Expert answer:IMAT Midterm Research Term One
Answer & Explanation:The answer should be no longer than one single-spaced page for each question, a typically answer would be perhaps 3-4 paragraphs. References to specific reading materials or individual research will be considered a plus.The best way for a student to increase his or her score on this test is to, first, take enough time at the start to understand the question and think through to the best answer. Then be sure the answer does not have too many generalizations or overlook key aspects of a good answer.Question 1. The decision to perform an acquisition is heavily influenced by how it relates to the strategic business goals of an organization. Explain why you think the acquisition you are detailing in your submitted Activities potentially supports the strategic business goals of your organization (understanding that some of you had to imagine both the acquisition and the potential strategic business goals).Question 2. Risk analysis is a critical part of the acquisition process and is often not done very well. Looking back at the risks you identified for your submitted project, which ones do you believe would be most likely to be identified and accurately measured and which ones either less likely to be identified at all or measured incorrectly. Explain why. Does your analysis allow you to draw general conclusions on the type of risk that would be likely to be overlooked or mis-analyzed in future projects you might work on?Question 3. Most scenarios submitted for your alternative solutions included either a COTS product or a SaaS based solution. Please use the UMUC library or the Internet at large, find articles related to the IT solution you are acquiring and share analysts feedback on key vendors, product trends and market potential.BTW: Gartner is the preferred analyst however feel free to leverage another research DB should you not be able to find what you need on Gartner’s website. Question 4. In Session 5, under the heading Commercial Acquisitions, there are references to three readings. Pick one of them and summarize the major points that the author is attempting to make. Explain why you agree or disagree and provide any additional points you feel would have added to the article.Additional Information: Session 1 Lecture Notes.pdf Session 2 Lecture Notes.pdf Session 3 Lecture Notes.pdf Session 4 Lecture Notes.pdf Session 5 Lecture Notes.pdf
session_1_lecture_notes.pdf
session_2_lecture_notes.pdf
session_3_lecture_notes.pdf
session_4_lecture_notes.pdf
session_5_lecture_notes.pdf
Unformatted Attachment Preview
Session 1. Introduction to IT Acquisitions Management
A. Session Objectives
The objectives of this session are to:
•
•
•
Introduce you to the course, communicate the requirements and expectations, and
make initial assignments.
Demonstrate the relationship between IT acquisition project planning and the
enterprise strategic plan.
Examine the role of the “performance gap” in identifying performance
improvement needs, including the need for an IT acquisition project.
B. About This Course
Your Bio. Please enter your online personal biography in the Bio area of the Class
Members section. The information you enter is entirely voluntary and is meant to help us
know each other better.
The Syllabus. Read the Syllabus. It will acquaint you with the course elements and what
is expected of you.
CMMI-ACQ Activities. As the Course Requirements indicate, you will perform IT
acquisition management exercises with practices that are linked to the latest Capability
Maturity Model Integration–Acquisition Module (CMMI®-ACQ) Ver. 1.2 published by
Carnegie Melon’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI) in November 2007.
You will also participate in discussions of issues and other information related to IT
acquisition management.
This course will make use of a variety of online information sources, ranging from
publications of the Federal Government to publications of Carnegie Mellon’s Software
Engineering Institute. It is important to keep in mind that federal publications are based
in large part on research into the practices of private sector firms to determine the best
practices that the federal government should adopt. As a result, the federal publications
are generally applicable to both government and private sector organizations.
Use of Microsoft Project. Microsoft Project will be used in a part of this course. It is one
of the most popular project management software systems and can assist in planning and
managing IT acquisition projects. If you are new to this software, there is a rather
extensive Help system built into it or associated with it that can guide you in its use. This
course also provides some guidance (in a later session) that is focused on a course
requirement–preparing a Gantt chart (a project schedule that includes much information),
which is a fundamental project management product.
If you do not own this software, check with your employer to see if your organization has
it and can make it available to you for this course. As explained in the Course Materials
section of the Syllabus, this software may be available to you at a greatly reduced price
through a UMUC arrangement. The price to students in this course has been in the
vicinity of $20 for a CD containing the Microsoft Project Professional 2010 version,
which retails from about $480 to $1000. There also has been the option of downloading
the software with no charge. If you do not have this software and wish to purchase it
through the UMUC special arrangement, you will be given an opportunity.
