Facilitating IS capability – towards a new perspective on governance

It has been suggested that those organizations which have greatest competitive success are those in which information systems strategy is seen as integral to overall business strategy. Thus, the CIO is seen as a full member of the management team, and not as someone presiding over a separate functional area which provides a service to the rest. There is a need therefore for businesses to avoid such fragmentation, and to develop information systems ‘capability’, empowering all members of the organization to harness these resources effectively. At the same time, many firms are concerned to become leaner and more efficient by outsourcing some activities seen to be non-core. There is a need for those involved in IS governance to make choices which strike a balance between efficiency and effectiveness, in order to develop IS ‘capability’. In this paper, the authors discuss a need to reconsider perspectives on management of IS, from a leadership approach to one of facilitation. People at all levels must be empowered and supported to make the best use of available technologies, and information, by developing their own IS ‘capability’. The concept of IS governance, therefore, needs to be seen as a concern for the whole organization and not just the province of the CIO. Technical professionals have sometimes been regarded as the experts, who will put suitable systems in place on behalf of users. The authors believe that greater benefits can be gained by going beyond consultation with users, and encouraging collaborative design, in which individuals can be supported to shape their own requirements, and to own and control development of their own IS capability. The paper will discuss methods which we believe may provide appropriate support for individuals to achieve this.