Selecting the right IT governance framework for your business is crucial in order to align your IT strategy with the intended goals of your business, ensure a return on investment for any IT expenditure and keep in line with any regulatory requirements surrounding the use of IT.
Which IT governance framework is most suitable for your business? These are the top eight IT governance frameworks that are currently in use in today’s market.
COBIT Framework
The COBIT Governance Framework is recognised as the leading IT governance framework for dealing with regulatory compliance, risk assessment and aligning the IT strategy with the overall goals of the business and within the limits set out by the regulations
The current version of this IT governance framework is COBIT2019, released as the name would suggest in 2018, although it was originally brought out in 1996 and is still relevant in today’s marketplace in 2024.
COBIT is an acronym for Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology and has five core principles.
The COBIT 2019 principles are
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Meeting stakeholder needs
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Covering the enterprise end-to-end
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Applying a single integrated framework
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Enabling a holistic approach
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Separating governance from management
NIST Cybersecurity Framework
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity framework is an IT governance framework based on managing a business’s cybersecurity strategy and developing a robust defence against data breaches and unauthorised access.
First introduced in 2014 the NIST cybersecurity framework set out the foundation for a common language on cybersecurity risk and how this should be communicated and managed.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is suitable for businesses of all sizes and is scalable so it can be adapted to fit in with the shifting needs of an expanding organisation.
TOGAF The Open Group Architecture Framework
The Open Group Architecture Framework is an Enterprise Architecture methodology that helps businesses to develop enterprise software through a systematic approach aimed at reducing errors keeping to deadlines and staying within the budget whilst aligning the IT strategy with business units to enhance the quality of service
The four pillars of TOGAF are
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Business architecture
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Applications architecture
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Data architecture
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Technical architecture
VAL IT Governance Framework
VAL IT is a governance framework that was created by the Institute of Information Technology Governance (ISACA) and expands on the COBIT framework with more focus on investment decisions and projected returns.
PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments)
PRINCE2 PRojects IN Controlled Environments is a governance framework centred around project management, as opposed to IT. While it is not technically an IT governance framework, its principles and provisions will have an impact on IT governance and IT strategy overall and is therefore worth considering for businesses whose workload is heavily project-based.
CMMI IT Governance Framework
The CMMI or Capability Maturity Model Integration is an IT governance framework focused on improving processes and expanding on the capabilities of a business in different areas such as software development, system engineering, and delivery of services.
The CMMI uses a scale of 1–5 to measure a business’s ability in each domain, providing an easy way to assess your performance at a glance and monitor progress towards your intended goals.
FAIR IT Governance Framework
Factor Analysis of Information Risk or FAIR IT governance framework is an IT governance framework centred around defence from cybercrime and analysing the vulnerabilities and threats to an organisation from a cybersecurity standpoint.
Rather than a typical IT governance framework that sets out the principles for IT strategy, the FAIR system is more of a quantitative risk management framework that gives businesses a way to analyse their operational risk and data security whilst putting it into numbers that can be recorded and measured over time as improvements are made.
ISO/IEC 38500:2015 IT Governance Framework
The ISO/IEC 38500:2015 IT Governance Framework may not have the catchiest sounding name but this IT governance framework is highly useful for top-level executives and board members in relation to their ethical and legal obligations in terms of regulations surrounding their use of IT.
ISO/IEC 38500:2015 IT Governance Framework sets out the governance of IT as a component of organisational governance or corporate governance in the case of corporations.
The main purpose of ISO/IEC 38500:2015 IT Governance Framework is to promote the efficient use of information technology by assuring stakeholders they can have confidence in the organisation’s governance of IT and communicating this with regulatory bodies.
Contact Lyon Tech
At Lyon Tech, we provide a comprehensive IT governance service as part of a fully managed and integrated solution.
If you have any questions on IT governance or would like to know which methodology would be most suitable for your industry and operational needs, contact our expert advisors for an informal chat today.
Our industry experts can help you adopt and refine an IT governance framework that gives your business the best return on investment for any IT infrastructure or system.
