Accelerating ICT development projects towards maturity

Get Complete Project Material File(s) Now! »

Introduction

“Change of any magnitude automatically means that we have to let go of things we know how to do,and to implement things that are new and different. This is one of the core attributes of leadership.”– Christo Nel, in Transformations without sacrifice (2010)

In this chapter the researcher discusses how the research concept for this thesis was developed from a preliminary reading of the literature, how this thesis forms part of an important information systems (IS) discourse – the IS skills shortage in South Africa – and how this thesis was designed to achieve the development of a tangible contribution in the form of a framework that contributes to IS theory – the IS Graduate Development Framework (ISGDF).
This introductory chapter guides the reader through background information concerning the IS skills shortage debate in South Africa, how this research addresses this skills shortage, notes regarding the researcher’s research philosophy throughout the duration of this study, a short description of the current industry demand for IS skills in South Africa, and notes on student capability.
The reader is then presented with a description of the structure of this thesis, as the thesis does not follow the conventional form. This introductory chapter concludes with [culminates in] the formal presentation of the research question of this study. Figure 1 provides a visual outline of this chapter.
The purpose of the visual outlines found throughout this study is discussed later in the Argument drawings section. Background – the IS skills shortage in South Africa There is a shortage of information systems (IS) professionals in South Africa, and the researcher argues that an insufficient supply of high-quality IS enrolments [and therefore graduates] is the primary cause of this shortage. This IS skills shortage is growing, as attempts to reduce the scarcity of graduate-level IS skills through (i) ICT infrastructure development projects, (ii) ICT-enabled education-focussed development and (iii) IS education initiatives are not increasing the level of IS skills in South Africa fast enough to keep up with global IS skills growth trends.
The South African demand for tertiary-level IS skills continues to outgrow the local graduate supply. This thesis aims to further the current understanding of the South African IS skills deficiency with a critical contribution regarding the nature and maturity of skills development projects (Part 1), and by addressing this skills shortage by finding ways to increase the quantity and quality of students enrolling for and graduating in IS [and IS-related] graduate courses at tertiary education institutions in South Africa.

TABLE OF CONTENTS :

Abstract
Keywords
Declaration
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
- 1.1 Introduction
- 1.2 Background – the IS skills shortage in South Africa
  - 1.2.1 A timely, contextualised solution
- 1.3 Research philosophy
- 1.4 ICT for development
- 1.5 A note regarding prior reading
- 1.6 The IS skills shortage
- 1.7 Core ICT labour and ICT labour within the creative industries
- 1.8 The concept of student capability
- 1.9 The structure of this thesis
  - 1.9.1 Part 1 – The nature, maturity, and sustainability of ICT development projects
  - 1.9.2 Part 2 – The supply, and supply elasticity, of IS graduates
  - 1.9.3 Part 3 – Putting a solution to work
  - 1.9.4 Part 4 – Contribution: IS Graduate Development Framework
  - 1.9.5 Argument drawings
- 1.10 Research questions
- 1.11 Conclusion
Chapter 2: Preliminary literature review
- 2.1 IS research considerations
- 2.2 Social theory
  - 2.2.1 Communicative action
  - 2.2.2 Structuration theory
- 2.3 ICT for development projects
  - 2.3.1 ICT for development maturity variables
- 2.4 IS graduate development
  - 2.4.1 IS labour supply and capacity building variables
  - 2.4.2 IS education variables – syllabus, approach, and course structure
  - 2.4.3 Creative industry and employment variables
- 2.5 Summary
Chapter 3: Methodology and research design
- 3.1 Introduction
- 3.2 Part 1 – Methodology and design
  - 3.2.1 Data gathering
  - 3.2.2 Workflow
  - 3.2.3 Data analysis
  - 3.2.4 Appendices
- 3.3 Part 2 – Methodology and design
  - 3.3.1 Data gathering
  - 3.3.2 Workflow
  - 3.3.3 Data analysis
  - 3.3.4 Appendices
- 3.4 Part 3 – Methodology and design
  - 3.4.1 Data gathering
  - 3.4.2 Workflow
  - 3.4.3 Data analysis
  - 3.4.4 Appendices
- 3.5 Part 4 – Methodology and design
  - 3.5.1 Data gathering
  - 3.5.2 Workflow
  - 3.5.3 Appendices
- 3.6 Conclusion
Chapter 4: Part 1 – Accelerating ICT development projects towards maturity
- 4.1 Introductory notes
- 4.2 Article
- 4.3 End Notes – Part
  - 4.3.1 The influence of the media on project success
  - 4.3.2 Socio-economic history and project success
  - 4.3.3 Development as increases in freedom
  - 4.3.4 Maturity models for ICT development projects
  - 4.3.5 Appendices

Chapter 5: Part 2 – Supply elasticity within the South African ICT labour market
- 5.1 Introductory notes
  - 5.1.1 Moving from Part 1 to Part
- 5.2 Article
- 5.3 End notes – Part
Chapter 6: Part 3 – Directing the South African ICT labour force towards GROWTH SECTORS
- 6.1 Introductory notes
- 6.2 Article
- 6.3 End notes
Chapter 7: Part 4 – A Solution (Contribution and framework)
- 7.1 Introductory notes
- 7.2 Article
- 7.3 End notes – Part
  - 7.3.1 Practical implementation of the ISGDF
  - 7.3.2 The application
  - 7.3.3 Future development
  - 7.3.4 Appendices
Chapter 8: Conclusion
- 8.1 Contribution
  - 8.1.1 Understanding the IS skills deficiency and IS graduate development
  - 8.1.2 Conversations that matter
  - 8.1.3 Development as freedom
  - 8.1.4 Media
  - 8.1.5 Towards employment in the creative industries
  - 8.1.6 IS education
- 8.2 Answering the research question
- 8.3 Limitations of this study
- 8.4 Future research
- 8.5 In conclusion
- Bibliography
- Appendix
- Appendix
- Appendix
- Introduction
- Brief description of project
- Purpose
- Audience/Participants