Information Technology and Information Governance seem like they should be closely aligned, but in practice they often work against each other's goals. Is this inevitable, and if not, how can it be addressed?
2. About knowquestion
Information and Knowledge Management
specialist consulting firm
“Joining the dots” between technology,
governance, and people
Based in Canberra and Melbourne
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
3. frenemy, n.
1. Someone who pretends to be a
friend but is actually an enemy
2. A rival with which one maintains
friendly relations
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
5. Case study 1: Tech focus ≠ good
IG
Recordkeeping-compliant system based
on SharePoint 2010
Mandate to implement new,
comparatively untested system by the
CIO
12 months design and piloting by the IM
team – lots of bugs discovered and
squashed
Rollout plan produced to progressively
migrate business areas with a minimum
of disruption over 18 months
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
6. Case study 1: Tech focus ≠ good
IG
IT never understood the IG complexities
“Can’t we just migrate everything in one
go?”
IM manager quit, team was disbanded
and relocated under various IT teams
IT took control, saw upgrade to
SharePoint 2013 seen as “the answer”
3 years later, the project is still in limbo
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
7. Case study 2: Don’t bury IG
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
8. Case study 2: Don’t bury IG
Consultant setting up an Information
Governance structure at request of
business
Set up overarching process with senior
exec attending steering committee
Information stewards appointed
Knowledge café identified key areas
requiring improved governance
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
9. Case study 2: Don’t bury IG
Responsibility to deliver strategic IM
capability was placed with CIO
CTO was assigned responsibility
Treated IM as part of IT architecture
Redirected IM funds into data architect /
data modelling role
Lack of money and resources to progress
IM
3 key IM champions have moved to other
orgs/areas in frustration at being stalledTwitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
10. Case study 3: IT is not “special”
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
11. Case study 3: IT is not “special”
Local council was having trouble
completing their initiatives and projects
During a workshop, 600 separate
initiatives were tabled (4 x A0 pieces of
paper, 6pt font)
A new governance process was devised
and agreed by all major stakeholders
(including IT) to jointly agree on the top
~10 priorities
Agile approach – everyone collaborates
on completing priorities & minimise
conflicts Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
12. Case study 3: IT is not “special”
Review of process 3 months later found
that IT had withdrawn nearly all of their
work from the priority queue
Justification was that “IT know best what
they should be doing”
Ignored fact that IT choosing to do tasks
that were not a business priority was a
key reason for bottlenecks in the first
place!
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
13. This is not IT’s fault!
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
14. Well, it kind of is.
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
15. Mystique and “specialness” of IT
The productivity revolution from affordable
local computer servers, PCs, and the
internet in the 90s gave IT a ‘touch of
magic’
For 20 years IT has been able to obtain a
significant budget simply by promising the
technically successful deployment of
technology
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
16. The IG problem
We know that:
◦ lack of audit, integrity, and data quality
controls leave organisations at legal risk,
cause scandals and reputational damage
◦ poor information and data architecture can
have a serious and ongoing impact on
productivity
◦ technology upgrades decrease productivity by
forcing users to relearn the UI
◦ migration of information and data across
technology platforms are costly and error-
prone
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
17. “Expecting A while
rewarding B”
IT is rewarded for doing tech,
not on managing the impacts of
having done it.
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
18. Centralised IT planning
It’s easy for strategic and project plans to
become a mechanism for IT to:
◦ hold the ultimate veto power
◦ prioritise pet projects
◦ adopt a technically simpler approach
◦ demonstrate “progress” without actual
business benefits
◦ avoid blame for outcomes
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
19. What employees do
Rather than challenge this mystical,
controlling mentality, employees are going
around IT
“Shadow IT” spend can be 50% or more
of the corporate IT budget
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
20. What employees do
Since shadow IT is technically
unauthorised, IG won’t find out about it
officially
And if it does, IG must either tacitly ignore
the IT directives to follow corporate
process, or protect the interests of the
business
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
21. If IT is a mystical
“black box” it can’t be
strategically used.
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
22. Are IT and IG destined
to always be
frenemies?
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
23. A. System changes should
be initiated in response to
business problems.
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
24. B. A process of prioritisation
should determine which
problems are to be solved
first.
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
25. Senior exec support for the process
Too often, inconsistent messages from
executives and managers sink
Information Governance initiatives
IG works when there is ongoing buy in
and follow through from the highest
levels down
Not a dictatorship but a collaboration
IG personnel should genuinely listen and
respond to needs, not impose a mandate
Better buy in from staff = better outcomesTwitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
26. C. Business problems need
to be treated holistically.
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
27. Genuine IT engagement
Good CIOs are recognising the need to
be genuinely strategic about information
and not just technology
Essential to have consultation and
engagement with all areas of business
Problem: The business often lacks the
ability to technically describe what’s
needed
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
28. D. Information Governance is
best placed to integrate all
views about information
handling.
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
29. Bridging the gap
Information Governance teams need to
provide both processes and staff
expertise to describe and negotiate the
technical implementation of business
needs by IT
Adopting this approach is normally a step
outside the comfort zone of both IT and
IG
Making this relationship work is all about
…
Twitter: @smbounds
http://knowquestion.com.au
Good morning everyone.
Thanks to David for the introduction and to Ark for the opportunity to speak.
There are lots of wonderful, inspirational talks to come today about Information Governance and how to implement it effectively.
So let’s start the day by talking about a problem that’s thoroughly depressing – at least to me!
I am the founding director and owner.
Been Involved in Information Technology, Information Management and Knowledge Management professionally for over 18 years.
I am passionate about this topic because I’ve seen both sides. I understand the pressures of IT but now I also work to guide organisations to better
and more sustainable Information Governance practices.
Quick show of hands:
Who here works in an Information Governance role? Records management, e-discovery, FoI, secretariat for an IG committee?
Okay .. now all of you with your hands up, do you have a Corporate IT function in your agency? A group dedicated to the technology side of things?Keep your hand up if that’s true.
Right. Which of you feel that the corporate IT function really *gets* what you do .. ? That they understand the need for an IG role and respect it?
Last question: For technology projects in your organisation, are you always consulted on the IG impacts of that project, and do people listen?Or do you have to often pick up the pieces afterwards? (If anyone’s hand is still up – “Wow, where do you work? I should try get a job with you!!”
So – there’s a bit of a disconnect between IT and IG. Most of us probably knew that. What I want to talk about today is some specific examples of how this relationship can go wrong, look at the root causes of this problem and discuss what we as individuals and organisations can do to fix it.
Many are questioning the ongoing relevance of the CIO role as software-as-a-service becomes more common