Focus on specific actions relating to information, authorizations, and/or collaboration

Effective IT governance requires sound governance processes to be established for all key operational areas to ensure that the business’ objectives are achieved. Governance processes focus on specific actions relating to information, authorizations, and/or collaboration, and the business outcomes to be achieved. Governance goals within IT are established in line with the business objectives and are different from the regular management of operational areas where performance is based on the successful execution of the standard processes or methodologies the organisation has adopted.

The traditional “governance” focus is on efficiency, effectiveness, alignment, agility and integration. This is now re-ordered to first focus on enabling better integration, agility and alignment, and then to address effectiveness and efficiency. In addition, corporate governance concerns have drawn attention to integrity (internal controls), security availability and reliability. Further refinement has focused management’s attention on risk management, value delivery, compliance, cost optimisation, customer satisfaction, and sustainability. Sound processes are required, that will differ between enterprises and will change over time as new challenges emerge.

Governance is designed as a set of end-to-end processes that create a practical and actionable governance mechanism tailored to the enterprise's decision-making style and management culture. Governance processes combine leadership, organizational relationships and the operational process to enable governance and workflow that facilitates timely communication between all stakeholders and drives success through collaboration and fulfillment of obligations. Roles and responsibilities are defined and relationships established between the various stakeholders. Direction is set, performance criteria ascertained and decision-making rules defined. Processes are established, controlled, managed (with management activities and decision-rights) and optimized in line with the business requirement.