# Sustainable Approach in IT Project Management--Methodology Choice vs. Client Satisfaction
###### Abstract  
Major elaborations on sustainable development relating to the general economic sphere of various issue-related areas. Surprisingly little explicit guidance presenting this topic from the organizational side exists. To fill this gap, this paper attempts to propose and verify the concept of a sustainable approach to IT project management by involving the client at the stage of choosing the project management methodology. The research scope constitute IT projects, the subject of which was the development of software commissioned by the organization. The study aims to assess how the internal perspective of sustainability in IT projects, manifested in the matching of IT project management methodology to the client, affects the overall client's satisfaction with the IT project, its products, and results. In the study, 64 IT projects implemented in Polish SME organizations were analyzed throughout their life cycle. The study has proved that introducing and improving the internal perspective of sustainability in IT projects, by matching an IT project management methodology to the client type is one of the key factors determining the level of client satisfaction and thus the assessment of the project's success. The evaluation was made using the Serperv method by developing a measurement instrument dedicated to the IT project management area. Researches can use the proposed approach and the Serperv measuring tool to carry out similar analyses with different sample groups across other countries. The software industry can find results valuable and useful with regard to the IT project management improvement. IT project management; sustainable management; success management; software development; alignment IT--business; Serperv +
Footnote †: journal: _Sustainability_  
* It is not technical perfection that is the key skill, but rather the ability to collaborate and build interpersonal relations within the company to enhance its competitive advantage [28; 29; 30]. The evolution of the definition of a successful project determines how the factors that influence success or failure are identified. Hence, the \"Iron Triangle\" criteria (time, cost and scope) have been in force for a long time. In 1999, [PERSON] was one of the first to indicate the limitations of this approach [31]. After 2000, the success and failure narrative of the client, together with symbolic and rhetoric success and failure factors recognized by the client have found their way into the criteria used to evaluate a project's success [5; 32; 33]. These changes are consistent with the CHAOS reports from the Standish Group [34] on the critical success factors of IT projects Clients' expectations are enumerated among major risks of an IT project, while managing them is considered its key success factor. For a few years now, the awareness of the client's role, or rather lack thereof, has been pointed out as number one among both critical success factors and failure causes in IT projects. The evolution of the definition of a project's success has been empirically confirmed by analyses on the Polish ICT sector. The impact of different factors on the project's success has been evaluated [35]. Taking into consideration the influence of the buyers on project process management is indicated as the strongest determinant of success. 100% of the respondents indicated this as the key factor. According to Gartner Group and Standish Group reports, user problems have always dominated the problems of IT project management, but over the years the approach to solving these problems has been different. First, there was a strong focus on methodology, tools and technical development. The lack of the expected results meant that mere technical and methodological perfection is becoming less and less important in IT project execution, with soft management mechanisms [36; 37] and the recognition of the impact of the users (IT project clients) being of vital importance here [38].