Chapter 11 is the final chapter within Section 2 and specifically addresses the issue of defining and formulating the information systems strategic plan (ISSP) for public service delivery in the digital era. This chapter commences by discussing the key objectives of an ISSP and through this discussion links the lessons learnt through the research findings from Chapter 3. The chapter also examines the IS and IT strategic planning process and identifies the inputs for defining the ISSP. Basically, this chapter links the findings from the previous chapters to the ISSP input mechanism. Once this is completed, the chapter provides a step-by-step description for defining and formulating the ISSP document that is supported by examples.
TopIntroduction
Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory; tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. - Sun Tsu, Ancient Chinese Military Strategist
The previous five chapters have explored the logical framework for determining the ICT requirements of the organisation described at Chapter 5 and depicted at Figure 1. Hence, these five chapters are viewed as providing the necessary analytical inputs for defining and formulating the information systems strategic plan (ISSP) of an organisation. Throughout the previous chapters it has been shown that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has played a major role in private and public sector organizations to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of their services. Defining and formulating the ISSP for Public Service delivery in the digital era has become a critical task. Traditionally, many government organisations have tended to utilise ICT in a piecemeal fashion, with varying levels of success.
However, in the past few decades the ISSP process has been refined and many governments are keen to incorporate an integrated Information Systems strategy to achieve business and service excellence. This is the fundamental reason why defining an ISSP is essential for government entities to improve and enhance Public Service delivery in the digital era. This chapter brings together the knowledge and tools that were addressed in the five previous chapters through the various analytical tools and models.
Table 1 provides a summary of the analytical tools and models utilised for the various objectives, related to undertaking the organizational strategic review; determining the organizational information needs; defining the organizational IS requirements to support the information needs; and ascertaining the organizational IT needs to support the IS requirements. Together these provide the necessary information for the formulation of the ISSP. Table 1 also provides the specific research reference source for each of analytical tools and models utilised in defining the ISSP so that the reader may explore further the various techniques that are described and illustrated. Furthermore, these references provide an academic foundation for the ISSP definition framework, thus ensuring that the resultant ISSP outcome is based upon a robust and well tested knowledge base.
Table 1. Summary of Knowledge and Analytical Tools from Previous Chapters
| Objective | Analytical Tool or Model | Reference |
| a. Organisational strategic review: | | |
| • I.S strategic review | McFarlan’s I.S Strategic Grid |
McFarlan et al. (1983)
|
| • Data usage strategic review | Marchand’s Areas of Information Use | Marchand et al. (2000) |
| • Customer persona review | Customer Persona Profiles |
Lidwell et al. (2010)
|
| b. Organisational information needs: | Anthony’s Triangle |
Anthony (1988)
|
| Marchand’s Value of Information | Marchand et al. (2000) |
| c. Organisation I.S needs: | Porter’s Value Chain |
Porter (1985)
|
| d. Organisation I.T needs: | Michael Porter’s Five Forces |
Porter (1985)
|
| e. I.C.T implementation Issues: | | |
| • Critical success factors | Critical Success Factors Analysis |
Caralli et al. (2004)
|
| • Implementation philosophy | Systems Development Options | Refer to Chapter text |
| Selecting Application Systems | Refer to Chapter text |
| • Strategic Justification | SWOT analysis | See Chapter example |
| • Traditional Justification | Sensitivity analysis | See Chapter example |
| Cost-benefit analysis | See Chapter example |
| • ICT Requirements Planning | Strategic Management Issues | Refer to Chapter text |
| I.S Success Model | DeLone et al. (2003) |
| Systems Development Methodology | Waterfall Model |
| Model for Project Success |
Camilleri (2011)
|
a, b, c, d, e refer to Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 respectively.