IT Governance and IT Management: Is There a Difference That Makes a Difference?

This essay argues that when the distinction between IT governance and IT management becomes too ambiguous, enterprise executives may conflate the two terms, deeming their participation in IT governance activities unnecessary. This essay posits a core set of executive-level IT governance activities in which business executives should participate. These core activities include: establishment of the enterprise IT management structure, creation of the strategic IT vision and development and execution of the enterprise’s IT investment priorities. The enterprise IT vision becomes the primary means for documenting high-level IT governance decisions required to facilitate the creation of an IT strategy that is truly aligned with the enterprise strategy. The guidance contained in the strategic IT vision establishes the parameters for formulating the far more detailed policies, standards that in turn inform the development of IT initiatives and the ongoing delivery of existing IT services. IT investment priorities and resulting investment decisions serve as the primary control mechanism to ensure that IT initiatives are consistent with the enterprise’s strategic IT principles. This essay conceptualizes IT governance as an emergent and ongoing process requiring the cycling back and forth between IT governance activities.