Evolution of an IS development effort

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to stand back from the debate of success and failure and develop an interpretive account based on narratives of major actors to enable project managers with a rich understanding of a complex organisation.Design/methodology/approachActor network theory (ANT) was the method that was applied to both frame and sum narratives that were gathered from the six subjects along with anecdotal evidence and confidential documents used for this research. Findings – Success is based on the perception of both actors as well as the principal audience of the Commonwealth Games (CWG). Second information systems (IS) success is uniquely associated to an event like the CWG.Research limitations/implicationsMost of the data used for the research was after the conclusion of the games. Therefore usefulness of interpretation may have a time dimension. Probably if the subjects had included spectators and other project managers during the games, the quality of conclusions could have been further enriched.Practical implicationsProject managers of future events may be able to internalise the role of co‐ordination and agreement that is necessary among different actors to achieve success.Originality/valueOriginality of present paper stems from its “unusual” identification of success – as it has attempted to outline distinctions between certainty of success and anything contrary to success. Project managers, organisers and researchers of IS projects are likely to find value in the paper in being able to appreciate the evolutionary nature of IS success.