IT Governance in the School of Professional and Continuing Education Of ABC University - Dissertation Example

The world of business is becoming more and more digital, computer-based, and interconnected by a network and accessible to the national and global communities. It is imperative for an organization like the ABC University to see the value of Information Technology (IT) as a strategic resource so that all investments related to IT will have maximum returns in terms of increasing the value of the school in the minds of society. Nicholas Carr (2003, p.1), Harvard Business Review Editor, believes that as a result of ready availability of IT resources, the key purpose of IT has ceased to be for purposes of discovering opportunities and gaining competitive advantages.

Instead, he says it should “focus on reducing risk” (p.1). This means having good governance of security for the data and minimizing costs of maintaining and utilizing IT for strategy development. Rajiv Kohli and Sarv Devaraj (2004, p. 53) recommended 4 phases that will give value to IT, and called it the AIAC Framework. This stood for the processes of Alignment, Involvement, Analysis, and Communication. Details of the each process are shown in the appended AIAC Framework Model. See Figure 1.

In the course of research, analysis, and planning, the ABC University IT Governance will be reviewed in terms of the processes in this framework. Although there are many other frameworks that are available, the AIAC will be utilized primarily because it aims to quantify the value of IT governance. However, there will be modifications to include those recommended by other frameworks and are not found in the ALAC framework. Information technology serves the role of a strategic partner instead of only a technology provider.

The IT Governance Institute (ITGI, 2003) believes that effective IT Governance helps to ensure that IT supports business goals and optimizes business