/ CIS 590 – Directed Research Project

(Prerequisite: To be taken last or next to last)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is an integrative capstone course for the Master of Science in Information Systems program. Students will examine and solve real world projects and problems and apply project management techniques to create practical solutions. The course takes an integrative and senior management approach to address the integration of a broad range of technologies inclusive of databases, security, networking, computer infrastructure and human computer interaction.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Required Resources

Lane, D. (2011). The chief information officer's body of knowledge. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Stenzel, J. (2011). CIO best practices(2nd ed.).Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Microsoft Office, Microsoft Visio, and Microsoft Project or their equivalents such as OpenOffice, Dia, and Open Project are required. Tutorials for Microsoft Office 2010 can be found on Microsoft’s support site, located at

Supplemental Resources

Association for Computing Machinery Website. (2012). General format. Retrieved from

National Security Agency – Central Security Service Website. (2009). General format. Retrieved from

The Committee on National Security Systems Website. General format. Retrieved from

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

  1. Describe the integrative functions and activities within the information systems area, including the role of the CIO and technologies managed within the organization.
  2. Evaluate how information technology (IT) is aligned with the strategy of the organization, and how to make appropriate choices about architecture in relationship to overall organization goals.
  3. Explain how to develop reasoned responses to the major forces shaping the role of IT in organizations competing in a global economy.
  4. Describe the methods and best practices in implementing process change in IT organizations.
  5. Describe the role and methods of technology-induced process improvement in organizations.
  6. Develop an integrative technology project plan to address and solve a proposed business problem.
  7. Explain the competitive advantage that information technology affords organizations.
  8. Summarize economic factors of information systems at the enterprise level.
  9. Describe the ethical role of IT within organizational, social, and environmental settings.
  10. Demonstrate an understanding of existing and emerging information technologies and strategic impact on organizational operations.
  11. Use technology and information resources to research issues in information systems.
  12. Write clearly and concisely about leadership issues and strategic insight of the Informationsystems domain using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.

WEEKLY COURSE SCHEDULE

The standard requirement for a 4.5 credit hour course is for students to spend 13.5 hours in weekly work. This includes preparation, activities, and evaluation regardless of delivery mode.

Week / Preparation, Activities, and Evaluation / Points
1 / Preparation
  • Reading(s), from CIO Best Practices
  • Chapter 1: Freedom with Fences: Robert Stephens Discusses CIO Leadership and IT Innovation
  • Reading(s), from The Chief Information Officer’s Body of Knowledge
  • Chapter 1: Collaboration and Teamwork
  • Chapter 18: Managing Project Quality
  • Chapter 20: Compliance
  • Chapter 22: Balancing IT’s WorkloadActivities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • None
/ 20
2 / Preparation
  • Reading(s), from CIO Best Practices
  • Chapter 2: Why Does IT Behave the Way It Does?
  • Reading(s), from The Chief Information Officer’s Body of Knowledge
  • Chapter 8: Strategic Alignment
  • Chapter 24: Information Technology Portfolio Management
Activities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • Project Deliverable 1: Project Plan Inception
/ 20
120
3 / Preparation
  • Reading(s), from CIO Best Practices
  • Chapter 3: Cloud Computing and the New Economics of Business
  • Reading(s), from The Chief Information Officer’s Body of Knowledge
  • Chapter 11: A New Paradigm for Managing a Suite of Business Processes Inexpensively
  • Chapter 15: Requirements
  • Chapter 26: From Vision to Reality: Implementing Information Security
Activities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • None
/ 20
4 / Preparation
  • Reading(s), from The Chief Information Officer’s Body of Knowledge
  • Chapter 12: Information Technology Portfolio Management
  • Chapter 16: Project Risk Management
  • Chapter 17: Project Cost Estimation
  • Chapter 27: Business Continuity Planning
Activities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • Project Deliverable 2: Business Requirements
/ 20
120
5 / Preparation
  • Reading(s), from CIO Best Practices
  • Chapter 4: Leading with Green: Expanding the CIOS’s Role in Eco-Efficient Information Technology Adoption
  • Reading(s), from The Chief Information Officer’s Body of Knowledge
  • Chapter 13: A Beginner’s Guide to the Software Development Life Cycle
  • Chapter 19: Project Reviews
Activities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • None
/ 20
6 / Preparation
  • Reading(s), from CIO Best Practices
  • Chapter 5: Sustainability, Technology, and Economic Pragmatism: A View into the Future
  • Reading(s), from The Chief Information Officer’s Body of Knowledge
  • Chapter 14: Office of the CIO
Activities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • Project Deliverable 3: Database and Data Warehousing Design
/ 20
120
7 / Preparation
  • Reading(s), from The Chief Information Officer’s Body of Knowledge
  • Chapter 10: Competitive Applications of Technology
  • Chapter 28: Overcoming the “Computer Guy” Stigma: A Perspective on Why Being Involved In Your Web Strategy Matters
Activities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • Project Deliverable 4: Cloud Technology and Virtualization
/ 20
120
8 / Preparation
  • Reading(s), from The Chief Information Officer’s Body of Knowledge
  • Chapter 9: Developing an IT Strategy
  • Chapter 23: Outsourcing and Offshoring
Activities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • Project Deliverable 5: Network Infrastructure and Security
/ 20
120
9 / Preparation
  • Reading(s), from CIO Best Practices
  • Chapter 6: How to Measure and Manage Customer Value and Customer Profitability
  • Reading(s), from The Chief Information Officer’s Body of Knowledge
  • Chapter 21: Service Management
  • e-Activity
  • Research the Web for IT and business alignment topics surrounding the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). A good starting point would be the ITIL Website located at Be prepared to discuss.
Activities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • None
/ 20
10 / Preparation
  • Reading(s), from CIO Best Practices
  • Chapter 7: Evolution of Networks into Networking
  • Reading(s), from The Chief Information Officer’s Body of Knowledge
  • Chapter 25: Strategic Information Security Management
Activities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • Project Deliverable 6: FinalProject Plan
/ 20
200
11 / Preparation
  • Reading(s): None
Activities
  • Discussions
Evaluation
  • None

