VICTORIA — British Columbia's auditor general says the government's information technology projects must be developed with input from people who actually use them to ensure they don't fail.
Carol Bellringer says the right experts must also be hired, without over-reliance on contractors, and more consistent leadership is needed on projects that should be realistically planned for future needs.
Her office released a report highlighting several IT project that either failed or were mired in challenges, leading to poor service for taxpayers.
The report says a 2015 study by independent international IT research firm the Standish Group found that 19 per cent of about 5,000 public- and private-sector projects had failed and many of them cost the most money.
Bellringer says IT projects involve substantial change in technology and affect the way organizations function, making them inherently risky and complex.
She makes three recommendations, including the need to monitor both capital and operating costs as part of a project's total expenditure.
