Despite there being a barrier to and new initiatives, a tight governance structure is important for a complicated organization like the government to enforce tight control and ensure a balance of interest across the board.

One of the biggest challenges is that most IT projects extend beyond the term of principal government officials. Dickson noted most IT projects'from planning, developing a business case to procurement, staffing, development, implementation and testing'would take over four years.

'You are probably looking at four and a quarter years [to complete an IT project],' he said, adding that this timeframe implies smooth running of all relevant processes. 'But you will find in most government bureaux and departments, many senior officials won't stay at the same position for that long. So, it is understandable for them to ask for a strong business case to justify such major investment.'

Dickson noted that's not only an issue within the Hong Kong government, but an overall problem in any large organization. It is also human nature for officials to try managing a project within their own scope.

'People like to see jobs start, get carried out and actually finish within their tenure,' he said.