GRADING SCALE – GRADUATE

Assignment / Total Points / % of
Grade
Project Deliverable 1: Project Plan Inception / 120 / 12%
Project Deliverable 2:Business Requirements / 120 / 12%
Project Deliverable 3: Database and Data Warehousing Design / 120 / 12%
Project Deliverable 4:Cloud Technology and Virtualization / 120 / 12%
Project Deliverable 5: Network Infrastructure and Security / 120 / 12%
Project Deliverable 6: Final Project Plan
Faculty Note: This deliverable is comprehensive in nature requiring revisions to all previous deliverables.The completed project will be due in Week 10. / 200 / 20%
Participation (20 discussions worth 10 points apiece)
Note: Week 11 discussions are not graded. / 200 / 20%
Totals / 1,000 / 100%
Points / Percentage / Grade
900 – 1,000 / 90% – 100% / A
800 – 899 / 80% – 89% / B
700 – 799 / 70% – 79% / C
Below 700 / Below 70% / F

Writing Assignments

The objective of the School of Information Systems’ writing assignments is to promote attitudes and skills that will improve a student’s ability to communicate in writing, develop research skills and documentation techniques, and encourage critical analysis of data and conclusions specific to the course learning outcomes in the information systems and technology domain.

©2013 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

CIS590StudentVersion1134 (11591-15-2013) FinalPage 1 of 3

/ CIS 590 – Assignments and Rubrics

Capstone Project Overview

The purpose of this capstone project is for students toassume a senior management approach and apply project management techniques to create an integrative information technology solution to address organizational issues in order to satisfy an executive team and venture capital group. Students will critically assess existing information systems infrastructures, emerging technologies, and how enabling technologies affect organizational strategy. Deliverables 1 through 6 focus on preparing students toward the final capstone project. Skills, experience, and knowledge gained through the completion of prerequisite courses will be used throughout each deliverable. The project contents to be addressed are as follows:

  1. Project Deliverable 1: Project Plan Inception.In this deliverable, you will create a project introduction that includes background information of the company, the type of business that the company is involved in, and a description of the integrative information systems that the company should have to support the business. You will also be asked to create a project plan to record tasks,subtasks, and resources, and identify the schedule of the project. Additionally, the plan will outline the planning, analysis, design, and implementation phases of your project.

Submission Requirements

  • Project Introduction (MS Word)
  • Project Plan (MS Project)
  1. Project Deliverable 2: Business Requirements.In this deliverable, you will create an original business requirements document for the project plan using the template provided. You will be asked to describe the detailed project including the scope, possible risks, constraints, assumptions, integration with other systems and infrastructure, and relevant terms that will be used throughout the project. You will also need to update the project plan.

