"A clear success! Unprecedented participation levels! A fruitful partnership!"

Such statements are a pleasure to hear, whatever the project in question or the context in which it took place. When these comments describe a project that allowed an organization to fundamentally transform its employees' and clientele's way of doing business by implementing state-of-the-art technology, and when this involved a joint effort of a government administration and a private firm, these testimonials are no longer simply delightful, they are (we must admit) astonishing. They are, however, remarks that were made following the establishment of “the register of personal and movable real rights” (RPMRR) at Québec's Ministère de la justice. This system, which consolidates information that was previously scattered throughout more than 200 different registers, has won several prizes, including one for “Security” awarded during the first Gala du commerce électronique, and the Treasury Board's “Hommages 2000” prize to large organizations.

Any attempt to identify a single explanation for this project's success would be futile. As the end result makes clear, it was the harmonious marshalling of assorted elements that allowed the delivery of a system to make its proponents proud: A clear vision of the role of information technology in public administration, the establishment of a completely original structure for the project team, professional and innovative project management, and eclectic personal and professional skills all played essential and complementary roles in the project's success.

(This book is written in French)