Welcome

Gov *er* nance

"A method or system of government or management."

Welcome to Easygov-IT.org. Easygov (as I’m going to call it for short) is a blog devoted to governing and controlling IT environments in ways that make sense, add value and allow the organization to drive forward. In short – making IT governance EASY.

I started this site for two reasons. First, governance is a complex and often daunting task to the uninitiated – and unlike a lot of areas in IT, there isn’t a lot wiggle room for making errors and finding your way through the process when the auditors come knocking. Secondly, most of the places that say they want to help you understand governance do so with a hefty price tag attached. After years of learning, experiencing and taking the resources of the internet, it was time I gave back. The best way for me to do that is to share my experiences and information with others.

First, a little background. For the last several years, I have been at the forefront of the companies I have worked for in addressing IT audits, IT controls and IT governance. These have included stints in both the service and the manufacturing sectors – which each have their own rules – and for both public and private firms. Annual revenues for these companies run in the $1-10B range. This combination of organizations has given me a unique opportunity to see a wide variety of audit issues, and work with a large group of people to evaluate situations and effectively address problems.

If you’ve read this far, I’m assuming you have an interest in IT governance, and a desire to make use of the tools and services IT governance can provide your organization. Just as likely, if you’ve stumbled across this page its because you’ve gone through an audit of some type, you got dinged, the board is up in arms and senior management is breathing down your neck to find solutions. Been there. Got the scars. So let’s start with rule number one of the governance game.


Don’t Panic.

There is a lot to do. There is a lot to keep track of. For most organizations, its more than a single person can handle – but that’s why they pay us the big bucks. We’re going to do two things to help make you successful. First, we’re going to define where your effort needs to go and secondly we’ll look at building a good governance team around you – even if they are just your peers.
In the next installment, we’ll discuss how to scope your work to make you successful.