Governance
Organizations consist of multiple departments and divisions, each with different responsibilities and goals, all of which work with each other and overlap their responsibilities in order to achieve the goals of the organization. To organize the role of those departments with each other and reduce the gap between them, here comes the role of governance. What is the meaning of governance, what are its objectives, and how can it be applied in the field of information technology?
Meaning of governance
Governance, or what is known as “Governance, "is a set of laws, rules and procedures that aim to achieve quality and excellence in performance by choosing the right and effective methods for managing organizations and achieving their goals.
In short, governance is following a specific system to control the relationships between the main parties that affect the performance of organizations, which helps organize work and define responsibilities to achieve long-term gains.
Governance objectives Many goals can be achieved in organizations when applying governance in them, such as:
• Setting rules and principles for managing and controlling organizations and institutions.
• Achieving justice, transparency, and guaranteeing the right to accountability.
• Protecting the rights of shareholders and stakeholders in organizations.
• Distribution of roles and responsibilities through tight organizational structures.
IT Governance
If you are an IT expert or an employee of a technology company, you have probably heard the term IT governance but have not fully understood what it is. IT governance is a critical component of any organization, and it is almost certain that you are using governance features without knowing it. What is IT Governance?
“Having an IT governance framework helps you to think about the IT assets of your organization and thus, you will be able to quantify, measure and efficiently deliver the value of IT to your organization. Then you can say that IT governance in your organization is successful”
Information technology governance, or what is known as “IT Governance, "is one or several processes that enable information technology staff to apply the correct policies and strategy and work with maximum efficiency for the benefit of the organization in general. Governance contributes to clarifying roles and responsibilities and the Mohamed Badr Mohamed 21 December 2023 decision-making mechanism to solve challenges. IT governance is commensurate with corporate governance, as it is a set of operations that fall under the concept of corporate governance and are designed to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency of the entire company
Information systems managers, when implementing information technology governance, cooperate with executives and administrators to ensure the efficient performance of information technology systems and manage the risks that may occur in the organization.
IT governance is also a set of policies and procedures, usually set at the board or executive level. These procedures are designed to provide maximum benefit and value from the IT assets of the organization and its stakeholders
The 'governance' part of IT governance refers to a broad and far-reaching view of an organization's IT assets. Governance is not concerned with the day-to-day management of IT assets but establishes policies and procedures that control and define the management of IT assets on an ongoing basis.
IT governance objectives
The use and application of information technology governance in organizations will achieve several goals for organizations, including:
Ensure the value provided to stakeholders
Creating value for stakeholders is one of the fundamentals of governance in general and IT governance in particular. Getting the most value out of an organization's IT assets requires a clear understanding of how and how your organization delivers value. By implementing an IT governance plan, you can ensure that the greatest value is generated from these assets.
Developing an IT strategy
Creating an information technology strategy is related to defining the vision and direction of current and future investments in the information technology activities of the organization. Whether it is purchasing new software or servicing new IT hardware, all IT investments must have a clear direction. Developing an IT strategy also helps to better align the IT department with the overall business goals of the organization, which helps ensure that those goals are achieved.
Risk Management
Controlling IT risks cannot be done without a structured work environment subject to specific processes that can be measured, managed, and tracked. Therefore, having and applying IT governance helps track, measure, manage, and iterate the process within a controlled environment. It also helps to ensure that the organization complies with specific rules and regulations, which in turn helps to manage and evaluate risks and thus reduce them.
Performance Measurement
It is impossible to get a complete operational view of measuring goals in every aspect of the business, including information technology. Therefore, board members and executives depend on setting and measuring key performance indicators (KPIs ) to see how information technology assets perform periodically.
IT Governance Frameworks COBIT:
COBIT framework is one of the most common and globally adopted work mechanisms in the governance of information technology. It aims to link information technology with the various operations in the organization, which helps reduce gaps between different departments and reduce risks.
It aims to achieve the maximum value of information through the use of the latest technologies and practices in information technology governance. Where each process is identified with inputs, outputs, objectives, methods of measuring performance, and more
How can IT governance help organizations in the success of IT projects? The existence and application of information technology governance in organizations is important to the success of projects and investments in the field of information technology. Having an IT governance framework helps you to think about the IT assets of your organization and thus, you will be able to quantify, measure and efficiently deliver the value of IT to your organization. Then you can say that IT governance in your organization is successful.
