BTEC International Information Technology

UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Unit 9: IT Project Management

Delivery guidance
This mandatory unit for the Diploma and Extended Diploma is an opportunity for
learners to investigate the principles of project management and different project
management methodologies. The reality of IT projects is that without structure and
formal process, projects can flounder and fail. Throughout this unit you will support
learners in developing a range of essential project management skills based on these
five principles:

To deliver this unit, you will need to equip learners with the knowledge they need to
help them make the right decisions and identify and use the correct tools for project
management.
Learners will develop investigative skills, drawing on other units to support their design
activity and taking learning from units such as programming, computer games
development, social media in business, graphics, mobile apps development, websites
and animation to give them the technical skills they need to design and implement a
solution.
If there are opportunities to involve local employers as clients, this will enhance the
project and the learner experience.
It would be ideal if the class or course had a social media page, as this is a good way for
learners to share some of their documented outcomes as recommended in this guide
and the scheme of work.

1
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide
Issue 1 – June 2020© Pearson Education Limited 2020
 BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Approaching the unit

There are many examples of projects available to provide a business context for this
subject. Where possible, provide students with examples of successful projects as well
as ones that have failed. Both are valuable because they can be analysed against
methodologies and best practice.

This might include:

● Projects where the project activity lost sight of the client brief.
● Projects where the client repeatedly changed the brief (often adding new
functionality without understanding the impact that this would have on time and
cost).
● Projects that were undertaken without stakeholder support and buy-in.
● Projects that were successful, coming in on time and on or below budget.
This unit would benefit from learners having access to IT project managers who could
share their experiences and their 'lessons learned'.

Learning aim A: Investigate the principles and methodologies of IT project

management as used in industry
This learning aim investigates project methodologies and can be challenging to deliver
as the topic can be a little dry. It is essential that learners appreciate that there are
multiple ways to approach and manage projects and that some techniques are more
useful in certain situations than others.
Since the four methodologies to be studied have different approaches and
characteristics, a good way of teaching this is to provide an electronic ‘table’ which
learners will complete over the course of this topic and includes some of the key
points of comparison. For example, Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a
methodology that has a high requirement for physical resources, prototyping and
access to users. Therefore, this methodology might not suit a situation involving a
large number of stakeholders and future users across a large number of sites as this
would add to the cost. The waterfall methodology is intended to 'flow' towards
completion, which means it can be difficult to backtrack to an earlier point.
This topic can be made relevant with one or more guest speakers who work as IT
project managers. The learners could ask general questions about the role and the
types of projects that the managers have been involved with and then use their
knowledge of the methodologies to ask directed questions about whether particular
characteristics would have worked in the project manager's own activities. The types of
questions learners could include: ‘How many users were involved?’ , ‘What were the
timescales?’, ‘What were the key challenges?’, ‘Did the client change the brief – if so, how
– what was the impact on the project?’, ‘How many people were involved in the project
team?’, ‘What roles did they assume?’ and – an important question – ‘What did the
review highlight in terms of what could have been done differently?’. In addition,
learners could be given a project scenario and asked to choose and justify which
methodology would be the most appropriate.
Learners should understand that they need to be able to justify their choice of
methodology and that this will be reviewed as part of the review phase of the
project development process.
2
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide
Issue 1 – June 2020© Pearson Education Limited 2020
 BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

You could also investigate whether a representative from a training provider delivering
PRINCE2® courses could visit and tell learners about the courses and certification
(particularly as some learners may opt to study such a qualification alongside this
course or after completing it).
The final part of this learning aim focuses on the roles and responsibilities of
individuals involved in projects and project management across the whole
spectrum. You could prepare for this topic by downloading some job descriptions for
some of the roles, or by asking your employer contacts to provide some
recent job descriptions that they have used in their recruitment.

