Day 5

1
Day 5 TC520 Technical Communication
SystemsUnderstanding and Improving the Role of
Information Communication Systems (ICS) in
Humanitarian Relief Systems (HRS)

• Professor Mark Haselkorn
• 14E Loew Hall
• 543-2577
• markh_at_u.washington.edu
• http//faculty.washington.edu/markh/TC520/tc520.ht
  ml
• Office Hours Tues/Thurs 1011 AM and by
  appointment

TC 520 Class Notes 2/1Haselkorn Winter 2005
2
Overview for Today Revisit ICS and HRS Launch
the report project

• Revisit Davenport and state-of-the-art IT
  management
• Apply this to managing HRS
• Develop purpose statement for report
• Break into teams
• First in-class team activity

TC 520 Class Notes 1/25Haselkorn Winter 2005
3
Questions

• What is the current state of ICS management in
  government and industry?
• How does this compare to the current state of ICS
  management in the HR sector?
• What are the background, problem and purpose of
  our report?
• Why should anyone listen to us?
• What three-part structure will we use to organize
  the report?
• Which part do you want to work on?

TC 520 Class Notes 2/1Haselkorn Winter 2005
4
Upcoming Assignments

• For 2/8, 2/15 2/22
• Prepare for in-class team activity of the
  following week and propose activity for the next
  week
• 2/15 present progress reports and incorporate
  feedback
• 3/1
• A day to pull it all together, go over
  presentations, and give time for final
  preparations
• 3/8
• Presentations

TC 520 Class Notes 2/1Haselkorn Winter 2005
5
BB Posting

• Date 01/31/2005, 230 PM Author ARIO
  JAFARZADEH Subject Struggling With Major IT
  Projects
• "This article discusses the poor track record of
  IT projects undertaken by the U.S. government,
  and says experts blame poor planning, rapid
  industry advances and the massive scope of some
  complex projects whose price tags can run into
  billions of dollars at U.S. agencies with tens of
  thousands of employees. 'There are very few
  success stories,' said Paul Brubaker, former
  deputy chief information officer (CIO) at the
  Pentagon. 'Failures are very common, and they've
  been common for a long time.'"http//it.slashdot
  .org/article.pl?sid05/01/30/2320222Perhaps
  someone should get these guys a copy of Davenport?

6
ICT Management

• Standish Group estimated that in 1995, American
  companies and government agencies spent
• 81 billion for canceled software projects (31).
  
• 59 billion for software projects that were
  completed, but exceeded their original estimates
  (53 of projects cost 189 of their original
  estimates)
• Doesnt include lost opportunity costs
• http//www.scaruffi.com/politics/gnp.html

Haselkorn 2001
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Some Examples

• Seattle
• Augusta
• DOD
• What are the common themes?

8
Is management of ICS in HROs any worse than these
examples?

• YES!
• Its harder and there are even greater
  challenges. No wonder there is so much room for
  improvement.