Analysts at Forrester Research say that cost-reduction is no longer the foremost task on the CIO's agenda, and next year the job will be more about portfolio and project management. Next year, the primary objectives will be to improve the way services are executed and to deliver more consistent processes and services, reports Thomas Wailgum at CIO magazine.

Improvements in how strategies are executed require stronger project management and portfolio management roles. It will be important for IT departments to know how to divvy up resources effectively and quickly terminate sub-par ideas.

A greater focus on consistency will drive a need for improved service management and process design. Employees who know the ins and outs of services design and execution will be in greater demand. At the same time, a redoubled emphasis on business growth will mean a greater need for professionals who can manage client relationships. Individuals with expertise in managing relationships with business leaders will find a growing role to play.  

For more:
- see Thomas Wailgum's article at CIO

Related Articles:
Using portfolios to enhance IT investments
How failure is built into many large projects
How to hire a good project manager