Can anybody help? : mitigating IS development project risk with user

In this paper we aim to gain insight into the relationship between user participation modes and project risk factors, and then we construct a model that can be used to determine how user participation can be successfully applied in ISD projects with a given set of risk factors. We perform an in-depth literature review, which aims to clarify the concept of user participation as part of risk management. We then report on the results of a case study in Cap Gemini where we conduct an exploratory research of the application of user participation in practice. For this exploratory research, a quantitative and qualitative research method was designed in the form of a survey and interviews. Though the results from our case study we gain insight into the relationship between user participation and IS project risk and also determine how user participation can be used to mitigate such risk

Influence of Communication on Client Satisfaction in Information System Projects – An Expectation-Confirmation Approach

The problem of adequately measuring success of information system (IS) projects has not been sufficiently solved. Whereas the traditional approach of assessing IS project success in terms of adherence to budget, schedule and requirements is said to be insufficient, there is lack of agreement on a multidimensional approach using further or different criteria. As success is seen as matter of perspective, project stakeholders’ subjective perceptions of project success are supposed to be important criteria. Thereby, especially the satisfaction of the client organisation is relevant as it is crucial for the contractor’s reputation and assignments of follow-up projects. However, IS developing companies and success reports predominantly assess IS project success using only the objective adherence-to-planning criteria. We believe that client satisfaction in IS projects highly depends on the confirmation of client’s expectations concerning project (process and product) performance. We thus apply the Expectation-Confirmation Theory (ECT) to the context of IS projects aiming to explain the satisfaction of the client organisation. As managing expectations may influence satisfaction, we extend the ECT by client-vendor communication. We assume that client-vendor communication manages expectations, that is, it moderates the relationship between expectation and confirmation. We present and argue for our hypothesized model and according measures for a quantitative analysis. As our study is one of few focussing on the client perspective, we propose an innovative approach to further improve the understanding of IS project success

Does User Participation Lead to System Success?

The effect of user participation on successful systems development has been the focus of much attention for information systems researchers for some time. Common understanding has been that extensive user participation is not only important, but absolutely essential to system success. However, earlier studies trying to link user participation to system success have shown mixed results. In this paper, we analyze fourteen more recently published, empirical research studies that investigate the significance of user participation. From our results we conclude that user participation in the systems development process is indeed critical to system success. Common themes are identified

EFFECTS OF INFORMATION SYSTEM INTENT OF MANAGERS ON INFORMATION SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION: CASE OF SELECTED E-GOVERNMENT PROJECTS IN TWO CITY ADMINISTRATIONS IN ETHIOPIA

The importance of management support in information systems (IS) implementation has been emphasized in previous studies. In line with this, research on critical success factors in IS projects implementation and management is increasingly recognizing the importance of non-technical factors, such as leadership. However, despite its importance, there is lack of empirical evidence to clarify the role of top managers IS intent on IS implementation. This paper, thus, argues for the need for greater inquiry into the field of management support for IS implementation success. It will provide an empirical investigation of the influence of IS strategic intent of managers on IS effectiveness in two city administrations in Ethiopia. The research will be conducted as an interpretive case study in the selected two public institutions. Information Systems projects from these two setups will be selected and the role and extent of IS intent of managers in relation to each project will be studied in detail. Interview items will be adapted from related previous studies. By so doing, this research is aimed at increasing our understanding of managers’ role in facilitating success of IS implementation in organizations

The Impact of Culture on IT Project Management Practices: Research in Progress

Rapid technological changes along with political, social and economical decisions have led the IT and Telecommunications industry to become a very dynamic and changing sector. Partnerships at the international level are everywhere and the stronger influence of IT represent high-risk potential. Statistics show that 70% of IT projects are out of time or budget or simply fail. With such perspectives, measures ought to be taken to avoid the further replication of this pattern. The risk of failure is perceived to be greater as projects rely on players with different cultural backgrounds increasing managerial complexity and supposedly requiring a unique set of skills. Efforts should be aimed to find out the management profile necessary to avoid pitfalls in the implementation of technology projects and provide practitioners with a culture-based project management practice. The research will allow the identification of project management patterns and preferences consistent with national culture

Enhancement of Project Performance through Risk Management and Monitoring & Evaluation with Moderating Role of Project Manager Decisional Skills

The major issue of concern right now is how to run a project successfully and efficiently. The ultimate goal is to achieve a project performance and information technology is becoming noticeably progressively centered on projects because of market dynamism and rivalry. There might be a few elements that can influence project performance; however, this research concentrates on risk management (RM), Monitoring & evaluation (M&E), project manager decisional skills (DS) and its effect on project performance (PP). Researches prove the significance of risk management at any level or any type of organizations and monitoring & evaluation is a key project performance factors. The research is based on empirical studies and quantitative research based on the questionnaire. 239 IT sector employees was taken to examine the relationships between risk management to project performance, Monitoring & evaluation to project performance and project manager decisional skills to project performance. The moderating role of project manager decisional skills also examined in RM-PP and ME-PP relationship. 4 hypotheses were being tested in which all of them comes out to be significant and correlated positively. Result shows that factors have significant impact on the project performance.  The results show that risk management and monitoring & evaluation contribute in the project performance. Results have also shown that project management decisional skills moderate the relation between risk management and monitoring & evaluation on project performance. Practical implications of the study are presented based on the results. Keywords: M&E, Risk Management, Project Manager Decisional skills, Project Performance.