Submission Requirements

  • Business Requirements Document (MS Word)
  • Project Plan (MS Project)
  1. Project Deliverable 3: Database and Data Warehousing Design.In this deliverable, you will create a database schema that supports the company’s business and processes, explain and support the database schema, create database tables, normalize the database tables,create an Entity-Relationship (E-R) Diagram, and create a Data Flow Diagram (DFD). You will also be asked to create sample queries that will support the organizational reporting needs, and screen layouts that illustrate the interface that organizational users will utilize. You will need to update the project plan.

Submission Requirements

  • Design Document (MS Word)
  • Revised Project Plan (MS Project)
  1. Project Deliverable 4: Cloud Technology and Virtualization. In this deliverable, you will support the need for the use of cloud technology and virtualization within your company, speculate on expected cost savings in hardware infrastructure, speculate on the possible reductions of human capital that can be realized from implementing cloud and virtualization technologies,create adiagram to illustrate how cloud and virtualization technology could align with the company’s businessprocesses and assist with attainment of organizational goals,provide a compelling recommendation for solution providers and partners that could help your company secure a firm competitive advantage by using cloud and virtualization technologies, and update the project plan.

Submission Requirements

  • Design Document (MS Word)
  • Revised Project Plan (MS Project)
  1. Project Deliverable 4: Network Infrastructure and Security. In this deliverable, you will design a logical and physical topographical layout of the network, illustrate the possible placement of servers, explain rationale for the logical and physical topographical layout of the planned network, create and describe the comprehensive security policy for the organization, and update the project plan.

Submission Requirements

  • Infrastructure Document (MS Word)
  • Revised Project Plan (MS Project)
  1. Final Project: Final Project Plan.In the final project, you will provide a high-level technical overview of the project. This includes the five (5) previous deliverables with revisions surrounding instructor feedback. All documentation will be recorded on the business requirements document revised from an earlier submission in this course. Additionally, you will submit the final project plan and create a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation for the executive team and the venture capital group. The PowerPoint presentation, along with the executive summary, will convince the group that your solution is optimal.

Submission Requirements

  • Written Project Plan (MS Word)
  • Revised Business Requirements Document (MS Word)
  • Project Plan PowerPoint Presentation (MS PowerPoint)
  • Finalized Project Plan (MS Project)

Project Deliverable 1: Project Plan Inception

Due Week 2 and worth 120 points

This assignment consists of two (2) sections: a project introduction and a project plan. You must submit both sections as separate files for the completion of this assignment. Label each file name according to the section of the assignment it is written for. Additionally, you may create and /or assume all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.

You are currently the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for an innovative Internet-based company with gross revenues of more than $35 million dollars per year. During an executive leadership meeting, you were told that your company will be merging with a multinational company of equal size and you will be responsible for developing a project plan to strategically integrate all systems, including databasesand infrastructure. The Chief Executive Officer has given you sixty (60) days to deliver an information technology project plan in anticipation of the company merger. Your company will be expanding from one (1) floor to three (3) floors within six (6) months. Since this merger will be bringing two (2) fairly equal-sized companies together under one roof, the infrastructure must be redesigned to accommodate the increased needs. Your company currently uses operational systems and relational databases but desires to expand into data warehousing. All information technology (hardware and software) must be redesigned to meet organizational needs. The solution should be implemented in either a hosted solution, on-site solution, or a hybrid model. The CEO is expecting you to integrate different technologies from different solution providers and incorporate industry best practices in connection with the development of technological systems. In addition, the CEO is extremely interested in cloud technologies and virtualization but is leery of security issues; however, the CEO is sure that you will implement proper security protocols.The company currently consists of twentyfive (25) employees but is expected to increase to sixtyfive (65) employees when the merger is complete.

