50 Top IT Project Management Challenges

Chong Ee did not start out being an IT auditor; he became one after donning the hats of an IT management consultant and a business analyst. Over time, Chong worked on both sides: external auditing and in-house compliance. In 2012, he returned to systems implementation for cloud apps after eight years in Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. He has spoken at conferences hosted by the MIS Training Institute (MISTI), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE), and has had articles published in the Internal Auditor magazine and ISACA and Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) journals. His first book, Compliance by Design: IT Controls that Work, was published by IT Governance Publishing in September 2011. Chong is an active Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT).

A concise guide to the top 50 IT project management challenges and how to overcome them. Project management forums highlight many of the challenges project managers face. Unclear requirements, scope creep and undefined roles are well-trodden issues that can derail a project. Other challenges are less obvious, often more subtle, but equally destructive. This book offers a focused and concise summary of 50 challenges facing today's IT project manager. Broken down into 50 easy-to-digest chapters, the authors draw on years of practical experience to outline these challenges, and offer useful tips and advice on how to deal with them. Condensing much of the information and advice found in project-management-related books and discussion forums, this book enables readers to be better equipped to respond to key project management challenges; it is, therefore, an ideal reference for anyone involved in IT project management. Premanand Doraiswamy has 14 years' experience working in IT project management with Fortune 500 companies in various industries and is the author of IT Project Management - 30 Steps to Success, also published by IT Governance. Premi Shiv is a quality assurance specialist with 7 years' experience in IT processes and management solutions. With an optimistic approach and organisational skills, she has carved a niche in quality assurance.

Challenge 1: Unclear Requirements Challenge 2: Missed Requirement Challenge 3: Delay in Document Approvals Challenge 4: Scope Creep Challenge 5: Unclear Risks and Issues Challenge 6: Project Infrastucture Issues Challenge 7: Service Introduction Challenges Challenge 8: Undefined Project Dependencies Challenge 9: Project Methodology Challenge 10: Handle Escalation Challenge 11: Time-Driven Projects Challenge 12: Undefined Roles and Responsibilities Challenge 13: Post-Live Support Uncovered Challenge 14: Project Infrastructure Delivery Delayed Challenge 15: Unclear Quality Criteria Challenge 16: Unstructured Project Costing Challenge 17: Resource Utilisation Challenge 18: Revision of Estimates and Timescales Challenge 19: Vendor Quality Issues Challenge 20: Wrong Assumptions Challenge 21: Unclear Business Rollout Approach Challenge 22: Project Cancellation Challenge 23: Project Operational Issues Challenge 24: Undefined Project Critical Path Challenge 25: Time and Cost Issues Challenge 26: Overestimation of Projects Challenge 27: Unmanageable Plan Challenge 28: Overspent Projects Challenge 29: Vendor Payment Milestone Issues Challenge 30: Poor Source Code Quality Challenge 31: Process Interference Challenge 32: Project Colour Coding Challenge 33: Project Go-Live Failures Challenge 34: Project Prototype Failure Challenge 35: Critical Team Member Absence Challenge 36: Insufficient Schedule Information Challenge 37: Insufficient Domain Knowledge Challenge 38: Insufficient Technical Knowledge Challenge 39: Delay in Starting Project Challenge 40: Missing Teamwork Challenge 41: Performance Appraisal Conflicts Challenge 42: Project Synergy Missing Challenge 43: Stakeholder's Micromanagement Challenge 44: Project Status Report Issues Challenge 45: Vendor Contract Confusion Challenge 46: War with PMO Challenge 47: Ambiguous Statement of Work Challenge 48: Ambiguous Non-Functional Requirements Challenge 49: Too Many Meetings Challenge 50: Troubled Project Rescue ITG Resources