Example: Holistic Approach to Technology Governance for High-growth Organizations

Discover how a high-growth organization strategically aligned its technology goals with its mission and institutional objectives. Learn from their approach to implementing a robust IT governance structure involving an IT Executive Council and supporting committees that allowed for effective decision-making, increased efficiency, and enhanced transparency. Their story could guide your own governance strategy.

This document presents an exemplary approach to establishing a highly effective technology governance plan for a large academic institution. The plan's inception followed the organization's realization that an effective technology governance structure was crucial for efficiently directing IT investments, priorities, and decisions.

Initially, the organization identified a problem where there was a lack of alignment between the institution's technology goals and its academic mission. Moreover, increased demand for services, a need for greater efficiency in the strategic use of resources, and the necessity to resolve conflicting priorities were among the key drivers that necessitated the creation of this plan.

Subsequently, an IT Governance Planning Team comprising administrative, academic leaders, and staff members was formed. Charged by the Vice President of Finance and Administration and the Provost, the team aimed to formulate a technology governance plan to tackle the challenges effectively.

The team conducted a series of working sessions to develop a draft IT governance structure, reviewing several drivers for establishing an IT governance plan. These drivers included aligning technology goals with institutional goals and academic missions, focusing technology investments on institutional teaching and learning goals, promoting an institution-wide view of technology, and addressing increased service demand. The team also aimed to increase efficiency in strategically using resources, respond to institutional culture and expectations for community input, and enhance transparency in decision-making.

These working sessions and consultations resulted in forming a draft IT governance structure led by an IT Executive Council. This council was supported by various standing advisory committees such as the Academic Technology Committee, Administrative Technology Committee, Web/Digital Communications Committee, Student Services Committee, and Data Standards and Subcommittee. This proposed model was presented to the President and Executive Officers for review and feedback.

This comprehensive governance plan serves as a prime example for other institutions seeking to devise a similarly effective structure for technology governance. Its rigorous process, focusing on broad-based consultation and collaboration, ensures an outcome closely aligned with the institution's goals and effectively addresses the identified problems.

This example illustrates how a comprehensive technology governance plan can aid in efficiently allocating IT resources, better aligning IT strategy with organizational goals, and increasing transparency in decision-making processes. These are common challenges that CIOs across various sectors face. Here's how they can utilize the insights from this example to tackle real-world problems:

1. Align IT Goals with Organizational Mission: The example emphasizes the importance of aligning IT goals with its broader mission. In practical terms, CIOs can ensure that every IT project or initiative directly contributes to their company's strategic objectives. This requires a deep understanding of the business strategy and constant communication with other business leaders.
2. Establish an IT Governance Structure: Forming an IT Executive Council and various supporting committees demonstrates how a well-defined governance structure can aid decision-making. By creating similar governance bodies, CIOs can ensure that all critical IT decisions are made with input from relevant stakeholders, enhancing transparency and buy-in.
3. Periodic Review and Feedback: In the example, the organization planned to present its model to the President and Executive Officers for review and feedback. This highlights the importance of continually reviewing and refining the IT governance structure based on feedback from top management and other stakeholders.
4. Promote Cross-Functional Collaboration: The example highlighted the involvement of various organizational functions in the governance structure, underscoring the importance of cross-functional collaboration. CIOs should foster a culture of collaboration between IT and other business units to ensure an integrated approach to achieving organizational objectives.
5. Addressing Increased Demand for Services: Many CIOs face the challenge of increased demand for IT services without a corresponding increase in resources. The example shows how a clear IT strategy, guided by a robust governance structure, can help prioritize these demands based on their strategic importance, feasibility, and available resources.
6. Clear Communication: The plan in the example included a clear communication campaign, highlighting the importance of informing all stakeholders about the IT strategy, governance structure, and ongoing initiatives. Good communication can ensure that everyone understands the role of IT and how they contribute to its success.

In summary, this example provides a roadmap for CIOs to create a robust IT governance structure that ensures alignment with organizational objectives, optimizes resource allocation, and fosters transparency and collaboration.