IT governance = essentially contested concept

Thought for the day: IT governance is an essentially contested concept.

That means debates about its meaning, while perhaps entertaining, will never be resolved.

-ctb

Comments

[Chris Curran]

I think the same could be said for most IT management topics: IT measurement, enterprise architecture, portfolio management and even program management. They are each conceptual frameworks to help a business get a better handle on the who, what, why, how and how much of IT. As they are concepts, there are many definitions and interpretations. Here are a few papers that try to put some structure on this problem:

1) systematic technology management - talks about how IT can pull together these fragmented management concepts into one "system"
http://www.diamondcluster.com/ideas/Viewpoint/PDF/Single_Heroic_IT%20Viewpoint.pdf

2) the never ending PMO - discusses the definitional problems with PMOs
http://tinyurl.com/oe3w5

[nkemp]

IT, like any component of an enterprise can be measured in two ways

1. In terms of its contribution to the effociency of the delivery of its enabling of business (improved access to informtion or automation of work)

2. In terms of the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of services for which there are clear accountabilites for a final valued output

While I am not sure what is meant by "Enterprise Architecture" the way you are using it, portfolio mangement and program management probably don't even belong with IT, and indeed that may be the core of the problem, IT is not doing its job AND the business is not doing its, so the whole thing is all muddled up.