D.1. System governance overview
The system governance overview session gives the participants an understanding of the rationale for system governance, and an overview of the activities involved.
The overview session is used during business case. It can be used as part of the committee briefing during the initiation process.
The session can be repeated as necessary, for example for briefing new members of the system governance committee.
The session is aimed at those with an IT management background, or general managers with an interest in IT.
The session uses group discussions to lead the participants to understand the rationale and nature of system governance. It presents system governance as a common sense response to a broad class of issues within IT, and not as an elaborate technique or an imposed formality.
The session is not a sales presentation. It does not assert the benefits of system governance. It leads the participants to understand how system governance makes a contribution, and where it is likely to be valuable.
The session makes extensive use of group discussion. It would be possible to run the session using only presentation, but this is unlikely to engage the participants fully.
Introduction
Learning objective: understand the objectives and nature of the session.
Method: presentation
System qualities
Learning objective: recognise the significance of system qualities and characteristics.
Method: exercise to gather problems about IT. Classification to show many problems relate to qualities and characteristics of systems, or the management of these. Summarise that this is the focus of system governance.
Management problems
Learning objective: recognise that underlying problem is management, not technical.
Method: discussion on difficulties of fixing these problems. Bring out conclusion that problems are mostly management, not technical.
Management framework
Learning objective: appreciate the need for a management framework.
Method: presentation of management framework of information and processes, that deliver clear, prioritised, fact-based, justified, aligned and balanced guidance.
Information requirements
Learning objective: recognise the need for a body of information about systems.
Method: discussion on information requirements. Conclude that basic information is need is measure of how well systems meet objectives. Present information requirement as a table.
Core processes
Learning objective: understand annual review cycle and ongoing processes.
Method: discussion on exploiting information. Draw out need for annual review cycle, and reviews for projects, systems, selections and compliance.
Startup processes
Learning objective: understand startup processes.
Method: present startup processes, as a method of achieving coverage, not an end in themselves.
Activities
Learning objective: understand basic system governance activities.
Method: discussion on acquiring information. Summarise criterion definition, assessment, verification, validation and analysis.
Tools
Learning objective: understand the purpose of Metrici Advisor.
Method: present Metrici Advisor as repository and analysis tool.
Roles
Learning objective: understand different roles in system governance.
Method: present roles of IT decision makers, system governance sponsor, manager and committee.
Uses and benefits
Learning objective: appreciate uses and benefits of system governance.
Method: discussion on uses, referring back to problems raised at start of session. Summary handout covering uses and benefits.