IMAT2601 Management of ICT


Learning outcomes assessed by this coursework:

  • To illustrate the practical issues and choices involved in delivering and supporting ICT initiatives for an organization and suggest possible solutions.
  • To develop skills in communicating technical matters to a non-technical audience.

 

Late submission of coursework policy:

Late submissions will be processed in accordance with current University regulations:

  • __The time period during which a student may submit a piece of work late without authorisation and have the work capped at 40% if passed is 14 calendar days. Work submitted unauthorised more than 14 calendar days after the original submission date will receive a mark of 0%. These regulations apply to a student’s first attempt at coursework. Work submitted late without authorisation which constitutes reassessment of a previously failed piece of coursework will always receive a mark of 0%.”

Coursework feedback:

  • Provided that you have met the submission deadline, you should normally receive feedback on your coursework no later than 20 working days after the formal hand-in date. 
  • Your marked coursework and feedback will be available to you on 26th May 2022.
  • If for any reason this is not forthcoming by the due date your module leader will let you know why and when it can be expected. The Associate Professor Student Experience (CEMstudentexperience@dmu.ac.uk) should be informed of any issues relating to the return of marked coursework and feedback.  

Academic offences and bad academic practices:

These include plagiarism, cheating, collusion, copying work and reuse of your own work, poor referencing or the passing off of somebody else's ideas as your own. If you doubt what constitutes an academic offence or bad academic practice, you must check with your tutor.

Further information is available at:

http://www.dmu.ac.uk/dmu-students/the-student-gateway/academic-support-office/academic-offences.aspx 

Task scenario:

A government is an enormous and complex organization.

Its operations and strategic focus can be greatly enhanced by the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Today, most governments in developing countries have ongoing information systems projects aiming at improvements in productivity, the efficiency of administration, transparency, improvement in the quality of public sector services and citizen participation.

ICTs are, without a doubt, enormously powerful tools for development. Perhaps, the real significance of ICTs is not in the technologies as such, but in the possibilities, they open up for access to knowledge, information, and communications. Even though the evidence suggests that under the right circumstances ICT may deliver substantial benefits in the areas of governance and public participation, significant barriers to the effective implementation, uptake and use of ICTs by developing countries also exist, not to mention that the characteristic challenges that developing nations face may make ICT implementations by their national governments fail to succeed.

A newly appointed CIO of the Information and Communication Technology sector of the World Trade Organization is prioritising setting out a modern descriptive framework for categorising key factors in ICT implementations for developing countries.  

Tasks to be undertaken:

You are to produce a research-driven evaluation and analytical report on ALL the elements below:

  • An assessment of the current state of e-Government implementations in developing countries.
  • An assessment of the conditions that must be satisfied in order for there to be a well-focussed application and wide adoption of ICTs.
  • (* This task requires a deep dive into the possible drivers/enablers of ICT implementation programmes).
  • Issues/challenges of implementing modern ICT interventions in developing countries. MUST include consideration of socio-technical challenges prevalent in these developing nations.
  • Socio-economic, organizational and technological benefits and disadvantages if any, of implementing ICT.
  • A critical review of ICT implementation models and solutions, along with their deployment strategies.

 

Instructions

  • Tailor your answers to the context of this assignment.  
  • Use and cite current credible sources throughout.
  • Avoid repetitions and redundancy at the sentence and/or paragraph level.
  • Construct your sentences and arguments more concisely.
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Report Specifications:

  • Your report should be structured with an executive summary, introduction, the main body (sectioned as you see fit), recommendations/conclusion, and references sections.
  • You may wish to include diagrams, pictures, tables and other types of content in your report to support your arguments and help the reader in parsing the content.
  • All pages MUST be numbered.
  • Font size: 10pt
  • Font type:  Garamond
  • Line spacing: 1.5
  • Margins: Use fully justified margins 
  • Word count: 4000 (allowance: ±10% words)
  • Spelling and grammar errors will be penalized, depending on extent.
  • Use English UK spelling throughout. (* Please turn on your spell checker. Remember, the spell checker only checks for spelling mistakes and not all suggestions are accurate).
  • Reference citations: Use the APA style.
  • Application of consistent formatting and appropriate presentation styles will be considered during marking.
  • Use of appropriate references will be positively evaluated, while the use of inappropriate references such as Wikipedia, Techopedia, blogs, and similar sources will be frowned upon by the CIO and your tutor.
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How the work will be marked:

Marks will be awarded according to the marking grid available in Blackboard VLE.