NASCIO on Enterprise IT Governance: A Shared Responsibility

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) is pleased to announce the release of its new issue brief "IT Governance and Business Outcomes - A Shared Responsibility between IT and Business Leadership".

This issue brief presents a new environment where information technology must be managed as a business capability for achieving business transformation. This publication is the introduction to a forthcoming series on governance. The governance challenge was ranked as one of the top ten priorities of state CIOs in a survey of the states conducted in October of 2007. This issue brief is available at: www.nascio.org/publications.

"Governance is indeed a priority for the state CIO," said South Carolina CIO Jim Bryant, PhD, co-chair of NASCIO's Enterprise Architecture Committee. "We're presenting this foundational publication and will publish in additional areas such governance of knowledge / information assets, and services. In this first issue brief we are making a strong recommendation for ongoing engagement of the state agency business executive. Investments in technology must achieve business outcomes. We can't make that happen without full participation from our business partners. Investments in information technology can have very broad reach. Part of proper governance is taking account of that reach and ensuring those who are affected have a seat at the table."

Governance requires frameworks and processes - but most important is the involvement of stakeholders.

"We present the concept of decision rights and performance metrics," said Utah CIO Stephen Fletcher, co-chair of NASCIO's Enterprise Architecture Committee. "All of these mechanisms that comprise governance only exist in order to achieve the tangible business outcomes of the state and its agencies. Our business partners - that is, the agency business executive directors are the leaders in their respective area that define what success looks like. Enterprise architecture, program and project management, balanced scorecard and other disciplines are employed only to reach those outcomes. Performance metrics must therefore be defined in collaboration with our business partners. In the end, it is people that make things happen. Governance will not be effective without business owners and other stakeholders taking part in the process and being accountable for the outcomes achieved."