Estimating the effort costs of information technology disaster recovery projects: A model based on a mixed methodology investigation

Similar to the IT productivity paradox, return on IT disaster recovery investment (RODRI) has become a controversial topic due to the growing amount of business dependence upon its information infrastructure and its vulnerability to an unplanned interruption of normal business activity. Taking time to consider the cost of a business disaster is an important step forward to understanding the true costs associated with lost business or reputation risk. Estimating IT disaster recovery project effort cost has always been a sticky point for IT managers. However, it is clear that organizations need to understand the variables that define RODRI and to endure the discomfort of assigning dollar values to quantities that currently are ill-defined and not very well known. Assessing IT disaster recovery project size is an important step in cost estimation and project planning. Project sizing should be estimated first and is used to estimate the project effort. The effort estimate is used to estimate the schedule and total costs of a project. The quantitative sizing and effort cost estimation techniques for IT disaster recovery projects can have a direct impact on the success of project planning and implementation. The need for a reliable, consistent, and quantitative model to estimate sizing and effort cost for IT disaster recovery projects is evident. The results of this research will be the quantitative models to estimate the project sizing and effort cost of IT disaster recovery projects.