Demystifying Information Technology (IT) Governance


Navigating the complexities of IT Governance can be a daunting task. From understanding its foundational principles to utilizing the best frameworks, this guide offers insights to ensure IT seamlessly aligns with your business's overarching goals.


Sometimes we walk long distances without really looking at the trail or the trees along the way. Very often, our journey, indeed its entire purpose, is profoundly affected by the two. But that issue - or tragedy - is minor compared to the fact that, quite often, we do not have a destination in mind. We just do it!

One such journey is our pursuit of information technology (IT) Governance. We expend much energy on this long walk to, well, sometimes, nowhere. Depending on your circumstance, this might be "nowhere" in particular or of meaning or value. The net of it is that if we want to have meaningful governance, we must understand the objective, imperative, and process. The big picture, if I may.

This article might well be your first step in the long walk toward effective IT Governance. To get meaning out of it, please check your current knowledge about the topic at the door. We are threatening to think outside the box, and it doesn't help to carry the box while doing that.

Introduction

IT Governance is the system by which an organization's information technology (IT) resources are planned, implemented, monitored, and controlled. Good IT governance helps ensure an organization's IT infrastructure aligns with its business goals and objectives.

A sound IT governance framework can help organizations improve performance, meet regulatory requirements and manage risks more effectively.

There are many different approaches to developing effective IT governance for an organization. This article will discuss critical considerations for creating a successful IT governance framework.

Overview of IT Governance?

IT Governance is an element of corporate governance that improves the overall management of IT to derive enhanced value from its investment in information and technology. It is a broad concept that centers on the IT department or environment delivering business value to the enterprise. It also involves creating rules, regulations, and policies that define and ensure an IT department's effective, controlled, and valuable operation. It also provides methods to identify and evaluate the performance of IT and how it relates to business growth.

To understand how an organization's IT supports and enables the achievement of its strategies and objectives, organizations should look to frameworks, such as COBIT, which provide methods to achieve IT Governance. Such frameworks allow organizations to effectively manage IT risks and ensure that the activities associated with information and technology align with the overall business objectives.

IT Governance also involves the processes that ensure the effective and efficient use of IT in enabling the organization to achieve its goals - this includes both IT demand governance (ITDG), which is the process by which organizations ensure the practical evaluation, selection, prioritization, and funding of competing IT investments; oversee their implementation; and extract (measurable) business benefits, as well as IT supply-side governance (ITSG) which is concerned with ensuring that the IT organization operates in an effective, efficient and compliant fashion. In essence, IT governance focuses on structuring how organizations align IT Strategy with business strategy to ensure that companies stay on track to achieve their plans and goals and implement good ways to measure IT's performance.

IT Governance is an element of corporate governance focused on improving IT management and driving increased value from investments in information and technology. IT governance aims to use, manage and optimize IT to support and enable the organization to achieve its objectives. IT governance frameworks allow organizations to effectively manage their IT risks and ensure that the activities associated with information and technology align with their overall business objectives.

It consists of decision rights and accountability frameworks to encourage desired behavior in the use of IT. It is typically divided into two areas: IT demand governance, which focuses on the evaluation, selection, prioritization, and funding of competing IT investments, and IT supply-side Governance, which is concerned with ensuring that the IT organization operates in an effective, efficient, and compliant fashion. Moreover, an IT governance framework should also provide organizations with methods to identify and evaluate the performance of IT and how it relates to business growth.

What is Corporate Governance?

Corporate Governance is a toolkit that enables management and the board to deal more effectively with the company's challenges. It ensures that businesses have appropriate decision-making processes and controls in place so that the interests of all stakeholders are balanced. It can help organizations meet the requirements of laws and regulations such as the DPA (Data Protection Act) 2018 and the GDPR. A robust corporate governance framework can also help organizations create and maintain appropriate policies and procedures to help meet their data privacy requirements. IT Governance is an integral part of corporate governance and aims at improving IT management and deriving better value from the investment in information and technology. An IT Governance framework enables organizations to manage their IT risks effectively and ensures that the activities associated with information and technology align with the overall business objectives. The international standard for the corporate Governance of IT is ISO/IEC 38500:2015. It sets out principles, definitions, and a high-level framework organizations can use to align their IT with organizational decisions better. An IT governance framework is a system that will design structures, processes, authority definitions, and membership assignments that lead IT toward optimal results for the business. Governance performs in three ways: evaluate, direct, and monitor. Good corporate governance is essential for a company's success and can help organizations to achieve their business goals.

