Advocate IT
Advocate for IT by disseminating information to assist stakeholders (primarily outside the IT function) to understand the role IT currently plays and potentially could play in supporting the organization — for example, demonstrating the value of IT activities and promoting the identification of new opportunities.
Improvement Planning
Practices-Outcomes-Metrics (POM)
Representative POMs are described for Advocate IT at each level of maturity.
- 1Initial
- Practice
- Provision of information to the business is minimal, sporadic, and untargeted.
- Outcomes
- Business is largely unaware of the contribution made by IT.
- IT is typically viewed as an underperforming cost centre.
- Metrics
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers).
- #/% key areas of the business with IT relationship manager.
- Practice
- Provision of information to the business is minimal, sporadic, and untargeted.
- Outcomes
- Business is largely unaware of the contribution made by IT.
- IT is typically viewed as an underperforming cost centre.
- Metrics
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers).
- % key entities with IT relationship manager.
- 2Basic
- Practice
- Communicate basic messages to key business entities (via formal paths) in support of specific IT projects.
- Outcome
- Key parts of the business are aware of major IT initiatives and plans.
- Metrics
- #/% formal communication events to business.
- #/% formal IT communications to business.
- Practice
- Communicate urgent messages to business in response to specific crisis situations as and when they may emerge.
- Outcome
- IT is able to act to restore credibility in the face of major failures or gaps in service provision.
- Metric
- #/% formal IT communications reacting to crises
- Practice
- Communicate basic messages to senior management within key areas of the business outlining the role that IT can play in enabling the business.
- Outcome
- Some senior business managers are aware of the role that IT can play in supporting the business.
- Metric
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers)
- 3Intermediate
- Practice
- Communicate planned content to targeted audiences using variety of predominantly formal channels.
- Outcome
- Business is aware of IT plans, events, and objectives.
- Metrics
- #/% formal communication events to business.
- #/% formal IT communications to business.
- #/% formal IT communications responding to crises.
- Practice
- Communicate messages to key areas of the business explaining the contribution that IT currently makes and can potentially make in the future.
- Outcomes
- Business entities increase their awareness of the contribution that IT makes and can make in the future.
- IT begins to be seen as a source of value within the organization.
- Metrics
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers).
- proximity of CIO to CEO and CFO in organizational hierarchy.
- 4Advanced
- Practices
- Communicate planned content to targeted audiences within the business using a combination of formal and informal channels.
- The precise mix of channels should be adapted in response to actual need.
- Where practical, this content should be delivered jointly with the business.
- Outcome
- Messages delivered to business audiences using most appropriate channel.
- Metrics
- #/% formal communication events to business.
- #/% formal IT communications to business.
- #/% jointly delivered communications.
- #/% informal communication channels.
- #/% formal communication channels.
- Practice
- Communicate messages to the business that have been jointly developed by IT and the rest of the business, explaining how IT drives value within their entity and highlighting what further contributions it can make to each aspect of the business.
- Outcomes
- Business is aware of the value that IT can make to their business, currently and in the future.
- IT is viewed as a value centre within the organization.
- Metrics
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers).
- Proximity of CIO to CEO and CFO in organizational hierarchy.
- 5Optimized
- Practice
- Finely target IT communications to specific audiences (indeed, individuals, if appropriate) and deliver using both the formal and informal relationships.
- Outcome
- Messages are targeted and customized to small audiences, potentially increasing their relevance.
- Metric
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers)
- Practice
- Embed IT within the strategic discussions of each business entity to create an integrated Business/IT partnership.
- Outcomes
- Business views IT as imperative to its success.
- IT is viewed as a value centre within the organization.
- Metrics
- % customer satisfaction (internal customers).
- Proximity of CIO to CEO and CFO in organizational hierarchy.