| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of the paper was to study whether the traditional and conventional project
management tools and models are adequate in the management of web design project in
spite of the dynamism of Information Technology and to explore the kind of challenges
faced in web design project due to their unconventional nature and intangibility of both
inputs and outputs in spite of numerous projects planning and development tools with
reference to the universities within Nairobi.
The study adopted a descriptive approach and employed the use of a cross-sectional
survey method with 40 questionnaires sent to ICT center staff and a few recommended
key stakeholders in the development or maintenance of particular university web sites. A
total of 35 usable questionnaires were returned which translated to a response rate of
87.5% and a few follow-up interviews were conducted for purposes of further
understanding.
The findings of the research revealed that in the modern web design project management
environment many developers prefer to use the system development methodologies
instead of the traditional project management tools although the PERT method for project
planning is still relatively popular. The use of SDM that are meant for web design
projects for instance Web site development methodology and information engineering
were still very low among universities within Nairobi. The three interviewees indicated
that the tools being used were adapted on a project basis. Despite acknowledging the
merits of using these tools for instance allowing for better project control and increasing
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the likelihood of the project being delivered on time. The respondents also indicated
challenges associated with their usage as, the high level of detail required for use was
prohibitive, that they involve a high level of complexity in use and they consume too
much of the developers‘ time.
It was further recommended that based on the benefits that seem to be derived from the
use of these project management tools and models; it would be prudent for web
developers to avoid using the rule of thumb or their perceived expertise and integrate the
use of such tools to improve on their work. Furthermore, it was also recommended that
the developers of these tools look into the fact that most users don‘t regard these tools
when they are planning for the web quality and thus something needs to be done to
improve on the models and tools to accommodate the quality aspect. | en |
