The Barriers Posed by the Developing Countries in Terms of Implementation of the Information Systems - Literature review Example

 Table of Contents Introduction 2 Meaning of IS Failure: Literature Review 3 Meaning of Successful IS Project 7 Barriers of IS Projects in the Developing Countries 11 Conclusion 17 Introduction Information System or IS, is a process whereby desired data is collected through different methods, algorithms, practices and methodologies and transformed into information. This knowledge or information then can be used by various organizations, an individual or a group and other such entities for their own purpose. This system generally involves a collaboration and organisation of information, technology, various work practices and technologies for the accomplishment of set goals in an organisation. (Dept. of IS, UMBC, 2008) In the present times technology influences every part of human lives, Information Systems (IS) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), both play a very vital role in the lives of all people. The information system is one of the elements of ICT that affects the daily lives of all the people. They introduce and provide for better value and quality in the daily activities of the people. Information Systems today form the core of all emerging business enterprises. Everyday, vast sums of money are exchanged on the basis of information technology alone. So it is very important that these IS projects be properly managed and successfully implemented especially in the developing countries. However, the IS projects have a global reputation of being failures. The Gheorghiu A. (2006) survey shows that approximately 70 to 80 percent of all the IS projects fail every year. Despite opting for the best procedures and well defined methodologies the IS projects still manage to fail. So to have a better understanding and find answers to the phenomenon of IS failures, especially in the developing countries this paper has been devised. Meaning of IS Failure: Literature Review The Information Systems have a global reputation for failure. Most of these failures comprise unused projects, some of which are partially used and some get terminated half way down the line. Each of all these projects is different from the other. The fact that all the projects may be rooted to the same system does not make them any similar to each other. (Each of the projects have their own set of project management, conceptions, project designs, requirements, organisational and social culture skills in accordance to the demands.) Most of the research studies aimed at these IS failures have identified with the top management support as the integral factor in defining the success or the failure of a project. Any project that lacks full support and commitment from the top management level, in case of any untimely crisis during the life cycle of the project is doomed to fail. (Qassim A.A., 2007) As pointed out earlier, majority of the Information Systems which includes the existing ICT projects generally tends to fail more often than not. But the most badly hit by an IS failure are the developing countries, as their affordability of a failure is comparatively less than the industrialised countries. This literature review is developed to understand the factors behind the high rates of IS failure in the developing countries. The paper identifies the three high risk standards that affects a developing country’s IS project. An IS failure is either a total failure or partial failure. India’s IS project- Indira Gandhi Conservation Monitoring Center, which was proposed to be the provider of national information is an example of total failure. In spite of a yearlong planning this information system never saw the its dawn. (Puri, 2000) The second type of failure that is the partial failure can also be taken as partial success of an initiative. But in most occasions these partial failures are categorised as partial failures and not otherwise, as these initiatives fail to attain the more significant or the major set goals. Thailand’s Revenue Department’s the Tax Computarisation Project falls into the partial failure category. This project intended to computerise seven areas of taxation, but by the end, out of the seven only two were computersied, partly. (Kitiyadisai K., 2000) Another type of partial failure that can be readily identified than the most is the apparent type of partial failure. This type of partial failure tends to be more evident in the developing countries. The main characteristic of this type of failure is its element of sustainability, i.e. the project is a success in the initial periods however fails as it progresses. The best example of a clear type of partial failure is the South Africa’s North West Provinces’, “touch screen kiosks for rural communities” project. This project was highly successful in its initial stages but a year later the kiosks had to be removed altogether due to the lack of proper information among the locals that led to misuse and mishandling of the kiosks. (Benjamin P., 2001) Apart from these partial failures there are many more that are relatively more difficult to identify due to the subjectivity and ambiguity of failure. Like for instance, a partial failure can be profitable for some while for others the same outcome could be undesirable. Hence, these projects can either be categorised as partial failure or partial success, according to the stakeholders who deem the project to be the either of the two. Failures of such kind will only become clear on the recognisation of the failure’s subjectivity by proper evaluation methods. But unfortunately, such kind of recognition is very uncommon in appraisal of the IS projects of the developing countries. (Heeks R., 2002) However, in the three identifiable failures and the others of more complexity, a common thread