Learning aim B: Carry out a project initiation for an IT project

While it is likely that this learning aim will begin with an element of tutor-led
PowerPoint presentations, learning should be reinforced through practically
supporting the topic by giving a case study and allowing learners to put the theory into
immediate practice. Good case studies could include projects such as:
● A booking system for technical support tickets for users visiting a local Apple store
or other store providing IT technical support – this problem would have to manage
advance requests booked online against store drop-ins.
● An online polling system for a TV talent contest which requires members of
the public to vote online – this problem would have to manage a reducing
number of acts and possible carry-overs of votes from week to week.
● A project to create a search engine with specific functionality (for example, a
medical search engine or one for a specific hobby or interest)
– this might have complex searching and sorting requirements using various
algorithms.
● An interactive portal for a cloud-based storage company to manage technical
questions from customers - many companies have Facebook and Twitter
accounts and have to work within the constraints imposed by these social
media providers.
To prepare this task, you would need to set criteria and either act as the client during
the investigation or invite another tutor or member of the technical support team to
take that role.
Learners could then practice shaping the scope of the problem, carrying out a short
feasibility study and setting project requirements. Learners should consider at least two
possible solutions to enable them to make a reasoned judgement about the chosen
solution. As this is a practice, the learner would not be expected to write reports and
extended documentation but should be able to present what they have learned about
the problem and what they would include in a formal document.
You should consider asking learners to create and keep a reflective log where they can
write down their reflections about the project process. These logs will help greatly
during any review (otherwise they may well forget important aspects of the project
development). At a minimum, the log should record the week or date, activity and
comments, and learners should record both what went well and what went badly.

3
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide
Issue 1 – June 2020© Pearson Education Limited 2020
 BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Learning aim C: Carry out the planning, execution, monitoring and controlling of
an IT project, using an appropriate methodology
The topics in this section are relatively straightforward to teach in that they can be
taught in part through small group and whole class discussion, placing some of the
concepts in the learners’ own context – particularly the topics of planning, risk
assessment and the management of resources.
As this is the planning and implementation phase, the same case study used to support
the practical aspects of learning aim B could be used to support learning here.
Learners focus on prioritisation (the ordering of activity, processes that can happen
concurrently or where one process must be completed before another can begin),
planning and risk assessment before executing the project and managing the process
and the resources. The learners should not attempt to implement the whole project,
but only part of it, adjusting timescales accordingly. This will ensure that there will be
enough time available for the planning and implementation phase of the unit
assessment.

Learning aim D: Undertake the closure of a project by reflecting on the success

of personal performance and the project outcome

The final part of this unit is the review phase. To support learning in this area, you
should begin by using dictionaries (online or paper based) to define the word 'scope'
so that learners understand the full implications of setting project boundaries so that
the success or failure of the project can be measured and lessons can be learned.
A range of skills should be investigated. Learners should consider why time planning
and management is essential not only for projects, but in general (for example on
their course, or in a job situation).
This topic also requires learners to consider the behaviours of individuals involved in
project management. Ideally, you should have two or three project management job
descriptions available which outline the typical expected behaviours.
Learners should take part in a skills audit that helps them to identify their own
strengths and weaknesses, and which gives learners an opportunity to discuss areas
for personal development with either their unit tutor and/or their personal tutor.

The approach to this unit should include the following aspects:

● Practical aspects of this unit (excluding the unit assessment itself) would benefit
from being linked to a single case study that forms the basis for the practical
activity and enables learners to experience the flow of a project from project
initiation to review and closure.
● Learners will benefit from reading around the subject with a view to finding
examples of both successful and unsuccessful IT projects, which will develop an
understanding of potential pitfalls and challenges.
● There is no requirement to use IT- specific project management tools, although it
is recommended that learners use commercial project management software
such as Microsoft Project or a suitable local alternative as they would benefit
from exposure to these tools.
● Guest speakers who work in an IT project management role would enhance the

4
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide
Issue 1 – June 2020© Pearson Education Limited 2020
 BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

learner experience by giving real examples of theory put into practice.

● It would be beneficial to invite guest speakers who can introduce learners to an
associated qualification, for example, professionals who understand
Prince2® .
● Projects chosen for both learning and assessment should be realistic but
sufficiently challenging to stretch a level 3 learner. Assessment model (in
internally assessed units).

