Practical IT Research that Drives Measurable Results 1Info-Tech Research Group Establish an Effective IT Steering Committee

Executive Summary Info-Tech Research Group2 IT Steering Committees are a best practice approach for aligning strategic business and IT priorities. Clear mandates and a real ability to influence decision making through executive participation increase the value of IT Steering Committees. Successful IT Steering Committees focus on three main tasks: IT strategic planning, project prioritization and project approval. Other activities, such as resource allocation, are best left to other teams. IT leaders can get started on the right track by gaining executive buy-in and taking on a facilitative role on the IT Steering Committee.

IT Steering Committees are a commonly used approach for aligning strategic business and IT priorities Info-Tech Research Group3 IT Steering Committees are used by 62% of organizations to ensure that IT priorities align with business strategy. You do not need to be a large company to have one. Source: Client Survey, Info-Tech Research Group, February 2010

IT Steering Committees are most effective when there is an existing culture of communications between business units Info-Tech Research Group4 Use the “IT Steering Committee Challenge Assessment Tool” to get a clear picture of the Leadership, Business and IT factors that determine readiness.IT Steering Committee Challenge Assessment Tool LeadershipBusinessIT IT Steering Committees often struggle to find their role in environments without an existing shared decision making dynamic (e.g. an “autocratic” CEO). New IT Steering Committees are more effective when there is already a business culture of sharing and communicating objectives across departments. Organizations that already have formal accountabilities for most IT governance tasks (e.g. project requests, budget review), are in a better position to succeed.

Don’t expect the IT Steering Committee to do IT’s job – bring appropriate focus to IT strategy and investment decisions 5 IT Steering Committees play an important role in IT governance. But understand that effectively setting and managing scope is critical to success. Is the IT Steering Committee effective in this task? 91% Agree 86% Agree 95% Agree Info-Tech Research Group Over 77% of IT Steering Committees focus on three of these tasks or fewer. Source: Client Survey, Info-Tech Research Group, February 2010

Empower and mobilize the new IT Steering Committee with a clearly defined mandate Info-Tech Research Group6 Formalize the role of the group using the Info-Tech “IT Steering Committee Charter” template.IT Steering Committee Charter This template outlines the key tasks and responsibilities for the committee: Providing strategic leadership for IT Prioritizing IT investment initiatives Ensuring open communications between IT and other functional units Use this template to draft an IT Steering Committee Charter and keep this oversight group on track. Where there is not a clearly defined mandate for the IT Steering Committee, only 29% of respondents rate the group as effective overall - versus 77% if this exists.

Keep the IT Steering Committee small, but ensure membership includes executive decision-making authority Info-Tech Research Group7 Gaining senior executive buy-in and participation will help the IT Steering Committee serve as more than a costly-to-assemble information resource. Where formal CEO/President-level participation is missing, over half (51%) of respondents believe that the IT Steering Committee lacks the necessary authority to make final IT decisions. Includes Legal as well as industry-specific groups such as Clinical (Healthcare), Superintendent (Education), Councilor (Government). n = 106 Source: Client Survey, Info-Tech Research Group, February 2010

Appendix Info-Tech Research Group8 TaskResources Build the case for IT steering “IT Steering Committee Challenge Assessment Tool”IT Steering Committee Challenge Assessment Tool Focus your IT steering objectives “New IT Leaders: Engage an IT Steering Committee”New IT Leaders: Engage an IT Steering Committee Get your steering committee on track “IT Steering Charter”IT Steering Charter “IT Steering Committee Meeting Agenda”IT Steering Committee Meeting Agenda