The Relationships Between Competence, Methods, and Practice in Information Systems Development

This paper investigates the relationships that unfold between an actor’s competence, methods, and practice during information systems development (ISD). The data was gathered in a case study of a successful ISD in a Norwegian municipality. In theory, competence, methods, and practice are separate and clearly distinct elements. In actual ISD, however, the three elements form close and integrated relationships. While previous research has addressed some of the relationships between competence, methods, and practice, researchers have yet to describe fully how the three elements relate to and influence each other. This paper’s main contribution is a new and more detailed understanding of the tight and intrinsic relationships between competence, methods, and practice and how the three elements dynamically influence each other during ISD processes. The result is a deeper understanding of the ISD process that will help systems developers better establish, monitor, and succeed in their ISD projects.