Is IT Abdicating Responsibility?

Tell me if this scenario sounds familiar. You have grounded a great opportunity to build a fully integrated roadmap to implement IT Service Management. You have at your disposal all kinds of preliminary assessment and planning data. You have an internal team that is committed to making this work. Everyone is trained, motivated and there’s even an initial budget that should carry you through the next six months. But, as you engage, you begin to realize that something is amiss. While that spark, that drive, the compelling reason for the project is recognized and acknowledged by all concerned, even senior management, something is still missing. I submit the following as possibilities:
• The sponsor and executive sponsors selected an experienced expert (YOU) to “do the magic”. As a program manager you have all the responsibility but NONE of the authority to be effective. For whatever reason, senior management doesn’t recognize their role in the success of the endeavor.
• The program is built upon a foundation of reckless investments in the previous year(s) and cost IT credibility with the business. Consequently, the budget for the improvement effort is restricted to the funds available to the IT group. No additional funding will be coming from the business units. Thus, the business has no "skin in the game" and no reason to cooperate.
• Due to poor project management preceding your involvement, the business is tired of IT and refuses to be open and forthcoming with the program manager. As a result, the objectives are not clear, the deliverables become a mish mash of conflicting and non-prioritized tasks improperly sequenced and destined for failure.

Regardless of how skilled, experienced or savvy a program manager may be, if roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders are not clearly spelled out, from the “C” level down to the individual task roles, the chance of success are minimal. Oh, yes, you may make some incremental improvements in selected processes. You may even succeed at raising the maturity or capability level of one or two processes. If that was the objective of your role, great. You’ve accomplished what you set out to do. But if your tasks, your deliverables were to drive a holistic change in the way IT functions, it’s not likely you will be successful. Everyone in the IT and business hierarchy must understand their strategic and tactical responsibilities. These need to be detailed, reviewed regularly and those responsible held accountable.

Though I say a skilled and experienced program manager cannot make magic happen I suspect that this person, if truly experienced, will be incredibly selective about the projects he or she takes on. They will ask these questions at the outset and then proceed to ensure that once the levels of responsibility and accountability are defined, they will have the authority, directly or through a steering committee or executive sponsor, to ensure accountability. Assuming he or she has the option to be selective, the program manager will understand the critical success factors and will take every effort to mitigate risk by identifying the key roles and responsibilities and getting the commitment that those responsible will follow through.

Too strategic? I make no apologies. That’s what holistic and continuous improvement is really about.