IT Governance

This ECAR research bulletin discusses the trend to use a variety of risk assessment frameworks and standards to create an information security program that is sufficiently comprehensive for colleges and universities. These standards include the Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (CobiT) IT control framework, the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) service management framework, and the set of information control objectives now commonly referred to as ISO 27001. In specific, the process of implementing this framework at Georgia State University (GSU) is discussed. In addition, the bulletin provides a rationale for an information security governance framework that enables executives to see the degree to which their information security programs are effective in assessing and mitigating risks, protecting confidential data, aligning goals with institutional academic and business objectives, and continuously improving over time.

This ECAR case study complements the 2008 ECAR study, Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education, by Ronald Yanosky with Jack McCredie. ECAR undertook this case study of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to demonstrate how the underlying elements of a mature governance process facilitate the strategic development of information technology (IT) services. QUT has carried on a sustained program of IT governance development for almost a decade, in order to create a mature set of institutional supports, a layered advisory and decision-making structure that feeds innovation, and a network of involved governance participants, with the ultimate goal of developing a set of optimal IT services for the university. Characterized as "relationships underpinned by light-weight process frameworks in order to extract value from technology tools," QUT's IT governance structure relies on engaged people who drive the process as well as the project management and financial tools that assist with decision making.

This ECAR case study complements the 2008 ECAR study, Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education, by Ronald Yanosky with Jack McCredie. ECAR undertook this case study of the University of California Berkeley to demonstrate how a large, decentralized research university approaches a complete rethinking of a campus information technology (IT) governance structure and the steps taken to initiate the transition to the new structure.

Citation for this work: Spicer, Donald Z., and Judith A. Pirani. "Reforming IT Governance at Berkeley: Introducing an Enterprise Perspective to a Decentralized Organization" (Case Study 3). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

 This ECAR research bulletin introduces the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation research on successful collaborative practices in the context of higher education. It details 20 collaborative success factors and maps them to relevant examples gleaned from research on IT collaboration conducted by ECAR.

Citation for this work: Pirani, Judith A., and Toby D. Sitko. “Happy Families, Good Fences, and Winning IT Collaborations” (Research Bulletin, Issue 15). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

This 2008 ECAR research study examines the extent of participation in IT governance by campus leaders and constituents; the use of IT governance mechanisms such as IT steering committees, project review, and performance measurement; and practices associated with good IT governance outcomes. The report is based on a literature review, consultation with practicing CIOs experienced in IT governance, and a web-based survey that was distributed to institutional representatives (mostly senior IT leaders) at 1,648 EDUCAUSE member institutions in June and July 2007. We received 438 responses (a 26.6 percent response rate to the survey). In addition, we received 216 responses from 59 institutions to a quantitative web-based survey for participants in IT governance who work outside of central IT. In addition to reporting the findings from these quantitative tools, this study includes feedback from interviews with 28 senior IT leaders from a mix of institutions. The interviews were designed to gain deeper insights into findings from the quantitative analysis and to capture additional ideas and viewpoints.

This 2008 ECAR research study examines the extent of participation in IT governance by campus leaders and constituents; the use of IT governance mechanisms such as IT steering committees, project review, and performance measurement; and practices associated with good IT governance outcomes. The report is based on a literature review, consultation with practicing CIOs experienced in IT governance, and a web-based survey that was distributed to institutional representatives (mostly senior IT leaders) at 1,648 EDUCAUSE member institutions in June and July 2007. We received 438 responses (a 26.6 percent response rate to the survey). In addition, we received 216 responses from 59 institutions to a quantitative web-based survey for participants in IT governance who work outside of central IT. In addition to reporting the findings from these quantitative tools, this study includes feedback from interviews with 28 senior IT leaders from a mix of institutions. The interviews were designed to gain deeper insights into findings from the quantitative analysis and to capture additional ideas and viewpoints.

This ECAR roadmap synthesizes the important issues and recommended actions drawn from the 2008 ECAR research study, Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education, byRonald Yanosky with John W. McCredie. The research study examines the extent of participation in IT governance by campus leaders and constituents; the use of IT governance mechanisms such as IT steering committees, project review, and performance measurement; and practices associated with good IT governance outcomes. The report is based on a literature review, consultation with practicing CIOs experienced in IT governance, and a web-based survey that was distributed to institutional representatives (mostly senior IT leaders) at 1,648 EDUCAUSE member institutions in June and July 2007. We received 438 responses (a 26.6 percent response rate to the survey). In addition, we received 216 responses from 59 institutions to a quantitative web-based survey for participants in IT governance who work outside of central IT. In addition to reporting the findings from these quantitative tools, this study includes feedback from interviews with 28 senior IT leaders from a mix of institutions.

This document presents the key findings of the ECAR study,Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education.This 2008 ECAR research study examines the extent of participation in IT governance by campus leaders and constituents; the use of IT governance mechanisms such as IT steering committees, project review, and performance measurement; and practices associated with good IT governance outcomes. The report is based on a literature review, consultation with practicing CIOs experienced in IT governance, and a web-based survey that was distributed to institutional representatives (mostly senior IT leaders) at 1,648 EDUCAUSE member institutions in June and July 2007. We received 438 responses (a 26.6 percent response rate to the survey). In addition, we received 216 responses from 59 institutions to a quantitative web-based survey for participants in IT governance who work outside of central IT. In addition to reporting the findings from these quantitative tools, this study includes feedback from interviews with 28 senior IT leaders from a mix of institutions.