IT project management resources and capabilities: a Delphi study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the most important IT project management resources and capabilities, and rank them according to the extent to which they are valuable, rare and inimitable. Design/methodology/approach – Using a Delphi methodology, the data collection process was conducted with the collaboration of members of academia and professionals with expertise in IT project management. Findings – The top ten most important resources/capabilities in IT project management were identified, the majority of which were capabilities; 80 per cent of the identified resources/capabilities were the same in the panel comprised of members of academia and the panel of professionals. Results showed that the two most valuable, rare and inimitable IT project management resources/capabilities were: the capability to understand and manage the needs, expectations, priorities and interests of project stakeholders; and the firm's capability to align IT projects to the strategy and business objectives of the organization. Practical implications – This research guides managers in the development of key IT project management intangible resources/capabilities. Originality/value – By simultaneously identifying a bundle of important IT project management resources/capabilities, evaluating the extent to which each resource/capability is valuable, rare and inimitable as well as displaying coherence between the results from the different steps of the Delphi method, the resources/capabilities identified in this study are likely to be those few that actually can influence the competitive advantage of the firm. Also, by demonstrating the less important role played by IT resources/capabilities, this study demonstrates that project management is a field of its own.