Government Technology - September 2008 - (Page 23) VIVEK KUNDRA SADLY REMEMBERS AN IT PROJECT THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONDUCTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. THE GOAL WAS TO IMPLEMENT THE PEOPLESOFT ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEM. THE PROJECT FAILED PROBABLY DUE TO POOR MANAGEMENT, SAID KUNDRA, WHO JOINED THE DISTRICT AS ITS CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER IN MAY 2007. “THERE WAS $25 MILLION FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET,” HE SAID. KUNDRA USED THAT STORY TO ILLUSTRATE WHY GOVERNMENTS NEED TO FOLLOW SOUND MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES FOR THEIR IT PROJECTS. INCREASINGLY GOVERNMENTS USE FORMAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES TO ENSURE IT PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD AS PLANNED — ON TIME, ON BUDGET AND WITH PROPER ATTENTION TO BUSINESS NEEDS. “THERE ISN’T ANYTHING WE DO FROM AN IT STANDPOINT THAT DOESN’T REQUIRE PROJECT MANAGEMENT,” SAID TERI TAKAI, CIO OF CALIFORNIA. THAT’S TRUE NOT ONLY WHEN THE STATE IMPLEMENTS NEW SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS. “PROJECT MANAGEMENT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT FOR UPGRADING THE INFRASTRUCTURE, MAKING SURE THAT EVEN STUDIES WE’RE DOING ARE WELL MANAGED,” SHE SAID. 23 ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/PEEPO http://ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/PEEPO http://www.govtech.com
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