Corporate Governance is a set of principles, processes, and practices to ensure that businesses are effective and responsible. It enables the board of directors and other stakeholders to make informed decisions about how the company is run and ensure that the business aligns with its objectives and values. Corporate Governance is a toolkit that enables management and the board to deal more effectively with the challenges of running a company, ensuring that all stakeholders' interests are balanced. It also helps organizations meet requirements such as the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Organizations can create and maintain appropriate policies and procedures through IT governance to help meet data privacy requirements. Additionally, an IT governance framework enables organizations to effectively manage their IT risks and ensure that the activities associated with information and technology align with the overall business objectives.

Definition of IT Governance

Many a pundit has defined IT Governance. Wikipedia's definition is on the internet, so it must be true! - is "IT Governance or ICT Governance, is a subset discipline of Corporate Governance focused on information technology (IT) systems and their performance and risk management."

Really?

Besides being completely incorrect - IT Governance has as much to do with IT systems as Corporate Governance has to do with company buildings - this definition has a fundamental flaw. I am unsure about you, but I like my definitions to have meaning (please refer to Dictionary.com for a definition of definition!).

The definition of a horse: "an animal with four legs that can run fast." How clear is this?

More importantly, this "meaning" cannot come until there is resulting action. Not just any action but that focused on meaningful results. Otherwise, we are engaged in an academic exercise that is interesting but impertinent to our objective of good governance.

What action, if any, can I take based on this definition of IT Governance?

And the drivel on IT Governance - in Wikipedia and elsewhere - continues from that point on into more meaningless alleys and byways missing the great big paved highway that will take us home.

So let us devise our definition of IT Governance.

IT Governance is a process used to monitor and control key information technology capability decisions - in an attempt - to ensure the delivery of value to key stakeholders in an organization.

Here are the key points in this definition:

  1. IT Governance is a process. It is not a point-in-time event. It is not a committee. It is not a department.
  2. IT governance aims to ensure the delivery of business results, not "IT systems performance" nor "IT risk management" - that would reinforce the notion of IT as an end in itself. On the contrary, IT Governance is about decisions impacting business value.
  3. The process, therefore, monitors and control key IT decisions that might have an impact - positive or negative - on business results.
  4. The concept of governance is meaningless without recognizing ownership and responsibility. The key stakeholders in an organization have an "ownership" stake in the organization. The management is responsible to these stakeholders.
    1. We must recognize shareholders' ownership stake and other stakeholders such as customers, vendors, employees, etc.
    2. The "management," i.e., the people entrusted with making key decisions, is responsible to these stakeholders.
  5. Therefore, the objective of IT Governance is not just to deliver risk-optimized business value but also to engender the trust of the key stakeholders in the people to whom they have entrusted their money and/or livelihood!
    1. One can argue that this trust results in more business value. No doubt. But the fact remains that it is a means to that end and must be recognized independently as a motivation for IT Governance.
    2. In a sense, IT Governance acts upon the adage of "trust but verify!"

Now, let us ask the same question we asked of the Wikipedia definition: what action can we take based on this definition?

  1. Devise a process for IT Governance.
  2. The process monitors and controls key decisions.
  3. This process measures and tracks business value, not IT value or anything else.
  4. This process involves key stakeholders in its organization and delivery

Much better! For an in-depth look at the definition and meaning of IT Governance, please refer to the Wiki for CIOs.

Components of Effective IT Governance

An effective IT governance structure must consider the decision rights and accountability framework that will encourage the desired behavior for the use of IT. There are several models and frameworks that organizations should consider to ensure successful IT governance implementation, such as King reports of corporate governance (versions I to IV), ISO/IEC 31000:2018 on risk management, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 on information security, Business Continuity Management (BCM) and disaster recovery, knowledge management, including intellectual capital, program management and project governance, including PRINCE and PMBOK. Additionally, there are seven critical success factors for achieving effective IT governance implementations:

  • Getting executive sponsorship
  • Writing IT policies and standards
  • Managing IT risks
  • Creating an IT governance board
  • Developing an IT investment strategy
  • Aligning IT and business goals
  • Measuring IT performance

Effective IT governance is essential for companies to achieve above-average returns from their IT investments. In addition to these, companies should also consider the following seven critical success factors for achieving effective IT governance implementations:

