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Communication

A3

Establish mechanisms for dialogue with stakeholders such as IT colleagues, other business units, and third parties.

Improvement Planning

Practices-Outcomes-Metrics (POM)

Representative POMs are described for Communication at each level of maturity.

1Initial
  • Practice
    Rely on the best endeavours of available personnel.
2Basic
  • Practice
    Translate the more technical language into business language to ensure the business understands what IT is saying.
    Outcome
    Communication between IT and other business units improves and targets start to become aligned.
    Metric
    % of IT-related problems arising from misunderstandings between IT and other business units.
  • Practice
    Encourage some bi-directional communication within the IT function.
    Outcome
    Some staff can communicate their concerns towards management and feel recognized.
    Metric
    % of IT managers who get feedback from direct reports.
3Intermediate
  • Practices
    • Establish a functioning bi-directional communication process within IT and between IT and most other business units.
    • Ensure a basic, top-down process and a feedback (bottom-up) process are both in place.
    Outcomes
    • Misunderstandings due to using technology-specific terms are rare.
    • Feedback is encouraged, and may be applied in some instances.
    Metrics
    • % of IT-related problems arising from misunderstandings between IT and other business units.
    • % of IT and other business unit managers who get feedback from direct reports.
4Advanced
  • Practice
    Consistently align communication between IT and all other business units.
    Outcome
    There are no issues due to misunderstandings with respect to the use of technical language.
    Metric
    % of IT-related problems arising from misunderstandings between IT and other business units.
  • Practice
    Consistently share and act upon any feedback received in relation to the bi-directional communication processes.
    Outcome
    New techniques in communicating internally can be put in place.
    Metric
    % of IT and other business unit managers who get feedback from direct reports.
5Optimized
  • Practice
    Continually review and optimize the bi-directional communication processes in terms of precision, understandability, and relevance.
    Outcome
    IT and the rest of the business learn mutually from one another's way of communicating messages.
    Metric
    % of IT-related problems arising from misunderstandings between IT and other business units.
  • Practice
    Introduce new techniques, tools and surveys to support bi-directional communication when required.
    Outcomes
    • Communication is seen as a major success factor within IT leadership.
    • The bi-directional communication process is improved as required.
    Metric
    Frequency of introduction of new techniques, tools and surveys.