ICT Outsourcing Fundamentals

This subject is not offered in 2009.

Students who are enrolled in the two year 200 point Master of Information Systems must have completed 50 points of study to enrol in this subject.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study and reasonable steps will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact upon their active and safe participation in a subject are encouraged to discuss this with the relevant subject coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit.

This subject provides an overview of the best that is known about what makes information and communications technology (ICT) outsourcing work and not work. It asks why organizations outsource, and why outsourcing is fraught with difficulties. It identifies factors that have been found to lead to successful outsourcing, asks why these factors are important, and discusses client and supplier organizational structures and management practices to help make outsourcing work. Two important concepts discussed are Cullen's concepts of the outsourcing lifecycle and the configuration of a client organization's outsourcing portfolio.

Upon completion of this subject students should be able to (a) explain why organizations outsource, (b) summarize steps in the typical ICT outsourcing lifecycle, (c) identify key characteristics of ICT outsourcing configuration (and why they matter), and (d) explain and discuss of why certain ICT outsourcing management practices are more successful than others.

Two 30-minute group class presentations, due at dates to be determined by a schedule that will be distributed early in the semester (2 × 10%); a written assignment of 1,500 words due at the end of week 3 of semester (10%); a written assignment of 4,000 words due at the end of week 9 of semester (20%); a 2-hour written examination in the examination period (50%).

Subject Notes

Willcocks, L.P., and Lacity, M. Global Sourcing of Business and IT Services, Palgrave, 2006

Domberger, S. The Contracting Organization: A Strategic Guide to Outsourcing. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1998

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students should have honed their generic skills such as:

• clear thinking,
• improved reading and writing,
• enhanced ability to work in a team of people, and
• presentation skills