As early as the first week of this course, expect an email from the MSDN Academic
Alliance that explains how you can order this software at the special price or with the free
download (assuming it is still available). If you don’t have access to the software, be sure
to take advantage of this opportunity. Do not delay in sending in responding to the email
with your order or you may not have the software when you need it. It takes about two
weeks to receive the software after it is ordered.
Special Note: In past semesters, students receiving the email about purchasing Microsoft
Project through UMUC’s arrangement were also given (in the email) the option to
purchase certain other software at deeply discounted prices. One of these was Microsoft
Visio, a flexible drawing tool with templates and online training provided. This tool can
be used to draw a work breakdown structure (WBS), which is one of the assignments in
this course, as well as flowcharts, block diagrams, network diagrams, and many other
types of drawings. The latest version is Microsoft Visio 2010 (in standard or professional
offerings). It was somewhat time-consuming to prepare a WBS using the prior Visio
versions. I do not know if the 2010 version is any better. Other software can be used to
create a WBS. Some students say it was much easier to create a WBS using Smart Draw,
which they downloaded on a 30-day trial basis. Smart Draw is not a Microsoft product,
so it is not available for purchase at a special discount, though there is no charge for the
30-day trial.
C. Introduction to the Process Areas of the CMMI® Acquisition Module.
CMMI-ACQ v. 1.3 contains 22 process areas. SEI defines “process area” as follows:
A process area is a cluster of related practices in an area that,
when implemented collectively, satisfies a set of goals
considered important for making improvement in that area.
SEI’s Acquisition Module defines four Process Areas and individual processes within
each area. They are:
Project Management
Process Areas
Acquisition Process
Areas
Project planning
Solicitation and Supplier
Agreement Development
Project Monitoring and
Control
Agreement Management
Process Management
Areas
Support Process Areas
Organizational Innovation
and Deployment
Organizational Process
Definition
Causal Analysis and
Resolution
Configuration Management
Integrated Project
Management
Acquisition Requirements
Development
Organizational Process
Focus
Quantitative Project
Management
Acquisition Technical
Management
Organizational Process
Performance
Measurement and Analysis
Requirements Management
Acquisition Verification
Organizational Training
Process and Product Quality
Assurance
Risk Management
Acquisition Validation
Decision Analysis and
Resolution
Source: Carnegie Mellon-Software Engineering Institute
Figure 1. Process Areas of the CMMI® Acquisition Module
Note that the processes in the table do not represent a sequence of activities. There can be
activities in a number of process areas at the same time. Activities in some of the process
areas take place throughout the acquisition project. For example, activities in the
Decision Analysis and Resolution process areas take place throughout the planning as
well as the implementation of the IT acquisition project.
SEI points out that the acquirer’s activities with the CMMI® Acquisition Module
typically take the form of this sequence: Acquisition Planning, RFP Preparation, Source
Solicitation, Program Leadership (Insight and Oversight), System Acceptance, and
Transition. Your assignments during this course will generally follow this sequence up
through Source Solicitation. You will use templates to perform activities that are in
many, but not all, of the process areas. For example, you will not perform activities that
are in the Acquisition Verification process area because you will not actually acquire
products and services to be verified.
The remainder of this Session relates primarily to the following CMMI®-ACQ Module
process areas: Acquisition Requirements Development, Requirements Management, and
Risk Management.
D. Fundamental Acquisition Principle
A fundamental principle is to recommend the acquisition of IT only in cases in which the
problem cannot be solved without the acquisition of IT.
Too often, IT is acquired to solve a problem that is simply due to poor management,
which includes policies that need to be changed. This is why the definition of the
performance problem is so important. Once the problem is accurately defined, there can
be a professional analysis of the problem to determine the root cause of the problem and
the requirements for solving it. If the problem is caused by poor management, then no IT
acquisition is required. If it can be solved effectively some other way without acquiring
IT, then no IT acquisition is required. If the only way or the best way to solve the
problem is through the acquisition of IT, then acquisition of IT can be justified.
•
•
•
Sometimes an unwarranted IT acquisition project is pushed by an executive who
truly believes technology provides the answer, and he or she is unaware of the
need for a professional analysis of the problem to determine whether it is the
correct answer.
In other cases, the IT acquisition may be pushed by an executive who believes it
is essential to always have the latest technology, though the acquisition may not
actually be justifiable.
And sometimes it is the IT component itself that constantly promotes the use of
new technology to solve problems, whether or not IT is the best solution.
All of these reflect poor management, result in wasted resources, and give the IT
component of the organization a poor reputation.
