Abstract
Information systems (hereafter IS) have made a big impact on the increasing velocity of change that
triggers a form of project in the public sector. For addressing the ambiguity of business and IS change,
client project management capability is an indispensable factor, still less-conceptualised than the
project supplier's. The objective of study is to examine client project capabilities and organisational
change in IS projects in the public sector, through the theoretical lens of dynamic capability. In this
context, the concept of dynamic capability will be applied to investigate the IS projects of public
business. Then, the relative importance of capabilities at a different stage of IS change will also be
analysed.
This study pursues mixed qualitative methods: content analysis and a case study using semi-structured
interviews. In the pilot phase of the research, content analysis is used to analyse 15 project reports
published by the National Audit Office in the UK during the last ten-year period reporting on 31 IS
project cases in the UK public sector. The findings will be utilised to develop a research question and
an interview protocol whose objectives are to make a thorough investigation about required client
project capabilities. By mixing two mutually complementary methods, both historical data and
contemporary phenomena can be examined that come from contents and interviews respectively;
interview results can also increase the validity of reports data.
Through the final results, client project capabilities in IS project can be understood theoretically;
dynamic capability can thereby be re-defined in detail from a project management viewpoint. In
addition, the relative importance of client capability can increase the efficiency of its utilisation for
managing project resources from a practitioner perspective. Thus, the research results will be able to
improve the efficiency of developing public policy and its governance strategies for projects and
programmes.
triggers a form of project in the public sector. For addressing the ambiguity of business and IS change,
client project management capability is an indispensable factor, still less-conceptualised than the
project supplier's. The objective of study is to examine client project capabilities and organisational
change in IS projects in the public sector, through the theoretical lens of dynamic capability. In this
context, the concept of dynamic capability will be applied to investigate the IS projects of public
business. Then, the relative importance of capabilities at a different stage of IS change will also be
analysed.
This study pursues mixed qualitative methods: content analysis and a case study using semi-structured
interviews. In the pilot phase of the research, content analysis is used to analyse 15 project reports
published by the National Audit Office in the UK during the last ten-year period reporting on 31 IS
project cases in the UK public sector. The findings will be utilised to develop a research question and
an interview protocol whose objectives are to make a thorough investigation about required client
project capabilities. By mixing two mutually complementary methods, both historical data and
contemporary phenomena can be examined that come from contents and interviews respectively;
interview results can also increase the validity of reports data.
Through the final results, client project capabilities in IS project can be understood theoretically;
dynamic capability can thereby be re-defined in detail from a project management viewpoint. In
addition, the relative importance of client capability can increase the efficiency of its utilisation for
managing project resources from a practitioner perspective. Thus, the research results will be able to
improve the efficiency of developing public policy and its governance strategies for projects and
programmes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
| Event | 2013 AMBS Research Conference - Manchester, United Kingdom Duration: 13 May 2013 → 14 May 2013 |
Conference
| Conference | 2013 AMBS Research Conference |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| City | Manchester |
| Period | 13/05/13 → 14/05/13 |
Keywords
- Dynamic capability
- Client capability
- Project management
- Information systems change
- Public sector