Administration and Society

New article on ICT failures in government published in Administration and Society

A new article by Rob Hoppe and me – “Birth of a Failure” is now out on Administration and Society!

The line of research on the Governance of Failing Technologies is developed as a further outcome of the “Translating Institutions” project. It investigates the relationship between the way failing ICT projects are framed in political settings and by scientific/industry intermediaries, and the organizational and political consequences of specific frames. It also provides some assessment tools and suggestions to policy makers.
Please feel free to drop me a line to receive a free copy.

Pelizza, A. and Hoppe, R. (2015), ‘Birth of a Failure: Consequences of framing ICT projects for the centralization of inter-departmental relations’, Administration and Society. Published online ahead of print on 07 August 2015. DOI: 10.1177/0095399715598343

 

Abstract

Government information systems failures are filling not only newspapers, but also parliamentary and administrative reports. This paper deals with a case in which information and communication technologies (ICT)-related failure claims introduced by the media influenced the parliamentary agenda, and intra-governmental relations. Drawing on a narrative analysis of a Dutch parliamentary commission’s hearings, it argues that the way the issue was initially framed by the media and then adopted, un-problematized, by Parliament steered the direction of action toward specific administrative solutions, thus shaping the landscape of possible organizational alliances. The paper recommends a proactive role of parliaments in framing ICT projects.