Therefore, it is important to, first, accurately define the problem and then analyze it to
determine whether it can be solved without acquiring IT. If it is found that the acquisition
of IT is required for the solution, it is necessary to identify and evaluate alternative ITbased solutions, rather than focus on a single IT solution without considering possible
alternatives.
E. Importance of Alignment of Proposed IT Solutions
There is nearly always more than one way to solve an organizational performance
problem. It is important to determine which proposed IT solution will contribute most to
achieving the organization’s most important goals and objectives at an acceptable cost
and with acceptable risks. Some proposed IT solutions will contribute little or nothing to
achieving the most important goals. Usually this is because they are focusing on lower
level goals and objectives that are less important or that are not linked to–that is, aligned
with–the organization’s high-level strategic goals and objectives.
The enterprise strategic plan (assuming it is up to date) documents the organization’s
strategic goals and objectives. Alignment is necessary to focus IT resources on the
priority goals and objectives so that best use will be made of the resources in improving
business performance. An illustration of the IT alignment concept is provided in the
graphic below. (In the event the graphic doesn’t appear on your screen, it is also provided
as an attachment.)
Figure 2. Alignment of IT With Enterprise Goals and Objectives
One of this session’s assigned readings from IT Economics, Identifying the
Organizational Performance Gap, discusses linking acquisition justifications to key
performance indicators (KPIs) that will measure the contribution the acquisition makes to
the organization’s strategic goals and objectives. Linking to KPIs helps to ensure that the
IT acquisition will be aligned with and contribute to the strategic goals and objectives.
F. Required Readings
In your readings, pay particular attention to:
•
•
•
The nature of the enterprise strategic plan
Identifying a business “performance gap” that demonstrates the need for business
process improvement
The role of IT as an enabler of process improvement in support of the enterprise
strategic plan
The readings are as follows:
•
Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute. CMMI@ for Acquisition,
Version 1.2. November 2007. In the Causal Analysis and Resolution section, read
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
pages 137-145; and GP4.1Institutionalizing a Quantitatively Managed Process,
pages 75-76. Available at:
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/pub/documents/07.reports/07tr017.pdf
IT Acquisitions: Pre- and Post-Solicitation Activities, (n.d.) IT Economics Corp;
Available at: http://www.iteconcorp.com/T0SolicitationActivities.html
Identifying Organizational Performance Gaps. (n.d.) IT Economics Corp.
Available at: http://www.iteconcorp.com/T1PerformanceGap.html
Chapter 7: Acquisition Planning (from GSAM Version 3.0). Published by General
Services Administration. (Attached) Scan, rather than carefully read, this
document to get a general understanding of the activities in the acquisition
planning process.
Guidelines for Strategic Planning, from the Department of Energy. (Attached)
This document is over 10 years old but its general approach and concepts remain
valid. Read the first six pages.
One of the most important developments for strategic planning in recent years is
the emergence of the Balanced Scorecard. Most leading organizations now use the
Balanced Scorecard to help develop their strategic plans, document them, and
control business operations to achieve the specified strategic goals and objectives.
Much has been written about the Balanced Scorecard since it was introduced in a
1992 Harvard Business Review article by Robert Kaplan and David Norton. Read
this brief but informative description of the Balanced Scorecard. Available at:
http://www.netmba.com/accounting/mgmt/balanced-scorecard/
Brief article titled The Strategic Planning Process, by QuickMBA. A brief
summary of the strategic planning process, with links to explanations of key
concepts and techniques. Available at:
http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/strategic-planning/
Video Explaining Web 2.0, which includes social networking, cloud computing,
and other types of computing. :
http://explainingcomputers.com/explaining_web2.html
Optional Reading
Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute. CMMI(R) for Acquisition (CMMI-ACQ)
Primer, Version 1.2. May 2008. This is a 57-page document that summarizes parts of the
longer, original document. Much is left out. However, it provides an overview that can be
helpful to persons unacquainted with CMMI and its ACQ module. It is available at:
Assignments
1. Individual Project Activities
Individual Project Activity 1. Identify or select a performance problem in a business
activity that you believe could be resolved or substantially improved by the acquisition of
IT services performed by a contractor selected in open competition as a result of an RFP
(request for proposal). The acquisition of IT services may also include the acquisition of
IT software and hardware, as needed. Document your performance problem as Activity 1
using Template 1 provided by IT Economics Corporation. Available at:
http://www.iteconcorp.com/T1PerformanceGap.html
Why do you need to select a business performance problem that will require the
acquisition of IT services (and products as needed) from an external IT services
contractor? It is the most important form of IT acquisitions. It involves the largest
investments and is instrumental in transforming organizations and achieving competitive
advantage. At the same time, it presents the greatest risk, with the probability of project
failure increasing as the size and complexity of the projects increase. On the other hand,
IT hardware and software acquisitions that do not involve services are usually
“commodity purchases” (as explained below) and lack the challenges and complexity of
acquisitions that involve IT services. The templates used in this course are for IT
acquisitions that include IT services. They are not meant for use with IT commodity
purchases.
