>
 
 
MAPPING 
 CRIMINAL JUSTICE-ORIENTED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 
 RESOURCES    
  
 
A Preliminary 
 Report regarding available IT Project Management Resources appropriate 
 for use by Criminal Justice Agencies  
    
 
Presented 
 to: the Office of Justice Programs (Richard Ward, Acting Director, 
 Bureau of Justice Assistance, 
 Patrick McCreary Senior Analyst)  
     April 
 2, 2001
     
 
For further information contact:
 
Dr. Peter Scharf
 
Mr. Robert Stellingworth
 
Center for Society, Law and Justice@
 
The University of New Orleans
 
3330 N Causeway Blvd. Suite 413
 
Metairie, LA, 70002
 
Telephone: 504-849-8021
 
cslj@eatel.net
 
  
 
 
   Executive 
   Summary
 
   
 
This is a draft report detailing 
 existing criminal justice-oriented information technology resources 
 that could be made available to criminal justice entities.  Many 
 agencies contemplating or initiating information technology projects 
 require information technology project management resources to effectively 
 complete their projects.  The Center for Society, Law and Justice 
 (CSLJ) working through a cooperative agreement with the Office 
 of Justice Programs has initiated a study of project management 
 information technology resources summarized in this preliminary report.  
 Included are the following sections: 
 
     An overview of the 
     methodology being used in the study;
     A 00rid00presenting 
     an overview of resources identified; and
     A narrative summary 
     describing a 00napshot00of the field.
 
  
 
More than 130 project management 
 seminars and courses were identified for analysis by CSLJ.  Approximately 
 30 providers from this sample were selected for more intensive analysis.  
 A summary of the results is found in Appendix A.  Complete 
 results are included in Appendix B.  Based on input from the 
 Office of Justice Programs, a final report will be produced responsive 
 to information technology project management initiatives being implemented 
 by OJP.     
   
 
       Rationale 
       for the Study
 
  
 
         The Office of Justice Programs 
 has funded several thousand criminal justice agencies to implement complex 
 information technology projects.  These projects have focused upon 
 the implementation of mobile data terminals, crime mapping, integrated 
 information systems, wireless information utilities, and CAD (computer-aided 
 dispatch) projects.  As technologies have evolved and especially 
 as projects expand beyond the boundaries of single agencies, the requirements 
 and difficulties of effective technology management have increased. 
 
 
Criminal justice information 
 management projects require a strong implementation capacity on the 
 part of the sponsoring agency and may be less effective than optimal 
 because of a lack of effective 
 training related to managing information management projects.  
 Project management courses prepare information management personnel 
 in the many skills and extensive knowledge base required to manage complex 
 information system projects.  Resources that are responsive to 
 criminal justice information systems can be found and initiated from 
 a variety of sources including:. 
 
 
   Government agencies 
   including the Department of Justice
   Not for profit entities
   Universities
   Private companies
 
 
  
 
Approaches used to provide 
 training are diverse.  Internet delivery, course credit and intensive 
 seminars are a few of the approaches that are used to provide training 
 in these areas.  Courses range from one day (non-credit) to a sequence 
 of 36 credit hours.  Intended audiences for these training events 
 range from software specialists to generalists to CEO00.  The 
 resources identified may have strong application to the field of criminal 
 justice.  The report presented here attempts to present and organize 
 existing resources available to the criminal justice field.  The 
 major aims guiding the study include:
 
 
   To identify existing 
   resources available to criminal justice agencies that provide project 
   management appropriate to the effective management of information system 
   projects;
   To create a useful 
   catalogue describing the range of training services available to the 
   criminal justice field; and
   To present a 00ortrait00
   of the field available to practitioners and agencies.
 
 
 III. Investigation 
 Methodology
  
 
The purpose of the investigation 
 design is twofold:  first, to identify the range of providers of 
 project management training, and second, to begin to drill down through 
 the data to determine the specific focus and target audience of the 
 different training programs.  Specific questions as to the focus 
 and the target audience include: 
 
 
   Is Project Management 
   training available?
   Is the provider 
   commercial, educational, or governmental?
   Does the training 
   have an IT focus (does it directly address IT projects)?
   Is the training 
   generic or aimed at a specific audience?
   Is the training 
   designed for a specific technology platform?
   Does the training 
   lead to academic credit or a certificate?
   Is training regionally, 
   nationally, or globally available (online or multiple sites)?
   What is the structure 
   and instructional style of existing offerings?
 
 
  
 
In addition, the team has begun 
 to assess the uniformity or consistency of the training services offered.  
 Two additional questions were identified: 
 
 
   Is there a certification 
   process that focuses directly on Project Management appropriate to criminal 
   justice?
   Is there an identifiable 
   knowledge core for IT Project Management training?
 
