Hi peter - Coming from the Erik you challenged, I think we are both right. Ideally, everyone puts the users' needs at the top of their list. In my experience, though, it's the IA's responsibility to carry that philosphy throughout the life-time of a project. People say the right things at the beginning, but as soon as the coding begins, their attention shifts from "how is this going to help users?" to "how can we make it fit on the page?" OR "how is this going to make the client happy?"

The IA has to be unwaivering. With the additional responsibilities of being the project manager, technologist or visual designer, a person frequently becomes bi-polar because they have to concentrate on the client or technological boundaries. Healthy disagreement with a champion from each camp has the highest likelihood of satisfying these often conflicting needs.