Delivering professional projects

Abstract

PurposeOwing to inadequate implementations of project management (PM) procedures and processes, many large information technology systems (ITS) projects failed to deliver its promises. Also, many of the failures in the implementation of large ITS projects around the world have been attributed to inadequate PM action. This criticism encompasses e‐government project initiatives which have attempted ambitious program change, major innovations, large transformations, enterprise wide solutions, collaboration across organisations, governments and private sectors, and the implementation of unprecedented (or ambitious) solutions. The purpose of this paper is to examine these issues.Design/methodology/approachThis paper forms part of an ongoing research of a PhD degree to describe, critically evaluate and examine the underlying barriers and challenges in large e‐government initiatives. Also, this paper examines change in organisations due to the change in the global economy and global information society as new technology is changing the nature of work. It identifies and examines the current and foreseeing problems with large e‐government projects and describes how a sociotechnical approach which takes into account, technical, business, citizen, economic needs in the creation of a sociotechnical ITS for future citizens. In addition, the paper offers a technology‐enabled enhancement to the project‐initiation phase, the area identified as being particularly weak and inadequate in addressing initial requirements of e‐government initiatives.FindingsThe paper proposes that technology can be incorporated into the professional practice of PM. It can also be a part of a passable solution as opposed to being distinct and separate from it. The PM supporting tools, as opposed to merely reporting actual versus plans have to increase the novelty (art and science) of PM through human interaction, empower the project manager and in aiding his capacity in delivering the expected outcomes.Social implicationsThe paper demonstrates the value of effective project managers within the wider context of PM in transformational e‐government initiatives. It believes that this research will have an impact on three important areas, namely project management practice (PMC), e‐government projects and the transformation process of large projects in the public sector. This paper is about changing culture and practice of PMC in handling and managing large projects when different parties involve including outsourcing. This paper investigates and addresses, not only the transformation process of e‐government projects, but also, the transformation of PM professional culture (i.e. PMC) that delivers and works.Originality/valueThis research paper contributes to the existing literature of PM of large e‐government transformational processes. The paper addresses a number of e‐government challenges, by critically analysing and summarising a list of e‐government challenges and barriers arising from an e‐government survey administered on behalf of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance which represents the national technology associations in 70 countries. It compares these challenges to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK), which is the North American standard in PM methodology. Also, it highlights the weaknesses in PMBOK to address these challenges and offers a technology‐enabled enhancement to the project‐initiation phase. This is the strength of this paper.