2-The Project Management and Information Technology Context

matrix organizational structure

An organizational structure in which employees are assigned to both functional and project managers

systems philosophy

An overall model for thinking about things as systems

politics

Competition between groups or individuals for power and leadership

structural frame

Deals with how the organization is structured (usually depicted in an organizational chart) and focuses on different groups' roles and responsibilities to meet the goals and policies set by top management

human resources frame

Focuses on producing harmony between the needs of the organization and the needs of the people

offshoring

Outsourcing from another country

systems

Sets of interacting components working within an environment to fulfill some purpose

systems thinking

Taking a holistic view of an organization to effectively handle complex situations

project feasibility

The first two phases in a project (concept and development) that focus on planning

project acquisition

The last two phases in a project (implementation and close-out) that focus on delivering the actual work

outsourcing

When an organization acquires goods and/or sources from an outside source

project life cycle

"A collection of project phases, such as concept, development, implementation, and close-out"

systems approach

"A holistic and analytical approach to solving complex problems that includes using a systems philosophy, systems analysis, and systems management"

Agile software development

"A method for software development that uses new approaches, focusing on close collaboration between programming teams and business experts"

systems analysis

"A problem-solving approach that requires defining the scope of the system to be studied, and then dividing it into its component parts for identifying and evaluating its problems, opportunities, constraints, and needs"

deliverable

"A product or service, such as a technical report, a training session, a piece of hardware, or a segment of software code, produced or provided as part of a project"

organizational culture

"A set of shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that characterize the functioning of an organization"

IT governance

"Addresses the authority and control for key IT activities in organizations, including IT infrastructure, IT use, and project management"

systems management

"Addressing the business, technological, and organizational issues associated with creating, maintaining, and making changes to a system"

functional organizational structure

"An organizational structure that groups people by functional areas such as information technology, manufacturing, engineering, and human resources"

project organizational structure

"An organizational structure that groups people by major projects, such as specific aircraft programs"

symbolic frame

"Focuses on the symbols, meanings, and culture of an organization"

phase exit

"Management review that should occur after each project phase to determine if projects hold be continued, redirected, or terminated; also called a kill point"

kill point

"Management review that should occur after each project phase to determine if projects should be continued, redirected, or terminated; also called a phase exit"

systems development lifecycle (SDLC)

A framework for describing the phases involved in developing and maintaining information systems

virtual team

A group of individuals who work across time and space using communication technologies

executive steering committee

A group of senior executives from various parts of the organization who regularly review important corporate projects and issues

champion

A senior manager who acts as a key proponent for a project

adaptive software development (ASD)

A software development approach used when requirements cannot be clearly expressed early in the life cycle

predictive life cycle

A software development approach used when the scope of the project can be clearly articulated and the schedule and cost can be accurately predicted

political frame

Addresses organizational and personal politics