Survey discusses top it governance trends.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) STAFFING AND TECHnology service delivery issues head the list of recurring problems affecting organizations worldwide, according to a recent IT Governance Institute (ITGI) survey, IT Governance Global Status Report 2008. The survey, which was sent to 749 CEOs and chief information officers in 23 countries, tracks IT governance trends and problems and the actions, tools, and services used by organizations to help internal IT processes sustain and extend business strategies and objectives.

Some common problems appear to be getting worse, the survey notes. Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents report having an insufficient number of IT staff, compared to 35 percent in a 2005 ITGI survey. In addition, nearly half of executives say their organization has IT service delivery problems, while 41 percent report having a low or unproven return on investment for high IT expenditures, up from 30 percent in 2005. Moreover, 38 percent point to problems due to staff with inadequate skills, and 35 percent say they have difficulties with outsourcers.

"These risks can all destroy business value by adversely affecting customer service or cost efficiency," explains Lynn Lawton, international president of ITGI. "Almost half of the executives surveyed were lukewarm about IT investments delivering value, so this is an area where auditing can recommend improvements."

On the positive side, 93 percent of respondents say IT is somewhat to very important to corporate strategy, an increase of 6 percent from 2005. Thirty-two percent say IT is always on the board's agenda, up from 25 percent in 2005. Also, 18 percent report that the IT department always informs management about potential business opportunities, up from 14 percent in 2005. However, 36 percent report that alignment between IT strategy and corporate strategy is average to very poor.

Finally, the ITGI survey finds that the level that IT governance-related activities have been implemented varies around the globe. Twenty-seven percent of organizations in South America are in the process of implementing, or have already implemented, IT governance, compared with 44 percent in Asia and 50 percent in Europe and North America. "The bottom line is that many organizations around the world are needlessly sacrificing money, productivity, and competitive advantage by not implementing effective IT governance," Lawton stresses.

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A complete copy of IT Governance Global Status Report 2008 is available from the ITGI Web site at www.itgi.org.