Business analysts, customer journey managers, project leaders, business change managers and anyone who needs a thorough grounding in project management principles. Foundation in IS Project Management is also a Knowledge-Based module on the BCS (ISEB) International Diploma in Business Analysis.

The Foundation in IS Project Management course is an ideal introduction to the core IS and IT project management principles. 
Over three days of investigation and learning, using a realistic case study, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of common IS project management issues. Learn about the nature of projects and project work, monitoring and control, quality issues, project organisation and communication and more.
Presented by one of our expert training consultants, who bring substantial practical knowledge of project planning and management to this programme.

AssistKD's Foundation in IS Project Management online learning course focuses on project management issues in the context of IS/IT applications. Key course areas include:

• the nature of projects and project work
• effective project planning
• monitoring and control
• change control
• configuration management
• quality issues
• project estimation and risk
• project organisation and communication

The course acts as an important first stepping stone in acquiring a more formal knowledge of IS/IT project management principles and is ideal for those about to take up a management role for the first time.

To give you more of an idea of what you’ll learn and how the course will help you, here’s a quick guide.

For virtual courses a printed copy of the latest edition of the comprehensive course manual will be sent to your home address in good time for the start of your course. Our delegates tell us that having access to a physical document is beneficial as both a reference document and for taking notes during the course. In addition, a link will be emailed to you to enable you to access an electronic copy of the same comprehensive manual for convenient future reference.

Yes. During this course you’ll receive all the training you need to prepare for the BCS Foundation in IS Project Management certificate multiple choice examination. A pass means a Foundation certificate in IS Project Management which is part of the BCS Professional Certification portfolio, but it contributes to your BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis too.

For delegates attending a classroom, virtual classroom or eLearning course, the exam may be taken remotely using the BCS online proctoring service. This exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions with a pass mark of 26/40.

Prior to the course start date, delegates can request 14 days complimentary online access to this module to allow them to familiarise themselves with the syllabus. You’ll also be given a comprehensive IS Project Management course manual, containing additional information and guidance on further reading. In addition, you will receive a copy of the BCS textbook ‘Project Management for IT-Related Projects’, which supports the syllabus of the course.

If this course is part of your BCS Diploma in Business Analysis programme you have a choice of further modules which include the core BA Diploma modules, Business Analysis Practice and Requirements Engineering. Candidates who have already completed the Foundation in IS Project Management also need to pass one of the Specialist Practitioner modules, from Benefits Management and Business Acceptance, Systems Modelling Techniques, Modelling Business Processes, Systems Development Essentials and Data Management Essentials. The structure of the certification is shown here.

Foundation in IS Project Management (a three-day course)

Course Content

Project environment

• Characteristics of a project; the ‘triple constraint’ of time/cost/quality
• Project and operational responsibilities
• Special features of computer projects
• Role of the Project Manager
• Project success and failure
• Development lifecycles

Project initiation

• Stakeholder analysis and management
• Defining the objectives and scope of the project
• The role of the Client and their responsibilities
• Project constraints and resources
• Project Initiation Document

Project planning

• The importance of breaking work down
• Product breakdown structures
• Project and User deliverables
• Standard deliverable sets and templates
• Product flows and work packages
• The concept of dependencies

Estimating deliverables

• Key concepts in estimating
• Estimating difficulties
• Estimating by analogy
• Parametric estimating
• Effort and elapsed time estimates
• Schedule compression

Planning networks and charts

• Precedence diagrams and project networks
• The critical path and its implications
• Gantt charts and resource histograms
• Planning at an appropriate level
• The use and abuse of planning software

Working in teams

• The elements of a good team
• Team composition
• Team roles

Motivation and management style

• The roots of motivation at work
• Approaches to motivation (Maslow, Herzberg)
• The effect of management style

Project risk management

• Purpose of risk management
• Risk management process
• Identifying and assessing risks
• Introduction to quantitative risk assessment

Project quality plans

• Principles of quality management
• The contents of a quality plan
• Quality Management
• Configuration management

The project plan

• Elements of a project plan (schedule, quality, risk)
• Contents and structure of a project plan

Project monitoring, reporting and control

• The importance of monitoring and control
• Allocating personal deliverables
• Progress measurement
• Time recording
• Introduction to earned value analysis
• Dealing with non-delivery
• Slippage and re-planning – corrective actions
• Change control, scope creep and over-engineering
• Reporting structures

Project completion

• Project sign-off and the need for a controlled close
• Post-project reviews

The project manager

• The project manager’s role revisited
• Qualities and characteristics of effective project managers

©Assist Knowledge Development Ltd.

This course was written by our team of training consultants, who bring their substantial experience of business analysis projects to the programme.

The questions within the course were also written be experienced BCS examiners. This helps users to thoroughly prepare for the examination.