 
 
These questions were deemed 
 important in assessing the programs that were identified in this first 
 phase.  The identification of a certification body would begin 
 to address the questions concerning a possible 00nowledge core00
 and to further address the hypothesis that 00roject Management00
 is distinctly different from 00anagement00as a discipline. 
 
 
The initial investigation conducted 
 by the Center for Society, Law and Justice focused on providers 
 who could be readily identified on the Internet and through personal 
 contacts with training directors in selected agencies.  More than 
 130 project management seminars and courses were identified.  About 
 30 have been selected and presented in hard copy form for consideration 
 as to appropriateness to OJP.   The targeted providers included 
 in the preliminary report encompass but are not limited to:  private 
 or commercial consultants, public agencies, and educational institutions.   
 A table describing the investigative approach used by the Center 
 is described below: 
 
 
 
 Investigative 
   Design:  Criminal Justice Information Technology Project Management 
   Project Identification Initiative (CSLJ)
 
   Phase
   Task
   Focus
   Work-product
   Status
 
     Internet search 
     for IT project management resources appropriate to CJ. More than 130 
     courses and seminars were identified.
   
    
     Selection of best 
     matches. About 30 seminars and courses selected.
   
   
   WWW 
   Search using fixed criteria   
     
   
Selection using defined criteria
   Identification 
   of resources     
   
Selection and description of 
   most appropriate courses to CJ
   On-line 
   process: 
   
See Appendix D 
   for examples of specific project management course information printouts. 
   
   
In report summarized in 
   Appendix A and Appendix B. 
   Completed 
        
   
Completed
 
     Phone and face to 
     face outreach
   
   
   Outreach 
   using network contacts
   Targeted 
   outreach
   Expanded 
   search and hard copy
   Ongoing
 
     Creation of Directory 
     for CJ use
   
   
   Define 
   contact matrix
   Create 
   useful contact matrix
   Project 
   Management Resource Directory
   Planned
 
     Qualitative portrait 
     and analysis of resources
   
   
   Abstracts 
   and description of programs
   Develop 
   descriptive analysis of programs-typology
   Summary 
   of programs
   Planned
 
     Format into final 
     report
   
   
   Final 
   Formatting
   Review-able 
   product
   Review-able 
   product
   Ongoing
 
     Present to OJP
   
   
   Final 
   report
   Field 
   Resource
   Presentation 
   to field
   Ongoing
 
 
  
 
IV. Preliminary 
 Snapshot of Information Technology Project Management Training Resources 
 
 
The preliminary results of 
 the above methodology are given in the Appendixes A and B.  A complete 
 list of the training providers identifying the specific responses to 
 target questions 1 through 7 is shown in Appendix B.  This list 
 provides a comprehensive presentation of the range and focus of those 
 providers.  A summary of this information is shown in Appendix 
 A.  The summary contains salient information including the type 
 of training entity (university, not for profit, etc.), and whether the 
 training is IT focused. 
 
In examining the results presented 
 in Appendixes A and B with respect to the initial questions, there are 
 several preliminary findings of interest: 
 
 
   There are numerous 
   training programs that specifically address information technology project 
   management.
   Training programs 
   in project management are provided by a number of academic institutions, 
   a number of commercial firms, and by a lesser number of public agencies.
   There are training 
   programs which focus specifically on IT projects.
   The training programs 
   vary with both generic and specific industry audiences.
   IT training programs 
   vary with some being software/platform independent and others being 
   platform specific.
   Project management 
   training is provided 00or credit00and/or can lead to a 00ertificate00
   Training is offered 
   regionally, nationally, and globally.  The majority of the courses 
   identified in the sample are regional, which indicates that although 
   appropriate training resources may be available, geographical distance 
   may hamper acquisition of the skills offered in the training.
   There is a project 
   management accreditation entity00he Project Management Institute00hat 
   provides guidelines for project management training offerings.
 
 
  
 
In addition, there are several 
 general observations: 
 
 
   There are a number 
   of useful training programs offered by major commercial vendors (i.e. 
   Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and Deloitte Touche) and they tend to be either 
   platform specific (Cisco Systems) or product specific (Microsoft).
   Distance learning 
   options are expanding, but may not be suitable to all students in criminal 
   justice due to tuition, prior training requirements, or educational 
   prerequisites.
   There are a number 
   of excellent training programs offered by educational institutions (i.e. 
   George Washington University, the University of Maryland, and Regis 
   University).  These tend to have a generic focus and provide academic 
   course credit.
   There are few programs 
   available that directly respond to needs of criminal justice practitioners.
   There is a need 
   for systematic referral for quality project management instruction.
 