  • Obtaining executive sponsorship
  • Aligning IT Governance with overall business strategy and objectives
  • Leveraging the resources of the organization
  • Fostering collaboration and trust between IT and business
  • Developing clear decision rights
  • Ensuring accountability and transparency
  • Implementing effective processes and controls

The Five Domains of IT Governance

The five domains of IT governance are value delivery, strategic alignment, performance management, resource management, and risk management. They are all important for organizations to optimize their use of technology and ensure that technology investments effectively support the business's strategic objectives. Value delivery is essential for organizations to ensure that their IT investments deliver the promised value. Strategic alignment ensures that the IT strategy aligns with the overall business strategy and objectives. Performance management helps organizations effectively track and report on their IT investments' performance and measure the value generated by those investments. Resource management ensures the organization allocates the right resources to support IT investments. Finally, risk management helps organizations identify, assess, mitigate, and manage risks associated with their IT investments. All these domains are crucial for organizations to optimize their use of technology and ensure that their IT investments deliver the highest possible value.

The five domains of IT Governance are essential for organizations as they enable the effective alignment and management of IT initiatives to achieve strategic business objectives. The five domains are value delivery, strategic alignment, performance management, resource management, and risk management.

  1. Value delivery deals with realizing business value from IT investments and initiatives. This domain focuses on understanding the value of IT and optimizing business benefits through effectively managing these investments. It achieves this through value management practices, benefits realization planning, performance monitoring, and response.
  2. The strategic alignment domain ensures that an organization's IT strategy aligns with its business strategy. It utilizes enterprise architecture methodologies and tools, portfolio management, and balanced scorecards.
  3. Performance management is concerned with measuring and monitoring the performance of IT investments and initiatives in line with the business objectives. This domain focuses on implementing appropriate performance metrics and reporting systems to ensure that the organization's IT plans are on track and that benefits are realized.
  4. The resource management domain focuses on the effective use of resources to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of IT initiatives. It includes the management of budgets, personnel, infrastructure, data, and technology.
  5. Finally, the risk management domain focuses on identifying, assessing, mitigating, managing, communicating, and monitoring IT-related business risks. It includes the development of a risk framework to demonstrate good governance, business continuity planning, and alignment with relevant legal and regulatory requirements.

The five IT governance domains are essential for organizations as they comprehensively manage IT initiatives to realize business value and optimize performance.

IT Governance Frameworks, Models, and Standards

In the intricate tapestry of modern enterprises, Information Technology (IT) serves as one of the primary threads weaving businesses towards innovation, efficiency, and sustainability. Yet, like all core facets of an organization, IT demands meticulous oversight and strategic direction to ensure it aligns with broader business objectives and adds tangible value. IT Governance is pivotal in bridging the gap between executive leadership aspirations and IT functionalities. However, IT Governance is a vast domain, and organizations often grapple with its implementation. This is where frameworks, models, and standards come into play.

The subsequent section delves into the various IT Governance frameworks, models, and standards that have emerged over the years. These tools provide structured guidance for IT Governance implementation and offer benchmarks against which organizations can measure their progress and maturity. From globally recognized standards to niche models tailored for specific industries or challenges, this rich assortment of frameworks is the cornerstone of effective IT Governance. As we navigate this section, readers will gain insights into each framework's relevance, applicability, and uniqueness, enabling them to make informed decisions suitable for their respective organizations.

ISO 38500 – The international IT governance standard

ISO 38500 is an international standard for corporate Governance of IT. It provides principles, definitions, and a high-level framework that organizations of all types and sizes can use better to align their use of IT with organizational decisions and meet their legal, regulatory, and ethical obligations. IT Governance is critical because it helps ensure that IT systems are secure, efficient, and effective in meeting an organization's strategic objectives. Organizations can ensure that their IT systems are used appropriately and compliant with relevant regulations by having a clear set of guidelines and principles for IT governance. This compliance helps avoid legal or regulatory issues and protects the organization from cyber threats and other security risks. ISO 38500 provides organizations with a comprehensive framework to ensure that their IT systems are used most appropriately.

