Information Governance Solves the Challenges of IT Governance and Data Governance! Or?

In the Netherlands, there is a discussion going on whether data governance is one of the causes of the worlds financial crisis. A serious newspaper like Trouw and the University of Amsterdam are among those. Hans Lodder investigates facts, and tries to shed some light on it. In this blog he thinks aloud. Please bear with him.

Trouw Reports on Data Governance as Cause of the Financial Crisis

In Trouw mr. N. Boerma of the Management Center in The Hague argues that one of the causes of the financial crisis is the influence of ICT in our day to day world. In his opinion major changes are causing this:

1. Information is through networks everywhere and always available, and everybody can find it.
2. There is sufficient computer processing power available.

These two facts have 2 consequences:

1. Not the top of the organizational hierarchy has the best knowledge, but the operational level is best informed.
2. The traditional pattern for control on values and quality of the used information is no longer effective.

I wonder how you, my readers, feel about this.

The University of Amsterdam Researches Information Governance

Michiel Kooper at the University of Amsterdam does research on Information Governance. He asks himself the question whether there is a new type of governance needed in relation to process information: Produce, distribute, maintain, use, enrich, and protect information. He thinks this type of governance needs a strong relation with persons. You could call this governance controlling the interaction of people with information.

He considers it well possible that this type of governance makes the use of information much more transparent, and prevents misuse. Whatever you see as misuse.

CREON Software Engineering: Specifying 'Information Governance'

In the eighties I have been the chief architect of a case tool supplier: CREON Software Engineering. CASE stands for Computer Aided Software Engineering. Our goal was to define sufficient specifications to be able to automatically generate software for a complete application implementation: Database, screens, static and dynamic business rules, batch programs, installation scripts, and what have you.

Strange enough, in that time for customers was the most difficult part of the specifications that define upfront the menu structure of the new application, in relation to the required security and authorization. We wanted to generate which role was allowed to perform what, and thus which person was added to what role. And why was it difficult? Because business decisions were needed. It was much easier to say: Everybody is allowed to do anything.

I wonder whether it is this human behavior that still has an important influence on how people act and process information, and how this behavior relates to the way a crisis can result from (mis)use of information. Would this be a clue to Information Governance?

I keep you posted!

What do you think caused the financial crisis? Please share your thoughts with the Results2Match Community on this! We welcome your comments!

This blog is part of a series on Information and Data Governance:

1. Data Governance for Dummies: Part 1 (Business Requirements).
2. Data Governance for Dummies: Part 2 (The Replica Data Security Solution)
3. Master Data: Business Asset or Cash-flow Burner?
4. How to beat the Master Data Management implementation challenge?
5. Master Data Management and Information Modeling: On End or Means
6. Information Governance Solves the Challenges of IT Governance and Data Governance! Or? (this blog)

Results2Match has a strong vision on how Results2Match approaches strategy and how Results2Match links your strategy to your performance!

This blog is written by Hans Lodder. Hans is a very experienced management consultant and interim manager. You can contact Hans by email.