Identification and classification of information technology program risks

In the challenging environment, organizations are facing the threats to survival and success requires using the approaches of risk management. Although the literature on project management and risk management are abound but none of them has paid much attention to risk management as a critical factor which contributes to the performance of the information technology strategic plan. In this paper the authors reviewed the literature on information technology project risks, general risks of the program, difference of program management and project management. By using meta synthesis approach and considering face and content’s similarities, 48 major risks in the area of information technology projects were identified. The priority of different factors were determined by experts and indicators in six main areas were categorized based on the Project Management Institute’s standards. Based on hierarchy clustering the result shows that the risks of benefits, environment, design, program, operation, project and portfolio are in periority respectively