CIOs doubt they can fulfill their best-laid plans

Good communication is vital for delivering a good IT strategy

A clear vision for corporate IT is rarely accompanied by a smooth delivery of plans, according to senior UK chief information officers (CIOs).

While 23 of the 26 CIOs questioned in a survey by user group CIO Connect were satisfied with the level of clarity in their vision, only 16 were as confident about their ability to implement it.

"Our research identifies an important issue for many of the respondents that while clear on direction there is a lack of confidence in the ability of the IT team to deliver on that vision," said Alistair Russell, development director at CIO Connect.

Respondents cited factors relating to communication and teamwork as the most critical elements in IT delivery, with good interaction with other departments cited by 19 of the 26 respondents and good leadership skills cited by 18.

Having an adequate budget was deemed critical by only two respondents and the use of particular technologies was cited by one.