runs among each of the failures. Other than the fact of all being unsuccessful initiatives, each initiative have failed in its own way. That is everyone of these three projects have failed in their own way within themselves, within the cultural framework entailing or focusing on the success of the project. In contemplation to this common thread of IS failure, two vital elements of systems failing maybe recognised- the first one is that, the failure of a project is not a failure until an authority declares a project to be a failure. Secondly, most of the organisations do not disclose their information on failures, which makes it a bit challenging to identify IS failures. However, it is not that the acknowledgement of the failure process will go unnoticed, but the evaluation of failure and identification of that particular failure element that was responsible for the failure, hence improving on it in the next project. (Brody R., 2005) The phenomenon of IS failure can be summarised as, “failing to function as intended” Brody R.). All the combinations, such as communications, technology, data, human resource, hardware, software and design systems, entirely focused on one purpose and failing to meet at purpose partially or totally is what, IS failure is. There is a wide range of literature available summarizing various research works on information systems and the causes of its failure. These literary works generally echoes an understanding that the causes, which bring about information systems failure are complex as they envelop all the different stages of design, creation and finally the use of the IS. Some of the professional and scholarly literature on the information systems failure, points out that the series of decision making accounts for the failures. The causes of an IS failure is complex and intricate, to prevent these causes from surfacing and to ensure chances of an IS success, composite and elaborate measures are needed. So focus should be on close observation, examination and evaluation of the various processes or dynamics of a failing or failed IS project from the closest point as possible. (Brody R., 2005) In the developing countries most of the IS projects fail due to the following factors: The lack of commitment in the top management level. Misunderstanding regarding the scope, conception, objectives and requirements of the project. Lack of commitment, initiative and involvement of the clients. Changing scopes, objectives and conceptions. Lack of proper planning and estimation. Inadequacy and inefficiency in the management of the project. Failing to manage end-users and delivering as per expectations. Conflict and misunderstandings among the stakeholders. Lack of effective and sophisticated methodologies Improper assignment of responsibilities and role and Shortage of skills and knowledge among the members of the project team. If these factors for the failures can be checked, many of the IS projects that are currently underway in the developing countries will definitely yield successful results. (Qassim A.A., 2007) Meaning of Successful IS Project According to the Garter Group, in the year 2006, the worldwide investment in Information System accounted for more than $2,600 billion (Hastie S. 2006) This was the amount that was on stake for an IS success. However, the past history of the IS projects show that most of them have not been successful in terms of attaining a return on the investments. The news of an IS failure is more common than the news of a successful IS project, more so in the developing countries. So what does it take for an IS project to succeed or the system to function as intended? . An IS initiative can be held as successful if all the stakeholders or groups or individuals attain their intended goals without having to experience any sort of undesirable outcomes. To ensure success of an IS project, a comparatively effective and sophisticated approach is required, which is absent in most of the cases. The success of an IS project is measured by the effectiveness of the implementation of the organisational methods and designs till the point of deployment of the system to the community of the end user. A successful IS project ensures- the delivery of the project on time, the delivery of the project on budget, the deliverance of all the required features and functions and the delivery of the project to the necessary quality standard. According to Rob Thomsett (2002), to ensure the success of an IS project, a framework of following seven dimensions need to be considered while running and implementing the project. To ensure the satisfaction of the clients group or groups. Meeting the requirements and objectives of the project. Meeting and having an agreement on the budget regarding- resources, equipment and capital. Delivering the project on time. Meeting all the quality requirements. Adding value for the organisation and Having a sense of professional satisfaction as for the team members. The extent of the realisation of these elements measures the success of an IS project in developing countries. So as to realise these elements that make for a successful IS project, proper methods of implementation is required. Many factors in relation to the project and its implementation need to be considered. Some of them are: Effective technology that can be easily accessed and understood by the audience or the end-user community. The system needs to be sustainable, which can be maintained and enhanced as per the needs of the business evolution. The elements of the project need to be designed keeping in mind the social and the cultural make-up of the people and the area where it is being set up. The systems should be aligned with the beliefs and needs of the end-users that is the project should prove to be useful in terms of its utility. The system should account for the