Section 1: Project Introduction

  1. Write a four to six (4-6) page project introduction that documents the current state of the organization prior to any development or enhancements, takes into account all the information given above, and includes the following:
  2. Background information of the company.
  3. Details regarding the type of business activities that the company is involved in.
  4. Speculation on outsourcing and offshoring opportunities.
  5. A description of the current information systems that the company has to support the business. The description should include an overview of the following:
  6. operational systems, databases, and data warehousing.
  7. cloud technology andvirtualization.
  8. network infrastructureandsecurity.
  9. The use of at least two (2) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

  • Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
  • Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

Section 2: Project Plan

Use Microsoft Project to:

  1. Create a project plan (summary and detailed) template. The project plan should:
  2. Record all tasks, subtasks, resources, and time related to the project.
  3. Outline the planning, analysis, design, and implementation phases.
  4. Develop in accordance with the SDLC.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

  • Describe the integrative functions and activities within the information systems area, including the role of the CIO and technologies managed within the organization.
  • Use technology and information resources to research issues in information systems.
  • Write clearly and concisely about leadership issues and strategic insight of the Informationsystems domain using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Points: 120 / Project Deliverable 1: Project Plan Inception
Criteria / Unacceptable
Below 70% F / Fair
70-79% C / Proficient
80-89% B / Exemplary
90-100% A
Section 1: Project Introduction
1a. Include background information of the company.
Weight: 10% / Did not submit or incompletely included background information of the company. / Partially included background information of the company. / Satisfactorily included background information of the company. / Thoroughly included background information of the company.
1b. Include details regarding the type of business that the company is engaged in.
Weight: 10% / Did not submit or incompletely included details regarding the type of business that the company is engaged in. / Partially included details regarding the type of business that the company is engaged in. / Satisfactorily included details regarding the type of business that the company is engaged in. / Thoroughly included details regarding the type of business that the company is engaged in.
1c. Include speculation on outsourcing and offshoring opportunities.
Weight: 20% / Did not submit or incompletely included speculation on outsourcing and offshoring opportunities. / Partially included speculation on outsourcing and offshoring opportunities. / Satisfactorily included speculation on outsourcing and offshoring opportunities. / Thoroughly included speculation on outsourcing and offshoring opportunities.
1di. Include a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including operational systems, databases, and data warehousing.
Weight: 5% / Did not submit or incompletely included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including operational systems, databases, and data warehousing. / Partially included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including operational systems, databases, and data warehousing. / Satisfactorily included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including operational systems, databases, and data warehousing. / Thoroughly included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including operational systems, databases, and data warehousing.
1dii. Include a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including cloud technology and virtualization.
Weight: 5% / Did not submit or incompletely included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including cloud technology and virtualization. / Partially included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including cloud technology and virtualization. / Satisfactorily included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including cloud technology and virtualization. / Thoroughly included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including cloud technology and virtualization.
1diii. Include a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including network infrastructure and security.
Weight: 5% / Did not submit or incompletely included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including network infrastructure and security. / Partially included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including network infrastructure and security. / Satisfactorily included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including network infrastructure and security. / Thoroughly included a description of the information systems that the company currently has to support the business, including network infrastructure and security.
1e. 2 references
Weight: 5% / No references provided / Does not meet the required number of references; some references poor quality choices. / Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices. / Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.
Section 2: Project Plan
2a. Create a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project, recording all tasks, subtasks, resources, and time related to the project.
Weight: 10% / Did not submit or incompletely created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project, recording all tasks, subtasks, resources, and time related to the project. / Partially created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project, recording all tasks, subtasks, resources, and time related to the project. / Satisfactorily created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project, recording all tasks, subtasks, resources, and time related to the project. / Thoroughly created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project, recording all tasks, subtasks, resources, and time related to the project.
2b. Create a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project, outlining the planning, analysis, design, and implementation phases.
Weight: 10% / Did not submit or incompletely created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project, outlining the planning, analysis, design, and implementation phases. / Partially created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project, outlining the planning, analysis, design, and implementation phases. / Satisfactorily created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project, outlining the planning, analysis, design, and implementation phases. / Thoroughly created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project, outlining the planning, analysis, design, and implementation phases.
2c. Create a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project developed in accordance with the SDLC.
Weight: 10% / Did not submit or incompletely created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Project developed in accordance with the SDLC. / Partially created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Projectdeveloped in accordance with the SDLC. / Satisfactorily created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Projectdeveloped in accordance with the SDLC. / Thoroughly created a project plan (summary and detailed) using Microsoft Office Projectdeveloped in accordance with the SDLC.
3. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements
Weight: 10% / More than 6 errors present / 5-6 errors present / 3-4 errors present / 0-2 errors present

Project Deliverable 2: Business Requirements