ICT governance drivers and effective ICT governance at the university of Rwanda

Abstract

Investments in information and communication technology (ICT) based systems and processes are essential for business organizations. Yet many organizations have not been able to derive maximum benefit from their substantial spending on ICT. Some organizations have seen their systems end up as technical or organizational failures. This paper aims at examining the relationship between ICT governance drivers and ICT governance at the University of Rwanda. Adopting the actor network theory perspective to ICT in organizations, we developed a conceptual framework for a holistic approach to examine the ICT governance concept. Empirical data was collected via a survey questionnaire with the respondents being participants from the six colleges, representatives’ central administration consisting of top and senior authorities, middle managers as well as academic and ICT staff, thereby enabling an institutional level unit of analysis. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between ICT strategic alignment and ICT governance; a significant positive relationship between ICT performance management and ICT governance; a significant positive relationship between ICT resource management and ICT governance and a high and significant positive relationship between ICT strategic alignment together with ICT performance management and ICT resource management and ICT governance with ICT resource management being a better predictor of ICT governance than the ICT strategic alignment and ICT performance management. This research therefore recommends that while putting in place ICT governance structures it is important to get the support of top, senior and middle managers as well as involve all stakeholders in the development and implementation of ICT governance at the Institution.