What is IT governance and why do I need it?

IT Governance is recommended to manage the processes that exist to control IT spending (dollars and time). IT Governance processes range from formal to almost non-existent. Ultimately IT spending should align with the priorities of a department or organization and promises made to the administration and the legislature. In many cases IT Governance is likely less formal than it should be, resulting in misaligned IT spend against priorities.

Why is this a problem?

• Lack of human or financial resources to do everything that would help staff serve clients as efficiently as desired.

• Funding alignment to programs with executive sponsorship or those that have made the news in a negative context rather than where it can do the best.

• Occurs without the direct knowledge or approval of management.

• Distributed to whomever yells loudest, whoever has a friend in IT or to the project that seems most interesting to IT.

What is the solution?

The solution starts with establishing a Board to review and approve IT Projects and establish the processes and criteria for review and approval. IT projects should be reviewed prior to starting, in order to verify that there is sufficient funding to support resources to accomplish the project, that it aligns with the organization’s overall goals, does not conflict with other IT efforts, and does not replicate existing functionality.

What is the value?

IT Governance, used at the right time and in an effective manner, streamlines communication and increases focus on department or organizational priorities.  Return on Investment (ROI) can be calculated with hard or soft dollars, through saving time and effort that can be expended in more effective ways.