BahrainGovernmentEmbracesCOBIT5GovernanceandIT SubscribetoNewsletter

Management
ViewArchives
ByHarikrishnanSugumaran,ITIL,ToGAF,KhalidAlMutawah,Ph.D.,ZakareyaAhmedAl
Khaja,Ph.D. SubmitanArticle
COBITFocus|18May2015
ReadMoreCaseStudies

JointheConversation
TheKingdomofBahrainseGovernmentAuthorityis
focusedonensuringtheeffectivedeliveryofgovernment
MoreAboutCOBIT5
servicestocitizens,residents,businessesandvisitors
(collectively,thecustomers).Theaimistoimprovethe
BacktoFocusHome
livesofanationscitizensbydoingmuchmorethan
simplyimplementingtechnology.

Thisinvolvesabroadrangeofresponsibilitiesandactivitiesownedandperformedbymultifunctionaland
multidisciplinaryteamsacrossthecountry,alongwiththestrongleadershipneededtoimplementthem.In
addition,itinvolvesaddressingmanychallengesbothinternalandexternal.Theseincludedealingwith
legislative,regulatoryandbudgetarybarriersevolvingcommontechnicalframeworksandinfrastructure
ensuringacommonvisionprovidingleadershipatmanylevelsstrengtheningcoordinationimproving
collaborationclarifyingpublicprivatepartnershipsandmonitoringandevaluatingprogressandresultson
anongoingbasis.

Thisvisioncanbeachievedandthechallengesaddressedonlythroughstrongleadership,whichcanspeed
uptheprocessofegovernmentimplementation,promotecoordinationwithinandamongagencies,andhelp
reinforcegoodgovernanceobjectives.Allegovernmentsuccessstoriesaroundtheworldsharecommon
features:leadership,politicalwill,commitmenttocleargoalsandaccountability.Anycountrythatcombines
thesecharacteristicshasthepotentialtoachieveeffectiveegovernmentleadership.Thesegoalscanbe
attainedonlythroughanauthoritythathasthespanofcontrolanddepthofcapabilitiestoguidethecountry.
Therefore,justsuchanauthorityisimperativeforthesuccessfulimplementationofegovernmentinthe
KingdomofBahrain.

Theaimistoimprovethelivesofanationscitizensbydoing
muchmorethansimplyimplementingtechnology.

WhyCOBIT5?
TheeGovernmentAuthorityintheKingdomofBahrainrecognizedoneofthekeyframeworkstobeadopted
acrossgovernmententitiesintheKingdomthroughtheInformationCommunicationTechnologyGovernance
Council(ICTGC),whichischairedbythechiefexecutiveofficer(CEO)andviceCEOoftheeGovernment
Authority.TheICTGCwishedtoimplementabasicframeworkbywhichkeydecisionsaregovernedandIT
ismanagedacrossgovernmententitiesthroughanappropriatebalancedscorecard(BSC)model.

Hence,COBIT5waschosenastheoverarchingframework,becauseitemphasizestheimportanceof
governanceandITmanagementtogether.ThisdecisionsupportstheICTGCkeyobjectivesto:

Reinforcesecurity
MitigateentityriskforITandbusinessasawhole
OptimizecostwhileimprovingtheconsistencyofITdelivery
Easetheauditingandcomplianceburden

Committee/BoardandLeadershipAcceptance
TheICTGChadbeenlookingforwardtocascadingbusinessgoalstoITgoalsfordefiningprioritiesand
responsibilitiesforimprovementwithlinkageofBSC.TheteamanalysedCOBIT5anddiscovered
elaborateandcomprehensiveguidancetoundertakesuchacascade.COBIT5providedamechanismto
structurethebusinessgoalsintheBSCformatandthensubsequentlytranslatethemintomanageable,
specificITrelatedgoals,alsointheBSCformat.Boththescorecardswouldhave4quadrantsfinancial,
customer,internal,andlearningandgrowth.Thesegoalscouldthenbefurthermappedtospecific
processesandpracticeswithintheITfunctions.ThisapproachalignedwiththevisionofICTGC
leadership,whichmadeiteasiertosecuretheirsupportforitsadoption.

MappingCOBIT5ProcessestotheEgovernmentICTTransformation
Landscape
TheconceptualizedNationalTransformationProgramarrivedatasimpleframeworktomaptheCOBIT5
processes,alongwithgoals,totheegovernmentlandscapeelementsforeaseofmeasurement,alignment
andprioritization,asdepictedinthefigure1.

