The first step in starting an IS project should be to determine the sk
ills that it demands. After this, an analyst whose skill set matches t
he needs profile can be selected to lead it. This paper specifically f
ocuses on developing an approach to assist IS managers in determining
the lead analyst skills that are best for a specific project. The appr
oach and its application to a real project in a large sales organizati
on is presented. Finally, the usefulness and limitations of the approa
ch are discussed.