The Four Enthusiasms of ICT Failure, Problems of Control and Information System Development in the Public Sector Work-in-progress. Not for proceedings.

model of the Four Enthusiasms of ICT Failure is proposed. The Problems of Control are described. A research design to test this model and a series of research questions is outlined

Public private partnership contract management failure in information technology service delivery: a qualitative inquiry into the South African Department of Labour ERP implementation project

This PhD research project investigated the failure of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) ICT service delivery project between the South African Department of Labour (DOL) and Siemens Information Services (SIS). The research investigated conditions contributing to management failure of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Implementation project, which had the objective of improving the Department of Labour's service operations and the transfer of ERP technology competence to the DOL. An important objective of this research was to develop an understanding of the special challenges of PPP management in the context of emerging and developing countries. International organizations such as the IMF, World Bank and United Nations (UN) have been encouraging emerging and developing countries to adopt PPPs as vehicles for developing technology competence and improving public sector efficiency. However, little research has been conducted to discover whether these countries have the competencies to successfully implement and manage PPPs. The goal of this PhD study was to develop an understanding of factors and conditions influencing the DOL-SIS PPP failure in order to develop theory and approaches, which could help improve management practices in the area of contracting-out ICT service delivery in the public sector of the Republic of South Africa. The research was guided by an agency theory framework and utilised a multi-method approach to conduct three empirical investigations into the PPP institutional framework, project governance and public accountability aspects of the DOL-SIS project. Some important findings of this research are: (1) Robust institutional policies and governance mechanisms specific to PPPs for ICT service delivery are necessary but not sufficient to combat risks of failure; robust mechanisms for performance monitoring and penalties for shirking are also necessary. (2) Public sector managers need specialised knowledge and competence to effectively manage private partners in the execution of ICT PPP contracts; over dependence on the private partners can significantly increase the risk of project failure, and encourage opportunistic behaviour and shirking by the private partner. (3) Transparent project governance and public accountability mechanisms are necessary to maintaining public support and combating opportunistic behaviour of both private and public partners on a PPP ICT services project. The thesis comprises three empirical studies: Study 1 used an agency theory framework to interrogate the PPP institutional framework to understand its provisions for identifying and managing risk factors in ICT service delivery projects. Study 2 analysed data from interviews with stakeholders, the contract meeting minutes and other relevant documents, guided by the agency theory framework to develop an understanding of project governance challenges. Study 3 focused on identifying public accountability issues and used a critical discourse analysis methodology to interrogate the media discourse concerning the failure of the DOL-SIS ERP Implementation failure. Content analysis with the use of ATLAS/TI and automated tool was used to analyse all the relevant documents for the different studies. The general contribution of this PhD research is an explanatory theory illustrating how interactions among institutional conditions, governance mechanisms, knowledge and management competence deficits, and the behaviour of the PPP actors reinforced dysfunctional organisational conditions, which resulted in project failure. The theory is illustrated using a causal loop modelling technique and a set of five theoretical propositions clarifying the organizational knowledge and competence challenges, which the public sector managers faced, and the consequences of these affecting the success of the PPP project. This is an important contribution to literature on the use of PPPs for ICT service delivery not only in emerging and developing country contexts, but in developed contexts as well. Other contributions specific to the South African perspective are: (1) Study 1 revealed gaps in the institutional framework concerning the management of risks in ICT PPP projects. While South Africa has much experience with managing risks in the engineering and delivery of physical infrastructure, there is a comparable lack experience with managing ICT infrastructure implementation project risks. (2) Studies 1 and 2 reveal gaps in the governance and accountability mechanisms and practices which can be exploited with adverse consequences to the public interest. These studies also point to the importance of robust transparency and governance mechanisms, and high levels of management competence to the effective risk management of PPPs for ICT service delivery. (3) Study 3 reveals importance of the independent media in fostering debate, uncovering evidence, scrutinizing the activities of the actors in the DOL-SIS PPP and defending the public interest. The independent media played a critical role of agitating for public accountability when the DOL was reluctant to do so, and raising issues about SIS underperformance and pushing for public investigation into the governance of the DOL-SIS ERP Implementation project

