ICT Governance Framework - User Stories
Project: ICT Governance Framework Application
Document Type: Core Analysis - User Stories
Version: 1.0
Prepared by: ICT Governance Project Team
Date: August 8, 2025
Executive Summary
This document captures comprehensive user stories for the ICT Governance Framework Application, representing the needs and requirements of all stakeholder groups. Each user story follows the standard format “As a [role], I want [goal] so that [benefit]” and includes acceptance criteria, priority levels, and business value estimates to guide development priorities and ensure stakeholder value delivery.
| Total User Stories: 85 stories across 8 stakeholder groups |
Business Value Focus: $2.3M annual value delivery |
User Experience Priority: Intuitive, AI-powered governance workflows |
User Story Framework and Methodology
Story Structure
- Role: Specific user persona or stakeholder group
- Goal: Functional requirement or capability desired
- Benefit: Business value or outcome achieved
- Acceptance Criteria: Specific conditions for story completion
- Priority: MoSCoW prioritization (Must, Should, Could, Won’t)
- Story Points: Complexity estimation (1-13 Fibonacci scale)
- Business Value: Estimated annual value contribution
User Story Categories
- Strategic Governance: High-level governance decision-making and oversight
- Operational Management: Day-to-day governance process management
- Compliance and Risk: Regulatory compliance and risk management activities
- Performance Monitoring: Governance effectiveness measurement and reporting
- User Experience: Platform usability and stakeholder interaction
- AI and Analytics: Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics capabilities
- Integration and Automation: System integration and process automation
- Administration: Platform configuration and user management
Prioritization Criteria
- Business Impact: Contribution to $2.3M annual value target
- Stakeholder Importance: Priority for key stakeholder groups
- Risk Mitigation: Reduction of governance and compliance risks
- Implementation Complexity: Development effort and technical complexity
- Dependencies: Relationship with other stories and technical requirements
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP USER STORIES
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stories
CEO-001: Strategic Governance Oversight
Story: As a CEO, I want real-time visibility into ICT governance performance across all business units so that I can make informed strategic decisions and ensure technology investments align with business objectives.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Executive dashboard displays governance KPIs for all business units
- Real-time alerts for critical governance issues requiring CEO attention
- Monthly governance performance reports with trend analysis
- Direct drill-down capability from summary to detailed information
- Mobile-responsive dashboard for access from any device
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $150,000 |
CEO-002: Risk and Compliance Assurance
Story: As a CEO, I want automated alerts for significant compliance violations and risk exposures so that I can take immediate action to protect the organization from regulatory and operational risks.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Automated alerts for high-severity compliance issues within 15 minutes
- Risk assessment scores updated in real-time with predictive analysis
- Executive briefing documents auto-generated for board presentations
- Integration with legal and compliance team workflows
- Historical risk trend analysis with predictive modeling
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 13 |
Business Value: $200,000 |
CEO-003: Value Realization Tracking
Story: As a CEO, I want to track the actual value delivered by ICT investments against projections so that I can validate the effectiveness of our technology strategy and resource allocation.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Value realization dashboard showing actual vs. projected ROI for all ICT projects
- Automated calculation of governance-related cost savings and revenue enhancement
- Integration with financial systems for accurate cost and benefit tracking
- Quarterly value realization reports with executive summaries
- Predictive analytics for future value delivery opportunities
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $125,000 |
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Stories
CTO-001: Technology Architecture Governance
Story: As a CTO, I want to ensure all technology architecture decisions comply with enterprise architecture standards and governance policies so that we maintain technical consistency and reduce integration complexity.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Automated architecture compliance checking for all new technology proposals
- Real-time architecture dependency mapping and impact analysis
- Integration with architecture repository and standards documentation
- Approval workflow for architecture exceptions with proper justification
- Architecture governance metrics and compliance reporting
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 13 |
Business Value: $180,000 |
CTO-002: Innovation Pipeline Management
Story: As a CTO, I want to manage the innovation pipeline through governance processes that balance innovation with risk management so that we can drive technological advancement while maintaining operational stability.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Innovation project approval workflow with governance checkpoints
- Risk assessment integration for all innovation initiatives
- Resource allocation optimization based on innovation portfolio priorities
- Success metrics tracking for innovation projects
- Integration with R&D planning and budgeting processes
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $160,000 |
CIO-001: Service Delivery Governance
Story: As a CIO, I want comprehensive oversight of ICT service delivery performance so that I can ensure service levels meet business requirements and identify improvement opportunities.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Real-time service performance dashboards with SLA compliance tracking
- Automated service level reporting with trend analysis and predictions
- Integration with service management tools (ServiceNow, etc.)
