Information And Communication Technology Projects Research Articles

Transformation of digital government services in the public sector in South Africa

Background: It is well-documented that the 21st century is providing digital technologies in an alarming rate. Their emergence promotes effectiveness, efficiency, accountability and transparency of public services and internal governance. This study was conducted within the government departments and state-owned agencies of South Africa.Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the transformation of digital government services in the public sector in South Africa.Methods: This case study used qualitative approach where data were collected through semi-structured interviews from the national government departments and state-owned entities. The target population comprised information technology officers, investigators or analysts and administrative officers. Data collected were thematically analysed preceding the transcription of audio-recordings.Results: Some of the significant results of this study showed that the executives avoid playing their role to drive Information and communications technology (ICT) through Corporate ICT Strategy.Conclusion: Some of the challenges of adopting digital transformation are associated with low digital literacy, poor digital infrastructure, unreliable power supply, among others.Contribution: This study establishes that if the senior managers from ICT section become members of the executive committee, the government can have successful implementation of ICT projects without scepticism. This study also contributes to the awareness of considering digital literacy skills to support digital transformation.

Empowering Indigenous Communities: Land Alienation in Tripura and Restoration through ICT Initiatives

This paper explores the issues of land alienation faced by indigenous communities in Tripura and the transformative role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiatives in addressing this challenge. The indigenous populations in Tripura have long struggled with losing their ancestral lands, resulting in social and economic disparities. However, ICT initiatives have emerged as powerful tools for documenting land rights, enhancing community empowerment, and bridging the information gap. Through a comprehensive analysis of various ICT projects, this study examines the success and challenges of using technology to protect and restore land rights. The research sheds light on the potential of ICT solutions to empower indigenous communities, strengthen their land tenure security, and foster sustainable development in Tripura.

Integrating Learning Management System and Digital Library for Students’ Assessment

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has recently advanced in education sector where teachers and other educational stakeholders use learning management system (LMS) to improve students learning. Tanzania in the meantime, has implementing multiple initiatives aimed at enhancing ICT integration in education. The initiatives includes connection of National ICT broadband backbone, implementing various ICT projects such as Tanzania Education and Research Network (TERNET) and the use LMS and digital library (DL) through Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE). Apart from the government initiatives, a critical gap exists in the knowledge and proficiency of both tutors and students in utilizing LMS and DL skills to enhance creativity. This study seeks to address this issue by exploring the integration of LMS and DL to preserve the talents and skills of educators and students. The research utilized a mixed-method approach that involved questionnaires and interviews from tutors. Data were analyzed both inferentially and descriptively. The study found that 33% of tutors were competent to ICT skills related to LMS and DLs. Furthermore, the study proposed a digital library system (DiLaS) prototype as a blueprint for integrating LMS and DLs to support students in learning and assessment. The paper recommends that the government should draw policy strategies that support innovation in digital systems to preserve exceptional skills.

Identification and prioritization of factors causing delays in ICT projects based on PMBOK standards using Fuzzy Delphi & Fuzzy Delphi hierarchical analysis

Due to the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects and lack of research on such projects in the petroleum industry, the present study mainly aimed to identify and prioritize the factors affecting the delay of ICT projects in Masjid-i-Solieman Oil and Gas Production Company as the case study. This investigation seeks the causes of undesirable conclusions of the ICT petroleum industry. The results are crucial to prevent the wastage of financial resources or time (due to sanctions and the difficulty of supply resources in Iran), also are very important for the project management of the oil and gas industry. On the other hand, it can be helpful all over the world. According to the obtained prioritization, the most significant impact was the wrong sequence and definition of prerequisite relationships, prioritization instructions and lack of review of the priority in allocating limited resources to project components, and lack of timely allocation of financial resources, respectively, with the highest importance.

