6 reasons government IT projects fail

TalkBack 1 of 17:

Next »

• Thread View
• Flat View

Contradictory demands

The complexity of a government project can arise not only from the ordicary technical problems, but from (frequently observed) situations.

The simplest example is a data item which has different definitions and neither can be eliminated because each comes from a higher level of government. If two Federal agencies have decreed different values for the same data item, a State government agency is not going to be able to resolve the discrepancies.

Another entertaining difficulty is the situation when IT is both a separate part of the executive branch and a responsibility of different executive agencies. The central IT may demand standardizations which influence the bids while the agency(ies) at which the work is to be done has not yet itself achieved the standardization assumed. And sometimes has no intention of doing so, or at least no resources to do the work while the project which had been bid is in progress.

Then there's the allocation of funds by a branch of government entirely separate from the executive. Sort of like Microsoft's Board governing Apple, but with a great deal more feeling. And discontinuity of Board membership. And more extreme reactions to changes in the economic situation.

When does the description of a situation move from "bad management" to "normal, expected conditions"?

Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 05/30/08 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• The Impact of Virtualization Software on Operating Environments VMware Today's use of virtualization technology allows IT professionals to ... Download Now
• The True Costs of Virtual Server Solutions VMware In an economic environment that is repeatedly heralding the message "do ... Download Now
• Three Steps You Need to Know to Stop Data Loss Varonis Sensitive data exposed to misuse or loss... it is the stuff of nightmares ... Download Now