Analyse the reasons for the high failure rates in large IT projects

Analyze the reasons for the high failure rates in large IT projects Background

Organization projects too often end in failure . When a project fails one of the consequences of that failure can be the mounting of an exercise focused on placing the blame for the failure . Often the brunt of the responsibility for the failure is assigned to one department While with any project failure the project manager must accept some portion of that responsibility , too often that portion is too large and too restricted (Baccarini , 2001 , 201-4

The thrust of this

article is not to condemn project manager of blame for project failures . Situations do arise for which the entire blame must rest with the project manager . An example would be a project in which the project manager moves to the introduction and use of a new technology with which he has no prior experience and as a result the project fails . In those instances in which the project manager is fully at fault , he must accept the entire responsibility for the failure of the project (Barker , 2001 , 63 . However , many project failures occur as the result of a combination of causes and the involvement of various groups both within and outside the organization . In to make progress with the improvement of the delivery of well-done projects , it is important to be clear about the level of culpability of everyone involved in a failed project

Assessing those levels of culpability should be seen , albeit in the face of a project failure , as a positive exercise . The goal of that assessment should not be a blame-fixing mission . Rather , the goal should be to gather information about the causes of the difficulty and to identify areas of responsibility for the various components of the failure . That information , once gathered , should then be used to put into effect corrections focused on the avoidance of project failures in the future (Barker , 2001 , 64 . Understanding why projects fail and the various roles of the participants in those failures and recognizing ways to reduce the likelihood of failure through changes in the ways people involved in projects deal with their responsibilities sets the baseline for the improvement of the organization 's future projects

Aim and objectives

In any given project , a project manager is the individual who has the general liability for the triumphant planning and implementation of a project . This label is used in the manufacture industry , structural design , information technology and numerous different careers that are based on creation of a product or service . In universal language , the project manager is answerable for the in general victory of the project In a few companies , this individual may be called a Project Coordinator or even a Team Leader nevertheless , the key feature is that the individual is responsible for guaranteeing the accomplishment of the project (Cooke-Davies , 2003 , 332-6

GENERAL PERSPECTIVES - WHY PROJECTS FAIL

Users failed to present absolute requirements

Hoffer (2002 ) explains that users for a system are the key deciding factors for...