Factors Leading the Failure of ICT Project Management in the Public Sectors in Tanzania

The research study focuses on investigating the factors leading the failure of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) project management in the public sectors of Tanzania. The study utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The research includes a comprehensive literature review to identify factors associated with previous ICT project failures. Interviews and surveys are conducted with key stakeholders involved in ICT project management in Tanzania's public sectors. The findings highlight various factors contributing to the failure of ICT project management, including inadequate project planning and initiation, insufficient budget allocation, lack of skilled personnel, ineffective communication, and poor stakeholder engagement. Additionally, poor risk management strategies, organizational culture, political interference, and limited commitment from top management are identified as significant barriers to successful ICT project implementation. The implications of these findings emphasize the need for effective measures to address these challenges. Recommendations include improved project planning and initiation processes, increased budget allocation, enhanced human resource capabilities, and the establishment of effective communication channels. Creating a supportive organizational culture, minimizing political interference, and securing strong commitment from top management are also crucial to successful ICT project implementation in the public sectors of Tanzania. This research contributes valuable empirical evidence on the factors leading to ICT project management failure in Tanzania's public sectors. The findings can serve as a foundation for developing strategies and policies to promote successful ICT project implementation in similar contexts. Ultimately, addressing these challenges can lead to improved public service delivery and socio-economic development in the country.

UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES BY THE FARMERS

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can help farmers access the information they need. Nowadays, an array of ICTs tools and projects are available not only in urban areas but in rural areas also. However effective utilization of ICTs for accessing agricultural information by the farmers is the major concern as generally, people use them more for entertainment and time passing. To what extent the farmers are using the ICTs in accessing agriculture information is fundamental for redesigning the agricultural development projects integrating the ICTs. Keeping this in view, the study was undertaken to ascertain the extent of the use of ICTs for accessing agricultural information by the farmers of South Gujarat. The study was carried out in the Valsad and Navsari districts of Gujarat for 120 farmers. Multistage random sampling was adopted for the selection of respondents. An Ex-post-facto research design was used for the study. Results of the study indicated that the majority (62.50 percent) of the respondents had a moderate level of extent of utilization of ICTs followed by 19.17 and 18.33 percent of them had high and low extent of utilization, respectively. Out of the 14 factors studied, education, extension participation, training received, mass media exposure, information source accessibility, innovativeness, social participation, and economic motivation were found positively and highly significantly correlated with the extent of use of ICTs.

SDG-11 and smart cities: Contradictions and overlaps between social and environmental justice research agendas.

There is an increased role Information and Communications Technology (ICT) plays in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper focuses specifically on SDG-11 "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable" and how cities are increasingly incorporating ICT toward this goal. The public discourse on Smart Cities suggests economic, social and environmental benefits are possible through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). However, the increased deployment and use of digital infrastructure and processes in the name of sustainability and optimization itself is the focus of a growing body of critical literature on Smart Cities. This mini-review collates critical literature on digital infrastructures and processes related to SDG-11 and Smart Cities to identify areas of significance for further research. Although many Smart City projects discuss sustainability benefits, the distribution of benefits and risks across different communities is rarely examined. An increased use of ICT in Smart City projects can provide environmental benefits to some communities, while shifting the burden of risks to other communities. An increased use of ICT has its own energy and resource impacts that has implications for sustainability beyond the geography of individual cities to global impacts. The lifecycle and supply chain impacts of advanced ICT projects are being identified and documented. The end user of the Smart City projects may benefit significantly from the increased use of ICTs, while the environmental costs are often borne by disparate communities. In some cases, within the same city where a Smart City project is deployed, the inequities in distribution of environmental resources and services are exacerbated by layering new ICT implementations on top of existing socio-economic inequities. Therefore, this paper combines a broad view of Smart City environmental impacts, as well as a deep examination of the intersection of social justice and environmental justice issues to create more wholistic approaches for analysis of governance of Smart City projects. A more wholistic approach for governance of Smart City projects is required that includes combined social justice and environmental justice frameworks, toward achievement of SDG-11 goals.