5
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide
Issue 1 – June 2020© Pearson Education Limited 2020
 BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Assessment model

Learning aim Key content areas Recommended assessment

approach
A Investigate the A1 Project definitions A written report on the
principles and Characteristics of investigation of
A2
methodologies of IT project principles and
project management as management methodologies of IT
used in industry methodologies project management as
A3 used in industry, using at
Project
least three different IT
management
projects as case studies.
structures
B Carry out a project B1 Project idea generation A project document
initiation for an IT and solution creation portfolio created from
project implementing either a ‘live’
B2 Feasibility study
or ‘simulated’ project using
B3 Project requirements an appropriate
methodology. Evidence will
include planning,
preparation, feasibility
studies, requirements and
records of processes
C Carry out the planning, C1 Project phasing
carried out during the
execution, monitoring Typical project
C2 planning and execution of a
and controlling of an IT management processes project
project, using an
Written or verbal reports
appropriate
should accompany the
methodology
evidence where
clarifications and
justifications are required,
and versioned document
control should be applied.
D Undertake the closure D1 Lessons learned from A written report or
of a project by reflecting implementing an IT presentation evaluating the
on the success of outcome of the ‘live’ or
project
personal performance ‘simulated’ project and
and the project outcome reflecting on personal
Performance.

6
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide
Issue 1 – June 2020© Pearson Education Limited 2020
 BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Assessment guidance
The assessment for this internally assessed unit would benefit from being divided into
three assignments as shown above.

Assignment 1 (Learning aim A):

A researched report focusing on three specific case studies about projects delivered using
different project management methodologies.
● The case studies should be real rather than simulated and should be drawn from news
articles or academic papers on the internet, IT professional/project management
websites or interviews with businesses.

● The learners should use a referencing methodology and provide a bibliography.

● The report should:

o show that the learner understands the key characteristics of the

methodologies and how they have been applied to the IT projects
o explain the project management structures as applied to IT projects
o compare the merits of the methodologies (looking at the benefits and
limitations of using a methodology) and evaluate their effectiveness and
contribution to the success or failure of the project. This will enable learners
to access higher grades.
● The report should follow a recognised format (either formal or informal) and should be
presented as a professional business document.
● Learners will need to access a range of both published and online sources to provide
the academic content.

Assignment 2 (Learning aims B and C):

The feasibility/planning/design and implementation phases of assessment will focus

on a business scenario (preferably real rather than simulated). This would enable
learners to interview their client to seek clarification about the project.

The evidence should be pulled together as a portfolio, containing documentation and

evidence as outlined below.
Using the scenario, the learners should:
● Undertake a feasibility study that should include the investigation of at least two
possible solutions, one of which should be chosen for development.
● Demonstrate planning/design of the proposed solution using appropriate
tools which may include benefits, diagrams, storyboards, flow charts and other
technical information. Screenshots or printouts from project management
software will also provide useful evidence.
● Consider risks and monitor the process to ensure quality.
● Implement and test the chosen solution appropriately, with relevant
technical documentation produced.
● Apply version control to documentation.

7
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide
Issue 1 – June 2020© Pearson Education Limited 2020
 BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Assignment 3:

This assignment would benefit from being developed as a written report or

presentation, with learners evaluating the outcome of the project and reflecting on
their own performance.
The evidence should:
● Explain the knowledge and project management skills and techniques used by
the learner in the development of the solution.
● Outline the behaviours demonstrated.
● Explore how issues were overcome and outline the lessons learned from
being active in the process

8
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide
Issue 1 – June 2020© Pearson Education Limited 2020
BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Getting started
This table gives you a starting point for one way of delivering the unit, based
around the recommended assessment approach in the specification.

Unit 9: IT Project Management

Introduction
Introduce the unit using a combination of short YouTube videos, news articles and
discussion Learners will use the internet to find examples of IT projects that have either
gone well or failed, which they will then share with the class. Learners should carry out an
initial skill and behaviors audit to capture their assessment of their own skills. The audit
should largely include generic skills and behaviours which would be relevant when
contributing to or managing a project. It should also include an element of technical skills,
although this can be achieved by simply providing a section where learners can list the
technical skills they are good at. This process will be repeated at the end of the unit using
the same document.

