WM9B3-15 Agile Project Management & Consultancy
Introductory description
Modern solution development, particularly for eCommerce applications, depends significantly on the practices of agile development and DevOps. Additionally, the success of such projects is dependent on successfully capturing, and delivering upon, the needs of the customer/end-users. In other words, such projects require developers and analysts to utilise consultancy skills such as requirements elicitation and soft systems thinking. As such, the module covers an important need in the overall eBusiness Management curricula, and the eCommerce & Digital Analytics specialism in particular, for students on a more technical pathway to gain experience in these key new technologies and approaches that are in high demand among employers.
Module aims
This module aims to explore the changes in modern software projects through a mixture of lectures, seminars, case studies, and hands-on lab sessions. The key themes will include:
- The agile methodology, DevOps and DataOps
- Version control systems (with GitHub)
- User story mapping
- Project planning and kanban boards
- System analysis
- Consultancy
- Digital analytics
The module will conclude with a hands-on, capstone project completed in teams. The project brings together all of these technologies and techniques to develop a full project implementation plan
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
- Project management for software development
- The agile methodology and DevOps
- User story mapping
- Requirements mapping
- Consultancy for eCommerce and Digital Analytics
- Data analysis for consultancy projects
- Project planning and kanban boards
- A practical simulation of the above topics.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of digital consultancy and project management concepts
- Critically evaluate software development lifecycle practices, and design conceptual and practical agile workflows
- Interpret and evaluate complex organisational problems and requirements
- Demonstrate a sound conceptual understanding of the forefront of digital consultancy practice and their application in real-world scenarios
- Critically evaluate the systematic and operational risks associated with digital transformations and develop comprehensive mitigation strategies
Interdisciplinary
A mixture of technology/computing topics and business topics
International
Topics are of high international demand
Subject specific skills
IT architecture, agile, DevOps, cloud computing, consultancy, soft systems
Transferable skills
Presentation skills, consultancy skills, research, teamwork, IT architecture, critical thinking
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 sessions of 1 hour (13%) |
| Seminars | 10 sessions of 1 hour (7%) |
| Online learning (independent) | 60 sessions of 1 hour (40%) |
| Assessment | 60 hours (40%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
No private study requirements defined for this module.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A2
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retrospective | 20% | 12 hours | No |
|
A presentation demonstrating the work completed and reflecting on the project plan and how it can be improved |
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| Business Report | 50% | 30 hours | Yes (extension) |
|
A business-style report discussing core topics in agile project management and consultancy |
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| Development of online project tools | 20% | 12 hours | No |
|
Creation of online content via Kanban boards, wikis and other tools to support a project plan and chart development |
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| Group consultancy project | 10% | 6 hours | No |
|
Presentation of the results of a group consultancy project |
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Assessment group R2
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Report | 100% | Yes (extension) | |
|
A business-style report discussing core topics in agile project management and consultancy |
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Feedback on assessment
Verbal feedback for in-module element. Written feedback and annotated scripts for post-module element
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 1 of TWMS-H1S4 Postgraduate Taught e-Business Management (Full-time)