A Framework for Project Delivery Systems via Hybrid Fuzzy Risk Analysis: Application and Extension in ICT

One of the essential factors of project success is selecting the proper delivery method. This study aimed to provide a new hybrid decision-making framework to assist project stakeholders in evaluating and selecting the most appropriate Project Delivery System (PDS) and documenting the decision process. For this purpose, the selection factors of PDSs were obtained from a literature review, and critical selection factors were screened based on the fuzzy Delphi method, whereby expert feedback was on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects was obtained. Subsequently, the ICT project risks were identified and categorized into six competitive constraints, including time, cost, quality, reputation, value, and scope, and the risk factors were prioritized in each area. Then, the effect of project risks on the decision criteria was investigated using a fuzzy cognitive map (FCM). Finally, the PDSs were ranked through Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS). This article researched a novel multi-layer decision system combining the FCM and FTOPSIS techniques. The decision criteria received their weights from the evaluation of the causal relationships between PDS selection factors and project risks. Thus, PDSs were ranked based on different project characteristics, the opinions of stakeholders, and the effect of project risks on the decision-making process; this increased the likelihood of project success. The results showed that the impact of the most critical project risks on the selection factors was so severe that they changed the weight of the criteria in the decision matrix and, subsequently, changed the ranking of decision options.

Towards a project management framework for ICT projects in defence institutions

A framework for information and communication technologies (ICT) projects may address the discord of traditional project management and that, which is required for ICT projects within defence institutions. The problem is also underlined by the pace of technological development and the current application of compromised project management. Globally no specific project management methodology is prominently suitable for solution delivery within defence institutions. The aim of this research was to address the problem by the development of a framework for the project management of ICT projects for defence institutions. The research methods used to address the problem were dual with respect to a descriptive study. Secondary sources were utilised to describe a thorough background to the problem and secondly, a descriptive case study was used. The ICT function of the South African Department of Defence (DOD) was used for the case study. A synthesis of the data from both these sources guided the development of a framework. The final outcome was the development and enlightenment of a conceptual framework for the project management of ICT projects after considering the unique challenges of the military, the importance of upscaling agility and by reviewing project management methodologies. In conclusion, the conceptual framework proposes a hypothetically workable approach for the project management of ICT projects in defence institutions.

Feeling “holier than thou”: exploring the critical nexus between project governance, exploitative leadership and multi-dimensional success in ICT projects

PurposeProject managers are under a never-ending pressure to demonstrate the expected value of projects to the project sponsors; however, in most cases, project managers fail to realize this strategic value due to the loopholes left in project governance throughout various stages of the project life cycle. Furthermore, another root cause of project failure might be linked to an exceedingly self-interested project leader who is exploitative of his/her team. This is a recurring yet still unexplored aspect of destructive leadership that requires attention from the scientific community as well as practitioners. Hence, the present study explored the relationship between project governance and information and communication technology (ICT) project success, as well as the moderating effects of exploitative leadership on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachWith this aim, 357 responses were collected from project professionals in the emerging ICT industry in Pakistan, and the results were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with partial least squares (PLS).FindingsThe findings provide new evidence that project governance significantly improves project success opportunities in the ICT industry; however, this relationship is negatively moderated by exploitative leadership.Originality/valueThe study findings extend the project leadership literature by uncovering the influence of the dark side of project leadership (i.e. exploitative leadership), in addition to revalidating the impact of project governance on project success through a multi-dimensional context.

Cost Management for Information and Communication Technology Projects

Information and communication technology (ICT) is an important sector that contributes to the development of a country. However, the success of this sector depends on the success of the ICT projects. Hence, ICT projects must be managed efficiently and effectively to ensure that they are successfully implemented. The literature review reveals that most of the ICT projects around the globe are in a challenged state, especially in terms of cost. This quantitative research aims to explore the cost influencing factors of the ICT projects in Malaysia and to build a cost influencing factors framework as a knowledge base for project managers. A 5-point Likert scale survey was conducted using the purposive sampling and the snowball sampling method to solicit responses from a large population of ICT project managers. The responses of 194 ICT project managers in Malaysia were analyzed, and the top 15 cost influencing factors were identified at different phases of a project. This result was used to build a cost influencing factors framework as a knowledge base for ICT project management.

