The institution establishes processes to implement and manage ICT investments, acquisitions and contracts, taking into account (institutional and ICT-related) strategic plans, technology roadmaps and good governance principles, aiming at optimizing ICT value realization.
The purpose is to optimize the performance of the overall portfolio of ICT resources and related activities in response to programme and service performance and changing priorities and demands.
Guideline code
ICT_01200
Mechanism
Mechanism
- The ICT and specialized units should follow the strategic direction set for investment, acquisitions and contracts in line with the enterprise architecture vision and the corresponding characteristics of the investment and related services portfolios.
- The ICT and specialized units should implement processes to:
- Manage the portfolios of ICT resources establishing the target investment mix, maintaining the portfolios to fulfil the institution’s goals and managing the achievement of expected results;
- Manage staff contracts, ensuring that they comply with the organization’s policies and that contracted personnel meet contractual requirements;
- Manage ICT assets through their life cycle to ensure that their use delivers value at optimal cost, they remain operational, and they are accounted for and physically protected;
- Manage software licences to ensure that the optimal number are acquired, retained and deployed in relation to required business usage.
- ICT procurement approaches and practices should be defined to better address the different scenarios of ICT elements.
- The involved units should closely coordinate ICT investment management with processes for the management of budget and costs, human resources, service agreements and suppliers.
Parent
Structure
Structure
- The board should commission the management to establish management processes to implement and manage ICT investments, acquisitions and contracts.
- A specialized organizational structure, reporting to the management and the ICT management, should be established to manage ICT investments. To establish accountability, the roles and responsibilities of the units within that structure have to be well defined and documented.
- ICT investment management processes should follow national and institutional procurement regulations.
- The ICT investment, acquisitions and contracts processes should follow the principles of:
- Being managed as a portfolio of resources;
- Including the full scope of activities required to achieve business value;
- Being managed throughout their economic life cycle.
- The ICT investment, acquisitions and contracts processes should follow the adopted ICT governance principles, and the institution’s strategic plans, ICT strategies and defined ICT value concept. They should be based on international practices (e.g. COBIT®).
Title HTML
Guideline 8. Managing ICT investments through a portfolio-oriented approach
Type
Guideline_1
Weight
15