Analyse, apply, and report on current IT governance concepts and frameworks for audit and compliance purposes

Learning Objectives Assessed:This assignment assesses the following learning objectives.1. Evaluate the performance of real world practice concerning IT Governance and Change Management strategies.2. Determine and design activities supporting IT Governance that are mindful of contemporary change management theories.3. Analyse, apply, and report on current IT governance concepts and frameworks for audit and compliance purposes.5. Construct and implement IT Governance and change management plans drawing upon relevant industry frameworks.Graduate Attributes supported:This assessment supports the following RMIT Graduate Attributes: Work ready and active and lifelong learners.Case ContextIn recent years, the Victorian Auditor General’s Office (VAGO) has grappled with problematic governance surrounding ICT projects in government bodies. One of the solutions advocated has involved the implementation of an IT Dashboard system. Two VAGO reports have examined the performance of this solution. Results suggest that lack lustre governance persists.Benefits and impacts from ICT projectsOf particular interest to the VAGO has been the struggle of government departments to demonstrate the benefits of their ICT projects. This concern is centred not only on the projects’ initiation stage but on longer term management that should be focusing on benefits realisation.In its Digital Dashboard Phase I project in 2015, VAGO discovered that of the 1,249 projects that had been reported only 1/4 had a benefits realisation plan. Of the benefit plans reviewed, only 1/3 set down the expected benefits and identified measures and related targets (VAGO, 2018 p37). Not surprisingly, VAGO concluded that “agencies involved in the 2015 audit were not able to assure Parliament and the Victorian community that their ICT investments had resulted in sufficient public value to justify the significant expenditure of taxpayers’ money.” (VAGO, 2018, p.7). In its 2018 dashboard reportActions, VAGO subsequently indicated that basic reporting of the numbers of ICT projects and monies expended had improved. Nonetheless, there was still considerable weakness in the reporting about ICT project benefits assessment. VAGO also noted that the new ICT dashboard software tool being rolled out in that year had greater capacity to report on the expected impact that ICT investments have and to track benefits as they are realised. (VAGO, 2018, p.38). Obviously, from a governance viewpoint there is still a need to enhance realisation of benefits reporting.