An Action Research Approach to Strategic Information Systems Planning in a Non-Profit Organisation

Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) in non-profit organisations (NPOs) has not received adequate attention in the research literature. This study addressed questions of how (and how well) Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) could be employed for conducting SISP in an NPO. Action Research (AR) was used as the primary research method in this study, supplemented by a survey of participants at the end. This paper exemplifies AR through the description and analysis of the use of SSM and other tools both for the provision of benefit to the organisation and for qualitative data collection and analysis in support of the research

Adapting soft systems methodology for strategic information systems planning: An action research study in a non-profit organisation in Australia

Non-profit organisations provide a large number of services of public interest and play an important role in the Australian society and economy. These organisations can very often improve or expand the services they provide to the public through the implementation of appropriate information systems and technologies. Effective choice and implementation of IS and IT benefits from undertaking strategic information systems planning (SISP). This study investigates the adaptation and use of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to conduct an SISP process in a non-profit organisation. SSM is a flexible methodology, based on systems thinking, which can be adapted to a particular organisational situation and is capable of taking into account the internal and external social and political contexts of an organisation. The study shows that SSM can be successfully adapted to suit the culture and situation of a non-profit organisation. Adaptations made included ways in which the IS planner interacted with organisational stakeholders and the addition of CSF, SWOT, problematiques, use cases, and a specialised form of CATWOE and Root Definitions. The study showed that the adapted form of the SSM for SISP process can be utilised effectively for SISP, was found to be valuable by organisational stakeholders, and provided help in renewing the focus on improving services to the community through the use of technology