Information Systems Management and Governance Asking the Right Questions

IT Governance is …… ‘an integral part of enterprise governance and consists of the leadership and organizational structures and processes that ensure that the organization's IT sustains and extends the organization's strategies and objectives’. (IT Governance Institute)

UCISA ‘Top Concerns’ Survey: Funding and Sustainable Resourcing Governance Legislative Compliance The Bologna Process Impact of Role Evaluation on IT/IT Staff Etc. UCISA Top Concerns Survey 2007/08

Remit Drawing on the HEFCE 1998 VFM Toolkit, to undertake the development and production of: a framework for analysis and review of the management and governance of information systems a self assessment toolkit relevant to the operations and processes of higher education institutions.

Scope Management and Governance All information systems: electronic and manual, central and devolved All types of system: admin, library, teaching and learning, research, etc.

Consultation Five ‘expert advisors’ Project Steering Group, which included members from a number of representative bodies (i.e. UCISA, SCONUL, AUA) A survey which was distributed to all UK HEIs.

Themes Must be relatively ‘light-touch’ Aimed at senior management Not prescriptive Must accommodate different institutional types and strategies

ISMG Structure Three key components: Framework Toolkit Process

Aims of the Toolkit To encourage reflection on management and governance issues Identify issues and areas for improvement Facilitate a process of improvement Ideally the process should be on-going and embedded within existing structures

ISMG Toolkit Five Stages: Preparation Self-Assessment Planning Improvements Implementing Improvements Evaluation

ASSURANCE Does the institution provide assurance to its governors that its information systems are aligned to strategy? Does the senior executive group receive periodic progress reports on the implementation of the Information Strategy? Does the institutional governing body receive periodic progress reports on the implementation of the Information Strategy? Does the institution conduct a systematic review of the risks associated with information systems and IT (including the risk of underinvestment)? Are the information systems/IT departments subject to periodic internal review (e.g. internal audit, peer review by other staff, management review, etc.)? Are the information systems/IT departments subject to periodic external review (e.g. external audit, review by staff from other institutions, etc.)?

Landscape Other approaches exist, most feature common principles: Reflection Comparison Evaluation Presentation

Related Work BIILS – Benefits of Investment in ICT : Landscape Study HE Academy Benchmarking http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/learning/elearning/benchmarking

Website www.ismg.ac.uk

DISCUSSION