ICT Governance and Management Macroprocesses of a Brazilian Federal Government Agency

The process of identifying and managing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) risks has become a concern and a challenge for public and private organizations. In this context, risk management methodologies within the Brazilian Federal Public Administration organizations have become indispensable to help the managers of these organizations in decision making, especially in the distribution of public funds, elaboration of public policies focused on transparency, social actions contemplating indemnities, and social benefits, among others. In addition, the various ICT projects controlled by the public administration need a methodology to perform their management of ICT resources. In this article, we present the Governance and Risk Management methodology used to model the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) macro processes. The proposed methodology used the risk management process aligned to the ISO 31000 standards. This alignment was necessary for mapping CADE’s risk events, regardless of their complexity. The modeled ICT risk processes will support the organization’s managers in decision making and may be used or customized by any other organization of the Brazilian Federal Public Administration.

Reduction of the Information Gap Problem in Industry 4.0 Projects as a Way to Reduce Energy Consumption by the Industrial Sector

Reducing energy consumption should be treated as crucial for contemporary information and communication technology (ICT) projects under conditions of Industry 4.0. This research proposes a wider look at the factors influencing the success of ICT industry projects, considering not only technological and procedural conditions or implementation methods but also information and competency resources, thus allowing for correct decisions to be taken during project implementation. The article analyzes the information gap in Industry 4.0 projects completed in enterprises based in Poland, following the concept of sustainable development and minimization of energy consumption. The research was completed between 2018 and 2021 in medium enterprises, and the result is a qualitative characteristic of the information gap in ICT projects from the client’s perspective. The research can help develop a complete methodology for Industry 4.0 ICT projects to limit the level of uncertainty and risk while reducing energy consumption.

A Decision Support System for Investigating the Critical Success Factors of ICT Project Implementation in the Health Sector: A Case Study of the UK National Health Service (NHS)

Despite numerous previous studies on critical success factors (CSFs) on projects, the rate at which Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) projects still fail is very alarming and most especially with respect to their implementations in the health sector. Many authors have alluded the reasons for these to the complexity and difficulties in deciding the factors inherent in implementing even smaller-scale systems in this sector. Therefore, this research develops a decision scheme for investigating the critical factors that are responsible for the successful implementation of ICT projects in the health sector using the UK National Health Service (NHS) as a case study. Empirical data were collected through mixed method research techniques which included semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaires. The collected data were analysed using SPSS descriptive, inferential and analytical statistics. The CSFs were identified and then ranked in order of importance. Furthermore, the barriers to successful ICT project implementation in the healthcare sector were identified and examined. Based on the research findings, solutions were also proffered to these barriers. Finally, an integrated decision model was developed to provide a holistic framework for successful implementation of ICT projects in the health sector.

Preference heterogeneity of local government for implementing ICT infrastructure and services through public-private partnership mechanism

The government addresses the demand for information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure based on strategic economic planning. However, financial resources, as well as government inefficiencies handling the public infrastructure are the most prominent constraints hindering the development of infrastructure. In such a case, incorporating the private sector would strengthen the government strategy to implement the public ICT infrastructure. This study analyses the government perception to implement the public ICT infrastructure incorporating the private sector and finds strong heterogeneity to implement the public ICT infrastructure through public-private partnership (PPP) mechanisms. The main results are that the government agencies (decision makers) in Nepal positively prefer foreign companies and tend to share financial risks with the private sector in implementing ICT projects through PPP. However, there is relatively high heterogeneity in preferences of the government agencies for these attributes. The results of this study imply that public and private sectors might exhibit opportunistic behavior from the development to the operation of the project, ultimately risking the successful outcome of the project.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Governance Processes: A Case Study

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Governance is increasingly necessary and present in organizations aiming to improve the maturity of their ICT processes. This paper presents an analysis of the ICT Governance processes of a Brazilian Federal Public Administration agency. To assess the maturity of the ICT Governance processes, we surveyed and diagnosed the processes performed by the agency and organized a series of meetings/discussions to assist in the improvement and modeling of the processes related to the ICT Contract Planning process. As a result, we proposed improvements and identified the maturity level of the existing ICT processes, also assessing the awareness of employees of the General Coordination of Information Technology regarding these processes. Our findings reveal that the agency still needs to implement the following processes: (1) ICT People Management; (2) Business Process Modeling (Automated/to Automate); (3) Change Management; (4) Execution Monitoring of the ICT Projects and Services Portfolio; and (5) ICT Service Continuity Management. We also identified several artifacts that need to be implemented by the agency in different processes and collected survey participants’ suggestions about new processes to improve the maturity in ICT Governance.

