governance

The word "governance" is in danger of total debasement. ISO38500 may be only half-cooked but that is because it arrived just in time... or perhaps too late.

The IT Skeptic adheres to a purist usage of the word "governance" which aligns closely with the new ISO38500 standard. The word is often used to mean management: running a business unit or function. This is just plain wrong. But somewhere in between is a set of activities in a grey area.

The latest issue of a Spanish IT magazine looks at ICT Governance, and it is available for download in English.

IT Governance standard PRF 29382 "Corporate governance of information technology" has been renumbered as ISO/IEC 38500 (memorise that number) and is currently being published for end of May release, which is excellent news. Perhaps now we can get people to use the word "governance" properly.

Governance is hot. "Governance" is the "in" word right now in IT. It is also a word that is suffering badly from terminological debasement, something the IT Skeptic has railed against on this blog before. Look for more on this in the near future.

I agree with a recent comment about vendors being an essential part of the ITIL community. I have defended their presence and influence before. But we lack the governance to ensure that presence is a healthy one.

Nations get the government they deserve, and so too do organisations. If members don't mind the itSMF being the OGC's pet monkey or a carnival of prancing vendors, then they can just leave it to slide. If the people don't rise up and say "enough" then it gets worse.

A reader asks What is it you wish members to do [about itSMF]?

I guess ISACA are the governance gurus and itSMF can be forgiven a little shaky governance right? Why should every chapter bother with published accounts? In a tough year, of course an international team needs to meet face to face every quarter – there is only so much you can do with teleconferencing. Is there a best practice for a Board to extend its tenure, or even try to avoid elections entirely? And what’s a wobbly election process between friends?