It is vital for IT governance as it provides organizations of all types and sizes with a comprehensive set of guidelines for ensuring the effective management and use of IT resources and systems and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and ethical standards. ISO 38500 is an international standard for corporate Governance of IT that sets out principles, definitions, and a high-level framework for IT organizations to align their use of IT with organizational decisions and meet their legal, regulatory, and ethical obligations. With ISO 38500, organizations can better manage the risks associated with their IT systems and protect their data, systems, and networks. Additionally, ISO 38500 can help organizations reduce costs and improve operational performance. Ultimately, ISO 38500 helps organizations optimize the value they receive from their IT investments.

ITIL- IT service management

ITIL is a framework for IT service management (ITSM) that provides organizations with best-practice processes for running and managing their IT services. It helps organizations deliver value to their customers and stakeholders by guiding how to optimize IT service design, delivery, operations, and support. ISO/IEC 20000:2011, the international standard for ITSM against which organizations can achieve independent certification, is used to support ITIL. ITIL is crucial to IT governance frameworks, models, and standards. It provides a set of best practices and guidelines for ensuring that IT services are effectively managed and delivered to meet business objectives. Organizations worldwide widely adopt ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) as a framework for IT service management. Its newest iteration ITIL 4, was launched in February 2019.

ITIL provides a set of best practices and processes for managing IT services. It is designed to help organizations meet their IT service management needs in a structured and cost-effective way. ITIL is an integral part of IT governance frameworks and models, as it provides a standardized approach to developing and managing IT services and a set of standards that helps organizations adhere to. ITIL helps ensure that IT services are provided and managed efficiently and effectively and that IT operations align with the overall business objectives.

COBIT

COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology) is an internationally recognized IT governance control framework that provides organizations with best practices to help them meet risk management challenges, regulatory compliance, and IT strategy alignment.

COBIT is helpful for IT governance because it provides a comprehensive set of objectives and activities for IT governance, which can be implemented to support and maintain a practical IT governance framework. It is based on extensive research and continually evolves to meet organizations' changing needs. The goals and objectives contained within COBIT are designed to help organizations in all industries identify, measure, and manage their risks, comply with regulatory requirements, and realize the full potential of their IT investments.

COBIT also provides a model for setting up a governance system that is tailored to an organization's specific needs and offers a range of tools and processes that can be used to assess and measure the organization's IT capability. It also helps organizations to develop a culture of risk management and to ensure that IT investments match up with organizational goals.

In addition, COBIT can be used with other frameworks and standards, such as ITIL and ISO 27002, to create a more comprehensive and robust IT governance system.

COBIT is a robust and comprehensive IT governance framework that enables organizations to ensure regulatory compliance, manage risks, and align IT investments with their strategic goals.

COBIT, or Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology, is an internationally recognized IT governance control framework created to help organizations meet their business challenges in regulatory compliance, risk management, and aligning IT strategy with organizational goals. By providing organizations with tools to assess and measure the enterprise's IT capability for the 37 identified COBIT processes, COBIT can be used to create a practical governance framework.

COBIT is helpful for IT governance because it is a comprehensive framework that can create an effective control and management system. It is vendor-neutral and can be used with other frameworks, including ITIL and ISO 27002, to create a coordinated and integrated IT governance approach. Additionally, COBIT provides organizations with the resources needed to meet their legal and regulatory obligations, as well as the ability to evaluate their IT capabilities and risk management strategies.

Calder-Moir IT Governance Framework

The Calder-Moir IT Governance Framework is a structured guidance system designed to help organizations benchmark their balance and effectiveness of IT governance practices. It provides practical assistance and guidance, offering structured advice on approaching IT Governance.

Compared to other frameworks, the Calder-Moir IT Governance Framework focuses more on process management and service management, but an integrated approach using parts of several frameworks may be beneficial. Other examples of frameworks you should consider for effective IT governance include the King reports of corporate governance (versions I to IV), ISO/IEC 31000:2018 (risk management), ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (information security), business continuity management and disaster recovery, knowledge management and intellectual capital, program management and project governance and ISO 38500 – The international IT Governance standard.

The Calder-Moir IT Governance Framework is a toolkit developed to provide structured guidance for IT governance practitioners and board members. It guides how to approach IT Governance and can be used to benchmark the balance and effectiveness of IT governance practices within an organization. The toolkit includes practical assistance and guidance for practitioners and board members tackling the subject.

