Evaluating Federal Information Technology Program Success Based on Earned Value Management

Despite the use of earned value management (EVM) techniques to track development progress, federal information (IT) software programs continue to fail by not meeting identified business requirements. The purpose of this logistic regression study was to examine, using IT software data from federal agencies from 2011 to 2014, whether a relationship between schedule variance (SV), cost variance (CV), and actual cost (AC) could predict the success of IT software program, as operationalized by meeting the identified business requirements. The population of interest was 132 IT software programs developed between 2011 and 2014 for federal agencies. The sample source was an archival database located at ITdashboard.gov. The theoretical framework for the study was earned value (EV) project management theory. The EV project management theory is a project performance measurement system that involves integrating cost, schedule, and performance elements for planning and control. EVM contributes to project success by providing early warnings when programs deviate from cost and schedule plans. This study found that only SV was significant (SV days, p = .002). The null hypothesis was rejected, suggesting that a relationship exists between IT program success and the SV, CV, and AC. This study may contribute to social change by increasing the program managers\u27 understanding of EV in federal project management and by decreasing federal spending through successful programs and more cost-efficient use of taxpayers\u27 money

Strategies Used by U.S. Biotechnology Companies to Attain FDA Quality Compliance

Up to 70% of U.S. businesses in the biotech industry received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noncompliance citations in 2015. The effective implementation of quality management strategies may lead to improved quality compliance. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that quality compliance managers in biotech companies use to integrate and apply FDA product quality compliance requirements into their products’ quality compliance metrics. Deming’s strategic models for developing and implementing quality provided the conceptual framework for the study. The study participants consisted of five biotech quality compliance managers in the West region of the United States who had successfully implemented strategies to integrate and apply FDA product quality compliance requirements into their quality compliance metrics. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and public documents. Data were analyzed according to Yin’s 5-step process of compiling, disassembling, interpreting, and making conclusions. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: product quality outcomes, policies and procedures, and collaborative partnerships. A key recommendation includes compliance managers identifying collaborative quality compliance opportunities within and outside their organizations. The implications for positive social changes include the availability of needed drugs for society. Growth in the biotech industry may improve the overall health and living conditions of the public

Strategies Certified Project Management Professionals Use to Prevent Counterproductive Behavior

Project managers who fail to apply strategies to prevent counterproductive work behavior in information technology projects could negatively affect users, budget costs, timelines, or projects. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that project managers used to prevent counterproductive work behavior that put project success at risk. Social learning theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through document review of published Project Management Institute (PMI) material as well as semistructured interviews with 10 project managers who were members of a PMI chapter in the southeastern United States, and who held a project management professional certification or an agile certified practitioner certification. Data were analyzed using Yin\u27s methodology and consisted of transcribing, organizing, and coding the interview data, as well as triangulating the interview data in relation to the PMI literature. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) participant communication, (b) proactive planning, (c) personal impact, (d) participant engagement, and (e) issue management. The implications of the study for positive social change include the potential to increase the occurrence of conflict-free and healthy project environments, which could lead to satisfied and motivated project participants resulting in productive and engaged members of the community

Initiating Factors Affecting Information Systems Project Success

Information systems (IS) projects are complex and costly, but only a 3rd of IS projects are successful; the Standish Group reported that 32% of IS projects were successful in 2012. Although investments in research have led to improvements in practice, there is a general perception that management failures are responsible for the low rate of IS project success. The effects of initiating factors on project outcome had not been sufficiently explored; few IS researchers have explored the initiation phase. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore project initiation factors, including relational, as well as decision-making aspects, and how they might be addressed to enhance the possibility of success. The research questions were oriented at identifying key initiation factors, how they might be managed to promote project success, and how decision-making factors at initiation might facilitate project success. A conceptual framework consisting of chaos theory and Ashby\u27s law of requisite variety was used. Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used, and 24 IS managers and project managers were interviewed. A 3-stage data analysis approach was used and included open coding, focused coding, and theoretical coding. Key themes identified included project governance and management, as well as stakeholder engagement. The emergent theory of IS project initiation indicated that the factors represented by the themes must be identified during initiation but implemented throughout the project lifecycle to ensure project success. Positive social change may be realized as IS managers, and project managers apply the findings and recommendations to achieve project success and avoid costly failures thus benefiting both companies and customers

Strategies for Successful Healthcare Information Technology Projects

Without successful information technology (IT) implementations, IT managers and project managers (PMs) would fail to support their customers\u27 and patients\u27 technological needs. IT managers in healthcare organizations who improve IT project success rates will enhance the organization’s financial health. Grounded in the transformational leadership model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies some IT managers in healthcare organizations use to deliver IT projects meeting deliverable requirements. The participants were 5 IT managers and PMs in healthcare organizations in a metropolitan area of California who effectively used strategies to successfully deliver IT projects for health organizations. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, archived company documentation, and project management documents from PMI archives. Yin’s 5-step analysis was used to analyze the data from which 5 themes emerged: defined scope, defined project plan, stakeholder management, communication, and the selected software development lifecycle. A key recommendation includes adopting agile or hybrid methodology to incorporate iterative development practices into information technology project implementations. The implications for positive social change include a potential reduction in healthcare costs to patients, improvement in the work environment by reducing employee stress related to failed projects, and a possible increase in funding of healthcare jobs and research to improve patient care