Comparing project roles

Commonwealth Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (2003) suggest using ICT for strategic guidance. This DBA study points out that both sectors initiate a large number of ICT projects to reduce costs. So, projects intend to deliver new products and services in a more efficient and effective manner as already suggested by Cleland and Ireland (2002). The strategy is present in project objectives,

project outcomes, ICT change agents’ discussions and preferences for new technologies which support cost savings.

To reduce costs, and at the same time to minimise risks, many projects commence with a pilot. A pilot identifies a range of issues pertaining to technological innovation and organisational settings. The pilot process provides a test case and learning experiences.

The findings and experiences of a pilot form the basis for guidance of subsequent projects.

This research shows that subsequent projects in both sectors apply standardised project management frameworks, as proposed by Buttrick (2005) and Hartley (2003), emphasising defined project objectives and well planned resources and budget.

Similarly, the Western Australian Innovation Centre (2005) suggests four project management stages including initiation, planning, execution and close-out. Some ICT change agents refine these stages into smaller phases for monitoring purposes.

Nevertheless, the public and private sector projects include systematic work, drawing on existing knowledge from previous projects.

In this DBA study, emerging ICT change agent role patterns are positioned alongside the project management framework of Western Australian Innovation Centre (2005) to discuss the similarities and differences between sectors. In both sectors, ICT change agents perform identical core project roles at every project stage, for example, at the initiation stage, ICT change agents are initiators of change and knowledge promoters, whereas at the planning stage, they act as planners. The role of a software developer is performed at the execution stage. With the terminator role, ICT change agents complete a technology project. These formal project change agents’ roles are already discussed in distinct bodies of literature and in the different contexts. Rogers and Shoemaker (1971) highlighted the roles of initiators and terminators in the process of diffusion of innovations, while the role of a planner was discovered by Beckhard (1969). In the 1960s, change agents planned different activities, for example, distinct tasks related to organisational processes, compared to an ICT project context, the planning is specifically about ICT innovation, resources, timelines and budget. A developer role

within organisational processes is suggested by Hamlin, Keep and Ash (2001), while this DBA study found that an ICT change agent in the role of a software developer is responsible for the design of new ICT application. Moreover, this role can be reflected in the job title as noted previously and, at the same time, present the function of an ICT change agent at the execution stage. An additional core project role is of a knowledge promoter that can be traced back to the findings by Bessant (1999) and Witte (1973) investigated in an innovation process.

Besides the similar core project roles in both sectors, there are distinct project roles grounded in organisational settings. By way of illustration, Hatton (2001) observed the role of a diagnostician, while Buchanan and Boddy (1992) added the role of a team builder in public sector settings. In the private sector, Varney (1977) suggested the role of a strategic planner. This DBA study discovered that a diagnostician role is performed once at the beginning of an ICT project to identify specific public sector needs, whereas the roles of a team builder and strategic planner have a recurring nature. In response to public sector guidelines which request the participation of varying groups at distinct project stages, ICT change agents need to re-build a project team. In contrast, public sector companies demand the consideration and execution of a corporate strategy within technology projects.

More generally, other formal change agents’ roles are discussed in the literature. The roles of a relationship builder and motivator are rooted in 1971 and are suggested by Rogers and Shoemaker (1971). Baker (1994) views a change agent as a marketer. Hunt (1972) highlights the role of an analyst. The change agent roles of a trainer and adviser are proposed by Hamlin, Keep and Ash (2001). Buchanan and Huczynski (1997) highlight the roles of a sponsor and implementer of change. This research suggests that these roles are performed by ICT change agents at distinct ICT project stages and are embedded into particular organisational settings. By way of illustration, at the execution stage, public sector ICT change agents build relationships and motivate other employees to make their contribution to an ICT project with the aim that the change agents can complete the defined technology tasks. They also educate employees in a trainer role about new ICT products and services that are developed at the execution stage. Further

effort in the marketing is necessary until a project is terminated. At the end of an ICT project, in the role of a sponsor, a project owner verifies the project outcome.

In the private sector, the roles of an analyst, adviser and implementer are highlighted in ICT projects. At the initiation stage, private sector ICT change agents examine in detail new ICT technologies in terms of return on investment before presenting a business case. Prior to the implementation of a solution, change agents review ICT innovation with respect to the financial outcomes.

In addition to discussed formal change agents’ activities, this DBA study found that both sectors respond to technological change in different project roles. For example, public sector ICT change agents highlight the role of a governor as a result of e-government activities within ICT projects, whereas their private sector counterparts regard the role of a technology architect as an essential role at the beginning of an ICT project. A technology architect is the new role that emerged as a consequence of fusing different ICT technologies into a technology system that needs to be in accordance with a corporate strategy.

Organisational settings and project management stages impact on change agents’

behaviour. By way of illustration, public sector ICT change agents perform more project roles than private sector ICT change agents. This is in response to the nature of the public sector which is evidence-based and requires a large variety of project documents due to varying public sector regulations. Osborne and Brown (2005) observe that the innovation processes in public sector organisations are affected by different political agendas and interests. This research confirmed this observation by arguing that due to distinct politics involved in an ICT project, public sector ICT change agents need to perform more project roles than their counterparts in the private sector. Consequently, public sector ICT change agents make many attempts to convince team members to pursue the same project objectives.

In contrast, private sector ICT change agents play less project roles because the private sector companies judge change agents on the outcomes. They need to present results

which are summed up in the role of a provider of records. Basically, private sector companies aim to increase profits, so that the project objective is transparent to all team members. ICT change agents centre on fewer roles in depth because their project activities are assessed based on profits and deadlines.

This research found that both public and private sectors apply similar standard formal project management frameworks which encompass convergent and divergent project roles. Convergent roles are core project roles, for example, initiator of change, knowledge promoter, planner, software developer and terminator that are performed by change agents in both sectors. The core roles conjunct project stages and ICT innovation, while divergent project roles are grounded in organisational settings. As a result, public sector ICT change agents are more likely to perform the roles of a diagnostician, governor, sponsor, team builder, relationship builder, motivator, trainer and marketer, whereas private sector ICT change agents tend to focus on a few project roles such as strategic planner, technology architect, adviser and coordinator. In both sectors, despite similarities and differences, in technology projects ICT diffusion takes place.