In case you didn't see the recent news, the FBI has cancelled a multi-million dollar computer project whose main goal was to consolidate terrorist information. That is, help prevent another 9-11 incident.
I obviously had no involvement in this and don't know anyone who did. But let me make a few observations about IT projects in general. (Which is difficult, because it is hard to even scratch the surface in less than a hundred pages.)
And, for the record, "in general" means just that; I am not picking on the government as being more hosed than the private sector in this regard. (Although that may be an easy case to make, considering the IRS consolidation project that also failed recently.)
I can remember going to ASM meetings in the 80's, and the topic of discussion would usually be related to project management. (ASM is the Association of System Management, one the foremost organizations advocating impovements in Information Technology management.) Many statistics were mentioned, but they all could be summarized thusly: The average IT project takes twice as long to complete and costs twice as much as originally budgeted. The sad thing is, it is no better today. The FBI project is just the latest example.
Why is IT project management so bad at forecasting? There are many possible answers, but let me bring up something that's been obvious to me for a long time.
Most project managers come from one of two groups.
The first group, and most traditional, is pure technologists. These are people that started out in IT, possibly as Junior Programmers or Network Techs, and rose through the ranks of IT.
The second group, and a recent development, is people with a business background. Their strength is engineering, marketing, or whatever, but the CEO has become so disgusted with the results of projects managed by IT people that he is putting someone else in charge. A lot of these folks have MBA's, some with an IT concentration, but they don't know enough to not be snowed by the IT department or to pick the best solution.
It is, to quote our President, "hard work" to complete a project such as this, much harder than the average person, or even a CEO, will understand.
It takes a special set of skills. It takes a certain level of technological sophistication, but not necessarily an expert - that's why you hire programmers and network engineers. It takes an understanding of business, but not necessarily an MBA.
Here is where it gets personal, though. To my recollection, I was never, in my 35 years in IT, part of a project that was not completed on time and under budget. To go along with that experience, I have a Bachelor's from a respected school, double major in Business and Psych, the Certified Systems Professional designation (considered by some the equivalent of a Master's,) and am a Master CIW Designer. I have managed a business and taught. Yet, I can't find a job but I guarantee you that whoever managed this project or any of the other failed projects you've heard about will be on the job Monday.
I would glady take the place of whoever was running this project - or serve as an assistant/advisor to them - for half what they made and do my damnest to straighten this out and hopefully make our country safer.
Copyright (c) 2005 Lone Wolf Reviews