SFIA IT governance GOVN

This page provides deep dive guidance and additional material to help individuals and organisations use and apply this SFIA skill effectively. It supplements the SFIA reference material.

SFIA v6 definition of IT governance

The establishment and oversight of an organisation's approach to the use of information, digital services and associated technology. Includes responsibility for provision of digital services; levels of service and service quality which meet current and future business requirements; policies and practices for conformance with mandatory legislation and regulations; strategic plans for technology to enable the organisation's business strategy; transparent decision making, leading to justification for investment, with appropriate balance between stakeholder benefits, opportunities, costs, and risks.

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• Typically a relatively small number of positions need this skill. Does not apply to roles who are partaking in Governance events e.g, attending meetings, contributing to audits. This should be reserved for those roles which set up and run the governance processes.

If you are looking for skills relating to:

• the development and execution of IT strategies; try SFIA IT strategy and planning
• governance of operational IT; try SFIA IT management
• management of the portfolio of IT programmes, projects and services; try SFIA Portfolio management POMG
• strategies and governance for IT Service Management; try SFIA Service level management SLMO
• governance and assurance of information; try SFIA Information assurance

• ISACA
• CobIT (Control Objectives for IT) provides the most commonly used framework for Governance
• IT Governance Institute
• ISO/IEC 38500:2008

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• Technology Leadership
• Strategy & Planning
• Enterprise Architects
• Compliance & Process Management

By focussing on work outputs/work products we can move the focus from activity/knowledge to performance and provide a direct link to business results. See 6 boxes model.

Leading

• stakeholder relationships
• strategy for governance
• sustainable culture for governance
• sufficient resources and capability to enact governance

Managing

• governance decisions
• governance decision-making processes
• effective meetings and meeting structures
• plans for improving governance capability
• operational governance processes and standards

Doing

• audit reports
• improved processes and tools
• operational reports
• templates