Draft Qualitative Proposal
This proposal will be based on the management of IT projects. Companies have to take to consideration to difficult model of the concerns that organizations face when managing projects and survival of the company.
Research questions and hypotheses
A several research questions could be formulated from this for instance:
What does project management hold for the future?
Project management has made it possible for a number of developments to take place like education, as well as instill skills for company staff more so in IT. It is with these skills that the future is bound to be developed and become a much improved place.
What are the hindrances to the meeting of this future?
With stringent efforts being put in place to advance companies, there are bound to be a number of challenges on the way, more so taking into consideration the global stage that has a wide range and contrasting cultures, language and policies. Though beneficial in terms of cost, these challenges are rampant in taking manufacturing to other countries.
What are the strategies being put in place so as to manage these challenges?
Even with these challenges causing discomfort in the companies, there are several steps that have to be put in place so as to remain competitive in the market. In the case of high costs that are experienced in global management of IT, they are managed and allow for goods to be more desirable than the ones from the competitor.
What research methods will be used?
With information technology being a great factor in the advancement of management tendencies, information that is acquired has to be accurate and in accordance with the decision making process. A number of companies will be applied so as to know where the technology has to be applied to elevate it. Internal and external information will be acquired from a number of US companies.
Experimental Design
The project can be tested using the varied types of experimental designs in project management that offers complete integration of the project management activities. The experiment enhances a number of experiments stated in the methods to be applied for assessment of the IT environment advanced at the varied companies (Baumann, and Al-Masoud, 2010). The methods involves two sections; an environment free description of an advancement case to be undertaken and assessed method and questions, and the application of the experiment to varied settings and an analysis of the outcome.
In this project the experimental design applied is the “Competency-Based Engineering Design Projects”. This design describes the strategic planning of the project in group-basis as a way to acquire design competence. In the framework six elements have been applied: Title, Abstract, Objectives, process, product expected and resources to be applied and challenges. The last three are core to the project management considering length, time and cost (Del Vecchio, 1997). Moreover, added to the work are design processes for noting precise aspects in planning and conducting the experiments.
Target Population
The target population of the IT project management project is students. This is since a number of university students have applied project management into their course work in a number of degree courses, from individual project management to group work design projects. The design of the experiment is commonly found in laboratory –based and experimentation courses. The recruitment of these students will be based on their ability to design and perform experiments in addition to their ability to evaluate the information that is acquired. The students will be undertaking their operations in groups as well as individually and should hence show ability of skill and expertise to work individually and in groups.
In all of the IT programs or projects there have show that the students have the capability to design and undertake experiments, as well as assess and interpret information. In a team method application to design or experimenting, the group members add onto the aspects of potential aspects that will impact the ultimate design or outcome. The design process involves two processes: designing the setting aspect of the experiment which is composed of noting and categorizing the project management operations, definition of the assessment method to be used and designing an experiment that is not reliant on the setting. The other process is validation of the design of the IT project management experiment which is composed of undertaking internal and external data collection, instantiating the experiment on a number of settings and assessment of the settings with regard to the methods applied as well as the experiment.
Data Collection Method – Focus Group Discussion
This form of data collection method is for stakeholders in the Information Technology industry so as to articulate their opinion on the goal of the project, the number of individuals that are involved in focus-group ranges from 8-15 students. This method in application will be used so as to know firsthand information regarding what the future holds regarding to project management, and the challenges that they face. The students have a great opportunity in terms of their experience and skills to know what steps ought to be applied so as to alleviate these challenges.
They significance to having a working focus group period is to make sure that there are no students who control the discussion. Hence, keen moderation is vital to the efficiency of the students. Another vital success factor is the discussion not being based on prior notions; rather, they ought to be applied to get a better understanding. The students ought not to agree or disagree, but be created on the opinion brought about.
In the focus groups data collection method, a large amount of information may be acquired. The most important thing is that the participants are acquired in the best manner. Moderation in these focus groups looks into politically accurate answers. Active listening is vital as it limits common communication mistakes.
The focus groups discussion involves the use of note taking from the students. The individuals taking the notes will apply debriefing forms that will be vital in assisting one to be consistent and thorough on the issue that the focus group will discuss at every session (Billson, 2004). The notes are applied two reasons; to assist them to adjust and advance as they undertake the next session. The notes are shared and reviewed in the staff meetings and when the individuals and students discuss the outcome or issues that they have. This is vital to research so as to have a sense of what is working and not working well, what needs follow-up and the issues that arise are vitally necessary. The training of the students has to be thorough so as to make sure that consistency of the processes, incentives and sampling.
The research applies a uniform moderator’s guide with focus being accorded to main issue so as to acquire project integrity. This guide has been applied in previous experiments as a moderator hence consistency with the previous experiments is ensured. The focus group discussion was chosen since with the moderator, ideas can be acquired from the group. Motivations, feelings and values can be acquired in the verbal details by the students in a skillful analysis of what is said. The students would be in a good position stimulate each other into exchange of ideas which would not be gotten form interviews and surveys (Feller, 1988). The ideas acquired may be applied for additional focus. The focus groups offer an in-depth look into the area of research and assist to contextualize the information acquired. Alternative method would be the use of interviews as it would acquire one-on-one information from the participants.
Quality and reliability of Information
The quality and reliability of the data acquired will be acquired in the process used. The planning of the process in noting the quality standards are vital to the project and knowing how to meet them. The inputs used the methods and outcome. The assurance of the process in assessing the project performance on a constant basis will offer confidence that the project will be able to meet the appropriate quality levels. Finally, the measures applied in control of the process in terms of monitoring the projects to know if they meet the appropriate quality standards and noting ways to do away aspects of unsatisfactory performance.
Data Analysis
Analysis will be based on a series of steps: age analysis which accords information on how long the issue has been present (H u g h e s, et al , 2004). Since issue is based on the problems faced in the IT project management, sensitivity analysis will help to get an understanding of the matter and ways to handle it. In domain analysis, the issues are then categorized into sections that would be necessary in resolving and knowing the origin of the issues. This is connected to source analysis. Influence analysis helps to know how the issues noted may be influenced by the stakeholders.
Target Audience
The target audience would be the project managers who take part in Information Technology projects, desiring to advance their expertise and skills in the management of projects.
Reference
Baumann, P. and Al-Masoud, N. (2010). Design of Experiment and Project Management Methodologies Support a Senior Project Research Course and Its Assessment. American Society for Engineering Education. Retrieved from http://ftp.sei.cmu.edu/pub/documents/88.reports/pdf
Billson, Janet Mancini (2004). The Power of Focus Groups: A Training Manual for Social and Policy Research: Focus on International Development (4th edition). Barrington, RI: Skywood Press.
Del Vecchio, R. J. (1997). Understanding Design of Experiments: A Primer for Technologists. Cincinnati, OH: Hanser/Gardner Publications, pp. 77-82.
Feller, P. (1988). The Project Management Experiment. Technical Report. Retrieved from: http://www.ftp://ftp.sei.cmu.edu/pub/documents/88.reports/pdf/tr07.88.pdf
H u g h e s, B., Ireland, R., and W e s t, B., (2004). Project Management for It-Related Projects: Textbook for the ISEB Foundation Certificate in Is Project Management. Wilshire: BCS, the Chartered Institute