Compared to other frameworks, the Calder-Moir IT Governance Framework focuses on providing practical guidance and assistance for IT governance practitioners and board members. Other frameworks, such as the King Reports of Corporate Governance, ISO/IEC 31000:2018 (risk management), ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (information security), and ISO/IEC 38500:2015 (corporate Governance of IT), provide a more general approach to IT Governance. They provide principles, definitions, and high-level frameworks that organizations of all sizes and types can use better to align their use of IT with organizational decisions and meet legal, regulatory, and ethical obligations.

Other IT governance frameworks and models to consider

In addition to the popular frameworks and models listed above, organizations should consider other IT governance frameworks and models to ensure effective IT governance. These include the King reports of corporate governance (versions I to IV), ISO/IEC 31000:2018 on risk management, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 on information security, Business Continuity Management (BCM) and disaster recovery, Knowledge management and intellectual capital, Programme management and project governance including PRINCE and PMBOK, and the Calder-Moir IT Governance Framework Toolkit.

The King reports focus on setting the ethical tone of an organization, providing guidance on the roles of directors, how the board should exercise oversight, and how to ensure accountability. ISO/IEC 31000:2018 and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 provide an internationally recognized risk management and information security standard based on best practices. BCM outlines a comprehensive approach for organizations to prepare for and respond to minor and significant disruptions and disasters. Knowledge management and intellectual capital help organizations create, capture, store, and share knowledge. Program and project management frameworks, such as PRINCE2® and PMBOK®, help manage projects and programs effectively. Finally, the Calder-Moir IT Governance Framework Toolkit provides practitioners and board members with the tools needed to evaluate, measure and improve the balance and effectiveness of their IT governance practices.

When considering other IT governance frameworks and models, three widely recognized, vendor-neutral, third-party frameworks are often mentioned: ITIL®, COBIT®, and ISO 27002.

The UK's Cabinet Office developed ITIL® (IT Infrastructure Library®) as a library of best-practice processes for IT service management.

COBIT® (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology) is an IT governance control framework that helps organizations meet today's business challenges in regulatory compliance, risk management, and aligning IT strategy with organizational goals. COBIT contains a framework for the control and measurability of IT by providing tools to assess and measure the enterprise's IT capability for the 37 identified COBIT processes.

ISO 27002 (supported by ISO 27001) is the global best-practice standard for information security management in organizations.

The Calder-Moir IT Governance Framework Toolkit provides practical assistance and guidance for practitioners and board members tackling the subject.

Organizations should also consider implementing structural guidelines, creating a governance structure map, building effective committees, and determining follow-up governance support to help optimize their governance framework.

Why do you need IT Governance?

IT governance aims to ensure that the decisions and actions taken by IT and its investments and resources are aligned with the organization's strategic goals. It is a framework that provides structure and direction in the management of IT and its processes, with the ultimate goal of driving value and optimizing the use of technology. IT Governance comprises three main areas: evaluate, direct, and monitor Governance. Evaluating governance ensures business goals are achieved through stakeholder needs, criteria, metrics, portfolio, risk, and value definition. Direct governance sets the direction of IT by delegating priorities and determining the decisions that guide the organization. Lastly, monitoring governance establishes a framework to monitor performance, compliance with regulations, and progress on outcomes.

The purpose of IT governance is to manage the risks associated with technology and ensure the IT investments of an organization are aligned with its mission, vision, values, and objectives. IT Governance helps organizations identify and manage risk, improve control, and increase the value of IT investments. It also ensures organizations comply with external requirements and provides a framework to monitor IT performance. Good IT governance leads to improved organizational leadership and management, more efficient decision-making, and better outcomes. Ultimately, IT governance enables organizations to optimize their IT investments and ensure they are achieving the desired results.

Why is IT Governance Important?

IT Governance is essential in today's digitalized environment because it helps organizations to align their IT investments and strategies to their overall objectives and manage risks effectively. The primary importance of IT Governance lies in its ability to facilitate informed decision-making and provide transparency for IT investments. By enforcing governance processes, agencies can ensure that their IT investments are being used following their mission. In addition, it enables organizations to manage resources effectively and balance critical resources to provide sufficient IT support for current and future IT investments. Furthermore, IT governance enables agencies to proactively manage organizational risk, ensure the execution and enforcement of IT initiatives, and improve their responsiveness to challenges. In short, IT governance ensures that organizations can maximize the value of their IT investments, stay on track to achieve their strategic goals, and ensure their IT decisions align with their business strategies.

