A proposed classification for IT project failure causes: a qualitative study in some public organizations in Nineveh governorate

A proposed classification for IT project failure causes: a qualitative study in some public organizations in Nineveh governorate

Ahmed Younis Alsabawy *a        ,      Ahmed Kamal Albarzanji b

University of Mosul / Department of Businees Admisitarion.

Abstract

The current study deals with one of the most important problems that information technology projects suffer from, which is failure, as failure has become a critical issue facing this type of project, especially because of the increase in failure rates and the projects exceeding the planned costs and the timetable set for their completion. Accordingly, the basic research problem has been represented by an important question: What are the main causes of the failure of information technology projects in public sector institutions in Nineveh Governorate? In this context, the main objective of the study is to diagnose the main factors causing the failure of information technology projects in public sector institutions in Nineveh Governorate. For the purpose of identifying the causes of failure in IT projects, the study has adopted the qualitative approach and the case study method. Five projects in five government departments have been selected to be studied. In line with the qualitative approach, a semi-structured interview method is adopted to collect data from the individuals participating in the study, and (50) individuals working in these projects were interviewed. The study has found that there are (15) causes for the failure of information technology projects, which are: lack of specialized cadres, poor communication, lack of beneficiary participation, lack of experience of project workers, lack of project requirements, lack of funding, lack of support, poor risk planning. The managers ’lack of experience, the complexity of the project, the unrealistic plan, unrealistic cost estimates, the security situation, the weakness in cooperation and coordination, and finally the weakness of training are prominent features. The study has come out with a set of recommendations, the most important of which is the need to pay attention to each of the causes of the failure of technology projects, through mechanisms that are adopted to avoid failure

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