Hiring a project manager to co-ordinate your
IT projects, rather than expecting an existing manager to
incorporate it into their role, can increase the chance of an IT
project succeeding.
Having somebody take control of planning and managing a project
can prevent the costs of implementing systems - sometimes running
into the millions - from spiralling out of control.
The project manager is responsible for ensuring all resources,
including the budget and time spent on the project, do not exceed
any agreed tolerances, while ensuring the delivered product meets
customers' quality expectations. Other responsibilities include
risk and change management, and contingency planning.
Once an organisation follows the procedure of establishing a
solid business case and finding a project manager, theoretically
the project should hold a higher chance of success. Unfortunately,
a positive outcome is not guaranteed.
Trust is a dangerous thing
A lesson we have learned is that a risk organisations often fail
to consider, never mind identify, is that the project manager might
not actually know what they are meant to be doing, or might simply
fail to do what they are paid to do. This is despite creating such
a reassuring impression of themselves that you could imagine they
had personally created the whole project management concept.
Most IT suppliers provide a project manager to run IT projects
at a high daily premium to the end-user, yet the end-user is not
invited to participate in the selection process. This practice
needs to change, as it is the end-user who is paying for the
project manager, and, ultimately, relying on their honesty and
proficiency.
The success of a project is hugely dependent on the
effectiveness of the project manager, and the skills required to
successfully perform the role include leadership, communication,
negotiation and planning.
A high level of integrity is also a helpful, and occasionally
essential, attribute.
The project manager should not hesitate to communicate to the
business any personal risks. For example, the following
interjection can prove helpful: "I just started reading about
project management last weekend - I might not be the best person to
run your £1.8m project."
Do not take a back seat
The cost of a business-critical
IT project failure is far too high to leave the entire process
of appointing the project manager to the supplier alone.
The end-user has the right to interview supplier-proposed
candidates before they are assigned to an IT project, and can
request a change if it is deemed necessary.
Failure to take part in the selection process could result in
the sponsor having to impart to the business that the sole reason
for the project failing was that the high premium paid for the
project manager merely procured a driver who steered the £1.8m
project down a dead end, though, possibly, they did not know how to
drive in the first place.
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Tony Collins' IT projects
blog
Against the current: exploring the challenges of complex IT
projects
Have your say
Do you agree with Ibukun Adebayo's views? If you have an opinion
about this or any article in Computer Weekly, e-mail
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