Business and project strategy alignment: ICT project success in Iran

This study aims to examine the relationship and alignment between business and project strategy and their impact on the success of information and communications technology (ICT) projects. The proposed conceptual model was tested through structural equation modelling (SEM), with an analysis of SmartPLS based on survey data from 144 firms. The results indicate that project success is positively influenced by project strategy, while business strategy shows no impact on project success. In addition, alignment between business strategy and project strategy affects project success positively.

PREDICCIÓN DEL ÉXITO DE PROYECTOS TIC MEDIANTE REDES NEURONALES ARTIFICIALES

There are different kinds of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN): Feed-Forward (FF), Radial Basis Function (RBF), Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Convolutional, Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), Modular, Sequence-To-Sequence Models, which have different fields of application. In this research, which arose from the requirement to optimize the business results of a large company in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector, the possibilities of success of any ICT project through the use of ANN are estimated.

Current trends analysis and prioritization of success factors: a systematic literature review of ICT projects

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the current literature that has explored project success in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.Design/methodology/approachThe literature search was carried out for related articles in three databases: the Web of Science, Scopus and Ebscohost. Using a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology, 75 related articles were sorted out. Furthermore, the methods of frequency and content analysis were used to identify, categorize and arrange critical success factors (CSF) of ICT projects based on their importance, interrelation and cultural regions.FindingsThe findings in this study revealed that interest in researching success in ICT projects has increased significantly during the last five years. Through reviewing the selected articles, 25 CSF were identified. User participation, stakeholder relationship, project manager emotional intelligence, communication skills, and leadership skills, and top management support in the project emerged as the most important factors for ICT projects. Furthermore, we found that each regional group gives different level of importance to different CSF.Practical implicationsThis study gives the opportunity to practitioners to control the highest value CSF to increase the success rate of ICT projects carried out in different cultural regions.Originality/valueAs the first study of its type, CSF were divided for different cultural regional groups. This paper further explained that certain CSF have different levels of importance in different culture regions. This study suggests that regional culture needs consideration during the evaluation of CSF.

Impacts and Challenges of ICT Based Scale-up Campaigns: Lessons Learnt from the Use of SMS to Support Maize Farmers in the UPTAKE Project, Tanzania

Providing smallholder farmers with support through conventional government extension approaches is challenging as the number of extension agents is decreasing. At the same time, new information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as short message services (SMS) sent via mobile phones, show considerable promise to complement existing extension services. In the UP-scaling Technology in Agriculture through Knowledge and Extension (UPTAKE) Project, ICTs were used to create awareness and increase uptake and adoption of agricultural innovations by maize farmers in Tanzania. Two SMS-based maize campaigns were implemented during the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 cropping seasons in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Prior to the start of the campaigns, formative research to determine maize production knowledge, practices and challenges was conducted in Mbeya and Songwe Region. After the campaign a telephone survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted. During the campaign, about 3.8 million SMS were disseminated to over 55,000 farmers. 73% were male, 19% owned smart phones and 86% farmed maize on up to 1.2 hectares of land. Farmers reported maize production challenges as: unreliable markets, inadequate extension services, pest outbreaks and lack of knowledge to identify counterfeit inputs particularly seeds and fertilizers. The UPTAKE mobile SMS campaign was a new approach to agricultural extension in this area. A telephone survey amongst a sample of farmers who received the SMS revealed that 53% of respondents considered that this was now their preferred as a source of information compared to traditional sources including neighbours and family members, demonstration plots, agricultural extension workers and radios. Key lessons learnt relate to management of databases of farmer contacts, importance of participatory processes in developing content and designing SMS campaigns, and the need for flexibility and promptness in responding to emerging threats such as delayed rains and outbreaks of pests. Good practices like buy in and authorizations from the government administrative structures and compliance with country’s regulations on communication are integral to the success of ICT projects.