8/21/2007
Instructor: Dr.
George L. Donohue
Lecture: IN 132 &
NSWC Bld 216
(Training and
Conference Ctr.,
Time: M
Office Hours: Monday
Recommended
Mantel, Meredith, Shafer and Sutton, Project Management in Practice, 2nd Edition, John Wiley, 2005.
Objective: This course provides the Capstone experience to the Systems Engineering master’s degree program. It provides the students with the opportunity to put all of the course material that you have covered in the last 21 hours into practice. It also provides the faculty with the opportunity to test your ability to have assimilated the course material and certify that you are ready to receive the Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering. In addition to providing you the opportunity to utilize the systems engineering processes (e.g. requirements determination, work-breakdown structures, Pert Charts, test and evaluation, life cycle costing, etc.) it will require you to use your analytical skills in system modeling, simulation and decision making. Emphasis in this course will also be placed on written and verbal communication skill development and the creative process of engineering design. You now have the skills that should allow you to create new systems that are technically sound, affordable, environmentally compatible and safe. You will be asked to determine whether a Business Case exits for your designs in the Final Report that you will submit in late November. You will be required to manage a complex, unstructured project using the management and teamwork skills that you have developed. The class will be divided into 6 to 7 project teams, each working on a real problem. Each student MUST maintain a personal log of all design activity, to be inspected upon demand. You MUST submit a weekly time sheet to your team timekeeper to be submitted at all major program reviews.
Program Schedule:
Aug. 28. Introduction to the course, design problems and time-sheet system. Background discussions and data exchange. Multiple teams will be formed based upon project proposals to be presented on Monday September 11. Each team will select a Team Leader. The team should also have sub teams consisting of : 1) process and data analysis team and 2) an analysis/ simulation team 3) Graphics, web page design/implementation, and presentation team. Teams should insure that they have members who have completed Systems Engineering Management, Cost Estimation, Simulation and Decision Theory. This is a 3 hour graduate course and thus a minimum of 10 hours/week of productive effort is expected.
Each member of the class will give a substantial presentation at some point in the project to faculty and outside project sponsors. Each student will be graded upon his/her presentation ability. The Project Proposal and the final Project Report will be graded for writing style and completeness. The total project grade will represent a sizable portion of each student’s final grade. In addition, each student will be ranked by each team member for total contribution to the program outcome.
Introductions and discussion of time sheet system and EVM project tracking requirement. Introduction to team self-evaluation technique. Review Requirements, Traceability (HOQ) and Life Cycle Concepts. Microsoft Project will be used.
September 10. Presentation by each student of potential Team Projects and Project Scope. I will select 6-7 projects and teams will be formed (4-6 students per team)
September 17 Team Assignments; Review Value Hierarchy, WBS, PERT, Critical Path, and Earned Value Management for Cost Control
September 24. Teams Present mini discussions of status to date
Submit Problem Definition and Preliminary Requirements Document, Proposed SOW, Project Labor Cost Estimate for EVM tracking. Present Initial Level 3 Work Breakdown Structure, Estimated Project Time Schedule and Gantt/PERT/CP Charts.
October 1. Team 20 minute Progress Report Presentations
October 9. (Tues make up class) Prelim Report Pass Back and Discuss Project Final Report (Investment Decision) Format
October 15. (GLD at NSWC to meet with teams for private discussions)
October 22. mid term team self evaluation. Project Base Line
Reports due with SOW, Scope, and base lined BCWS. Show ACWP and SPI, CPI.
October 29. no class, schedule individual team meetings for reviews
Nov. 5. meet with individual teams for progress discussions (GLD at NSWC)
Nov. 12. Formal 30 minute Team Progress Presentations*
Nov. 19. Formal 30 minute Team Progress Presentations
Nov. 26. Dry Run Presentations (30 min.)
Dec 3. cont. Dry Run Presentations
(30 min.) and Final Reports submitted for Faculty and Sponsor evaluation and team
self evaluation
Dec 7. (Friday
* Actual presentation order will be determined by random
draw
Grading: Each student’s final grade will be determined as follows:
35% Project Proposal and Final Project report (written)
35% Faculty / Sponsor Evaluation of Team Presentation
20% Team Project productivity self evaluation
5% Individual presentations
5% Timesheets/Notebooks