IT Audit Socialite

IT Leadership Roles

CHIEF OPERATING STRATEGIST: The chief operating strategist invents the future with senior management. The chief operating strategist is the top IS executive who is focused on the future agenda of the IS organization. The strategist has parallel responsibilities related to helping the business design the future, and then delivering it.

CHANGE LEADER: The change leader orchestrates resources to achieve optimal implementation of the future. The essential role of the change leader is to orchestrate all those resources that will be needed to execute the change program.

CHIEF ARCHITECT: The chief architect designs future possibilities for the business. The primary work of the chief architect is to design and evolve the IT infrastructure so that it will expand the range of future possibilities for the business, not define specific business outcomes.

PRODUCT DEVELOPER: The product developer helps define the company's place in the emerging digital economy. For example, a product developer might recognize the potential for performing key business processes (perhaps order fulfillment, purchasing or delivering customer support) over electronic linkages such as the Internet.

TECHNOLOGY PROVOCATEUR: The technology provocateur embeds IT into the business strategy. The technology provocateur works with senior business executives to bring IT and realities of the IT marketplace to bear on the formation of strategy for the business.

COACH: The coach teaches people to acquire the skillsets they will need for the future. Coaches have two basic responsibilities: teaching people how to learn, so that they can become self-sufficient, and providing team leaders with staff able to do the IT-related work of the business

IT Vision Characteristics

• Stage of development
• Degree of change implied
• Alignment with organizational strategic vision
• Degree of formality, and
• Source Legitimacy.

Human Resources Forecasting Model

Formal rule structure

Rules governing allocation decisions

Employee model

Autonomous developments of the employees over time-- an inflow and outflow sub -model are part of the employee model

Function model

Job structure and changes

Matching model

Algorithms to match job vacancies and their requirements with the employees and their qualifications

A 'function' contains the following attributes:

·    The minimum number of employees needed in the function for the organization to operate at all

·   The optimal number of employees needed in the function for the organization to operate properly

·   The maximum number of employees that can be allowed because of resource constraints

·    The function requirements, i.e., the competencies that employees must have to enter the function. Examples are age, rank, education, training and experience.

Several outcomes can be immediately observed from the simulation, for any wanted timeframe or point in time:

·  functions that are fulfilled

·  functions with a shortage of employees

·  employees who hold a function

·  employees who do not hold a function

·  competencies of employees that are not needed by the organization

Information Integrity Challenges

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Degrees of Cross-Functional Integration

STRONG Degree of Cross-Functional Integration

Effective Partnerships:  Effective cross-functional integration, seamless interaction, sophisticated systems, effective use of information technology to achieve goals of another area, strong and transparent communication structures.

Data and Needs Resolution:  Developing more proactive participation and collaboration mechanisms, efforts focused on developing a shared understanding of data and support needs, access to data, and resolving data quality issues.

Communication Development:  Working toward better inter-department understanding and developing quality communication, begin getting ore inter-department input in planning and decision-making processes, basic participation and collaboration occur.

Understanding:  Trust, basic understanding and appreciation are all issues to be resolved, interaction begins to focus on communication of basic information such as priorities and rationales for decision making, as well as the medium and frequency of communication.

Dis-Integration:  Integration does not exist, open hostility or complete lack of understanding or trust might be present, there is little to no effective interaction related to the work relationship.

NO Cross-Functional Integration

Strategic Alignment - Level 5 Optimized process

COMMUNICATIONS:  Informal, pervasive

COMPETENCY/VALUE:  Extended to external partners

GOVERNANCE:  Integrated across the org & parters

PARTNERSHIP:  IT-business co-adaptive

SCOPE & ARCHITECTURE:  Evolving with partners

SKILLS:  Education/careers/rewards across the organization

Strategic Alignment - Level 4 Improved/managed process

COMMUNICATIONS:  Relaxed, informaln

COMPETENCY/VALUE:  Cost effective; Sompe partners

GOVERNANCE:  Managed across the organizations

PARTNERSHIP:  IT enables/drives business strategy

SCOPE & ARCHITECTURE:  Integrated with partners

SKILLS:  Shared risk and rewards

Strategic Alignment - Level 3 Established focussed process

COMMUNICATIONS:  Good understanding; Emerging relaxed

COMPETENCY/VALUE:  Some cost effective

GOVERNANCE:  Relevant process across the org; mostly responsive

PARTNERSHIP:  IT seen as an asset; process driver

SCOPE & ARCHITECTURE:  Integrated across the organization

SKILLS:  Emerging value service provider

Strategic Alignment - Level 2 Committed process

COMMUNICATIONS:  Limited business/IT understanding of each other

COMPETENCY/VALUE:  Cost efficiency at thefunctionalorganization

GOVERNANCE:  Tactical at Functional level; Occasional responsive

PARTNERSHIP:  IT emerging as an asset; process enabler

SCOPE & ARCHITECTURE:  Transactinos (ESS, DSS)

SKILLS:  Differs across functional organizations

Strategic Alignment - Level 1 Initial/Ad Hoc process

COMMUNICATIONS:  Business/IT lacks understanding of each other

COMPETENCY/VALUE:  Some technical measurements

GOVERNANCE:  No formal process; Cost center; Reactive priorities

PARTNERSHIP:  Conflict; IT a cost of doing business

SCOPE & ARCHITECTURE:  Tranditional (such as accounting, email)

