Abstract:

Empirical evidence shows that most information systems project have the tendency to fail due to numerous reasons. The inability of businesses across different sectors to deliver successful IS/IT project outcomes has been an ongoing theme in recent years. Despite the reasons for failure, which includes communication challenges, technical expertise, budget and time constraint, team structure, unclear business requirements, organizations seem unable to learn the lessons of failure. Quality assurance (QA) is an integral and crucial aspect of the software development lifecycle. The activities that are performed within QA cut across different phases of information systems development (ISD). The Standish Group Reports 83.9% of IT projects fail and some of the top reasons for failure is the incomplete business requirements gathering, testing or unclear roles and responsibilities. Effective stakeholders’ engagement in any ISD will ensure greater chances of IS project success. Recent studies in information systems have continued to record low success rates and many scholars have argued that the reasons for failure stem from budget issues to technical challenges with less emphasis on quality assurance (QA). One of the core aims of this research is to explore in details some of the underpinning factors responsible for lack of stakeholders engagement during quality assurance as the concept of QA is poorly understood. This study presents a different narrative by deploying qualitative research with a mixed method data collection strategy. An exploratory survey has been conducted with an over 120 respondents over a period of six months. The second phase of primary data acquisition will entail a case study that will focus primarily on the healthcare sector.

Keywords:

Stakeholder Engagement, Quality Assurance, Failure, Success and Health information systems.