IT Project Management

Information technology (IT) project management refers to the processes and techniques used in the beginning-to-end development of software or other systems. Project management is one of the key controls that ensures delivery of projects on time, on budget, and with full functionality. Th e purpose of project management is to identify, establish, coordinate, and monitor activities, tasks, and resources for a project to produce the product or services meeting the requirements. Eff ectively controlling projects requires a disciplined approach to project initiation, execution, implementation, and postimplementation. Th is includes having the right people involved, following standard project management processes, and using a set of project management tools for eff ective execution. Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (CT) recognizes project management as a process that impacts both the eff ectiveness and effi ciency of information systems and involves IT resources that include people, applications, technology, and operational facilities. It describes the controls over the IT process of managing projects that satisfy the organizational business requirement. It considers the following:

Business management sponsorship of project Program management Project management capabilities User involvement Task breakdown, milestone defi nition, and phase approvals Allocation of responsibilities Rigorous tracking of milestones and deliverables Cost and manpower budgets, and balancing internal and external resources Quality assurance plans and methods Program and project risk assessments Transition from development to operations (CT)

Th e CT process (PO10) in the Planning and Organization Domain discusses how project management processes support an eff ective IT organization. Exhibit 13.1 lists the key control objectives for this section.