Enterprise Architecture Approach for Project Management and Project-Based Organizations: A Review

Project-based organizations (PBOs) derive income from conducting projects for their clients. Maintaining the most effective and efficient project governance style is an ongoing process for these organizations as the context continuously changes. Enterprise architecture (EA) is a systemic approach that supports organizations in modeling and describing themselves in different layers, such as strategy, business, application, and technology. This literature review describes the current state of EA usage in improving and quickly revising project management governance in PBOs to benefit practitioners and researchers for an integrated view of EA, PM, and PBO, and identification of future research gaps. This review used an EA model composed of layers as an analytical framework. The extracted bibliometric and content data from selected articles were processed using the VOSviewer tool for identifying and understanding the relationships between main concepts through network mapping. The selected articles are oriented to internal organization projects, mainly in information technology (IT). The need to align projects with business is highlighted, with EA positioned as a governance tool. It was found that application of EA in PBOs is rare. A trend toward using popular PM and EA frameworks, such as PMBOK and ArchiMate, was observed

Formulating an IT governance framework

Modern organisations make substantial investments in Information Technology (IT). Corporate governance practices can no longer ignore the importance of effectively governing IT. Consequently, the third King Report on Corporate Governance (King III) makes specific provision for IT governance, which is implemented through the establishment of an IT governance framework. The purpose of this research is to develop a generic IT governance framework, suitable to any large South African organisation in the public or private sector. The literature considered for this research confirmed the extent of standards and practices available in support of IT governance, together with the roles and structures required to implement them. These included well-known publications such as COBIT, Prince2, ITIL and ISO/IEC27000. Based on the literature review, a theoretical Processes, Enablers and Structures (PES) IT Governance Framework was formulated. The framework was further explored by means of a survey of and structured interview with ten Chief Information Officers (CIOs) of South African organisations with a turnover in excess of R1bn per annum. The final PES IT Governance Framework comprises three dimensions, each of which contains a set of constituent components: • Processes: Strategic Alignment, Value Delivery, Resource Management, Risk Management and Performance Measurement. • Enablers: IT Sub Processes, Supporting Documentation, IT Control Framework, Technology Architecture, Desirable Practice, IT Portfolio Management and Regulation. • Structures: The Board, Office of the CIO, IT Steering Committee, Technology Architecture Forum, IT Programme Management Office and Information Security Organisation. As the number of regulatory requirements and associated compliance pressures grow, the importance of an effective IT governance framework also becomes more prominent. The PES IT Governance Framework offers a uniquely practical approach to addressing IT governance principles that are often regarded as abstract. The final PES IT Governance Framework provides clear guidance on how organisations could implement an IT governance framework, which addresses the strategic alignment of IT to business, value delivery by IT investments, IT risk management, IT resource management and IT performance measurement

A Framework for Organizational Compliance Management Tactics

Abstract. Organizational compliance with laws, industrial standards, procedures and enterprise architectures has become a highly relevant topic for both practitio-ners and academics. However, both the fundamental insights into compliance as a concept and the tactics for bringing an organization into a compliant state have been described in a fragmented manner. Using literature from various disciplines, this paper presents two contributions. First, it describes the fundamental concepts regarding compliance. Second, it presents a framework in which the various tactics for achieving organizational compliance can be positioned

Data driven decision support systems as a critical success factor for IT-Governance: an application in the financial sector

IT-Governance has a major impact not only on IT management but also and foremost in the Enterprises performance and control. Business uses IT agility, flexibility and innovation to pursue its objectives and to sustain its strategy. However being it more critical to the business, compliance forces IT on the opposite way of predictability, stability and regulations. Adding the current economical environment and the fact that most of the times IT departments are considered cost centres, IT-Governance decisions become more important and critical. Current IT-Governance research and practise is mainly based on management techniques and principles, leaving a gap for the contribution of information systems to IT-Governance enhancement. This research intends to provide an answer to IT-Governance requirements using Data Driven Decision Support Systems based on dimensional models. This seems a key factor to improve the IT-Governance decision making process. To address this research opportunity we have considered IT-Governance research (Peter Weill), best practises (ITIL), Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and frameworks (COBIT). Key IT-Governance processes (Change Management, Incident Management, Project Development and Service Desk Management) were studied and key process stakeholders were interviewed. Based on the facts gathered, dimensional models (data marts) were modelled and developed to answer to key improvement requirements on each IT-Governance process. A Unified Dimensional Model (IT-Governance Data warehouse) was materialized. To assess the Unified Dimensional Model, the model was applied in a bank in real working conditions. The resulting model implementation was them assessed against Peter Weill‘s Governance IT Principles.Assessment results revealed that the model satisfies all the IT-Governance Principles. The research project enables to conclude that the success of IT-Governance implementation may be fostered by Data Driven Decision Support Systems implemented using Unified Dimensional Model concepts and based on best practises, frameworks and body of knowledge that enable process oriented, data driven decision support

Major eGovernment Projects in Health, Education and Transport in Victoria

This paper suggests that an understanding of eGovernment systems can be gained by examining them from the viewpoint of project management principles. The method adopted was to conduct a thematic analysis of documents describing six systems in the Australian state of Victoria. These projects were in Health, Education and Transport. Three were seen to be successful while three were not. The framework for the analysis was generated from a comparison of the general literature of project failure and the principles of two commonly used project management standards: PMBoK and PRINCE2. The comparison of successful and failed eGovernment projects within the same governmental departments enables conclusions to be drawn about the importance of stakeholder involvement and other project management principles