Learning aim A

A1: Project definitions

● Define project and give examples of common IT projects.
● Present the phases of the project lifecycle.
● Guest speaker gives a presentation to learners on the role of a project manager,
followed by an opportunity for learners to ask questions to clarify points and
enhance their understanding of the role and its challenges.
● Learners explore project management software.

A2: Characteristics of project management methodologies

Before embarking on this topic, give learners a prepared electronic table that will allow
them to capture the key points of comparison (such as suitability against timescale or size
of user group).
Projects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2®)
● Guest speaker from ILX Prince2® to outline the main characteristics of this
methodology. Alternatively, use the four videos listed in the Resources section of this
delivery guide.
● Learners work in groups to explore one of the suggested UK organisational case
studies (links provided in the scheme of work) and create a PowerPoint presentation
focusing on the case study they were allocated, which they then present to the class.
● Using all of the research and resources used in previous activities, learners work in
groups to create a visual media artefact that demonstrates their understanding of the
Prince2® methodology.
● Learners make their own notes on the electronic table.
Rapid Application Development (RAD)
● Tutor presentation on the principles, tools and techniques of RAD.
● Learners carry out individual research into CASE tools.
● Learners should work in small groups to investigate RAD tools in software
9
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide –
Issue 1 – June 2020 © Pearson Education Limited 2020
BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

development. A video that explains RAD in Delphi is provided in the scheme of work
and learners will then explore the programming environments they use in class and
the RAD tools available.
● Using all of the research and resources used in previous activities for this topic,
learners work in groups to create an audio media artefact that demonstrates their
understanding of the RAD methodology.
● Artefact created in the final activity should be presented to the class for feedback.
Learners make their own notes on the electronic table.
Waterfall
● Learners carry out individual research into the waterfall methodology using one
resource provided in the scheme of work, but finding an additional two sources to
complete the activity.
● A tutor-led class discussion on one of the key disadvantages of the waterfall
methodology follows, using a 10-minute video (which can be found on YouTube)
illustrating scope creep, followed by further discussion and a 7.5- minute video that
outlines strategies to avoid this risk in a project.
● Using all of the research and resources from previous activities for this topic,
learners work in groups to create a text-based artefact that demonstrates their
understanding of the waterfall methodology and, in particular, how client
expectations need to be managed to stay within the constraints of the
methodology during the project.
● Artefact created in the final activity should be presented to the class for feedback.
● Learners make their own notes on the electronic table.
Agile
● Small group work to investigate the Agile methodology and the two key variations that
are commonly used in industry. Learners prepare teaching materials to later teach
other members of the class about the methodology they have chosen (or have been
allocated). Some initial links to resources have been provided in the scheme of work.
● Learners use the teaching materials they developed in the previous activity to
'teach' the class.
● Learners make their own notes on the electronic table.
● You should ask learners to carry out a short activity (which could be delivered as a mini-
project) in which they prepare a PowerPoint presentation to demonstrate their
understanding of the Agile methodology, enhancing it with case studies were possible.
The PowerPoint presentation should be presented to the class for feedback.
● To complete the topic, you could ask learners to write an article for a sector journal that
formally compares the four methodologies. The completed article should be published on
a class social media page.

A3: Project management structures

User requirements:
● This is a relatively short but important topic and would be best delivered as a short
PowerPoint presentation that stresses the difference between functional and non-
functional requirements.

10
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide –
Issue 1 – June 2020 © Pearson Education Limited 2020
BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project job roles and responsibilities

● Small group activity focusing on investigating job roles for individuals involved in
project development and stakeholders. Learners will collaborate within groups to
create job descriptions (link to a sector-based professional website provided in the
scheme of work). The completed job descriptions will be lodged in a job bank.
Quality assurance, testing and deployment

● To complete the learning aim you will lead a discussion on managing project quality,
project testing and deployment. Several links have been included in the scheme of
work, providing the source materials to be used in the discussion.