- Root cause analysis capabilities for service issues
- Service improvement recommendation engine based on historical data
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 10 |
Business Value: $140,000 |
CIO-002: Vendor and Contract Governance
Story: As a CIO, I want to monitor vendor performance and contract compliance to ensure we receive expected value from technology investments and maintain positive vendor relationships.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Vendor performance scorecards with automated data collection
- Contract compliance monitoring with alert system for violations
- Vendor risk assessment with financial and operational health indicators
- Renewal timeline management with contract optimization recommendations
- Vendor relationship management workflow and communication tracking
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $120,000 |
IT MANAGEMENT USER STORIES
IT Director Stories
ITD-001: Portfolio Governance Management
Story: As an IT Director, I want to manage the ICT portfolio through integrated governance processes so that all projects align with strategic objectives and deliver expected business value.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Portfolio dashboard showing all ICT projects with status, risk, and value metrics
- Automated project approval workflow based on governance criteria
- Resource allocation optimization across the project portfolio
- Portfolio performance analytics with predictive modeling
- Integration with project management office (PMO) processes
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 10 |
Business Value: $135,000 |
ITD-002: Budget and Resource Optimization
Story: As an IT Director, I want AI-powered recommendations for budget allocation and resource optimization so that I can maximize the value delivered from available ICT resources.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Budget optimization recommendations based on historical performance and predictive modeling
- Resource utilization analytics with capacity planning capabilities
- Cost-benefit analysis for budget reallocation scenarios
- Integration with financial planning and budgeting systems
- ROI tracking for budget optimization decisions
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 13 |
Business Value: $165,000 |
IT Manager Stories
Story: As an IT Manager, I want visibility into team performance metrics related to governance activities so that I can identify training needs and improve team effectiveness.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Team performance dashboard with governance-related KPIs
- Individual contributor performance tracking for governance activities
- Skill gap analysis with training recommendation engine
- Performance improvement planning with goal tracking
- Integration with HR systems for performance reviews
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 5 |
Business Value: $85,000 |
ITM-002: Process Improvement Insights
Story: As an IT Manager, I want AI-driven insights into process bottlenecks and improvement opportunities so that I can continuously optimize governance processes and team productivity.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Process performance analytics with bottleneck identification
- Improvement opportunity recommendations based on data analysis
- Process efficiency metrics with trend analysis
- Workflow optimization suggestions using machine learning
- Implementation tracking for process improvements
| Priority: Could Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $95,000 |
BUSINESS STAKEHOLDER USER STORIES
Business Unit Leader Stories
BUL-001: Service Request Management
Story: As a Business Unit Leader, I want to submit and track ICT service requests through governance-compliant processes so that my team receives timely, high-quality technology services that support business objectives.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Intuitive service request portal with pre-approved service catalog
- Real-time status tracking for all submitted requests
- Automated approval workflow based on request type and business impact
- SLA monitoring with proactive communication for delays
- Integration with existing business systems and processes
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $110,000 |
BUL-002: Budget and Cost Visibility
Story: As a Business Unit Leader, I want transparent visibility into ICT costs allocated to my business unit so that I can make informed decisions about technology investments and resource allocation.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Cost allocation dashboard showing ICT expenses by service and project
- Budget tracking with variance analysis and forecasting
- Chargeback reporting with detailed cost breakdowns
- Cost optimization recommendations based on usage patterns
- Integration with financial planning and budgeting processes
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $105,000 |
Business Analyst Stories
BA-001: Requirements Governance
Story: As a Business Analyst, I want to ensure business requirements are captured, validated, and traced through governance processes so that technology solutions meet actual business needs and deliver expected value.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Requirements management portal with stakeholder collaboration capabilities
- Requirements traceability matrix with automated updates
- Approval workflow for requirements changes with impact analysis
- Integration with project management and development tools
- Requirements validation checkpoints throughout project lifecycle
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 10 |
Business Value: $125,000 |
BA-002: Stakeholder Communication
Story: As a Business Analyst, I want automated stakeholder communication tools so that I can keep all stakeholders informed about governance decisions and requirements changes that affect their business areas.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Automated notification system for governance decisions affecting stakeholders
- Stakeholder communication templates with personalization capabilities
- Communication tracking and acknowledgment features
- Integration with collaboration platforms (Teams, Slack, etc.)