The intelligent client: learning to govern through numbers at Heathrow

This thesis examines the call for reform in the governance of risk and control within major construction programmes in the UK. Over the next 8 years, Construction 2025 describes aspirations for major improvements in productivity, cost efficiency and delivery lead times. However, the pathway to reform remains unclear. Major infrastructure projects have a history of dissonance where competing value systems can create friction. However, the productive friction from multiple evaluative perspectives can also be a fundamental part of resolving emergent and perplexing problems. Construction 2025 highlights the need to develop stronger delivery relationships with an emphasis on the early engagement of suppliers and “fixing” the front-end of projects through more rigorous procurement strategies. It also notes that “much” of the waste in construction is fundamentally linked to the treatment of risk. Intelligent Clients, such as Heathrow, have been identified as exemplars in developing superior models of risk governance that work “with” suppliers to articulate the nature of value and evaluative purpose (CE, 2009). This thesis is a study of the composition and evolution of control in the construction of Terminal 5 (T5) and the more recent Terminal 2 (T2) at Heathrow. Terminal 5 is considered a landmark case that challenged traditional self-seeking opportunism with a lean partnering philosophy delivered through integrated teams. A year later Terminal 2 moved away from the partnering with suppliers, engaging a 3rd party integrator managed through an intelligent control system. At the time this raised concerns that T2 represented a relinquishing of the project management capability developed on T5 and a weaker model of integration. However, T2 was a success. This thesis draws on extensive project-based technical data, interviews with industry experts and policy reports to build a comparative picture of the calculative infrastructures. Temporal bracketing is used to trace the patterns of development into “phases of control” as a sequence of evaluative orders. Both cases move the conception of control beyond directive forms of control “over” resources to consider the nature of social integration and the complexity of enrolling allied interests. The findings explore a variety of innovative calculative technologies that translated tensions into productive friction. In both cases Heathrow did not fix the front-end. Instead an adaptive calculative infrastructure mediated collective deliberation, critical inquiry and emergent learning. These findings suggest that the current reform discussion would benefit from more explicit consideration of the importance of architectures of control in making projects valuable, governing risk and shaping conduct towards enterprise and discovery

A framework for delivering projects on target in the gas industry in South Africa

Abstract: Project success has always been a topical discussion within organizations. Though the success measures are varied, there is consensus on what constitutes a successful project. The litmus test lies in executing projects whose outcome meets and satisfies the triple constraints and the multi-dimensional success criteria. The research study proposes the development of a framework for project execution that is designed at delivering projects successfully within the gas industry in South Africa. It focuses on the execution phase as the epicentre of the project activities which influences and contributes to the project outcome. The framework elements are iteratively built using a “systems engineering” approach of Analyse, Design, Develop and Deploy. Furthermore, quality refinements are implemented at each stage of execution to advance quality checks and help make project decisions. Existing project frameworks are explored through literature reviews and analysed to draw synergies. Though most of the frameworks take a cradle to grave approach to the project life cycle, the framework for execution focuses on the execution phase of the project life cycle. It describes the elements and attributes of the framework and concludes by testing the framework in two case studies applications.M.Phil. (Engineering Management

IT Governance Maturity: Developing a Maturity Model Using the Delphi Method

To advance in maturity, organizations should pay attention to both the hard and soft sides of IT governance (ITG). The hard side is related to processes and structure, the soft side to social aspects like behavior and organizational culture. This paper describes a study to develop an ITG maturity model (MM) that includes both. Our research method is based on literature study, the Delphi method and makes use of a Group Decision Support System. We chose to design a focus area MM. In this type of MM maturity is determined by a set of focus areas. The study reveals one MM as being appropriate for hard ITG. For soft ITG we found no single model appropriate. Soft governance needs more specific capabilities defined for each focus area individually. Based on knowledge from literature and experts we selected models for each focus area. Three alternatives for informal organization need further research

Hard and soft IT governance maturity

The goal of the research in this thesis is to determine how the IT governance (ITG) of an organisation can grow in maturity to become more effective. ITG are “the structures, process, cultures and systems that engender the successful operation of the IT of the (complete) organization”. ITG is thus not restricted to the IT organisation. The research presented here follows the stream in which ITG is considered an integral part of corporate governance, focusing on the performance perspective. The proposition is that improving “ITG maturity” results in improving ITG. Given that ITG is an integral part of corporate governance, the assumption is that improving ITG results in improving corporate governance and thus, improving organisational performance. The research methodology is based on design science and a combination of systematic literature studies, Delphi workshops and case studies. Organisations can be defined as social units of people that are structured and managed to pursue collective goals. ITG can be seen from two perspectives: - An organisational perspective referred to as “hard governance”; - A social perspective referred to as “soft governance”. This research is grounded in the assumption that in order to advance in maturity, organisations should pay attention to both the hard and soft sides of ITG. In order to improve ITG, a maturity model for hard and soft ITG was designed. The end result was a model consisting of three parts: soft governance, hard governance and the context. The thesis provides a detailed description of the design process between 2014 and 2017. Another literature review demonstrated that all 12 focus areas of the MIG model are also covered by the corporate governance literature. The assessment instrument was used in case studies conducted by students and the researchers. Between 2015 and 2017, 28 case studies were conducted using three versions of the instrument. The evaluations revealed that combining the instrument with semi-structured interviews results in an enhanced and usable instrument for determining the current level of hard and soft ITG of an organisation