delivery of useful, accurate and relevant information to the appropriate people at the appropriate time. The benefits of the IS project should be characterised by realistic expectations. The implementation of an IS project should provide real and substantial benefits for the end-users. These real and substantial benefits should include- improvement in productivity; improvement in service quality and service delivery; increase in revenue and increase of profits and decrease in cost. (Hastie S. 2006) The Center of Technology in Government, University at Albany, New York, in their study of State-local Information Technology identified with the following fundamentals to achieve an IS success: (State-local Information Systems, 2003) Having a complete understanding of all the local and state conditions. For the project to be successful the government at both the state and the local level need to understand and appreciate each other’s capabilities, limitations and strengths. Having a clear cut set of goals that are realistic and not over ambitious. Assigning the right jobs to the right people- a state-local information system demands a wide range of skills in the fields of management, administration, customer service, programming and technical. So it is important to have the right people to specialise in these different fields. Good communication leads to open exchange of concerns and ideas which results the smooth flow of accurate, appropriate, complete and timely information in accordance to the needs of each audience. Designing of the system that assimilates with the business. Demonstration and refining of ideas and concepts before putting them under implementation. The demonstrations make the concepts and ideas concrete to the users hence making an opening for more improvement all the way through the design process. Letting the common sense guide the top management towards solutions that are workable. This means trusting the good sense and experience of the participants in terms of defining the needs and finding practical solutions to meet them. These fundamentals are guidelines that supports a common vision and commitment, the two most vital elements of an IS success- vision of what is to be achieve and accomplished and commitment to a collaborative and a mutual way to attainting it. In Yuorden’s (2004) comprehensive analysis done on the number of IS failures, one important statement is made which says, “In many death march projects, the most serious problems were not so much technical as they are political, social, cultural and people-orientated” this statement makes it clear that more than technology, it is the people and the process that affects the outcome of an IS project. Since IS projects are targeted at the end-users, the people, the success of the project depends on the people using it. Therefore the managers who are responsible for the initiation of the projects, its planning so as to attain the ensuing business benefits through the successful implementation of the project need to make sure that the project ecosystem is favourable to the success of the project and all the team members of the project are considerably empowered to make the project a success. Barriers of IS Projects in the Developing Countries The rate of failure of an IS project in a developing country is generally very high than the rate of success of similar projects. The proportion of the three categories of IS project failure is rather hard to be certain of. However, the economic surveys of year 2000, indicates that most of the IS projects ranging from about one-fifth to one-quarter of the industrialised country falls into the first category of failure- that is “total failure” (The Economist, 2000). This survey indicates the faring of the IS projects of the industrialised countries with all their technology and other relevant infrastructure. So if a comparison is made of this economic survey of the industrialised countries in terms of their IS failures, to that of a developing country, with technical draw backs, poor infrastructure, poor labour skills and finance, the ratio of their successful IS projects to the unsuccessful ones can be well imagined. Failure no doubt enhances learning, but failing repeatedly causes a lot of setbacks and more so for the developing countries as they cannot afford failures on a regular basis. And as far as the learning from failure goes, in developing countries it generally happens fortuitously, in most of the developing countries unfortunately even this fortuitous learning is absent. As for the problems of a failure, the most vital one is the loss of investment and other forms of valuable resources. The cost of all the failure projects are very high, the partial failures, the uncompleted projects and forsaken projects and other ones that do not function as intended- all of these do not ensure the global economic convergence. Only the successful ones ensure this global convergence. These failures also play a significant role in keeping the developing countries on the wrong side of the technological divide. Hence, the IS failure is one of the very genuine and real problem faced by the developing countries, which needs to be addressed and dealt with effectively. (Heeks R., 2002) The implementation of IS and ICT projects in developing countries for organisational change and better sustainability is an intricate and a very challenging process. A lot of factors in relevance to the project and the local environment crop up as weaknesses and barriers for the implementation of such projects. For an IS project to succeed it has to overcome many barriers, of the many the most common as well as the most vital ones being- financial, psychological and technical barriers. To overcome these traditional barriers and to work towards better sustainability, various sophisticated implementation techniques