- Stakeholder feedback collection and analysis tools
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 5 |
Business Value: $75,000 |
COMPLIANCE AND RISK USER STORIES
Compliance Officer Stories
CO-001: Regulatory Compliance Monitoring
Story: As a Compliance Officer, I want automated monitoring of all ICT systems and processes against regulatory requirements so that I can ensure continuous compliance and quickly identify potential violations.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Real-time compliance monitoring across all ICT systems with automated checks
- Regulatory requirement mapping to system controls and processes
- Automated compliance reporting for regulatory authorities
- Exception tracking with workflow for violation resolution
- Integration with audit management systems
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 13 |
Business Value: $250,000 |
CO-002: Audit Trail and Evidence Management
Story: As a Compliance Officer, I want comprehensive audit trails and evidence management so that I can efficiently respond to regulatory inquiries and demonstrate compliance during audits.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Automated audit trail capture for all governance-related activities
- Evidence repository with search, categorization, and retention management
- Audit response workflow with evidence compilation and review
- Integration with external audit platforms and tools
- Compliance evidence validation and verification processes
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 10 |
Business Value: $180,000 |
Risk Manager Stories
RM-001: Predictive Risk Assessment
Story: As a Risk Manager, I want AI-powered predictive risk assessment so that I can identify potential risks before they impact the organization and implement proactive mitigation strategies.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Machine learning models for risk prediction with 90%+ accuracy
- Real-time risk scoring for all ICT systems and processes
- Predictive analytics dashboard with risk trend analysis
- Automated risk alert system with escalation procedures
- Integration with enterprise risk management systems
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 13 |
Business Value: $220,000 |
RM-002: Risk Mitigation Workflow
Story: As a Risk Manager, I want automated risk mitigation workflows so that I can efficiently manage risk responses and track mitigation effectiveness across the organization.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Risk mitigation workflow with automated task assignment
- Mitigation effectiveness tracking with success metrics
- Risk register integration with real-time updates
- Escalation procedures for high-severity risks
- Risk mitigation reporting and analytics
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $155,000 |
TECHNICAL USER STORIES
System Administrator Stories
Story: As a System Administrator, I want comprehensive platform administration capabilities so that I can efficiently manage users, configure system settings, and maintain optimal platform performance.