ICTs and development: A capability perspective of Nigeria's experience with the National Identity Project

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.This study is about the impact of information and communications technologies (ICT) in developing countries, in light of development expectations in healthcare, education, commerce, government services, and other activities that can improve the lives of citizens. However, the deployment of these ICTs have not always resulted in the anticipated ends i.e. development outcomes. Also, expectations and deployment experiences vary amongst developing countries - indicating a need to understand what is locally relevant, meaningful and achievable within development initiatives. These ideas are explored within this study, with intent to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of ICTs and Development. The study is particularly concerned with the current efforts at deploying a National Identity system in Nigeria, in light of failed attempts over the past 34 years. This is an essential initiative due to the lack of a secure, reliable, or cost effective system of identification within the country (e.g. international passports and drivers’ licenses). The case is explored using Sen’s Capability Approach (CA) to development, which advocates the expansion of people’s freedoms (and opportunities) to engage in valued activities that improve lives. The unique application of the CA for a comprehensive study of the deployment and outcomes of the National Identity system constitutes a theoretical contribution (amongst others) to research - in light of previous applications which only evaluate the latter. Also, the findings reveal deep seated socio-cultural issues (such as corruption and tribalism) as sources of commonly reported technical and managerial problems within IS projects. These offer useful insights and advice for both policy makers and practitioners involved with the ICTs and Development agenda.This study was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and the Department of Information Systems and Computing at Brunel University

Curriculum architecture - a literature review

The analysis of almost 400 abstracts, articles, books from academic sources, policy documents and the educational press has been undertaken to attempt to illuminate the concept of Curriculum Architecture. The phrase itself is not current in the Scottish educational discourse. This review has attempted to look at the international research literature, available over the past ten years or so, on the sub-themes identified in the SEED specification

An insider's perspective: Governance of large ICT software projects in the Australian and New Zealand public sectors

For many decades, world-wide, and across sectors, large ICT software projects have experienced ongoing poor outcomes with industry research indicating that almost all will fail to deliver to original expectations, some spectacularly so. There is much existing research on the causes of both public and private sector project failure, such as poor project management. Despite all this past learning and research, the problems continue. To address an identified gap in literature this research differentiates itself from other research by a number of factors. Firstly, it will focus on the collective Australian and New Zealand public sectors, where it is argued there is a dearth of targeted research. Secondly, these large projects all operate within institutional frameworks that provide the rules, guidelines, and controls for these projects. These collectively form the institutional governance of large ICT software projects. Given that the Australian and New Zealand public sectors also continue to have poor outcomes, yet they have historically developed institutional frameworks, there is something amiss. Therefore, the research puzzle is, how effective are these institutional frameworks in providing the governance for large ICT software projects in these sectors? To address this puzzle the research further differentiates itself from existing literature. The thesis applies an institutionalist's lens. To obtain the data a qualitative, interpretive, and comparative research design was applied. Seventy-five elite interviews were conducted, stakeholders who have had and continue to have direct involvement in these large projects and therefore have a very personal perspective on the institutional frameworks. This in effect is a collaborative exercise to discover the perspectives of the institutional governance from those most impacted. The narrative to emerge is that the institutional frameworks are in a state of inertia. They are failing to adapt due to a number of institutional factors. Change is costly, and politically and organisationally not prioritised. The frameworks 'stick' to a path historically implemented. Governance is imposing structure over agency. Leadership in governance is failing to collaborate. Finally, there is a culture of forgetting, from one project to the next. All have public policy implications. There is a perception that the inertia will continue. Therefore, the dominant perspective was to reduce the complexity. Stop undertaking large projects as traditionally planned, where a 'superhuman' capability is required, break them down into a series of smaller component-based projects. Actors with agency and entrepreneurial skills have done so successfully. However, they succeeded by circumventing the institutional frameworks to address their weaknesses. These entrepreneurs are also rare. To address the rather sad perspective that nothing much is likely to change, and that success will remain dependent upon chance, a more practical proposal was identified. Undertake a brutal independent assessment at the initiation stage of the likelihood of the project to deliver as planned. The assumption is that given the likelihood is you will have poor outcomes, that the forecast is just a guess, the agency/project need to explain how they will address this. If you have planned as a single large project, you cannot start. If you do not have a skilled, trained, and committed sponsor you cannot start. If you do not have the project management capability and capacity required, you cannot start. The logic is simple, if you do not have the ability to enable successful delivery, it is better to stop the project at the initiation stage and work on a revised plan until you determine how you can. Project funding also needs to change to support this approach, to be iterative and progressive based on results, delivery, and revised forecasts for the next stage. Even this practical approach may be a bridge too far for the public sector