SKILLS:  IT takes risk, little reward; Technical training

Strategic Components of Alignment Maturity

1.  Communications Maturity

2.  Competency/Value Measurement Maturity

3.  Governance Maturity

4.  Partnership Maturity

5.  Scope & Architecture Maturity

6.  Skills Maturity

IT and Business Alignment Factors

ENABLERS

·    Senior executive support for IT

·    IT involved in strategy development

·    IT understands the business

·    Business - IT partnership

·    Well-prioritized IT projects

·    IT demonstrates leadership

INHIBITORS

·    IT/business lack close relationships

·    IT does not prioritize well

·    IT fails to meet commitments

·    IT does not understand business

·    Senior executives do not support IT

·    IT management lacks leadership

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ITIL Access Management

The management of, and provision of expert advice on, the selection, design, justification, implementation and operation of information security controls and management strategies to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, availability, accountability and relevant compliance of information systems with legislation, regulation and relevant standards.

Level 2 Assist

Applies and maintains specific security controls as required by organizational policy and local risk assessments to maintain confidentiality, integrity and availability of business information systems and to enhance resilience to unauthorized access. Contributes to vulnerability assessments. Recognizes when an IT network/system has been attacked internally, by a remote host, or by malicious code, such as virus, worm or Trojan etc., or when a breach of security has occurred. Takes immediate action to limit damage, according to the organization’s security policy, which may include escalation to next level, and records the incident and action taken. Demonstrates effective communication of security issues to business managers and others. Performs basic risk assessments for small information systems.

Level 3 Apply

Conducts security risk and vulnerability assessments for defined business applications or IT installations in defined areas, and provides advice and guidance on the application and operation of elementary physical, procedural and technical security controls (e.g. the key controls defined in ISO27001). Performs risk and vulnerability assessments, and business impact analysis for medium size information systems. Investigates suspected attacks and manages security incidents.

Level 4 Enable

Obtains and acts on vulnerability information and conducts security risk assessments for business applications and computer installations; provides authoritative advice and guidance on security strategies to manage the identified risk. Investigates major breaches of security, and recommends appropriate control improvements. Interprets security policy and contributes to development of standards and guidelines that comply with this. Performs risk assessment, business impact analysis and accreditation for all major information systems within the organization. Ensures proportionate response to vulnerability information, including appropriate use of forensics.

Level 5 Ensure, Advise

Provides leadership and guidelines on information assurance security expertise for the organization, working effectively with strategic organizational functions such as legal experts and technical support to provide authoritative advice and guidance on the requirements for security controls. Provides for restoration of information systems by ensuring that protection, detection, and reaction capabilities are incorporated.

ITIL IT Operations Management

The operation and control of the IT infrastructure (typically hardware, software, data stored on various media, and all equipment within wide and local area networks) required to deliver and support IT services and products to meet the needs of a business. Includes preparation for new or changed services, operation of the change process, the maintenance of regulatory, legal and professional standards, and the monitoring of performance of systems and services in relation to their contribution to business performance, their security and their sustainability.  Contributes, under instruction, to system operation.

Level 1 Follow

Carries out agreed operational procedures of a routine nature. Contributes to maintenance, installation and problem resolution.

Level 2 Assist

Carries out agreed operational procedures, including network configuration, installation and maintenance. Uses network management tools to collect and report on network load and performance statistics. Contributes to the implementation of maintenance and installation work. Uses standard procedures and tools to carry out defined system backups, restoring data where necessary. Identifies operational problems and contributes to their resolution.

Level 3 Apply

Provides technical expertise to enable the correct application of operational procedures. Uses network management tools to determine network load and performance statistics. Contributes to the planning and implementation of maintenance and installation work. Implements agreed network changes and maintenance routines. Identifies operational problems and contributes to their resolution, checking that they are managed in accordance with agreed standards and procedures. Provides reports and proposals for improvement to specialists, users and managers.

ITIL Application Management

The provision of application maintenance and support services, either directly to users of the systems or to service delivery functions. Support typically includes investigation and resolution of issues and may also include performance monitoring. Issues may be resolved by providing advice or training to users, by devising corrections (permanent or temporary) for faults, making general or site-specific modifications, updating documentation, manipulating data, or defining enhancements Support often involves close collaboration with the system's developers and/or with colleagues specializing in different areas, such as Database administration or Network support.

Level 1 Follow

Assists in the investigation and resolution of issues relating to applications. Assists with specified maintenance procedures.

Level 2 Assist

Identifies and resolves issues with applications, following agreed procedures. Uses application management software and tools to collect agreed performance statistics. Carries out agreed applications maintenance tasks.

Level 3 Apply

Maintains application support processes, and checks that all requests for support are dealt with according to agreed procedures. Uses application management software and tools to investigate issues, collect performance statistics and create reports.

Level 4 Enable

Drafts and maintains procedures and documentation for applications support. Manages application enhancements to improve business performance. Ensures that all requests for support are dealt with according to set standards and procedures.