Emerging Technologies and ICT Policy/Project Management
Core concepts
Know emerging technologies at a conceptual level: artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud computing (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS; public, private, hybrid), big data (volume, velocity, variety, veracity), Internet of Things, blockchain, 5G, edge computing, and augmented/virtual reality. Understand their applications and risks. For ICT policy, learn the rationale for national policies, regulatory bodies, data protection, and digital economy strategies. For project management, grasp the project life cycle, scope, time, cost, quality, risk, and stakeholder management, plus tools like Gantt charts, PERT/CPM, and work breakdown structures.
Traps to watch
IaaS provides infrastructure, PaaS provides a platform, SaaS provides software - questions reverse them. Blockchain is decentralized and immutable but not automatically secure against all attacks. AI/ML require data quality; ML is a subset of AI. Big data's "variety" refers to data types, not speed. In project management, critical path is the longest path, not the shortest. PERT uses three estimates (optimistic, most likely, pessimistic); CPM uses one. Cost overruns often stem from scope creep.
Worked example / rule of thumb
PERT expected time = (O + 4M + P) / 6. With O=4, M=6, P=14, expected = (4+24+14)/6 = 7 days. Rule of thumb: for cloud models, ask "what is being provided" - infrastructure, platform, or software; for project questions, find the longest path to identify the critical path.