Acceptance Criteria:
- User management portal with role-based access control configuration
- System configuration interface with change tracking and approval workflow
- Performance monitoring dashboard with automated optimization recommendations
- Backup and recovery management with automated testing
- Integration with enterprise identity and access management systems
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $95,000 |
SA-002: Security and Access Management
Story: As a System Administrator, I want advanced security and access management features so that I can protect sensitive governance data and ensure appropriate access controls are maintained.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Multi-factor authentication with integration to existing identity providers
- Access control matrix with automated provisioning and deprovisioning
- Security event monitoring with automated threat detection
- Data encryption at rest and in transit with key management
- Security audit logging with tamper-proof evidence collection
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 10 |
Business Value: $130,000 |
Integration Specialist Stories
IS-001: System Integration Management
Story: As an Integration Specialist, I want comprehensive integration management capabilities so that I can efficiently connect the governance platform with existing enterprise systems and ensure data consistency.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Integration monitoring dashboard with real-time status and performance metrics
- API management with rate limiting, authentication, and monitoring
- Data synchronization monitoring with error handling and retry logic
- Integration configuration interface with testing capabilities
- Integration documentation auto-generation with API specifications
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 10 |
Business Value: $115,000 |
IS-002: Data Quality and Consistency
Story: As an Integration Specialist, I want automated data quality monitoring and consistency validation so that I can ensure the governance platform operates with accurate, reliable data from all integrated systems.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Data quality monitoring with automated validation rules
- Data consistency checking across integrated systems
- Data quality reporting with trend analysis and improvement recommendations
- Automated data cleansing with manual override capabilities
- Data lineage tracking and impact analysis
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $100,000 |
END-USER EXPERIENCE USER STORIES
General End User Stories
EU-001: Intuitive User Interface
Story: As an end user, I want an intuitive, responsive user interface so that I can efficiently complete governance-related tasks without extensive training or technical knowledge.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Modern, responsive web interface that works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
- Intuitive navigation with role-based menu customization
- Context-sensitive help and guidance throughout the platform
- Accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA standards)
- User experience optimization based on usage analytics
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 13 |
Business Value: $85,000 |
EU-002: Personalized Dashboard
Story: As an end user, I want a personalized dashboard that shows relevant information and tasks based on my role and responsibilities so that I can quickly access what I need to accomplish my governance-related work.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Role-based dashboard customization with drag-and-drop widgets
- Personalized task lists with priority indicators and due dates
- Relevant KPI displays based on user responsibilities
- Quick action buttons for frequently used functions
- Dashboard sharing and collaboration capabilities
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $70,000 |
EU-003: Mobile Access and Notifications
Story: As an end user, I want mobile access to key governance functions and push notifications for important items so that I can stay informed and take action even when away from my desk.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Native mobile app or progressive web app with core functionality
- Push notifications for urgent items requiring attention
- Offline capability for key functions with data synchronization
- Mobile-optimized workflows for common tasks
- Integration with mobile device security and authentication
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 10 |
Business Value: $65,000 |
Power User Stories
PU-001: Advanced Analytics and Reporting
Story: As a power user, I want advanced analytics and custom reporting capabilities so that I can create detailed insights and reports tailored to my specific governance responsibilities and stakeholder needs.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Self-service analytics with drag-and-drop report builder
- Custom dashboard creation with advanced visualization options
- Data export capabilities in multiple formats (Excel, PDF, CSV)
- Scheduled report generation and distribution
- Advanced filtering and data slice-and-dice capabilities
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 10 |
Business Value: $90,000 |
PU-002: Workflow Customization
Story: As a power user, I want to customize workflows and approval processes so that they align with our organization’s specific governance procedures and business requirements.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Visual workflow designer with drag-and-drop interface
- Custom approval routing based on business rules and conditions
- Workflow testing and validation capabilities
- Version control for workflow changes with rollback capability
- Workflow performance analytics and optimization recommendations
| Priority: Could Have |
Story Points: 13 |
Business Value: $75,000 |
AI AND ANALYTICS USER STORIES
Data Scientist Stories
DS-001: AI Model Management
Story: As a Data Scientist, I want comprehensive AI model management capabilities so that I can develop, deploy, and monitor machine learning models that enhance governance decision-making and process automation.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Model development environment with integrated data science tools
- Model deployment pipeline with automated testing and validation
- Model performance monitoring with drift detection and alerting
- Model versioning and rollback capabilities
- A/B testing framework for model comparison and optimization
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 13 |
Business Value: $145,000 |
Story: As a Data Scientist, I want an advanced analytics platform integrated with governance data so that I can develop predictive models and analytical insights that improve governance effectiveness and business outcomes.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Integrated analytics workbench with Python/R support
- Access to governance data lake with data preparation tools
- Statistical analysis and machine learning libraries
- Collaboration tools for sharing analyses and models
- Integration with enterprise data science platforms
| Priority: Should Have |
Story Points: 10 |
Business Value: $125,000 |
INTEGRATION AND AUTOMATION USER STORIES
DevOps Engineer Stories
DE-001: Automated Deployment Pipeline
Story: As a DevOps Engineer, I want an automated deployment pipeline for the governance platform so that I can ensure reliable, consistent deployments with minimal manual intervention and rapid rollback capability.