Commodity Purchases. Commodity purchases from vendors usually
come with incidental services, such as installation and certain support
services. These do not qualify as “contractor services.” An IT product is
considered a “commodity” when there is a common definition of the
good, the contracts for its purchase are for the most part standardized,
and there are common qualities or service levels associated with the
good. (On the other hand, your problem can require the selection of a
contractor–via an RFP–that, for example, helps your organization
identify, evaluate, decide on, and implement one or more IT commodity
products.)
For example, going out and buying a printer is a commodity purchase. Buying 20 laptop
computers is a commodity purchase. Buying 15 copies of a software application is a
commodity purchase. The decision to buy the commodity means that the problem has
been solved and the commodity is the solution. However, hiring an IT contractor to help
design a system, acquire the hardware and software needed by the system, and assist in
implementing the system is NOT a commodity purchase. It is the acquisition of IT
services.
Although you must select a performance problem that requires the services of an external
contractor, you will not be asked to prepare a request for proposal (RFP) for an external
contractor. Instead, you will prepare a basic performance-based work statement–the heart
of an RFP–using one of the templates provided.
What Not To Select. Since the solution to your problem must require the services of an
IT contractor who is (theoretically) to be selected in open competition as the result of an
RFP, there are certain types of problems you should not select.
•
Do not select a problem that can be solved with better internal management or a
different use of internal resources, such as using the organization’s programmers
to develop or modify certain software systems.
•
Do not select a problem that can be solved by adding to the tasks of a current
contractor.
•
Do not select a problem that can be solved by your organization making its own
commodity purchase from a vendor (e.g., a server, Internet service) without the
involvement of a contractor selected in open competition after issuing an RFP.
Real Rather Than Fictitious. The problem should be real and for a real organization
you are with now or one that you know about. It is recommended that you use a real
organization as the context for your project so that the realities of the organization,
including the constraints it must contend with, can be taken into account in planning your
project. Basing an individual project on a fictitious organization provides no real world
challenge since there are no real constraints. There is no need to identify the organization
and do not divulge confidential information or information that the organization might
find objectionable for you to reveal. Further, you only need to obtain data that are readily
available. For data that are not readily available, reasonable estimates will do.
Three-Month Rule. A rule of thumb is to select a problem requiring an IT acquisition
project that spans at least three months (though it can be much longer). The idea is to
keep the size of the project from being no larger than needed for you to gain the insights
from using the acquisition templates but not so small that it will make using the templates
trivial and meaningless. Projects shorter than three months generally fall into the latter
category. The problem should be such that the organization would be sufficiently
concerned with the cost, risk, and need for success that it will go through the various
acquisition steps, including competition among contractors (sources), in order to control
cost, manage risk, and increase the likelihood of success.
Guidance in Using the Templates. Your individual project will use a total of 12 best
practice templates/models involving activities ranging from requirements definition to
preparation of a performance-based statement of work. You will be given explanations
and, in most cases, examples, of how to use the templates to perform your individual
project activities. These are activities that are key in IT acquisition projects.
Examples of Problems Selected by Other Students. Here are some examples of
problems that past students have addressed with their individual projects:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Problem of membership maintenance (club, church, etc.)
Problem of controlling financial contributions
Lack of an effective activity reporting system (e.g., for employees)
Lack of a PowerPoint slides management and inventory system in a large
organization
Need for a better forecasting system of recruitment needs
Problem of tracking and reporting production
Problem of preparing accurate and timely reports
Problem of sharing real- …
Purchase answer to see full
attachment
How it works
- Paste your instructions in the instructions box. You can also attach an instructions file
- Select the writer category, deadline, education level and review the instructions
- Make a payment for the order to be assignment to a writer
- Download the paper after the writer uploads it
Will the writer plagiarize my essay?
You will get a plagiarism-free paper and you can get an originality report upon request.
Is this service safe?
All the personal information is confidential and we have 100% safe payment methods. We also guarantee good grades