Temat: Investment Management (IM)

Val IT Framework based on COBIT = Entreprise Value Governance of IT Investments
Value Governance (VG) - Portfolio Management (PM) - Investment Management (IM)





Investment Management (IM)

IM1 Develop and evaluate the initial programme concept business case.
Recognise investment opportunities, classify each with respect to the investment portfolio categories and identify a business sponsor. Clarify expected business outcome(s), and provide a high-level view of all initiatives required to achieve the expected outcomes and how they would be measured. Provide an initial, high-level estimate of benefits and costs as well as the key assumptions and major risks, and obtain the appropriate sign-offs. Determine whether the opportunity merits further work to support development of a detailed business case, considering strategic alignment, benefits and expenditures, resource constraints, risks, and fit with the overall investment portfolio.

IM2 Understand the candidate programme and implementation options.
Involve all key stakeholders to develop and document a complete understanding of the expected business outcomes of the candidate programmes, how they will be measured, the full scope of initiatives required to achieve the outcomes, the risks involved and the impact on all aspects of the enterprise. Identify and assess alternative courses of action to achieve the desired business outcomes.

IM3 Develop the programme plan.
Define and document all projects required to achieve the programme’s expected business outcomes. Specify the resource requirements and associated sourcing method. Provide a time plan that takes into account the interdependencies of multiple projects.

IM4 Develop full life-cycle costs and benefits.
Prepare a programme budget based on full economic life-cycle costs. List all intermediate and business benefits in a benefits register, and plan how they will be realised. Identify and document targets for key outcomes to be achieved, including the method for measuring and the approach for mitigating non-achievement. Submit budgets, costs, benefits and associated plans for review, refinement and sign-off.

IM5 Develop the detailed candidate programme business case.
Develop a complete and comprehensive business case for the programme, covering purpose, objectives, approach and scope, dependencies, risks, milestones, and the organisational change impact. Include a value assessment based on full economic life-cycle costs and benefits, expected rate of return, strategic alignment, and key assumptions. Also, provide a programme plan covering component project plans, a benefits realisation plan, the approach to risk and change management, and the programme governance structure. Assign clear accountability, authority and ownership for achieving the benefits, controlling the costs, managing the risks, and co-coordinating the activities and interdependencies of multiple projects. Obtain acceptance for the accountabilities.

IM6 Launch and manage the programme.
Plan, resource and commission the necessary projects required to achieve the programme outcomes. Plan resources for later periods, but fund only up to the next stage-gate review. Manage programme performance against key criteria, identify deviations from plan and take timely remedial action. Monitor individual project performance against its criteria, identify potential impacts on programme performance and take timely remedial action when required. Monitor benefits throughout the programme for ownership, actual achievement and potential over- or under-achievement, and report on benefit progress at the stage-gate reviews. Initiate timely action for significant deviations from plan as well as for problems.

IM7 Update operational IT portfolios.
Reflect changes that result from the investment programme in the relevant IT service, asset and resource portfolios.

IM8 Update the business case.
Update the programme’s business case to reflect the current status whenever there is any change that affects the projected costs, benefits, opportunities or risks.

IM9 Monitor and report on the programme.
Monitor the performance of the overall programme and all its projects, and report to the appropriate boards and executive in a timely, complete and accurate fashion, covering the delivery of technical and business capabilities, the operational service delivery aspects, the impact on resources, and the business’s achievement of benefits. Reporting may include performance against the programme plan in terms of schedule and budget, completeness and quality of functionality, the status of internal controls and risk mitigation, and the continuing acceptance of accountabilities for delivering intermediate and business benefits.

IM10 Retire the programme.
Bring the programme to an orderly closure and remove it from the active investment portfolio when there is agreement that the desired business value has been achieved or when it is clear it will not be achieved within the value criteria set for the programme.