and approaches are required. (Burt J., n.d.) Having a full knowledge of the barriers to implementation, which are likely to be encountered by the particular IS project is the most essential prerequisite for the implementation of an IS project. The specialty of the barriers is that one never knows, any issue can become a barrier for the IS projects. Any issue from the extensive range of a developing country’s administrative, attitudinal, policy, and practical matters can become barriers for which solutions need to be instantaneously developed. To keep these barriers at bay and to overcome them the stakeholders of the project need to identify such barriers and propose viable solutions. Failure to address such barriers and threats in planning of the project may contribute to unnecessary problems in implementation, which may result in a premature IS failure. (Meyen E.L., 2003). To understand the dynamics and the ambiguity of barriers that IS projects need to overcome to be successful, here is a case study on the barriers of an IS project regarding the Implementation of Large-Scale Online Staff Development Programs for Teachers in Developing Countries. This project was a follow up to the Online Academy, one of the IS projects funded by the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education. This project dealing with the study of on barriers to online staff development is a supplemental project conducted by the University of Kansas. This study on barriers to E-Learning or Online Staff Development was basically conducted to develop the necessary guidelines for the implementation of large-scale online teaching facilities for the developing countries. In this study a team of 54 educators from both general and special ranks, specialising in various professions from nine states of the country were engaged to identify and evaluate the barriers of the Online Staff Development. In addition to this team of educators a specifically designed instrument was placed in order to rank the barriers in terms of their significance. As a preparation for this supplemental project, research was carried out in order to study the delivery models and implementation methods of the earlier Online Staff Development programs at the Public School Level. The E-learning Design Lab, a branch of the Online Academy, together with the team of educators was then engaged for the conduction of the delivery model projects to further study the conditions that would improve and enhance the implementation of the Online Staff Development program in the developing countries. As a result of this study, four strategies came into the light on which the delivery models project should focus. The identification of the conditions that surround the success of the Online Staff Development project in the developing countries on a large scale. Identification and substantiation of all the likely barriers that may be encountered in the implementation process of the IS project. Making the participants or the benefactors of the project ready by educating them about the essentials of the project. Lastly, framing of suggestions and ideas as to the best possible way of implementing Online Staff Development programs for the teachers on a large scale basis. These four results made the fact more clear that for the best implementation of an IS project, knowing the barriers surrounding the project inside out is a must. At the end of the day, this study on the barriers of the implementation of the large-scale Online Staff Development program for teachers in developing countries was able to identify a total of 22 barriers. Some of the imperative ones, that are common to most of the IS projects, being: Lack of sufficient technological facilities in the region. The barrier posed by the time factor. In context to this e-learning project, diverse time schedules, owing to the different time zones caused a lot of problems for the teachers and the students as well. Financial barrier, the budgets for the development of online teaching facilities by higher educational institutions in developing countries is usually based on enrollment. Lack of resources and proper infrastructure is a serious barrier in terms of the implementation of the IS projects in developing countries. People’s lack of primary form of education and their technological ignorance makes up for another serious barrier for the implementation of IS projects. The lack of initiative from the people mainly due to communication failure poses another hindrance for the IS projects in the developing countries. Another barrier that can pose as a threat later on is the lack of interest and support in the part of the people and the authorities. These were some of the significant barriers outlined for the Online Staff Development project that are common to all of the IS projects for the developing countries. (Meyen E.L., 2003). Another study done on the State-local Government Information Systems was identified with the following set of barriers: (State-local Information Systems, 2003) Lack of education and information among the people about both programs and technology. Lack of reliable and shared computing and networking infrastructure. Lack of availability of resources to achieve those ambitious goals set by the project. The resistance to change offered by human and organizations. The time frames are generally unrealistic. The complexities posed by organizations, various programs and technology and other legalities. The frequent change of priorities. Confliction and overlapping of missions among the different participating organizations. Apart from these barriers the other stereotype barriers of implementation of ICTs in developing countries are: (Heeks R., 2002) The formal and the quantitative type of information, the ones that are stored outside the human mind are less valued in the developing countries. The