IT Governance is an important tool for federal agencies to ensure that IT investments are aligned with their mission objectives and that resources are managed cost-effectively and transparently. Governance provides a framework for leaders to make informed decisions considering all stakeholders' interests and measuring IT investments' performance. It also allows for proactive risk management, enabling agency leaders to identify and address potential risks associated with their IT investments. Finally, IT governance enables federal managers to prioritize and execute IT initiatives efficiently. In sum, IT governance is essential for federal agencies to effectively align IT investments with their mission objectives and achieve excellence in the management of IT.

What is Effective IT Governance?

Effective IT Governance is a framework that enables organizations to make decisions about their IT investments and operations in a way that aligns with their overall business goals and objectives. It involves defining the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, setting clear decision-making processes, and establishing mechanisms for accountability. It also involves implementing mechanisms for monitoring IT investments and operations to ensure they meet the organization's needs. IT Governance is distinct from IT management in that it focuses on the governance aspects of decision-making, while IT management focuses on the operational aspects. IT Governance requires organizations to analyze who makes decisions, how decisions are made, and how they should govern their IT investments and operations.

To ensure effective IT Governance, organizations should consider best practices such as creating an IT governance structure that encourages desirable behavior, developing a capability-driven IT organization, and creating a win-win relationship with managed services providers. Organizations should also ensure that their IT governance framework encompasses four key domains: principles, infrastructure, architecture, and investment and prioritization. Additionally, organizations should consider the role of senior leaders in IT Governance, as their input and guidance is essential to successful IT Governance. Finally, organizations should strive to create an IT Governance structure that links to their business performance goals and encourages the ingenuity of all organization members.

Effective IT governance is a framework of decision rights and accountability designed to encourage desirable behavior in the use of information technology. It is an approach businesses and organizations use to ensure that decisions related to IT investments and initiatives align with the organization's overall objectives and goals. This framework encompasses the four key domains of IT: principles, infrastructure, architecture, and investment and prioritization. An effective IT governance structure comprises the appropriate mix of governance archetypes (e.g., monarchy, feudal, federal, and anarchy) and governance mechanisms (e.g., committees, approval processes, and organizational forms). It also requires a careful analysis of who is responsible for decisions and how decisions are made. By harmonizing business objectives, governance archetypes, and business performance goals, an effective IT governance structure helps ensure that all organizational stakeholders are involved in decision-making and that IT investments are made strategically.

How to develop an effective IT governance for your organization

 

  • Step 1: Get executive sponsorship. Ensure the CIO is a visible, vocal champion and you have a C-level executive on the business side (ideally the CFO). This way, IT governance will be considered a priority instead of an optional initiative.
  • Step 2: Put client resources on the team. Make sure to involve IT and business users early and explain the benefits to them. This way, you will create champions who can spread the word about the initiative.
  • Step 3: Understand the problem. The problem could be poor project performance, slow IT handling of routine business requests, mistake-prone application change management, a lack of standards for comparing potential IT projects, or a combination of these. Determine where you are starting from in the Capability Maturity Model and pick an attainable target.
  • Step 4: Envision the solution. Set goals high, but don't make them unattainable. Ensure your requirements are clearly defined and universally understood among all stakeholders, and stick to the original plan. Focus on process improvement areas and look for every opportunity to streamline workflow and remove steps.
  • Step 5: Pick the right software solutions for the right reasons. Ensure your software provides real-time visibility of projects and activities in easy-to-use desktop dashboards, includes built-in enforcement mechanisms, is scalable and enterprise-level, and supports frameworks like ITIL and CMMI.
  • Step 6: Take small steps. Start with a pilot project or group; don't expect people to move to the new system seamlessly. Take the time to win over recalcitrant users through collaborative engagement, and keep moving forward once you've started.
  • Step 7: Provide proper training. Ensure your employees are trained and equipped to use the new system fully.

Conclusion

Effective IT governance is essential for managing your organization's IT investments. By implementing a process that includes proper planning and implementation, you can ensure your investments are made in the right places and used effectively. In this guide, we outline steps you need to take to implement an effective IT governance system in your organization. This guide will help you successfully manage your organization's technology resources, from creating strategies to tracking progress.

About the Author

Sourabh Hajela is a management consultant and trainer with over 30 years of experience creating shareholder value for his Fortune 50 clients. His consulting practice is focused on IT strategy, alignment, and ROI. For more information, please visit his IT Consulting Firm.


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