Centralized and Decentralized Selection of Information Technology Projects in Universities

Universities undertake IT projects to meet their strategic and operational needs. However, the demand for these projects often exceeds the available funding. Consequently, universities must carefully prioritize which IT projects to pursue. To aid in this decision-making process, universities have established IT governance. IT governance at the university involves multiple committees that evaluate and approve IT initiatives within the institution.Universities are also known to make IT decisions through centralized and decentralized approaches. Centralized decisions incorporate input from various colleges or business units, ensuring a comprehensive review process. In contrast, decentralized choices are made independently by individual colleges or business units.This study delves into the specific context of IT project selection within universities. It aims to investigate how IT governance committees influence project selection and whether decisions are centralized or decentralized. This study involved an analysis of two large and two small universities in the United States of America (USA). The findings revealed that large universities exhibit decentralized IT project selection, bypassing the IT governance committee structure when funds are available. In contrast, small universities tend to demonstrate centralized decision-making by submitting IT project requests to IT governance committees. Overall, this research sheds light on the complexities of IT project selection in centralized and decentralized settings and emphasizes the importance of effective governance structures in guiding decision-making processes.