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70 CHAPTER 7 Assess

All assessments in the realm of EIM (including data governance) need to cover the following
dimensions:
1. OrganizationdThere are many aspects of the organization itself that will affect DG and, in turn, be
affected by DG. This covers organization charts, distribution of staff, the maturity of personnel
related to information usage, and the level of understanding of their data assets. It also covers
the need for the basic skills required to exist in a governed information world.
2. AlignmentdThis dimension addresses, foremost, the business alignment to the actual current state
of IT and information use. Are IT projects done within a managed portfolio, and is information
a key consideration? A very significant reason that DG efforts go awry is a lack of business
alignment to information. Without alignment, there is no business visibility of what is
essentially a business program. It gets lost in the noise and dies.
3. OperationsdThis dimension looks at the facilities that create and contain content. Whereas
technology looks at the wire and pliers, operations looks at the usage of technology. Does the
organization have operational processes and facilities in place to handle content efficiently? Are
applications and systems process-heavy or data-oriented?
4. TechnologydDoes current technology adequately support information use and creation?
5. InformationdWhat is managed in terms of information? Are privacy and security a concern? Are
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there rules and models?

FIGURE 7-1
Process Overview.

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Ibid.