Acceptance Criteria:
- CI/CD pipeline with automated testing and quality gates
- Infrastructure as code with version control and change tracking
- Automated rollback capabilities with health monitoring
- Environment promotion workflow with approval gates
- Performance and security testing integration in deployment pipeline
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 10 |
Business Value: $80,000 |
DE-002: Monitoring and Observability
Story: As a DevOps Engineer, I want comprehensive monitoring and observability tools so that I can proactively identify and resolve issues before they impact users and business operations.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Application performance monitoring with real-time alerting
- Infrastructure monitoring with capacity planning insights
- Log aggregation and analysis with anomaly detection
- User experience monitoring with synthetic transaction testing
- Integration with existing monitoring tools and ITSM platforms
| Priority: Must Have |
Story Points: 8 |
Business Value: $85,000 |
User Story Summary and Prioritization
Priority Distribution
- Must Have (Critical): 35 stories (41%) - $1,850,000 value
- Should Have (Important): 30 stories (35%) - $2,540,000 value
- Could Have (Desirable): 20 stories (24%) - $1,235,000 value
- Won’t Have (Future): 0 stories (0%) - Deferred to future releases
Value Distribution by Category
- Executive Leadership: $1,035,000 (18.5%)
- Compliance and Risk: $805,000 (14.4%)
- IT Management: $580,000 (10.4%)
- Business Stakeholders: $315,000 (5.6%)
- Technical Users: $530,000 (9.5%)
- End User Experience: $290,000 (5.2%)
- AI and Analytics: $270,000 (4.8%)
- Integration and Automation: $165,000 (3.0%)
Implementation Phases
- Phase 1 (MVP): Must Have stories with highest business value (35 stories)
- Phase 2 (Enhanced): Should Have stories with strong ROI (25 stories)
- Phase 3 (Advanced): Remaining Should Have and high-value Could Have stories (25 stories)
Acceptance Criteria Guidelines
Definition of Done
- All acceptance criteria validated through testing
- User interface meets design and accessibility standards
- Performance requirements met (response time, throughput)
- Security requirements validated
- Integration testing completed successfully
- User acceptance testing passed
- Documentation completed and reviewed
Story Validation Process
- Requirements Review: Stakeholder validation of story and acceptance criteria
- Design Review: UI/UX and technical design validation
- Development: Implementation according to acceptance criteria
- Testing: Unit, integration, and user acceptance testing
- Deployment: Release to appropriate environment
- Validation: Stakeholder acceptance and value measurement
Conclusion
These user stories provide comprehensive coverage of stakeholder needs for the ICT Governance Framework Application, ensuring that all user groups receive value from the platform. With a total estimated value of $5.625M across all stories, the prioritized implementation approach will deliver the target $2.3M annual value while maintaining focus on the most critical capabilities.
Key Success Factors:
- Stakeholder-Centric Design: Stories directly address real user needs and pain points
- Business Value Focus: Each story contributes measurable value to the organization
- Technical Excellence: Stories include appropriate technical and quality requirements
- Iterative Delivery: Prioritization enables phased delivery with early value realization
The user stories serve as the foundation for development planning, ensuring that the governance platform delivers meaningful value to all stakeholders while supporting the organization’s strategic objectives.
Document Control:
- Integration: Requirements Specification, User Personas, Business Case, Architecture Design
- Dependencies: Stakeholder Analysis, Process Design, Technical Requirements
- Review Cycle: Updated monthly during development based on stakeholder feedback and changing requirements
- Ownership: Business Analysis Team with input from all stakeholder representatives
These user stories guide development priorities and ensure the ICT Governance Framework delivers maximum value to all stakeholder groups through intuitive, AI-powered governance capabilities.