The transformational effect of IT governance.

• Author: Bertolini, Phil

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Governments strive to provide quality services, and efficient IT governance provides the solid foundation that allows them to do so. For example, most jurisdictions have faced financial strains in recent years, but Oakland County, Michigan, was well prepared to withstand the negative effects of the economic downturn, in part because it uses technology in every aspect of government services. As budget reductions cut into the county's human resources, it used technology to help fill the void. Rather than doing more with less, the county is doing less with less, but more efficiently

Strong information technology governance requires a strong relationship between the information technology department and the finance department (and, of course, the executive sponsor). The success of government IT is directly connected to government finances. For a technology project to move forward, the chief information officer needs to provide strong and clear business cases for strategic technologies. (Speaking in acronyms or jargon, for instance, is a sure fire way to lose executive support.) Technology expenditures need to address the strategic direction of the organization. The IT governance procedures in place in Oakland County provide a consistent, common language that helps create strong, long lasting relationships, as well as building transparency into the processes.

THE 5 BUILDING BLOCKS

Executive Sponsorship. In Oakland County, the CIO is seated at the "head table," where the strategic decisions are made. Every county program or initiative has a technology component. Elevating the CIO to the top levels of the organization ensures that IT is strategically aligned with the entire organization. An IT project that doesn't retain executive support--which requires continuing communication and education--is in danger of failure.

Financial Management. After executive sponsorship is solidified, the chief finance officer and the CIO need to work closely to determine how technology will be funded. The success of IT projects and programs is directly correlated with sound financial practices, so the relationship between the CFO and CIO is very important. (1) CFOs know where every dollar is located, and CIOs know how to plan technology projects and identify their benefits for users. And since technology requires a significant investment of taxpayer money--which the CFO has to justify--technology professionals must provide concrete business...