 
  
 
The skills and knowledge bases 
 varied, but generally were found to include: 
 
   Leadership and team 
   building
   Project risk management
   Principles of project 
   management
   Contract management
   Project quality 
   assurance
   Managing IT projects
   Fiscal management
   Acquisition management
   Procurement and 
   contract management
   Strategic alignment
   Best practices for 
   multi-project management
   Effective project 
   scheduling and control
   The art and discipline 
   of managing software projects
 
  
 
Credit and certification arrangements 
 vary and include: 
 
   Not for credit
   CEU/PDU-UMT (VA)
   Certification-e.g.  
   PMI, Cisco, Microsoft
   Academic credit
   Degree programs 
   (both graduate and undergraduate)-e.g. Boston University
 
  
 
Audiences varied with the intended 
 audiences ranging from laypersons to software specialists to generalists 
 to CEO00.  The primary focus of these training resources is the 
 process of generic implementation, with only a few seminars and courses 
 (the IWG seminar and the CSLJ Managing Criminal Justice Technologies 
 program) focusing upon the needs of criminal justice professionals. 
 Teaching processes also vary. Didactic, on-line and more interactive 
 and practice based instructional designs are evident in the analysis. 
 Several courses allow students to apply generic approaches to real-world 
 applied projects.  The range of teaching styles will be clarified 
 in follow-up contacts.
 
Finally, the field of project 
 management is emerging and moving towards formalization through accreditation 
 and standards (target questions 9 and 10).  The Project Management 
 Institute (PMI) (see Appendix C) sponsors an international project management 
 certification program.  Candidates must satisfy educational and 
 experiential requirements and pass the Project Management Professional 
 Certification Examination.  After fulfilling these requirements, 
 individuals earn the PMP designation.  Individuals who earn the 
 PMP designation must demonstrate ongoing professional commitment by 
 satisfying Professional Development Program requirements.  
 
PMI is also currently developing 
 a new process for accrediting degree programs in project management 
 at the undergraduate and graduate levels.  PMI provides a list 
 on their website of universities that offer degree programs in project 
 management.  At the time of this report, PMI has awarded formal 
 accreditation to only two educational institutions:  University 
 of Quebec and Western Carolina University. 
 
A summary 00ap00of the 
 range of courses and other training resources is found below: 
 
 
 
 
 Map of Information 
   Technology Project Management Resources
  
    On-Line
   
    Face 
   to face
 
   Credit
   
     American Graduate 
     University
     The George Washington 
     University
     Regis University
     Western Carolina 
     University
   
   
   
     Amber University
     Auburn University
     American Graduate 
     University 
     Boston University
     City University 
     Colorado Technical 
     University
     ESI International 
     The George Washington 
     University
     ISIM University
     Keller Graduate 
     School of Management
     Regis University
     State of Michigan 
     Office of Project Management
     Stevens Institute 
     of Technology 
     University of Management 
     and Technology
     University of Maryland
     Western Carolina 
     University
     
   
   
 Certificate
   
     IBM 
     Regis University
     State of Michigan 
     Office of Project Management
     SAP International
   
   
   
     Amber University
     Boston University 
     Center for Society, 
     Law & Justice at the University of New Orleans
     Defense Acquisition 
     University (Dept. of Defense)
     ESI International
     Georgia Tech
     IBM
     Kansas Department 
     of Administration Division of Information Systems and Communications 
     and Division of Personnel Services
     New York State Office 
     for Technology 
     Oak Associates Inc
     Price Waterhouse 
     Coopers
     Regis University
     SAP International
     State of Michigan 
     Office of Project Management
     UCDAVIS-University 
     Extension
     University of Management 
     and Technology
   
   
 
 
   
 
One closing observation:  
 in surveying available resources, cost, time commitment, and geographic 
 barriers may limit access to existing resources.  The cost range 
 of intensive project management resources ranges from free to $400-$500 
 per day.  Time duration ranges from one day (non-credit) to a sequence 
 of 36 credit hours.   
 
Clearly the methodology that 
 was employed in the initial phase tends to identify those training programs 
 that are aggressively pursuing the general information technology project 
 management market.  This approach will underestimate the private 
 training programs and public agency training programs which focus only 
 on their internal audiences.  This finding, however, is mitigated 
 by the tendency for public agencies, in particular, to outsource the 
 training to either academic or commercial providers.  This has 
 been confirmed by telephone conversations with several training directors 
 and public agency personnel (including DOJ training).
 
V. Ongoing 
 Efforts
  
 
In developing the final report 
 for OJP there will be an effort to identify instructional design practices 
 and best-shot resources.  Major goals for the final project 
 include:
 
   Expand phone and 
   site verification;
   Develop qualitative 
   portraits of different programs;
   Expand data set 
   of project management resources;
   Expand data fields 
   in matrix;
   Develop a review-able 
   report to OJP;
   Incorporate revisions;
   Present final report 
   to OJP.
 
  
 
 There will be a specific further 
 emphasis on public sector or governmental training to expand the information 
 available in this preliminary report.  This next phase will include 
 additional direct contact with training directors in various agencies 
 outside the Internet.