Why Do Most IAM Projects Fail? (Hint: Lack of Executive Sponsorship!)
Posted by Clint Finch on Tue, Feb 23, 2010
In continuation of my last post about the "business" aspects of an IAM project, this post will discuss two of Mark Dixon's "Ten Best Practices for Identity Management Implementation." Specifically, points 2, "Secure Sponsorship" and 4, "Select Project Leadership".
Projects, by their very definition (according to the PMI), require a sponsor. After all, the sponsor authorizes the execution of the project and funds it. So without a sponsor, you don't officially have a project. But, if you dig into Mark's point on sponsors a little deeper, you'll see that there's more involved in being a sponsor than just funding the project and showing up when it's complete. Indeed, if you have a complex, enterprise wide IAM project, this model of Executive Sponsorship will certainly protect your project should it encounter turbulent waters that may well sink it. While it isn't your Executive Sponsor's responsibility to directly manage the project, he or she must be involved enough to provide the necessary leadership to the Project Manager so he or she can successfully navigate the many diverse challenges and obstacles in implementing a IAM solution.
In today's IT environments, it seems we're constantly on the move; updating the company's key applications, replacing old hardware, or putting new security measures into place, etc... Because our environments are in constant flux, it can be particularly difficult to successfully implement enterprise wide projects that are also cross functional in nature. This potent combination, competing agendas and uncertainty, make enterprise IAM projects more complex from the onset. Strong Executive Sponsorship is required to overcome the obstacles that seem to come built-in with an IAM solution.
On the other hand, poor Executive Sponsorship makes a tough environment for your project significantly more difficult. In an informal poll I conducted of IAM and Project Management professionals - colleagues with many years of experience in the field, the fall-out from poor or absent Executive Sponsorship is clearly seen. It typically results in a lack of visibility for your project, a reduced priority among the sea of competing initiatives, failed escalation paths and a strong potential for cost overruns. As a PM, you must ensure your Executive Sponsor understands the full scope - from a technical and business process perspective - of your IAM implementation. The Executive Sponsor must know where the potential troublespots are and where leverage is needed to "move" obstacles to the project. Often, Executive Sponsors will appoint a representative from senior management to act in their stead. As a PM, ensure he or she is involved in your project and is apprised of risks and issues on an on-going basis and able to take action and act effectively. Ideally, as PM's, we must be aware of the "quality" of leadership we are getting from our Executive Sponsor and the resulting impact - good or bad - to our IAM implementations. It is our job to keep them apprised on a regular basis and to provide that information in a format easily consumable by Executive Sponsors. Think Red-Yellow-Green (RYG) charts, regular status reports etc...
By taking proactive action to keep the Executive Sponsor informed and in the loop, we can significantly improve our odds of a successful implementation.