IT Governance
Information Technology (IT) Governance is a critical aspect of any organizations IT operations. It can be defined as “the activities and processes to define, implement and monitor the decisions that directly affect the success of IT initiatives.” IT governance provides the framework and oversight to ensure that resources are used optimally, investments are managed appropriately, risks are identified and managed, and performance goals are met.
IT governance is composed of two main activities, IT control and IT decision making. IT control is the process of making sure that the IT infrastructure of an organization is in line with the objectives and goals of the enterprise. This includes the maintenance of adequate security, the development of policies and procedures to minimize the risk of exposure to the organizations assets, and the monitoring of the IT systems to ensure compliance with the goals and objectives set forth.
The other main activity of IT governance is IT decision making. This involves the identification and assessment of the IT requirements of an organization and the development of strategies to meet those requirements. This includes the identification of potential risks, the development of plans and strategies to mitigate those risks, the determination of the resources required to implement the plans, and the allocation of those resources. IT decision making also involves the evaluation and monitoring of the IT investment decisions that have been made and the evaluation of the results of those decisions.
IT governance also includes the management of the IT infrastructure and personnel, including their training and development. This involves the establishment of policies and procedures for IT personnel and the management of their activities in order to ensure that the organizations goals with regard to its IT operations are met.
One of the main goals of IT governance is to ensure that the organizations IT infrastructure is secure and well managed. This involves the implementation of measures aimed at protecting the businesses data, systems and applications from unauthorised access and attack. This includes the implementation of secure data storage and transmission protocols, the enforcement of strong passwords and user authentication, and the implementation of anti-virus and firewall protection.
Another main goal of IT governance is to ensure that the organizations IT systems are used in an effective and efficient manner. This includes the development of plans and strategies that ensure that the organizations IT infrastructure is utilized to its full potential, while also identifying and addressing any deficiencies or problems in the system. This can be done by implementing quality management standards, utilizing system audit processes, and developing performance assessment frameworks.
By implementing effective IT governance processes, organizations can ensure that their IT investments are managed appropriately, risks are minimized and managed, and goals are met. Doing so will ensure that the organization can perform optimally and is always prepared to meet its objectives in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.
