ISO 38500 – The standard for IT Governance
It is asserted that this is a standard that is useful in corporate governance of information technology services and activities, Information Technology professionals have avowed that it is a valuable tool in advising, informing or assisting managers to effectively perform and accept the use of information technology within organizations. It is affirmed that International Organization for Standardization and International Electro-technical Commission are responsible for the publishing of the standard (Calder, 2008). In order to fulfill the legal, ethical and regulatory obligations of organizations through the use of information technology, managers and leaders get assistance from the standard as it provides that platform for effective governance.
The assistance and guidance is not only limited to executive managers but individual staff members, technical specialists, business analysts, service providers and consultants are also covered. It has been established that the ISO 38500 renders principles, definitions and a model for central bodies to use when appraising, guiding and monitoring the use of information technology. It is important to note that the standard applies to governing processes and important decision that relates to information and communication services that are usable in the organization (Calder and Moir, 2009). For efficient applicability, the processes are controlled by IT specialists within the establishment, and outside service providers.
Information experts have opined that this standard is the first of the kind to indulge on the area of IT governance by providing an efficient and effective framework for aligning IT functions and operations in the organization (Worstell, 2013). Finally, it is worth noting that the guidance and advice can be applicable to all organizations both public and private, government and non-governmental irrespective of their size or type, and regardless of the extent of their use of Information Technology infrastructure.
References
Calder, A. (2008). ISO/IEC 38500: The IT Governance Standard. Ely: IT Governance
Publication.
Calder, A., & Moir, S. (2009). IT governance: Implementing frameworks and standards for the
corporate governance of IT. Ely, UK: IT Governance.
Worstell, K. F. (2013). Governance and Internal Controls for Cutting Edge IT. Ely: IT
Governance Publishing.