Public sector information system project failures: Lessons from a New Zealand hospital organization

Abstract

Information system (IS) project failures are so common as to be almost expected by planners. There is an expanding literature on IS project failures including both theory and case studies. This literature, however, is largely derived from private sector IS failures, despite the fact that the likelihood of failure appears higher in the public sector. This article seeks to fill the public sector case study void. It details the failure and abandonment of a large New Zealand public hospital IS development. The case corroborates findings from the private sector literature, namely that ill-planned and managed, large and multifaceted projects are more likely to fail and that contextual issues are highly influential. It also shows how much more complex project commissioning and development is in situations of public governance where political and organizational elements come to the fore. Finally, the article offers lessons for public sector IS planners.