The CSO’s IT Strategy 2010-2012– using the GSBPM to support good governance

MSIS 2010 – Daejeon26-29 April 2010

Joe Treacy

Central Statistics OfficeIreland

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 2

In this paper

Inputs to the CSO’s IT Strategy 2010-2012

Key features of the strategy

Putting the GSBPM at the heart of the strategy

How we are using the GSBPM to influence corporate strategy and culture

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Inputs to the CSO’s IT Strategy

Users’ concerns and priorities for IT

Strategic review of CSO in 2009 Plan for Business and Organisational Development

Lessons from DMS project Generic Data Management System (DMS) Ambitious and far-reaching project

Organisational culture Informality Taking “ownership”

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Users’ concerns and priorities for IT

Uncertainties about DMS project Capacity of CSO IT to maintain and develop DMS

Capacity to meet new business requirements

Not enough support for end-users Technical support for end-user statistical software

Policies, standards, training

Demand for upgraded desktop & groupware tools

Need for better communications by IT

Decision making processes (governance) perceived to be difficult

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Plan for Business and Organisational Development

CSO’s potential to deliver on corporate objectives Statistical outputs; response burden; cost

Co-ordination of Irish Statistical System

Internal co-ordination

Re-organisation:

Business and household surveys – process model

Large Cases Unit – single point of contact

Administrative Data Centre – greater use of administrative sources

IT:

Wide range of IT requirements arising from plan

Re-organisation within IT: System User Support Team & Web Development

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Lessons learned from DMS project

Data Management System (DMS) Project began in November 2003

System went live in September 2007

Reviewed in 2009

Outcome of review

DMS project has delivered a solid platform for capturing and processing statistical data

But: far-reaching project – full ambitions not realised

Input to IT Strategy

DMS is a strategic system – support and develop to meet new needs

Consolidate our statistical IT applications

Implement new developments on a small scale – need faster benefits realisation

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CSO’s organisational culture

Culture and communications in a small organisation Informal

Based on personal networks more than on formal management processes

Flexible - “gets things done”

But at a cost ...

ad-hoc solutions; sub-optimal decisions

Informal management culture not sustainable

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CSO’s IT Strategy 2010-2012- key features

Applications – Support and Development

Business-driven Developments we undertake will reflect business demands

Consolidate existing applications architecture Develop in small projects

Early benefits realisation (ROI)

DMS is core strategic application for data capture and processing

Develop in line with business needs

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CSO’s IT Strategy 2010-2012- key features

Governance & Communications

Manage the corporate toolset

Simplify governance processes

System User Support Team Pro-active support to business areas in developing projects and ideas

Better support for end-user computing

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CSO’s IT Strategy 2010-2012- explaining the rationale

The strategy explains the rationale for corporate IT policies.

For example:

Corporate applications (DMS)

Consolidation of corporate toolset (strategic software)

Effect on allocation of IT resources

Rationale: More efficient allocation of IT resources

Better response to business requirements

Better decision-making

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CSO’s IT Strategy 2010-2012- Enterprise Architecture

The phrase “Enterprise Architecture” is absent from the strategy.

Main target readership: Our staff and managers

We want them to read the strategy.

We want them to understand it.

We want their actions to be consistent with it.

Plain non-technical language makes the message clearer.

We’re using the GSBPM as a communications tool to explain the rationale of the strategy.

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Putting the GSBPM at the heart of our strategy

GSBPM is referenced throughout the strategy

Appendix describes the GSBPM and its contribution to IT and corporate management

GSBPM reflected in: Data Management System (DMS)

Plans for further statistical application development

But model is more than a set of production or IT steps

A way of influencing corporate culture

GSBPM and Governance

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Good governance – gives space for proper planning and evaluation– fosters a culture of quality improvement.

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GSBPM and Governance- changing the culture

Acceptance that formal processes are worth the effort:

Good documentation

Consistency of approach across the organisation

Planning

Monitoring resources and outputs

Quality management processes

Evaluation

Culture of learning and improvement

Repeatability

Effective response to: new demands, scarce resources, complex high-level objectives

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GSBPM and Financial Management- changing the culture

Greater visibility of costs and value of IT contribution:

Better cost metrics

Map costs to GSBPM Level-1

Map costs to business owner areas

Improve budgeting and monitoring of IT spending

Improve awareness of costs, choices and consequences when allocating IT resources.

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The GSBPM is more than an IT framework

GSBPM is often seen as:

• Description of production processes

• Description of IT processes

• “Belonging” to IT

This is a limited view of what the GSBPM can contribute.

“Other uses of the GSBPM” – Section VII of GSBPM document

• Contribution to Corporate Strategic Planning, Governance, Quality Management, Building Organisational Capability, Measuring Costs, Measuring Performance

These “other uses” are a valuable part of the GSBPM framework.

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End of Presentation

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