Survey: States need tighter project management practices

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By Ethan Butterfield

By Ethan Butterfield

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To ensure greater success for government IT projects, project management practices must be disciplined and adhered to by the agencies and stakeholders, according to a study by the National Association of State CIOs.

Key findings from the self-assessment and recommended action items for NASCIO and state CIO offices are listed within each survey subtopic area. Subtopics include project management office structures, governing statewide and multi-agency projects, organizational change management, project portfolio change management, strategic alignment with state IT strategic plans, project management certification and training programs and project management career paths in state government.Based in Lexington, Ky., NASCIO represents state CIOs and information resource executives and managers.

To ensure greater success for government IT projects on which billions of dollars are spent each year, project management practices must be disciplined and adhered to by the agencies and stakeholders involved, according to a study released this week by the National Association of State CIOs.

The survey, "Discipline Succeeds: Findings from the NASCIO State IT Project Management Assessment," was a self-evaluation conducted by 34 state project management offices during August and September.

Several key themes emerged from the report's recommendations for IT initiatives, including:

  • There is value in adopting an enterprise approach toward IT investments

  • Clarifying the governance structure during the initiation phase of a project is essential

  • Organizational change management must be viewed as an integral component of project management

  • Enterprise portfolio management can help align statewide IT investments with a state's goals, objectives and enterprise architecture and

  • Supporting career advancement for project managers within the state through project management training and certification programs enhances continuous improvement.




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