BERA-TACTYC Early Childhood Research Review 2003-2017

BERA/TACTYC Review of Early Childhood Education and Care in the UK, 2003-2017 has involved a wide range of early childhood specialists, both in the early consultation stages, and in writing the five main sections of the Review. Teams of authors and their reference groups came together from TACTYC – the Association for Professional Development in Early Years, and the BERA Early Childhood Education and Care SIG. Using specific questions to interrogate the literature, each team worked on one of five main themes: Professionalism; Parenting and Family; Play and Pedagogy; Learning, Development and Curriculum, and Assessment and School Readiness. These themes are contextualised within broad policy issues in the UK. The Introduction shows the working methods for the Review, and the Conclusion brings together key messages and suggestions for future research. We hope that the Review will prove useful to a range of early childhood specialists, including students, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and teachers in further and higher education. We intend to create a User Review that will be aimed at practitioners and to engage other stakeholders in current trends and debates. The Review is being launched at a time of change and uncertainty within early childhood education and care, and we hope that the Review will provide a focal point for discussions about future directions in the four UK policy frameworks, the importance of research, and how we use research evidence to inform provision and practice

The deferred model of reality for designing and evaluating organisational learning processes: A critical ethnographic case study of Komfo Anokye teaching hospital, Ghana

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The study proposed an evidence-based framework for designing and evaluating organisational learning and knowledge management processes to support continuously improving intentions of organisations such as hospitals. It demarcates the extant approaches to organisational learning including supporting technology into ‘rationalist’ and ‘emergent’ schools which utilise the dichotomy between the traditional healthcare managers’ roles and clinicians’ roles, and maintains that they are exclusively inadequate to accomplish transformative growth intentions, such as continuously improving patient care. The possibility of balancing the two schools for effective organisational learning design is not straightforward, and fails; because the balanced-view school is theoretically orientated and lack practical design to resolve power tensions entrenched in organisational structures. Prior attempts to address the organisational learning and knowledge management design and evaluation problematics in actuality have situated in the interpretivist traditions, only focusing on explanations of meanings. Critically, this is uncritical of power relations and orthodox practices. The theory of deferred action is applied in the context of critical research methods and methodology to expose the motivations behind the established organisational learning and knowledge management practices of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) which assumed rationality design conceptions. Ethnographic data was obtained and interpreted with combined critical hermeneutics and narrative analyses to question the extent of healthcare learning and knowledge management systems failures and unveil the unheard voices as force for change. The study makes many contributions to knowledge but the key ones are: (i) Practically, the participants accepted the study as a catalyst for (re)-designing healthcare learning and knowledge management systems to typify the acceptance of the theory of deferred action in practice; (ii) theoretically, the cohered emergent transformation (CET) model was developed from the theory of deferred action and validated with empirical data to explain how to plan strategically to achieve transformative growth objectives; and (iii) methodologically, the sense-making of the ethnographic data was explored with the combined critical hermeneutics and critical narrative analyses, the data interpretation lens from the critical theory and qualitative pluralism positions, to elucidate how the unheard emergent voices could bring change to the existing KATH learning and knowledge management processes for improved patient care