Advanced Topics in ITM is one of the new units introduced to form part of the advanced units for the new MIS degree. It is being introduced to allow professionals with basic skills in IS/IM to pursue studies at a much more advanced level.

At the completion of this subject you should have knowledge and understanding of:

K1. the importance of, and major issues and challenges in managing information, IS and IT in contemporary organisations.

K2. the costs of not appropriately managing information, IS and IT, resulting in IS/IT failures, dysfunctional systems, and systems which fail to deliver value to key stakeholders, and a loss of credibility of the IT function.

K3.developing strategies for the sophisticated management of information, IS and IT, to ensure the achievement of organisational objectives, while limiting organisational exposure to risk.

K4. the major theories and concepts associated with the effective management of information, IS and IT.

K5. the changing nature of the provision of IS/IT services in organisations, with the subsequent impacts these are having on the building of required organisational IS/IT capabilities, the structures required, and the building of required relationships internal and external to the organisation.

K6. the divergence between practice and theory with respect to IS/IT management.

K7. the complexity and challenges associated with selection and evaluation of vendors & software solutions, vendor management, contract negotiation and management, managing and leveraging the intellectual property associated with IS/IT in organisations, project governance, and the delivery of benefits from IS/IT investments.

Should have developed attitudes which allow you to:

A1. adopt a critical approach to current orthodoxy on information, IS and IT management issues, theories and practices.

A2. be sceptical but not cynical about the content of vendor promises in terms of enterprise systems and solutions.

A3. appreciate the requirement and challenges involved with appropriately managing information, IS and IT while mitigating IT related risk in IT dependent organisations.

Should have the skills to:

P1. apply relevant theories and concepts to the analysis of organisational information, IS and IT requirements.

P2. develop skills at analysing and reporting on specific aspects of IS/IT management and the role of IS/IT in organisations, and to propose solutions and/or improvements, make recommendations to managers, based on analyses of relevant theoretical and analytical literature.

P3. develop appropriate strategies, and apply appropriate tools and techniques to the planning and management of organisational information, IS and IT requirements based on analysis of existing conditions in the organisation.

S1. to develop the ability to coherently and persuasively report verbally and in writing on a range of IT management issues.

S2. to develop teamwork and small group communication skills.

S3. to develop professional communication skills to the point of being able to interact with business and IT professionals at a sophisticated level.

S4. to develop an appreciation of the importance of relationships and team work in effectively exploiting the IS/IT resource.

This unit is designed to provide students with an understanding of the role of IS/IT in contemporary organisations and major IS/IT governance and management concepts and practices. Emphasis will be placed on those issues, concerns and trends that pose complex challenges relating to the effective management and organisation of the IT resource in contemporary organisations.

Topics covered in this unit would be drawn from the following:

• the complexity and challenges associated with achieving alignment between organisational and IT goals and objectives to ensure that IS/IT initiatives are directed towards the achievement of organisational goals and objectives;
• building and/or sourcing the required IT capabilities to ensure the IT organisation is delivering the required level of service and support to business units;
• issues of procurement, vendor selection and management, contract negotiation and management, and the like;
• the major issues, concerns and challenges in designing and implementing appropriate IT governance structures, processes and mechanisms to ensure IT supports the achievement of organisational objectives;
• the articulation of sound IS/IT policy, and management of the policy making process;
• project management & governance;
• developing enterprise standards and IT architectures; building IT infrastructure;
• implementing evaluation practice to ensure that sound business cases are developed for IT investments, and developing and implementing proactive benefits realisation approaches to ensure that business value is derived from investment in IS/IT;
• responsibly using the IT resource so that value is derived for relevant stakeholders.

Students will gain insights into a range of theories, concepts, and key issues associated with the items listed above. Current approaches, tools and techniques appropriate to these items will also be analysed and discussed.

A unit outline detailing the specific topics to be covered in a specific offering of this unit would be available to students from the unit leader two weeks prior to the commencement of the teaching period.