Learning aim B

B1: Project idea generation and solution creation

● In preparing for this topic, you should consider asking learners to create and keep a
personal reflective log that they will use when they carry out a feasibility study, create
project requirements and then plan, execute, monitor and control their IT project.
While this is not compulsory, completing such a log will help learners extensively for
learning aim D at the end of this unit.
● You will lead a discussion on project ideas. Four ideas have been provided in this
document (see Delivery Guidance), although you are free to include ideas of your own
(projects you may have previously used or projects that the learners themselves
might suggest).
● Learners work in small groups to investigate the problem idea from three perspectives.
Limiting the number of project ideas and allocating the projects used to more than one
group will create an opportunity to compare the research carried out by the groups
sharing the same project, thereby enabling learners to tweak their projects (if they missed
anything key), although you should ask them to stay with their core idea.

B2: Feasibility study

● Create a presentation for learners to prepare them for carrying out the processes
involved in a feasibility study: technical, economic, legal, operational, scheduling,
sustainability, security and usability. You will need to issue a feasibility study
template that they will use to record their study, although they are only required to
write notes under each section (not produce a full feasibility report). NB – learners
should explore the impact of any local legislation that may impact the project.
● Learners carry out a feasibility study within their groups and recommend two
possible solutions. If further support is needed, there are two links to content in the
scheme of work to help them in this activity.
● You will need to look over the feasibility studies between the end of this session and
the start of the next to ensure that learners are on the right track. There is no
requirement for the interpretation of the project to be the same for all groups, but
the study and recommendations should make sense before learners move on to
project requirements.

11
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide –
Issue 1 – June 2020 © Pearson Education Limited 2020
BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

B3: Project requirements

● Prepare a project requirements template and walk learners through the sections in the
document. There are many online templates that you can adapt and use with your
class. Once you have a suitable template, walk and talk learners through the document,
explaining what it is and what should be included.
● Learners work in their groups to finalise the requirements using the document. The
minimum content is defined in the scheme of work and learners should be instructed
to include at least two visual elements from those listed in the spec (diagram, sketch,
photograph, storyboard). The document will be completed in note form with
supporting diagrams.

Learning aim C

C1: Project phasing

● Prepare a PowerPoint presentation (although this could be a worksheet or other
suitable product) and introduce learners to the concept of functional and non-
functional requirements. Links for source materials have been provided in the
scheme of work.
● You will need to prepare a list of project requirements for learners to use in the
paired activity. A presentation/slide number has been provided which could be
used to produce this list (and which essentially provides the answer for you).
● Working in their small groups, learners then create a functional versus non-
functional requirements list, based on the project requirements document they
created in the previous lesson.

C2: Typical project management processes

Typical project management processes
● Understanding how to manage a project is formalised through the use of recognised
project management processes. Learners work in pairs or small groups to investigate
the project management processes. They should create a PowerPoint presentation
targeted at a group of newly recruited project coordinators. Each pair or group should
use the presentation slides to explain each of the processes. The final version should be
presented to the class.
Planning and monitoring project management processes
● Present the tools used to plan and monitor a project, demonstrating as many of them
as possible from a practical perspective, or sharing documented examples with learners
that you can walk through with them. What is a resource plan? What are the
components? Why are time plans essential? What is a contingency and how can it be
factored into a project? How are constraints identified and what happens if further
constraints are uncovered during the project? How do you decide appropriate intervals
for monitoring and control? Are they always the same intervals or should they vary?
● Learners should practice Gantt charting and critical path analysis using exercises and
tutorials (see links in Resources section of this delivery guide).
● As practitioners, learners will have to become resourceful, creating online and
paper- based information capture or recording documents to suit different
situations. They may achieve this by simply using resources they find online – but it
is more likely that they will need to analyse existing documentation and adapt it to
make it more relevant to the situation. The activity requires learners to collaborate
12
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide –
Issue 1 – June 2020 © Pearson Education Limited 2020
BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

