From the IT governance point of view, one central project portfolio management (PPM) task is to ensure that official projects draw upon assigned human resources. However, a common phenomenon is that resources thought to be available often turn out to be actually unavailable. Previous research indicates that numerous unofficial initiatives, also referred to as un-enacted projects, are a typical cause of this observation. Un-enacted projects are those projects that have not been officially evaluated but do exist although they are not known to or are included in a company’s project portfolio. The result is that unofficial initiatives compete for scarce resources. Despite these resource issues, previous research has barely investigated un-enacted projects.

In a recent research study we investigated the major drivers of the occurrence of un-enacted projects and their specific characteristics. By building on four in-depth case studies across four industries, we found that there is great variety in respect of (a) the type of un-enacted projects, (b) the reasons for them being triggered in organizations, and (c) their characteristics, all of which are summarized in the following categorization framework.

On the basis of our findings, we derived several implications for PPM and provide suggestions on how to deal with un-enacted projects. The first implication concerns pilot studies. In order to resolve this governance problem, we suggest including pilot studies as a distinct type of project in the PPM process. Furthermore, our study’s findings suggest that motivation plays an important role in the context of un-enacted projects. Another major implication is that transparency should be part of PPM. The fourth implication concerns strategic un-enacted projects. In order to resolve the challenges that such projects present, organizations should set up a separate project portfolio dedicated to high-profile, strategic projects. The fifth major implication concerns executive level orders. In order to overcome this type of un-enacted project and to advance PPM, the management needs to empower the PPM. A credible PPM process needs to be introduced and the management also needs to adhere to it. A final implication is that this study’s empirical evidence suggests that resource management is a key determinant of successful PPM. With our study’s results, the academic discourse on the concept of un-enacted projects is advanced, while specific advice on how to deal with each type is given to practitioners in terms of PPM implications.

The research results have recently been accepted for publication:
Buchwald, A. and Urbach, N. (2012) Exploring the Role of Un-Enacted Projects in IT Project Portfolio Management, Proceedings of the 33rd International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2012), December 16-19, Orlando, Florida, USA. (Link)

IT executives entering into information technology (IT) outsourcing arrangements seek various strategic, economic, and technological benefits. However, although several cases of IT outsourcing are considered successful, cases of failure can also be observed. Problems and challenges associated with IT outsourcing often not only relate to the strategic decision whether or not to outsource, but to the operational level as well. Especially organizations with little experience of implementing larger IT outsourcing programs face problems with the steering of external outsourcing providers.

In a recent research project, we developed a reference framework that structures the required processes for an effective steering of IT outsourcing relationships. Furthermore, it includes contextual factors that should be taken into account when implementing those steering processes (see figure below).

The research was based on the design science paradigm in information systems research. In a first step, we derived a framework from related literature and knowledge in this particular area. We then undertook extensive fieldwork, including expert interviews and field studies to evaluate our framework and to develop it further. The resulting framework proved to be a viable instrument to support the systematic analysis of current processes and the definition of suitable target processes for the steering of IT outsourcing programs. This research project’s primary contribution therefore lies in providing an applicable instrument for practitioners as well as in extending the existing body of knowledge on IT outsourcing governance.

The research results have recently been accepted for publication:
Urbach, N. and Würz, T. (2012) How to Steer the IT Outsourcing Provider - Development and Validation of a Reference Framework of IT Outsourcing Steering Processes, Business & Information Systems Engineering (BISE), 4, 5,  247-259. (Link)