Baschab, J. and Piot, J. (2003) The executive?s guide to information technology. Wiley, New Jersey.

Currie, W.L. and Galliers, B. (eds.) (1999) Rethinking management information systems. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Devaraj,. S. and Kohli, R. (2002) The IT payoff: measuring the business value of IT investments. Financial Times Prentice Hall, New York.

Dickson, G.W. and DeSanctis, G. (eds.) (2001) Information technology and the future enterprise: new models for managers. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle Creek.

Mahmood, M.A. and Szewczak, E.J. (eds.) (1999) Measuring information technology investment payoff: contemporary approaches. Idea Publishing Group, Hershey.

Marchand, D.A. (ed.) (2000) Competing with information: A manager?s guide to creating business value with information content. Wiley, Chichester.

Murphy, T. (2002) Achieving business value from technology: a guide for today?s executive. Wiley, New Jersey.

Van der Zee, H. (2002) Measuring the value of information technology. Idea Publishing Group, Hershey. Van Grembergen, W. (2004) Strategies for information technology governance. Idea Publishing Group, Hershey.

Weill, P. and Broadbent, M. (1998) Leveraging the new infrastructure: how market leaders capitalize on information technology. Harvard Business School Press, Boston.

Zmud, R.W. (ed.) (2000) Framing the domains of IT management: projecting the future through the past. Pinnaflex, Cincinnati.

On-campus

• Lecture/Seminars
• Guest Lecturers

• Seminars - K1-7, A1-3, P1-3
• Guest lecturers - K1-7, A1-3, P1-3

Publishable paper 40%

Class presentation 20%

Supervised assessment 40%

Pass Requirements: In order to pass a unit, a student must gain all of the following:

• at least 40% of the marks of the examination component, if any: i.e. the final examination and any tests performed under exam conditions, taken as a whole
• at least 40% of the marks of the assignment component: i.e. the assignment and any other assessment tasks (such as presentations) taken as a whole
• at least 50% of the total marks for the unit

Where a student gains less than 40% for either the examination or assignment component, the final result for the unit will be no greater than '44-N'.

• Publishable paper - K1-7, A1-3, S1-3, P1-3
• Class presentation - K1-7, A1-3, S1-3
• Supervised Assessment K1-7, A1-3, S1-3, P1-3

12 hours per week

• 3 hour Seminar
• 6 hours assignment (incl. Research)
• 3 hours reading

High-tech seminar room for 3 hours x 13 weeks for 40 students

Nil

Nil

1 EFT lecturer for 3 hours per week for 13 weeks. Plus teaching assistance for hours proportional to enrolment.

• Software Title:
• Vendor:
• Version:
• OS: MS Windows XP ( ) and/or LINUX ( )
• License Details: (A valid software license certificate/s or Vendor permission must be available upon request if the software is to be installed for teaching)
• Are we currently licensed: Yes ( ) or No ( ) (If unsure, please check with your local IT support )
• If (Yes), who is the contact person for this software?:
• If (No), will the software license be arranged by: Staff member requesting the software ( ) or Technical Services* ( ) ? *If the latter is selected, please discuss your requirement/s with myself ASAP, prior to finalising your request, as there could be financial or resourcing implications.
• Is the software to be installed and accessed from a: Client/Workstation ( ), or Server ( ) ?
• Type of license: Site License ( ), Freeware ( ), FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) ( ), Shareware ( ), Lab based ( ) # of Licenses needed ____
• In what week will you commence using the software in class? Semester 1 (Week ___ ) and/or Semester 2 (Week ___ ):
• Nominated Staff For Acceptance Testing Software: (Name) (Phone) (Email)
• Additional Information: Special Requirements, Software Configuration/Installation Requirements, etc:

New unit. A Library Impact Statement has been submitted.

100% SIMS

N/A for p/g units

Nil

Nil

Nil

IMS 9043 or equivalent. Must have completed Part A of Master of Information Management and Systems.