Computer Ethics and IT Project Management

IT Project Management

Project Management

Application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.

IT Project Management

IT project management is a sub-discipline of project management in which information technology projects are planned, monitored and controlled

Some ITPM Statistics

Total global spending on technology goods, services, and staff in 2007 was projected to have an 8% increase in 2008.

In the US, unemployment rates in many information technology occupations were among the lowest in the labor force at only 2.3 percent in 2008.

Some ITPM Statistics

In 2007, the total compensation for the average senior project manager in US dollars was $104,776/year in the US, $111,412 in Australia, and $120,364 in the UK. The average total compensation of a program manager was $122,825 in the US, $133,718 in Australia, and $165,489 in the UK. The average total compensation for a Project Management Office (PMO) Director was $134,422 in the US, $125,197 in Australia, and $210,392 in the UK.

Some ITPM Statistics

The number of people earning their Project Management Professional (PMP) certification continues to increase each year.

More than 16 million people regard project management as their profession.

Project

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result

IT Projects

IT projects involve using hardware, software, and/or networks to create a product, service, or result.

Top Strategic Technologies Green IT Unified Communications Business Process Modeling Virtualization Social Software

Triple Constraint

New Constraints

Project Manager

Person assigned by the organization to achieve the project objectives

Must strive to meet and balance the specific goals and constraints of the project

Must facilitate the entire process to meet the needs and expectations of the people involved in or affected by project activities

Stakeholders

Anyone positively or negatively impacted by the project

people involved in or affected by project activities and include the project sponsor, project team, support staff, customers, users, suppliers, and even opponents of the project.

Knowledge Areas

Scope management Time management Cost management Quality management Human resource management Communication management Risk management Procurement management

Process

Advantages

Better control of financial, physical and human resources

Improved customer relations Shorter development times Lower costs and improved

productivity Higher quality and increased

reliability

Advantages

Higher profit margins Better internal coordination Positive impact on meeting strategic

goals Higher working morale

Ethical issues and dilemmas

Ethics in Project Management

Ethical Issues and Dilemmas Favoritism between subordinates. The company is asking the problem

manager and his/her team to do something unethical.

Use of position to slack off in their work.

Use of position to put the blame to subordinates.

Use of position to acquire sensitive material or work of other teams.

Ethical Issues and Dilemmas Hard choices regarding contracts

between parties. Doing business in a different country

is ambiguous and may contradict practices done at home.

Other people are trying to influence the PM’s behavior toward them.

“Treat every project as if it will end up in court.” – Morley Selver

Guidelines for Ethical Practices

Solutions to Ethical Problems PMs should make sure that their

team members are all equally supported and their opinions heard.

If PM is at fault for an the unsuccessful venture of project completion, he/she must admit this wrong.

PMs should have a strong sense of ethics and lead his/her subordinates by example.

Solutions to Ethical Problems There is no “I” in the team. If a

project is unsuccessful, the most ethical outcome is that the whole team failed.

Before signing a contract, the company should make sure to ask questions and make sure they are willing to cut ties with certain people in the project team to replace them with others given based on the contract.

Solutions to Ethical Problems Distinguish between what is

acceptable and unacceptable when doing business abroad by noting the various laws of both your own country and those in your host country.

Do not be influenced by anyone. Make decisions that give you a clear

conscience. You should be reliable, fair, honest

and ethical.

The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct Be responsible — take ownership of decisions

including their consequences. This includes knowing and meeting all legal requirements, reporting unethical or illegal conduct to appropriate management, fulfilling commitments and protecting proprietary and confidential information.

Be respectful of yourself, listen to others and protect resources entrusted to us.

Be fair and transparent in decisions including disclosing conflicts of interest to appropriate stakeholders.

Be honest in communications and conduct.

Guiding Principles

Are you following rules that are generally understood and accepted for the task taking place? For example, in poker, bluffing is accepted as part of the game.

Are you comfortable publicly discussing and defending your action? Would you be comfortable if your friends were aware of it? Your family? On the front page of a newspaper?

Would you want someone to do it to you? To your family?

What if everyone acted that way? Would the resulting society be desirable?

Are their alternatives that rest on firmer ground?

•http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~dcivan/303KM/0-619-15984-7_02_op.pdf

•http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/it-project-management.html

•http://www.pmi.org/en/About-Us/Ethics/~/media/PDF/Ethics/ap_pmicodeofethics.ashx

•http://www.brighthubpm.com/project-planning/53025-ethical-issues-in-project-management/

•http://www.helium.com/items/1824060-profession-ethic-value-business-relations-employe-leader-moral-workplace-development

•http://www.pmhut.com/the-project-managers-ethical-dilemma

•http://fearnoproject.com/2010/04/18/the-ethical-project-manager/

•http://projectmanagement.atwork-network.com/2010/10/29/weekly-project-management-news-roundup-the-project-managers-ethical-dilemma-integrity-in-project-management-dealing-with-corruption-and-other-interesting-posts/

•http://www.augsburg.edu/ppages/~schwalbe/C6919_ch01.pdf

Sources