as a class to produce supporting documentation that they will ultimately all use as
part of their assessed projects.
● Once completed, learners critique the products so that improvements can be made to
produce final versions.
Risk and issue processes
● Using videos and web content to stimulate discussion, you should discuss the whole
concept of risk, risk severity and contingency with learners from a project and
general business perspective. It will help to contextualise risk with personal
examples. Links have been provided for you to use for this topic.
● It is useful if learners can investigate at least one project management tool in this area,
such as the one listed in the scheme of work from the mindtools website. You can
suggest a suitable alternative if one is available on your centre's systems.
● Learners should practice risk assessment by working with their small group on the
scenario they have been using for practicing the various components of a project. They
should share their assessments with the class, who can sense check for any obvious
omissions.
Execution and management processes for a project
● Learners should carry out individual research (preferably using multiple sources) to
develop a personal checklist of factors that they believe can influence the success of a
project. The checklists should be discussed by the class to highlight similarities and
omissions.
● Learners share their checklist with the class. The class then collaborate to identify
the most important aspects of the checklist and then create a final version that
should be uploaded onto a shared drive or the class social media page.

Learning aim D

D1: Lessons learned from implementing an IT project

● You should now reissue the skills and behaviours audit completed by learners in the
first session so that they can revisit the document and make additional
observations about where and how they feel they have improved, such as time
planning and management, communication, problem-solving and leadership skills.
● Learners should use the internet (or the centre's own learning centre resources if
applicable) and identify sources such as videos or other materials that would help them
to improve the skills they identified as needing improvement. A combined list of
resources from all learners should be published and/or shared with the class.

13
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide –
Issue 1 – June 2020 © Pearson Education Limited 2020
BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Details of links to other BTEC units and qualifications, and to

other relevant units/qualifications
Depending on the choice of project, the following units will provide useful
underpinning knowledge and skills that can be drawn on to create the
deliverables:
● Unit 1: Information Technology Systems – Strategy Management and Infrastructure
● Unit 2: Creating Systems to Manage Information
● Unit 3: Using Social Media in Business
● Unit 4: Programming
● Unit 6: Website Development
● Unit 7: Mobile Apps Development
● Unit 8: Computer Games Development
● Unit 11: Cyber Security and Incident Management
● Unit 13: Software Testing
● Unit 14: Customising and Integrating Applications
● Unit 15: Cloud Storage and Collaboration Tools
● Unit 18: The Internet of Things.

Further/complimentary study could include:

● Prince2®

14
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide –
Issue 1 – June 2020 © Pearson Education Limited 2020
BTEC International Information Technology
UNIT 9: IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Resources
Journals
There are a number of online project management journals that could be considered,
but all involve a fee – for example:
● Project, the official journal of the Association for Project Management (APM)

Videos
With the exception of the last video (which is generic and provides hints and tips for
project managers), the videos below introduce project management concepts in
relatively short, manageable parts that are ideal for setting as homework tasks.
● Agile project management tutorial: What is agile project management? (4
minutes)
YouTube:
● Prince2 project management explained - introduction (3 minutes)

● Prince2 project management explained - principles (6.5 minutes)

● Prince2 project management explained - themes (5 minutes)

● Prince2 project management explained - processes (5 minutes)

● Project management basics for beginners: 13 simple project

management tips (5.5 minutes

Websites

Search for the ‘Critical Path Method’ website – this site provides a problem with
solution for learners to practice critical path analysis.

Go to the Mindtools website and search for ‘Project Management: Delivering Complex
Projects Successfully’ – a series of digital tools to support a range of business
processes including project management.

Go to the ‘project ideas blog’ website and search for ‘IT Projects for Students’ – a number
of ideas for projects. Projects in blue can be clicked to show some demo systems to
provide an element of inspiration. Projects in black have no demo option.
Go to the Guardian website and search for ‘Fred Brooks – complex software
projects’ for an article on why big IT projects always go wrong – an interesting
article that explores the challenges and potential pitfalls of undertaking large-
scale IT projects.

Pearson is not responsible for the content of any external internet sites. It is essential for tutors to preview each
website before using it in class so as to ensure that the URL is still accurate, relevant and appropriate. We suggest that
tutors bookmark useful websites and consider enabling learners to access them through the school/college intranet.

15
Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Qualifications in Information Technology – Delivery Guide
Issue 1 – June 2020 © Pearson Education Limited 2020