Decision Rights
Determine what major IT domain decisions need to be made. Define the decision-making boundaries for each decision type, including the inputs and decision rights of different stakeholders, and the rules and procedures for making and monitoring those decisions.
Improvement Planning
Practices-Outcomes-Metrics (POM)
Representative POMs are described for Decision Rights at each level of maturity.
- 2Basic
- Practice
- Establish some decision rules and document some decisions and/or decision categories.
- Outcome
- Some effective decisions are made in accordance with established rules, but these rules are not always consistently applied.
- Metrics
- % of IT-related decisions that adhere to a decision-making process.
- % of IT-related decisions that are documented.
- Practice
- Define the decision-making authority for some decision types (i.e. which IT or business leaders or which bodies have authority).
- Outcome
- Transparency in relation to decision rights is emerging. However, the boundaries of those decisions may not always be clear.
- Metrics
- % of decision types for which decision rights are established.
- % of decision types for which decision boundaries are established.
- Practice
- Establish basic structures for reporting/communicating IT-related decisions.
- Outcome
- Some high-level reporting/communicating of IT-related decisions is emerging.
- Metric
- % of IT-related decisions reported/communicated.
- 3Intermediate
- Practice
- Document decisions and/or decision categories and apply a comprehensive decision-making process across IT, with some business involvement.
- Outcome
- In most instances, the decision-making process enables effective decisions that reflect both IT and business stakeholder input.
- Metrics
- % of IT-related decisions that adhere to a decision-making process.
- % of IT-related decisions that are documented.
- Practice
- Define the decision-making authority for most decision types (i.e. which roles, groups, or bodies), as well as who has input rights into the decision.
- Outcome
- Decision rights, decision boundaries, and required decision inputs are transparent in most instances.
- Metrics
- % of decision types for which decision rights are established.
- % of decision types for which decision boundaries are established.
- Practice
- Periodically assess adherence to most decision rights and decision boundaries, and modify them as required.
- Outcome
- The effectiveness of decision rights and decision boundaries can be understood periodically and rectified, if required.
- Metrics
- Frequency of decision rights audits.
- # of decision rights modifications per audit.
- Practice
- Establish formal structures or forums for periodic briefings to both senior management and the business units on IT-related decisions.
- Outcome
- Formal reporting/communicating structures exist to keep senior management and their business units abreast of IT matters and IT-related decisions.
- Metric
- % of IT-related decisions reported/communicated.
- 4Advanced
- Practices
- Apply a comprehensive decision-making process and criteria across the organization, involving all relevant governance bodies and personnel.
- Automate decision-making where appropriate.
- Outcome
- The decision-making process always supports and enables effective and agile IT-related decisions across the entire organization, and these are always responsive to business environment changes.
- Metrics
- % of IT-related decisions that adhere to a decision-making process.
- % of IT-related decisions that are documented.
- Practices
- Define decision-making and input-rights authority for all decision types and document them in a charter or in policy statements.
- Clearly outline the reserve powers of the governing body.
- Outcome
- Decision rights, decision boundaries, and required decision inputs are transparent in all instances.
- Metrics
- % of decision types for which decision rights are established.
- % of decision types for which decision boundaries are established.
- Practice
- Regularly assess adherence to all decision rights and decision boundaries, and modify them as required.
- Outcome
- The effectiveness of decision rights and decision boundaries can be understood on an ongoing basis and rectified, if required.
- Metrics
- Frequency of decision rights audits.
- # of decision rights modifications per audit.
- Practice
- Align the structures for reporting/communicating IT-related decisions to the specific needs of all relevant organizational levels.
- Outcomes
- Formal and effective structures exist throughout the organization for reporting/communicating IT-related decisions — from corporate level, to business unit level, to project level.
- These structures are aligned to stakeholder needs.
- Metrics
- % of IT-related decisions reported/communicated.
- # of self-service/customized reports.
- 5Optimized
- Practice
- Continually review and refine the decision-making process, as appropriate.
- Outcome
- The decision-making process is kept in line with industry best-known practice and evidence-based research.
- Metric
- Frequency of review and update of the decision-making process.
- Practice
- Continually refine decision rights and decision boundaries to reflect lessons learned and insights from business ecosystem partners.
- Outcome
- Decision rights and boundaries are kept effective and relevant based on new learnings and insights.
- Metric
- Frequency of review and update of decision rights and decision boundaries.
- Practice
- Use external forums (such as industry conferences, consortiums, and the industry press) to improve the organization's profile regarding its effective, efficient, and acceptable use of IT.
- Outcome
- The organization is regarded as world-class in its effective, efficient, and acceptable use of IT.
- Metrics
- # of participations in external forums per time period.
- # of external publications initiated by IT.