The Project's Red. Tag! You're It.

Computerworld - People started to refer to the business unit's struggling project as "an IT issue" last week. You didn't ask for it, and you certainly don't want it now. As the IT member on the project steering committee, you tried to help them with missed milestones and budget overruns, but it isn't working. What happened? The game of tag -- shifting the responsibility when things go red -- has begun.
Increasingly, business units are responsible for project management, relying on IT to provide the services. By "business unit," we mean the group that owns the function the project addresses. This is good. IT needs people with a thorough business understanding, while business units need to understand the project's IT aspects. Everybody takes responsibility for decisions affecting their business this way. But who owns the project results? Should the business unit always be the project manager? What happens when the project goes into the red? How should IT handle "tag, you're it" -- especially when IT shouldn't have responsibility?
Projects will have many legs, but they should have only one head. IT should manage projects such as infrastructure, architecture and some data management. However, business-related projects should be managed by the business units. Consider these guidelines before you accept the responsibility.

• Project management should be conducted by the business unit.
  Even when the business case shows technology as 70% of the cost, don't misconstrue the project as an IT project. IT is often the workhorse and tangible spend; however, the majority of any large project is workflow. Businesses are human-based, and people determine project success or failure.


• The business unit must drive the project to meet the business case.
  As the owner of the bottom line, business units should control project spending, project results and benefits generated. Business units are positioned to affect customer-focused priorities, personnel allocations and budgets. IT can't -- and assuming that it can only handicaps a project.


• Business units and IT should choose the project team together.
  Key project positions are frequently assigned politically or by default. Instead, the business unit and IT should collaborate to assign the right skills and experience. Can you outsource project management expertise? Yes, but a business unit can't abdicate the project responsibility.

• IT should be committed to providing quality service and strategic advice.
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