Unmasking Project Management: The Business Perspective of Information Systems Success

263 Pages·2013·1.776 MB·English

by  Cassandra Moraveck (auth.)

Unmasking Project Management
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Unmasking Project Management
The Business Perspective of Information
Systems Success
Cassandra Moraveck
UNMASKING PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Copyright © Cassandra Moraveck, 2013.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2013 978-1-137-36095-3
All rights reserved.
First published in 2013 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN®
in the United States— a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world,
this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills,
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN 978-1-349-47218-5 ISBN 978-1-137-35626-0 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9781137356260
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Moraveck, Cassandra.
Unmasking project management : the business perspective of
information systems success / by Cassandra Moraveck.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
1. Information technology—Management. 2. Information technology
projects—Management. 3. Project management. I. Title.
HD30.2.M664 2013
658.4(cid:2)038011—dc23 2013024480
A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library.
Design by Newgen Knowledge Works (P) Ltd., Chennai, India.
First edition: November 2013
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
List of Figures and Tables ix
Preface: An Address to Students, Business Managers, Information
Technology Managers, and Project Managers xi
Acknowledgments x v
One Introduction 1
Defi nitions 2
Information Systems Project Management 3
Fundamental Question 5
Th e Organization of Th is Book 5
Two Organization and Forces of Information Systems Change 9
Project Risks 9
Success and Doing What Works 11
Project Management Principles 11
Why Projects Fail or Lack Functional Benefi ts 13
About the IT Manager 14
Th e Importance of How People Work 16
Th e Public View 17
Project Manager Assignments 19
Novice Managers 20
Forces of Change 20
Business Initiatives 23
Th ree From Visions to Information Systems Projects 33
Project Management 34
Portfolio Management 35
Project Priorities and Selection Methods 37
Th e Role of the Project Manager 38
IT Project Management in Public-Sector Organizations 39
From Vision to Completion 42
Th e Project Life Cycle and Software Engineering 47
Software Project Management Methodology 52
Characteristics of Information Systems Projects 55
vi / contents
Th e Project Management Institute (PMI) Method 57
Commercial, Packaged Information Systems Software 58
Request for Proposal (RFP) 60
Contractual Agreements 61
Managing Systems Works Requests for an Agency 62
Diff erent Types of Information Systems 66
Decisions and the Business Strategy 73
Awareness of the Diff erences 77
System Boundaries and the Environment 77
Four Avoiding Some Common Problems 81
Information Technology Standards and Policies 81
Expert Opinion in Business 91
Th e Th ree Areas of Measuring Project Success 94
Learn to Celebrate 96
Communicate Accomplishments 98
Resources for Project Managers 99
Five Stakeholder Management and IT Governance 103
Stakeholders in Government Organizations 104
Centralization versus Decentralization 105
Who Is in Charge of Information Technology? 112
IT Governance Model 114
About the CIO 117
Six Middle Space 129
Th e Human Resources IT Project 131
Endorsing Communication 137
Th e Infl uence of Politics 138
Navigating in Fog 140
Opportunities 143
Relationship with Your Employer 146
More about Middle Space 148
Agendas 153
Mood Regulation 153
Distancing Strategies 155
Leadership Styles 156
Peer Relationships 157
Types of Peers 159
Retirement Parties 163
Collaboration 165
Organization Structure Th at Supports Departments 166
Seven Th e Career Path and Working within the Organization 169
Choices You Can Make 169
Education and Professional Development 174
Horizontal and Vertical Career Paths 175
contents / vii
Eight Th e Project Manager 183
Leading the Project 183
Th e Project Manager’s Skills 187
Project Manager’s Leadership Style 188
Nine Critical Success Factors and Project Success 195
Ten Critical Success Factors 196
Ten Measuring Project Success 203
Th e Balanced Scorecard 203
How to Measure Project Success 204
Th e Project Questionnaire 205
Research on E-Government and Project Success 206
Eleven Th e Essentials of Good Management Practices 217
Some Essentials 218
Putting the Recommendations Together 220
Working Together 221
More about Peers 222
Management Concepts and Principles 223
Project Essentials 224
Organization Essentials 224
Project Manager Essentials 225
Human Signifi cance Essentials 225
You Can Make a Diff erence 228
Appendix A: Request for Proposal (RFP) Table of Contents 231
Appendix B: Contractual Agreement Table of Contents 2 33
Bibliography 2 35
Index 243
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Figures and Tables
Figures
2.1 Th e information systems strategic triangle (ISST) 23
3.1 Management of IT projects in a public-sector organization 41
3.2 Business strategy and project life-cycle phases 53
3.3 Project management integrated with CSFs and SDLC phases 54
3.4 Management and its relationships to software projects 56
3.5 Functional project organization of a county government
agency 65
3.6 Public-sector information systems strategic grid 69
4.1 Project planning 84
4.2 Detailed project plan 86
4.3 Change control request form 89
4.4 Th ree areas of measuring project success 95
4.5 Project success outcomes 96
5.1 Stakeholders in county government 105
6.1 Working in middle space 130
6.2 Coming together, integrating, and sharing information 134
6.3 Facilitate middle space 137
6.4 Tops with confl icting agendas 150
8.1 Th e organizational eff ects and project management 186
9.1 Ten key factors of the project implementation profi le 196
9.2 Ten critical success factors of the project implementation
profi le 197
10.1 Stages of e-government growth model 207
11.1 Information systems management concepts 223
Tables
3.1 Information systems development life cycle with ten phases,
tasks, and activities 50
3.2 Types of computer information systems 75
4.1 Types of judgmental forecasting methods 92