The British Computer Society has published a book on
project management as part of a government-backed campaign to
improve the success rate of IT projects.
The book, Project Management for IT-Related Projects, is a general
guide to IT professionals seeking to develop their skills as
project managers. It outlines the principles of project management
and also provides detailed guidance on planning, managing risks and
communication between the main people involved in a project.
The guide is designed to alleviate some of the much publicised
problems surrounding IT project management in both the public and
private sectors. For example, in July the House of Commons work and
pensions select committee reported on public sector IT project
disasters.
The select committee inquiry, which heard evidence from Computer
Weekly, made recommendations for improving the success rate of IT
projects.
One was the need for government departments to recruit enough
skilled project managers and to enter discussions with professional
bodies to agree a set of recommendations for professional
qualifications in IT project management.
But the billions of pounds wasted by badly managed IT projects cuts
across industry sectors, research shows.
Fewer than one in five of all IT projects in the UK can be
considered successful, and failed projects lead to billions of
pounds being wasted on IT systems, according to research from the
Royal Academy of Engineering and the British Computer
Society.
In-depth research into IT project management, commissioned by
Computer Weekly and published last year, painted a brighter
picture. It found that the management of UK IT projects was better
than previously thought.
But there is still plenty of room for improvement. The survey -
carried out by Chris Sauer and Christine Cuthbertson of Oxford
University's Templeton College - also found that only 16% of IT
projects hit their targets on budget, schedule and scope.
Project Management for IT-Related Projects is intended to
complement a new foundation certificate in IS project management
set up by the BCS' Information Systems Examination Board.
BCS chief executive David Clarke said, "There has never been a more
critical time for IT professionals to ensure their project
management skills are qualified and well defined.
"Findings of our joint report reveal that the current high volume
of large IT project failure can be directly attributed to a lack of
project management skills within an organisation," he said.
There is no shortage of courses on project management but the BCS
believes its new guide and three-day qualification is different
because it will be useful to staff in and outside IT.
Copies of Project Management for IT-Related Projects can be bought
from BCS Books at York Publishing Services for £18. Send an e-mail
to: orders@yps-publishing.co.uk.
Click here for the Computer Weekly research on project
management