ICT Governance Roles and Responsibilities
Purpose
This document provides comprehensive definitions of roles, responsibilities, and expectations for all stakeholders within the ICT Governance Framework. It establishes clear accountability and ensures all participants understand their specific contributions to effective technology governance.
Governance Role Hierarchy
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ICT Governance Council │
│ (Strategic Oversight) │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────▼───────────────────────┐
│ Technology Domain Owners │
│ (Domain Leadership) │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────▼───────────────────────┐
│ Technology Stewards │
│ (Subject Matter Experts) │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
┌─────────────────▼───────────────────────┐
│ Technology Custodians │
│ (Operational Implementation) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
ICT Governance Council (IGC)
Role Definition
The ICT Governance Council is the senior-level decision-making body responsible for strategic technology governance, policy approval, and oversight of technology initiatives across the organization.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Governance
- Technology Strategy Development: Define and approve organizational technology strategy and roadmap
- Business Alignment: Ensure technology initiatives align with business objectives and priorities
- Investment Decisions: Make strategic decisions on technology investments and resource allocation
- Portfolio Management: Oversee technology project portfolio and prioritization
Policy and Standards Governance
- Policy Approval: Review and approve all ICT governance policies and procedures
- Standards Setting: Establish enterprise technology standards and guidelines
- Exception Management: Review and approve exceptions to governance policies and standards
- Compliance Oversight: Ensure organizational compliance with regulatory and industry requirements
- Risk Oversight: Monitor and manage technology-related risks and mitigation strategies
- Performance Monitoring: Review governance metrics, KPIs, and performance indicators
- Audit Oversight: Oversee audit activities and ensure remediation of findings
- Continuous Improvement: Drive continuous improvement in governance processes and effectiveness
Specific Expectations
Meeting Participation
- Attendance: Maintain >90% attendance at scheduled governance meetings
- Preparation: Review meeting materials and come prepared for informed decision-making
- Engagement: Actively participate in discussions and provide domain expertise
- Follow-through: Ensure implementation of decisions within respective areas
Decision-Making
- Timeliness: Make timely decisions to avoid blocking technology initiatives
- Documentation: Ensure all decisions are properly documented with rationale
- Communication: Communicate decisions effectively to relevant stakeholders
- Accountability: Take ownership of decisions and their outcomes
Leadership and Communication
- Governance Advocacy: Champion governance principles within respective business units
- Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with stakeholders to build governance support
- Change Leadership: Lead organizational change related to governance improvements
- Knowledge Sharing: Share governance knowledge and best practices
- Decision Timeliness: Average time to make governance decisions
- Meeting Effectiveness: Meeting attendance and engagement scores
- Stakeholder Satisfaction: Satisfaction scores from governance stakeholders
- Governance Maturity: Improvement in governance maturity assessments
Technology Domain Owners
Role Definition
Technology Domain Owners are business and IT leaders responsible for governance within specific technology domains, ensuring alignment between business requirements and technology implementation.
Domain Areas
- Infrastructure Domain: Networks, servers, cloud resources, endpoint devices
- Security Domain: Information security, access controls, compliance
- Applications Domain: Business applications, software platforms, development
- Data Domain: Data management, analytics, information governance
- Vendor Management Domain: Technology vendor relationships and contracts
Key Responsibilities
Domain Strategy and Planning
- Domain Strategy: Develop and maintain technology strategy for assigned domain
- Requirements Definition: Define business requirements and technology needs
- Roadmap Planning: Create and maintain domain technology roadmaps
- Resource Planning: Plan and justify resource requirements for domain activities
Policy and Standards Implementation
- Policy Development: Develop domain-specific policies and procedures
- Standards Definition: Define and maintain technology standards for the domain
- Compliance Monitoring: Monitor compliance with domain policies and standards
- Exception Review: Review and approve domain-specific policy exceptions
Stakeholder Management
- Business Engagement: Engage with business stakeholders to understand requirements
- Technology Coordination: Coordinate with other domain owners and technology teams
- Vendor Management: Manage relationships with domain-specific technology vendors
- Communication: Communicate domain status and issues to governance council
Specific Expectations
Domain Leadership
- Vision Setting: Establish clear vision and direction for technology domain
- Stakeholder Alignment: Ensure alignment between business and technology stakeholders
- Innovation Leadership: Drive innovation and improvement within the domain
- Risk Management: Identify and manage domain-specific risks
Governance Implementation
- Policy Enforcement: Ensure consistent enforcement of governance policies
- Process Improvement: Continuously improve domain governance processes
- Metrics Management: Maintain and report on domain governance metrics
- Training Support: Support training and awareness activities for domain stakeholders
Collaboration and Communication
- Cross-Domain Coordination: Collaborate effectively with other domain owners
- Escalation Management: Escalate issues appropriately to governance council
- Knowledge Sharing: Share domain expertise and best practices
- Stakeholder Communication: Maintain regular communication with domain stakeholders
- Domain Compliance: Compliance rate with domain policies and standards
- Stakeholder Satisfaction: Satisfaction scores from domain stakeholders
- Process Efficiency: Efficiency metrics for domain governance processes
- Risk Management: Effectiveness of domain risk identification and mitigation
Technology Stewards
Role Definition
Technology Stewards are subject matter experts responsible for day-to-day governance implementation, standards compliance, and technical guidance within their areas of expertise.