technological infrastructure in the developing countries in the areas of networking, telecommunications and electricity are very limited. In the developing countries the work processes are more contingent in comparison to the developed because in these countries the surrounding environment is more inconstant and politicised. The scope of the working skills among the labour of the developing countries is limited. The organisations of the developing countries are more hierarchical and centralised in terms of their structure and management. The financial resources of the developing countries are very limited. The cost of an ICT in a developing country is higher than in the industrialised countries, though the labour comes cheap. For an IS success or the success of an ICT project, the abstract idea of ‘adaption’ is of most vitality. This idea of adaption is best explained in the ‘contingency model’. (Poulymenakou and Holmes 1996) According to the contingency model, the success or the failure of a developing country’s Information System is determined by certain situation–specific factors, which may be used to form success strategies. The basis to this model of contingency is the theory that, “what is central to the developing country’s IS success or failure is that- the amount of change between, ‘where we are now’ and ‘where the IS wants to get us’ (Heeks R., 2002). In this statement the, ‘where we are now’ represents the current realities of the particular state of affairs of an IS project, while ‘where the IS wants to get us’ represents the various assumptions, conceptions and requirements incorporated in the design of the IS for the particular developing country. To put it simply the success or failure of an IS depends on the extent of gap existing between the ‘current realities’ and the ‘conceptions of the IS design’. The lesser the magnitude of the gap the more successful the IS undertaking. This further means that for an IS success the Information Systems cannot afford to have a technical approach all the way, by the design should incorporate the social and organisational factors as well. That is it needs to break down social and organisational barriers existing between the IS projects and the country, to enhance their chances of success. And all these will be possible only when the IS systems adapts itself to match with its environment in terms of technical, organisational and social factors as well. And most importantly social and organisational factors further include assumptions, perceptions and values of the stakeholders and the country as well. The successful implementation of an IS project in developing countries is a complex and an intricate one and hence challenging. The operation of the project in a foreign environment with all its diverse community settings, different organisational and social cultural, structures and labour resources adds more to the complexity to the campaign. Hence to ensure the success of an IS project in a developing country, first of all ground work should be done to recognise the various different elements of surrounding environment where the project is being set and hence make necessary adaptations. Conclusion Although at present, the rate of Information Systems Projects failures is on the higher side, the positive aspect of these failures is the learning opportunity that accompanies such failures. There are many ways to enhance the success of the current IS projects by improving on areas that have led to the failure of the project. Through proper and timely evaluation of failures, knowledge can be attained to overcome the different set of barriers posed by the developing countries in terms of implementation of the Information Systems. The basic and the most common barrier identified in developing countries is their resistance to change and this is mainly due to their lack of education and proper information so necessary measures should be taken to break down this barrier of resistance. And this can be done by making the people aware of the significance and benefits that can be harvested through the success of IS projects. As pointed out by Yuorden, the ultimate success or failure of an IS project lies with the people, so the main emphasis should be on education and informing the people about the importance of technology and information system in the present time. Information technology is not a kind of a system that once applied or implemented will be successful and solve most of the problems, but it is a system that needs molding according to the place or country where it is cast. And prior to implementing the project the place and the people should be made ready to receive the project. Only when the project is properly controlled at both the ends will it be a successful leading to progress and development of the region. As in the words of Kofi Anan (2003), “Information technology is not a magic formula that is going to solve all our problems. But it is a powerful force that can and must be harnessed to our global mission of peace and development”. So since information technology is for the betterment of the people, it should be a harnessed by the people and through the people. Citations: 1. 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Hastie S., May, 2006, What makes Information Projects Successful, retrieved on 24th February, 2009, from: http:// www.softed.com/Resources/Docs/SuccessfulProjects.pdf 4. Qassim A.A., 2007, Why Information Systems Projects Fail: Guidelines for Successful Projects, retrieved on 24th February, 2009, from: http:// www.intosaiitaudit.org/intoit_articles/26_p12top17.pdf 5. State-local Government Information Systems, 2003, Executive Summary, Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, retrieved on 24th February, 2009, from: http:// www.ctg.albany.edu/publications/guides/tying?chapter=2&PrintVersion=2 Read More