Figure1HighlevelLandscapeMapWithCOBIT5Processes

Source:Sugumaran,AlMutawahandAlKhaja.Reprintedwithpermission.
ViewLargeGraphic

The37COBITprocessesaregroupedinto8elementsoftheeGovernmentlandscape:

1.Strategyandprocesses:6ITprocesses
2.Financialmanagement:4ITprocesses
3.Peopleandresources:2ITprocesses
4.Infrastructureandoperations:8ITprocesses
5.Serviceplanningandarchitecture:3ITprocesses
6.Securityandrisk:7ITprocesses
7.Applications:3ITprocesses
 8.Projectportfoliomanagementandprojects:4ITprocesses

BahrainICTTransformationProgramApproach
ThisprogramprimarilysurveysandassessestheITprocesseffectiveness,importanceandownershipwith
asetofactivitiesinwhichthemainaimistoimprovetheinformationandcommunicationstechnology(ICT)
functionoftheorganizationanditscontributiontotheoverallperformanceoftheentity.Theactivities
include:

1.SurveyITleaderstoassessITfunctionstrengthsandweaknessesTheITleadershipteamwill
completeashortsurveytoidentifythecurrentstateofITgovernanceandmanagementprocessesfocusing
on:
Effectiveness
Importance
Ownership

Figure2depictsthesamplemethodologyfollowedtoassessstrengthsandweaknessesoftheprocessto
prioritize,wheretheITprocessesrankedbasedontheirperceivedimportanceandeffectivenessfrommost
importanttoleastimportantandfromleasteffectivetomosteffective.

Figure2PrioritizationProcess
Source:Sugumaran,AlMutawahandAlKhaja.Reprintedwithpermission.
 Thisdataanalysiswasdonetounderstandwhichprocessestheteambelievesarecurrentlyperforming
well,whichprocessesrequireimprovement,andwhichprocessestheteambelievesarecrucialtothemand
totheorganization.

2.ReviewreportandestablishclearownershipforcriticalITfunctions:
Reviewtheresultsofthereporttounderstandtheteamsperceptionoftheimportanceand
effectivenessofeachprocess.
Identifywherethegapsexistbetweentheteamsprocessscorestoseewherethereisadifferencein
opinion.
Discusswhichprocesses,ifimproved,wouldhavethegreatestimpactondepartmentsandthe
organization.
Buildaplantoensureclearaccountabilityandengageabroaderteamwithprocessaccountability.
EnsurethatkeyITleadersarenotoverwhelmedwithaccountability.
3.Conductateamalignmentexercise:
Gathertheteamanddiscussprocessdiscrepanciesandthosewiththegreatestgapsinscores.
Bringtheentireteamontothesamepagetodeterminewhichprocessesaremostimportantand
leasteffective.
EstablishprocessownersfortheITprocesses.Eachrelevantprocessmusthaveatleastoneperson
accountableformonitoringandimprovementinitiatives.
4.Createaroadmapofkeyprocessestoimprove:
Oncetheteamhasreachedaconsensusonwhichprocessestofocus,createaprocess
improvementroadmapoutliningwhichprocesseswillbefocusedonoverthenext12months.
Determineresponsibilitiesandtimelines,aswellasregularcheckpoints,tomonitorprogresswith
theteam.

Conclusion
ThegovernanceofenterpriseIT(GEIT)implementationlifecycleisongoingforallgovernment
organizationsintheKingdomofBahrainthroughtheNationalICTTransformationProgram,asstated
previously.Asitmovesforward,collaborationbetweenbusinessunitsandprocessownersisrequiredas
thedefinedprocessescrossentitylinesandbridgegapsbetweenservicesupport,businessandoperational
management,andoverallgovernanceofthegovernmententity.

Theenvisionedresultsofanintegrated,operationalenvironmentwillallowtheentitytomeasurethereturn
oninvestment(ROI)andevaluatethecontributionofCOBIT5towardtheoverallgoalofaholisticand
managedenterprise,boostingcollaborationandcreatinganefficientprocessforexcellenceamongall
teams.

EvolutionthroughtheGEITimplementationlifecycletoapointofdeterminingcapabilityisthenextstepin
theevolutionasanimplementationgroup.

HarikrishnanSugumaran,ITIL,ToGAF
IsanITgovernancearchitectwiththeeGovernmentAuthorityintheKingdomofBahrain.Heisapracticing
architectandbusinesstechnologyleaderwithmorethan18yearsofprofessionalexperience,spanning
managementconsulting,strategicplanning,businessandenterprisearchitecture,governancearchitecture,
andtechnologyadvisory,acrossdiverseindustrysegmentandgeographiclocations.

KhalidAlMutawah,Ph.D.
IsthedirectorofEnterpriseArchitectureandITattheeGovernmentAuthorityintheKingdomofBahrain.
HisfocusisoncoveringITarchitecturesandinfrastructuresandusingthebenefitsofITtosolvebusiness
problemsthroughouttheprocessofcostandriskmanagement.

ZakareyaAhmedAlKhaja,Ph.D.
IstheviceCEOoftheeGovernmentAuthorityintheKingdomofBahrain.Heisamemberofanumberof
nationalspecializedcommittees,includingBahrainsfirstNationaleGovernmentStrategyCommittee(2007
2010)andthesecond(20112016),theNationalICTGovernanceCommittee,andtheTechnicalCommittee
oftheGCCMinisterialCommitteeforeGovernment.

> DISCUSS Share: