Capacilon | I.T. Projects in the Public Sector

I.T. Projects in the Public Sector

2018-10-31
By A. Donhauser

Can governmental organizations change I.T. Systems successfully? The answer to this question is of course: YES, they can! There is substantial literature, and practitioners share the view, that there are many pitfalls of such a change. But if you look behind the scenes, you can identify 8 important questions.

1) Is there really a need for change?

2) Did the organization develop a course of action or strategy?

3) Does the organization pursue a comprehensive change?

4) Did the managerial leaders overcome resistance to change?

5) Does the top management support the change?

6) Do political overseers support the change?

7) Does the organization know which resources are required?

8) Is the change institutionalized?

These questions are, of course, not specific to the public sector. Nevertheless, by answering each of these questions with a YES, every governmental organization can successfully change its I.T. Systems. Another point to note is that leadership is not a monopoly of the corporate world. It is of utmost importance that the public sector managers show leadership. These leaders must verify and communicate the need for change. Successful Implementation of new programs depends on their ability to disseminate information about the change and convince the public, the businesses and, most importantly, the public servants of the urgency. The leaders have to â€žlisten and learnâ€œ. Only then can they communicate the needs in ways that will form the foundation that supports the change.

The suggested strategy serves as a roadmap for the public sector organizations by offering some direction on how to arrive at the desired end goal. After all, serving the best interests of the public is an end goal that everyone can look up to. Give it a try!