Steward Types
- Infrastructure Steward: Infrastructure standards, architecture, and operations
- Security Steward: Security controls, compliance, and risk management
- Applications Steward: Application standards, development practices, and lifecycle management
- Data Steward: Data governance, quality, and management practices
Key Responsibilities
Standards and Compliance Management
- Standards Maintenance: Maintain and update technology standards and guidelines
- Compliance Assessment: Assess compliance with governance policies and standards
- Gap Analysis: Identify compliance gaps and develop remediation plans
- Best Practices: Develop and promote technology best practices
Technical Governance Support
- Architecture Review: Participate in architecture reviews and assessments
- Technology Evaluation: Evaluate new technologies and provide recommendations
- Risk Assessment: Conduct technical risk assessments and mitigation planning
- Documentation: Maintain technical documentation and knowledge repositories
Stakeholder Support and Training
- Technical Guidance: Provide technical guidance and support to stakeholders
- Training Delivery: Deliver technical training and knowledge transfer
- Consultation: Serve as technical consultant for governance-related questions
- Mentoring: Mentor junior staff and technology custodians
Specific Expectations
Technical Excellence
- Expertise Maintenance: Maintain current technical expertise and certifications
- Innovation Awareness: Stay current with technology trends and innovations
- Quality Assurance: Ensure high quality in technical deliverables and recommendations
- Continuous Learning: Pursue continuous learning and professional development
Governance Implementation
- Process Adherence: Follow established governance processes and procedures
- Documentation Standards: Maintain high standards for technical documentation
- Metrics Collection: Collect and report on governance metrics and indicators
- Issue Resolution: Resolve technical governance issues promptly and effectively
Collaboration and Communication
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work effectively with diverse stakeholder groups
- Knowledge Transfer: Transfer knowledge effectively to stakeholders and team members
- Issue Escalation: Escalate issues appropriately when resolution is beyond scope
- Stakeholder Engagement: Engage proactively with stakeholders to understand needs
- Technical Quality: Quality scores for technical deliverables and recommendations
- Response Time: Average response time for technical guidance and support requests
- Stakeholder Satisfaction: Satisfaction scores from internal customers and stakeholders
- Knowledge Sharing: Participation in knowledge sharing and training activities
Technology Custodians
Role Definition
Technology Custodians are IT operations staff responsible for implementing governance requirements, maintaining technology systems, and ensuring day-to-day compliance with governance policies.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Implementation
- System Configuration: Configure systems according to governance standards and policies
- Maintenance Activities: Perform routine maintenance and updates following governance procedures
- Monitoring and Alerting: Monitor systems for compliance and performance issues
- Incident Response: Respond to incidents following established governance procedures
Compliance and Documentation
- Compliance Verification: Verify compliance with governance policies and standards
- Documentation Maintenance: Maintain accurate documentation of system configurations and changes
- Audit Support: Support audit activities and provide required documentation
- Change Implementation: Implement changes following approved change management processes
Support and Maintenance
- User Support: Provide technical support following governance guidelines
- System Administration: Administer systems according to established standards and procedures
- Backup and Recovery: Implement backup and recovery procedures as defined by governance policies
- Security Implementation: Implement security controls and measures as required
Specific Expectations
Operational Excellence
- Reliability: Maintain high levels of system reliability and availability
- Efficiency: Perform tasks efficiently while maintaining quality standards
- Accuracy: Ensure accuracy in system configurations and documentation
- Responsiveness: Respond promptly to support requests and incidents
Governance Compliance
- Policy Adherence: Strictly adhere to governance policies and procedures
- Standard Implementation: Implement technology standards consistently and accurately
- Documentation Quality: Maintain high-quality documentation and records
- Process Following: Follow established processes and procedures without deviation
Professional Development
- Skill Development: Continuously develop technical skills and knowledge
- Training Participation: Actively participate in training and development programs
- Certification Maintenance: Maintain relevant technical certifications
- Knowledge Application: Apply governance knowledge effectively in daily work
- System Uptime: System availability and reliability metrics
- Compliance Rate: Compliance with governance policies and standards
- Response Time: Response time for support requests and incidents
- Quality Metrics: Quality scores for work deliverables and documentation
Cross-Cutting Responsibilities
All Governance Roles
Communication and Collaboration
- Transparent Communication: Communicate openly and transparently with stakeholders
