Information Technology (IT) project portfolio management practices in South Africa

Abstract: Many organisations have adopted Project Portfolio Management (PPM) processes to improve the implementation of their strategies, however few organisations have achieved tangible returns on investment (ROI) from PPM. Although PPM stakeholders are aware that PPM enables the achievement of strategic objectives of the organisation, they admit to not fully being able to understand its value. This results in IT projects implementation and delivery not being aligned with the business strategies. Moreover, the performance of IT initiatives indicates an increase in their failure rate, to an extent that it is becoming a threat to the very existence of organisations. The failure of IT initiatives is perceived as the reason many organisations are not achieving their strategic vision. The South African government spends enormously on IT initiatives, but effectiveness has not kept pace with other countries. The National Development Plan (Vision 2030) forecasts that South Africa is to spend more on IT initiatives. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of PPM practices in South African public organisations, in ensuring return on IT investments..