Author

Philip Tarnoff
Director
Center for Advanced Transportation Technology (CATT)
E-mail: tarnoff@eng.umd.edu
Phone: (301) 403-4619

Description

Designed for both public and private sector project managers, this course emphasizes the project management issues associated with the implementation of technology-intensive transportation projects. Following an introduction to the project management context (fundamental principles, basic knowledge and skill areas, role of the project manager), the discussion takes the student through all phases of the project (definition, planning, design, and execution). The course covers the types of project management tools available for transportation systems projects and the techniques related with system acquisition. Software testing and evaluation are discussed at length.

Objectives

Upon conclusion of this course, students should be able to:

• Define the fundamental principles of good project management.
• Describe the general management skills and role played by the project manager as they relate to ITS projects.
• Explain the steps taken to plan, design and implement ITS projects.
• Describe the phases of projects (definition, planning, design, & execution) and the project management techniques relevant to each phase.
• Follow leads to additional project management resource information.

Audience

Public and private sector transportation professionals including US DOT engineers, planners, project managers. Transportation professionals from state, regional, and local agencies would also benefit from participation in the course.

Length

Approximately eight hours.

Prerequisites

Some familiarity with the management and operation of surface transportation services and facilities.

Course Outline

The course outline is as follows:
(numbers in parentheses refer to pages)

1. Introduction to Project Management (3-65)
   1. What is a project?
   2. ITS Project Management
   3. Project Management Processes
   4. People Themes
   5. Management Themes
   6. System Themes
   7. Lesson 1 Quiz
      
2. Project Initiation - Feasibility (66-104)
   1. Project Initiation
      • The "V" Model
   2. Establishing Feasibility
   3. Building the Team
   4. The Vision
   5. Defining Constraints
   6. Estimating Cost and Schedule
   7. Lesson 2 Quiz
   8. Class Problem 1: Feasibility
      
3. Project Planning (105-177)
   1. Prepare Management Plan
   2. Planning Steps
      • Metrics
      • Work Breakdown Structure
   3. System Development Process
      • Spiral Model
      • Waterfall Model
      • Evolutionary Model
   4. Contracting Plan
      • Consultant/Contractor
      • Systems Manager
      • Design/Build
      • Task Orders
   5. Project Plan
   6. Lesson 3 Quiz
      
4. System Planning (178-221)
   1. Request for Proposals
   2. Evaluation Plan
   3. Qualifications
   4. Capability Maturity Model
   5. Reimbursement issues
   6. Concept of Operations
   7. Risk Management
   8. Lesson 4 Quiz
      
5. Project Execution (222-299)
1. Requirements and Specifications
2. Configuration Management
3. Traceability
4. Configuration Control Board
5. Change Control
6. Risk Management
• Planning, Monitoring and Resolution
7. Class Problem 2: Risk Mitigation
8. Requirements Walkthroughs
9. Documentation Reviews
10. Testing: Validation and Verification
11. Acceptance Testing
12. Testing Plans
13. Status/Performance Monitoring
    
6. Project Close-Out (222-325)
   1. Final Project Documentation
   2. System Maintenance
   3. Maintenance Contracting
   4. Lesson 6 Quiz
      
7. Course Conclusion (326-332)