Current developments in government and financial services make this an ideal time for IT leaders to promote themselves and their capabilities to the board.
The UK may soon appoint a chief information officer (CIO) to offer strong leadership to public sector IT directors, according to the government's e-envoy, Andrew Pinder. If this high-profile CIO role is established, it might also encourage IT directors in the private sector to knock on the door of chief executives and explain the merits of a board-level position for IT within their own organisations.
I recently met with a financial services expert from Oracle, who argued that the forthcoming Basel II regulations for finance companies - concerning data collection and consolidation, and which will therefore add to the responsibilities of the IT department - is a great opportunity for many CIOs to really act as chief officers of information and not as IT directors. It is also a chance for IT directors who want to be CIOs to demonstrate the value of the role to their business, he added.
Legislation such as the Data Protection Act and the Flexible Working Regulations also offer opportunities for IT directors to take the lead in important business issues.
I remember when the Flexible Working Regulations were introduced in April, and many firms panicked because they did not have strategies to deal with requests for flexible working practices. These new laws have implications for many departments, including HR and the legal teams - but IT directors could step in and suggest a compliance strategy, rather than simply waiting on the sidelines to be issued with directions.
Another suggestion for those who want to be CIOs was recently offered by headhunter Cathy Holley. She said the difference between IT directors and CIOs is that the former would solely focus on getting IT investment, while the latter would assess technology projects objectively, against proposals from other departments that might have greater benefits to the business. Once the IT manager, as CIO, has managed to elevate himself or herself to the board, there is no point in jeopardising that position with bias, goes the argument. The board is there to manage the whole organisation, not to favour any one department.
But the whole notion of getting IT representation on the board is to give more prominence to technology issues. So it seems rather pointless to push for this on the one hand and then warn against focusing too much on IT on the other. I hardly think that finance directors would take much notice if they were told to worry less about what's going in and out of the coffers, after all.
Once IT directors or CIOs have their position on the board, I'd say the finance director model might be a good one to follow. The point of having the finance chief on the board is to ensure this vital area is properly represented and that strategy fits with the financial position of the organisation. The IT director or CIO should take a similar role, ensuring that proposed strategies - flexible working policies or employee monitoring, for example - reflect the overall technology strategy and existing IT resources. Of course, these board members must also evaluate proposed technology projects in a balanced way.
