TRIDENT UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL
ITM 423: System Acquisition, System Development and Project Management
Module 5: IT Operations, Controls, Reporting and Maintenance Case Assignment
May 2014 Term
July 20, 2014

Assignment: Prepare a 4-6 page paper following the point/counterpoint model in addressing the following topic:
“Discuss and recommend how to maintain effective accountability in project management”

Discuss and recommend how to maintain effective accountability in project management

Being able to deliver and complete a project on schedule, on budget and meet or exceed the expectations of the stakeholders is not just a dream, but is something every project manager aims to achieve (Barron & Barron, 2011). However, in order to achieve these results it clearly requires active participation from everyone on the team and clear communication skills. Most project managers, if not all of them will tell you that communication is the most important aspect of their job and if not done properly then accountability is not likely to happen. While this key aspect is true, there are also other components of project management cycle that are often ignored that also take away from maintaining effective accountability. For this assignment we’ll discuss ways for the project manager to maintain this control and how accountability feeds into the overall success of the project. We’ll also cover some counterpoints to the arguments to see that even when the project manager plays their cards right there may be other factors that work against them which are beyond their control that may cause a shift in the project plan. Accountability is critical component to a project manager in one sense to be able to account for the efforts of the project team. A client, by definition a stakeholder in the project, may want to know how their money has been spent and even how much