Examination of Urwin’s Framework in Information Technology Project Management Practices

Rashidah Md Rawi, (2018) Examination of Urwin’s Framework in Information Technology Project Management Practices. PhD thesis, Open University Malaysia.

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Abstract

Information Technology (IT) projects are organizational investments that require time, money, and other resources such as people and technology. In order to ensure the success of these projects, organizations are adopting project management approaches and setting up project management offices. In spite of this, projects still ended in partial or total failure. Despite the availability of frameworks in IT project management organizations still practice informal and ad hoc development in their project management causing additional costs and project delays or even failures. This study was done to examine the practice of Information Technology Project Management (ITPM) in organizations. The objectives of the study was first to review the existing frameworks in ITPM and then to propose a framework that is appropriate and that could be easily adopted by organizations. The study found that although there are many frameworks that can be adopted these existing frameworks are heavy in documentation and to adopt them required skilled or certified project managers which are not within the means of small and medium size organizations. Based on the review, the study had proposed Urwin’s framework as the most appropriate and practical project management approach for this study. This is because Urwin had created his framework of 12 themes after a long and intense study of information systems, information technology and project management literature. The 12 themes are strategy, leadership, scope, participation and commitment, project planning, project team, communication, risk management, training and resources, test management, organization structure and data. Urwin’s framework seemed most appropriate and practical because no certification is required and it can be implemented throughout the project life cycle. Also Urwin had showed how to implement each theme by providing a checklist under each theme. To examine Urwin’s framework interviews were conducted in two large organizations with two project managers of 15 and 17 years of experience each. Also a survey was conducted in 104 organizations. The respondents are project managers, IT executives, senior level employees and middle level employees with range of experience between two to 15 years. The results showed that all the 12 themes are well implemented in the two large organizations. Results of the survey showed that only three out of the 12 themes are well implemented. Findings from the study suggest that all 12 themes from Urwin’s framework must be well implemented to effectively managed ITPM. The study also put forth four recommendations to be practiced together with Urwin’s framework. They are executive focus and commitment; effective staffing; learning incrementally from experience; and baseline management. (Abstract by Author)

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