team member and recognize their strengths and weaknesses. Communication skill is essential in negotiation with the stakeholders and clients as well. Secondly, a good project manager should be able to delegate tasks between team members effectively to ensure that everyone is in the right place and can fulfill the given mission till the deadline.