ICT

INTRODUCTION

Managing Information Communication Technology (ICT) resources will enable organizations to get more out of their current equipment and also to make better decisions around the purchase of new equipment and ICT developments

ICT

ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information electronically in a digital form. For example, personal computers, digital television, email, robots

Define Business Objectives as Related to ICT

This Activity defines the steps needed to establish Policies and Goals for using its current and projected ICT Systems. This Activity also assesses the degree to which business/organizational plans and ICT plans are aligned. It determines the appropriateness of the mechanisms for establishing the priorities of ICT investments (New projects, changes to existing systems, etc). It establishes the governing rules and structure of the ICT unit as a whole. Of critical importance is an assessment of ICT spending.

Questions such as the following should be asked and answered:

• What does the Department expect from each system?

• How do the systems impact the general strategy of the Department?

• Who are the beneficiaries of the Department’s ICT Systems?

• What are the Technologies selected for current and projected systems

• What are the challenges facing the ICT Systems?

Initiate and Plan the Good Practices Project

The Good Practices Project is an ongoing process. The Department will benefit from an ongoing application of Good Practices. The Good Practices to be implemented in the Department should form part of a long term Project that is well planned, executed and monitored. The objectives of this Activity are to plan the Good Practices Project according to modern project management techniques.

Collect Documents Relevant to the Project

To collect all documents that will be of use during the various stages of the Good Practices project. Such documents should be verified to be correct and up to date.

E.g. Department charter, various lists and registers

Strategies for reaching such goals

Establish Proper Communication Schemes

Since the Project relies heavily on following “Quality” practices, it follows that Communication between all concerned parties has to be properly defined for the overall project. The objective of this Activity is to define the Communications schemes of the Good Practices Project.

Risks: should the Department not have a proper Communications scheme for the Project, the following risks may arise:

• Improper implementation of the Project Plan

• Lost information

Setup a Performance Measurement Process

Performance Measurement is one of the key managerial techniques in the Modern world of organizations. What a Department can measure, it can manage. This Activity presents how a Department can prepare various metrics needed for Performance measurement of ICT Systems.

How to Implement Standards

ICT goes regularly through phases of confusion followed by standardization. Many aspects of ICT processes need to conform or comply with some established standard. This Activity provides some Good Practices regarding the compliance with Standards.