I. Before you read, answer the questions:

• What are the possible reasons why technical projects are often ‘prone to failure’?

• What is meant by the term marriage broker or marriage guidance counsellor?

II. Reading

Read this article and fulfill the tasks below.

ADVENT OF THE IT MARRIAGE BROKER

1 The chances of large information-technology projects being successful are even more depressing than divorce statistics. While six out of every ten British couples tying the knot can hope to stay married, it is estimated that only about 50 per cent of IT projects will come in on budget, and only about 10 per cent will finish on time, in the worst cases. IT projects fail spectacularly, causing more expense and reputational damage than a trip through the divorce courts. However, estranged clients and providers are now bringing in a new breed of consultant - likened to a marriage guidance counsellor - to help resolve conflicts and put errant projects back on track.

2. To try to prevent relationships breaking down, companies and IT service providers are calling on the service of smaller, third-party consultancies, who can help set up the contract and make sure all parties remain in agreement. ‘You can call us marriage counsellors,’ says Bob Fawthrop, chief executive of Morgan Chambers, an outsourcing advisory company. ‘When a relationship breaks down, it is never totally one party’s fault. It is usually a case of people misunderstanding each other. A third party can come in with a more objective view.^’

3 Sometimes, to ensure the advice is truly impartial, the client and IT contractor wilt share advisory fees. ‘Ten years ago contracts would merely say that mediation on any contract disputes would be dealt with by senior management, ‘says Ivor Canavan, European vice-president at Computer Sciences Corporation, an IT-services company. "Now, companies are often nominating a third-party mediator from the start. There is more of an expectation that things can get out of shape, and companies are putting in place measures to ensure they can resolve problems quickly,’ he says.

4 Mr. Fawthrop says Morgan Chambers is being called in frequently to help companies write contracts with their IT suppliers and to mediate when problems arise or the terms of the project need to be changed. The company had about 100 engagements last year, and demand is growing at around 25 per cent each quarter.

5 As well as advising on setting up projects, small consultancy companies are also being called in to oversee them as they progress. ‘A lot of projects fail because the parties have different agendas,’ says Alistair Clifford-Jones, chief executive of Leadent, an Oxfordshire-based consultancy that does this kind of IT project work. ‘Systems integrators may want to make more changes to a project because they make money out of changes. The client may not deliver everything it is supposed to, and the company circumstances might change,’ Mr. Clifford-Jones says. ‘Leadent’s job is to keep everyone on track. There is a consulting revolution going on where clients are fed up with the inefficiency and high fees of the big accountancy and consulting companies. People are starting to accept that there needs to be a level of independence driving the project.’

6 A small company that only started operations three years ago, Leadent is already seeing its revenues increasing by 300 per cent a year. It has worked on a number of projects worth tens of millions of pounds, with customers such as Whitbread, the leisure group, and Anglian Water, the utility company. Sometimes Leadent consultants have been parachuted in to turn round a project that has already run into trouble. But increasingly they are being included at the start.

7 Anglian Water brought in the company as an overseer when it began to plan the launch of a mobile computing system for its workers. Paul Vallely, programme manager at the utility, says, ‘Rolling out mobile field services is a new project for both CSC and Anglian Water, and we needed a specialist.’ Mr. Vallely believes Leadent provides a good counterview to CSC on the requirements of the project. ‘We have a good relationship with CSC, but it is good that they can say what is feasible to expect CSC to do, and in what time scale. Leadent are making sure that CSC delivers -the specification on time and to cost.’

8 Mr. Clifford-Jones says Leadent is also able to flag up problems with the client company more effectively because it is considered to be independent. ‘Clients take Leadent’s advice seriously because they know the guys aren’t there to sell more work,’ he says. So far, on the Anglian project, the ‘marriage counselling’ approach appears to be producing results. The project is expected to finish on schedule next year and is estimated to be running 15 per cent below budget. With a little outside help, it seems, technology providers and their clients can look forward to a long and happy union.