Shaping of Innovative is Projects through Change Requests: Scoping Factors and Project Outcomes

Generally project performance is assessed based on the contracted scope and objectives. But for an innovative IT project, it is tough to estimate the exact project performance. Though prior research has studied IT project failures/success, there are relatively few studies that have examined the evolution of project scope during its implementation, which is salient in the case of innovative information systems projects. The current research argues that changes to the project scope occur all through the implementation lifecycle and the project definition is shaped by multiple factors - exogenous and endogenous to the project. Through a detailed analysis of over 350 IT project change requests issued in the context of two technological programs implemented by Canadian financial institutions, we trace the project shaping process and assess the impact of the triggering factors on the initial project definition. The study has important implications for revisiting the criteria for assessing project success/failure.