What are the critical success factors for IT project managers?

May 30, 2001 Gartner © 2001 TechRepublic, Inc.

Condensed by TechRepublic from Gartner IT Management Reports

Most enterprises desperately need IT project managers. However, IT contractors who also consider themselves project managers should be aware that the requirements of the job are changing.

Increasingly, companies are looking for well-rounded individuals who are natural leaders with business savvy. Gartner research suggests that putting such individuals in the role of IT project manager will, over time, result in greater overall IT project success.

By 2003, 75 percent of enterprises will require IT project managers who possess a mix of business knowledge, technical skills, and leadership skills.

Project management
While developing a certification program for IT project mangers, we conducted extensive research on the IT project manager role. We learned that the basics of project management have evolved from the methodologies of construction projects and engineering programs from which they originated.

When we asked experienced IT project managers to indicate the process or methodological knowledge and skills required to manage a typical project, they agreed on the following basics:

· Preliminary project planning: Adopting an appropriate risk-management approach and determining project-sponsor tolerance levels

· Preliminary project planning: Developing a communication plan with "teeth"

· Project execution: Resource management of the highest order

· Project closure: Capturing lessons learned

Beyond methodology
Our research also revealed knowledge and skills beyond methodology that experienced IT project managers reported to be missing in failed project work. These factors are often termed the business and leadership areas and will increasingly be required of contractors who wish to succeed in the role of IT project manager. They include:

· Knowledge of the impact of the project on business processes and dependent information systems.

· Knowledge of the enterprise culture and operating procedures.

· The ability to serve as an advocate for team members.

· The ability to communicate risks, expectations, and success criteria to upper management.

All too often, projects fail when a project manager neglects changes in the organization and technical environment. This type of failure is propagated by checklist-style management tasks in many project management methodologies. It is also important to align the project methodology with enterprise culture and procedures.

Leadership and interpersonal skills
The combination of the technical complexities of current enterprise infrastructure and the negative employment rates for key IT job roles has elevated and intensified the role of project manager as team advocate. Case studies have shown that failed projects were often plagued by problems that result from the project manager's lack of rapport with other teams. Due to this lack of rapport, these teams were not able to identify risks or negative developments in the project in a timely fashion and, consequently, were unable to manage the situations appropriately.

Our research identified an additional factor that relates to rapport-building skills: the ability of the project manager to effectively relate to upper management. Beyond the need for simple communication skills, our research shows that project managers with self-confidence and good executive presence perform better at key turning points in a project than those without these skills.

Key points

· The ideal IT project manager is now a well-rounded individual and natural leader with business savvy.

· Important project skills include planning communication, managing resources, and capturing lessons learned.

· Beyond the project, important factors include knowledge of business processes and dependent information systems and communication with upper management.