- Active Listening: Listen actively to stakeholder concerns and feedback
- Collaborative Approach: Work collaboratively to achieve governance objectives
- Conflict Resolution: Address conflicts constructively and professionally
Continuous Improvement
- Feedback Provision: Provide constructive feedback on governance processes and policies
- Improvement Suggestions: Suggest improvements to governance framework and processes
- Learning Orientation: Maintain a learning orientation and growth mindset
- Innovation Support: Support innovation while maintaining governance principles
Ethical Conduct
- Integrity: Maintain high standards of integrity and ethical conduct
- Accountability: Take accountability for decisions and actions
- Transparency: Operate with transparency and openness
- Confidentiality: Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information
Role Transition and Development
Career Progression Paths
- Technology Custodian → Technology Steward: Develop subject matter expertise and leadership skills
- Technology Steward → Domain Owner: Develop business acumen and strategic thinking
- Domain Owner → Governance Council: Develop enterprise perspective and executive presence
Development Requirements
- Technical Skills: Maintain and develop relevant technical competencies
- Governance Knowledge: Develop deep understanding of governance principles and practices
- Leadership Skills: Develop leadership and management capabilities
- Business Acumen: Develop understanding of business operations and strategy
Support and Resources
- Training Programs: Access to governance and technical training programs
- Mentoring: Mentoring relationships with senior governance professionals
- Professional Development: Support for professional development and certification
- Knowledge Resources: Access to governance knowledge repositories and best practices
Role Transition and Succession Planning
Role Transition Framework Integration
The ICT Governance Framework integrates with the Employee Role Transition Framework to ensure seamless transitions while maintaining governance effectiveness and security controls.
Role Transition Responsibilities by Governance Level
ICT Governance Council:
- Approve complex role transitions affecting critical governance positions
- Oversee succession planning for senior governance roles
- Ensure compliance with role transition policies and procedures
- Review and approve emergency succession plans
Domain Owners:
- Provide domain-specific guidance for role transitions
- Oversee access rights management within their domains
- Participate in succession planning for critical domain positions
- Ensure business continuity during role transitions
Technology Stewards:
- Execute technical aspects of role transitions
- Manage access rights provisioning and deprovisioning
- Facilitate technical knowledge transfer
- Support employees during transition periods
Technology Custodians:
- Provide operational support during role transitions
- Execute access rights changes and modifications
- Assist with technical handover processes
- Maintain operational continuity
Succession Planning for Governance Roles
Critical Role Identification
- High-Impact Roles: Roles with significant impact on governance effectiveness
- Specialized Knowledge: Roles requiring unique technical or domain expertise
- Stakeholder Relationships: Roles with critical external stakeholder relationships
- Decision Authority: Roles with significant decision-making authority
Succession Readiness Assessment
- Capability Assessment: Evaluation of potential successors’ capabilities
- Development Planning: Targeted development plans for succession candidates
- Knowledge Transfer: Systematic knowledge transfer and documentation
- Readiness Validation: Regular assessment of succession readiness
Emergency Succession Procedures
- Immediate Response: Procedures for immediate role coverage
- Critical Access Transfer: Emergency transfer of critical system access
- Stakeholder Communication: Emergency communication protocols
- Interim Arrangements: Temporary governance arrangements
- Role-Specific Objectives: Achievement of role-specific objectives and responsibilities
- Governance Contribution: Contribution to overall governance effectiveness
- Stakeholder Feedback: Feedback from stakeholders and team members
- Professional Development: Progress in professional development and skill building
- Transition Support: Effectiveness in supporting role transitions and knowledge transfer
Accountability Mechanisms
- Regular Reviews: Regular performance reviews and feedback sessions
- Metrics Tracking: Tracking of role-specific performance metrics
- 360-Degree Feedback: Comprehensive feedback from multiple stakeholders
- Development Planning: Individual development planning and goal setting
- Transition Effectiveness: Assessment of role transition support and execution
Recognition and Rewards
- Achievement Recognition: Recognition for outstanding governance contributions
- Career Advancement: Opportunities for career advancement within governance roles
- Professional Development: Investment in professional development and training
- Performance Incentives: Performance-based incentives and rewards
- Transition Excellence: Recognition for exceptional role transition support
This comprehensive roles and responsibilities framework ensures clear expectations and accountability for all participants in the ICT Governance Framework, supporting effective governance implementation and continuous improvement.