CISSE Intermediate Level
Research and Project Management cheat sheet
Every chapter's key points, formulas and definitions on one page, for the last week before the exam. Each heading links to the chapter that explains it.
The business context of an IS project
- Every worthwhile IS project traces back to a genuine business-strategy need; a project with no traceable link is an early warning sign that it may not deliver real business value.
- IS projects include new system development, system enhancement, system migration or replacement, infrastructure projects, and compliance or regulatory projects driven by a legal or standards requirement.
- A project is a temporary endeavour creating a unique result, a programme is a group of related projects managed together for benefits none could deliver alone, and a portfolio is the organisation's full collection of projects and programmes.
- A Programme and Project Support Office (PPSO, sometimes called a PMO) supplies standard tools, templates, methodology guidance and reporting support, so project managers can focus on delivery.
- PRINCE2 rests on seven principles: continued business justification, learn from experience, defined roles and responsibilities, manage by stages, manage by exception, focus on products, and tailor to suit the project environment.
Key terms
- Project
- A temporary endeavour with a defined start and end, undertaken to create a unique product, service or result, distinct from ongoing operational work.
- Programme
- A group of related projects managed together to achieve benefits none of the individual projects could deliver alone.
- Portfolio
- The full collection of an organisation's projects and programmes, managed together to achieve strategic objectives.
The rest of the sheet covers
- The business case
- The project management process
- Project scoping
- Developing a realistic plan
- Estimating the project
- Developing a schedule
- Monitoring and control against a plan
- Risk analysis
- The human dimension
- Quality management
- Managing suppliers
- Worked examples
- Exam technique and revision
- Glossary