Analysing success criteria for ict projects

Abstract

Since the 1960's many authors accepted the triple constraints (time, cost, specification) as a standard measure of success and this still appears to be extremely important in evaluating the success of ICT (information communication technology) projects. However, an ICT project cannot always be seen as a complete success or a complete failure. Moreover, the parties involved may perceive the terms “success” or “failure” differently. A quasi-experiment (gaming) was developed in order to determine the measures for success used by the different parties involved to judge an ICT project. The results of this quasi experiment were analysed using aggregation theory and validated by probabilistic feature models. In general the figures do not contradict. This research indicates that the impact of the triple constraints on the judgement of success is rather small. Other criteria, as there are user happiness and financial or commercial success are far more important. Surprisingly, whether or not a project was able to meet the predefined specifications was of little importance for the appreciation of the project’s success.