Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

College of Technology

Abstract

This study was conducted to understand the variables, processes, organizational structures, and governance structures that are important and/or that support higher education decision makers in their selection and prioritization of information technology (IT) projects into their universities’ portfolios. IT project portfolio management (PPM) is comprised of many different activities, and the selection and prioritization of projects are just two interconnected activities amongst many. Research has suggested that these PPM activities are both important and beneficial; but there is a dearth of research on the subject specifically within higher education IT environments, and some higher education organizations struggle in this area. This study follows recent recommendations from other researchers to perform practice-based research on IT PPM. Research streams and standards bodies have long espoused the ideals of strategic IT PPM, where organizational strategy is perceived as a driver that strongly guides the practical activities and operations of IT PPM. However, there is a growing recognition that there is room for practice-based research because those ideals of strategic IT PPM are often not aligned with actual IT PPM practices and outcomes, and because IT PPM in practice often results in a bottom-up means for affecting strategy. This study used a qualitative research design, and included a practice-based exploratory multiple-case study focused on project selection and prioritization activities as they occur within real world higher education IT settings at eight universities in the California State University system. Each university acted as an individual case within the multiple-case study. Interviews were conducted with 27 subjects across these eight universities, and a breadth of other evidence was collected including documentation, physical artifacts, and archival records. Converging v lines of data were developed through triangulation and corroboration of all the evidence, and this formed the informational basis for each case. Results from each case were reported independently, and a cross case synthesis was conducted to aggregate findings across all eight cases. In addition to questions about the mechanics of project selection and prioritization, the interviews also included questions that were designed to compare and contrast perceptions of technical and non-technical stakeholders. Twelve themes emerged as issues of importance including objectivity, formality, flexibility, alignment with the strategic plan, the difficulty for small projects to compete with large/enterprise projects, senior leadership involvement, transparency in decision-making, transparency in PPM mechanics, the need for consultation and responsiveness, capacity planning, governing bodies’ makeup and their representation of campus stakeholders, and satisfaction with the IT organization (and with its project management office). Technical and non-technical subjects’ perceptions were aligned throughout most of the twelve themes, but there were indeed areas where opinions differed.

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