Programme overview
Introduction:
IT strategy and IT leadership training course for CIOs and IT directors is a five-day course for heads of the IT function and their senior managers, ending with a Three-Year IT Strategy and Investment Roadmap for a case organisation. Many IT functions still fund work request by request, keep an operating model built for an older technology estate and struggle to explain technology spend to the board. Nominees already run IT departments, budgets or sourcing contracts, and the course is taught through case studies drawn from several sectors. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this course on IT strategy and IT leadership.
Course Objectives:
- Define the CIO mandate, decision rights and executive expectations of the IT function in an organisation
- Translate business strategy into technology strategic themes, guiding principles and an IT strategy on a page
- Select an IT operating model, organisation structure and sourcing mix that fit the strategy and budget
- Prioritise application, infrastructure and project investments using portfolio scoring, demand control and value checkpoints
- Lead an IT leadership team and talent pipeline that can deliver the strategy over several years
- Present a Three-Year IT Strategy and Investment Roadmap to the board and business leaders for approval
Target Audience:
- Heads of the IT function accountable for technology strategy and the IT budget
- Senior IT managers who lead infrastructure, applications or service delivery units
- IT planning and portfolio leads who prepare investment decisions for the executive team
- Heads of IT sourcing and supplier strategy responsible for major technology contracts
- Deputy heads of IT preparing to take over leadership of the IT function
Course Outline:
Day 1: CIO Mandate and IT Function Diagnosis
- CIO Mandate Charter and Executive Expectations Mapping
- CIO and CTO Role Boundaries and Reporting Lines
- Run Grow Transform Spend Profile of the IT Function
- IT Function Maturity Self-Assessment Across Service Domains
- Stakeholder Perception Survey of IT Service and Value
Day 2: Business-Aligned IT Strategy Models
- Strategic Alignment Model Linking Business and IT Domains
- Business Strategy Translation into Technology Strategic Themes
- Technology Trend Radar for Adopt, Trial and Hold Decisions
- IT Strategy on a Page and Guiding Principles
- Balanced Scorecard Perspectives for IT Strategic Objectives
Day 3: IT Operating Model, Investment Portfolio and Sourcing
- IT Operating Model Options Centralised, Federated and Hybrid
- IT Organisation Design with Spans, Layers and Role Families
- Application, Infrastructure and Project Portfolio Investment Scoring
- Demand Management Funnel and Value Realisation Checkpoints
- Sourcing Strategy Options Insource, Outsource and Multisourcing
Day 4: IT Leadership, Talent, Risk and Board Communication
- IT Leadership Team Charter and Decision Cadence
- IT Talent Pipeline, Skills Gap Map and Succession Bench
- Technology Risk Appetite Link to Strategic IT Choices
- Board Technology Briefing Pack and Investment Narrative
- IT Strategy Failure Patterns and Recovery Trigger Points
Day 5: Case Study Three-Year IT Strategy and Investment Roadmap
- Case Organisation IT Function Diagnosis and Spend Baseline
- Case Strategic Themes and Target IT Operating Model
- Case Investment Portfolio Ranking and Sourcing Decisions
- Three-Year Roadmap Waves and IT Funding Envelope
- IT Strategy and Investment Roadmap Board Presentation Completion
Skills You Will Gain:
- CIO Mandate Definition
- Business-IT Strategic Alignment
- IT Operating Model Selection
- IT Investment Portfolio Scoring
- Technology Sourcing Strategy
- IT Talent and Succession Planning
- Board-Level Technology Briefing
Why Attend This Course:
- Deliver a Three-Year IT Strategy and Investment Roadmap to the executive committee and board that approve the IT budget
- Decide which IT investments to fund, defer or stop using a shared portfolio scoring method
- Avoid an operating model or sourcing contract that locks the IT function into cost and capability gaps
- Brief IT managers and business colleagues on the strategy on a page so that daily decisions follow it
Conclusion:
Back at work, the participant hands the executive committee and board a Three-Year IT Strategy and Investment Roadmap that sets out the strategic themes, the target IT operating model, the ranked investment portfolio and the sourcing choices. Decision-makers use it to approve the IT funding envelope and the first wave of initiatives. After the first annual planning cycle, the IT leadership team should review spend against the run-grow-transform profile, portfolio value delivered and progress in the IT talent pipeline.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What should participants know before an IT strategy and IT leadership course?
Participants should already lead an IT function, department or major IT unit and understand their organisation's IT budget and service portfolio. Bringing a current IT plan, spend summary or organisation chart helps them apply the case work to their own situation.
How does an IT strategy and IT leadership course differ from an IT governance or enterprise architecture course?
It concentrates on the role of the head of IT: setting strategy, choosing the operating model, funding the portfolio, sourcing and leading people. Governance courses focus on oversight structures and control objectives, while architecture courses focus on modelling target-state designs.
Why should IT strategy and IT leadership be planned over three years?
A three-year horizon is long enough to change the operating model, renew contracts and build talent, yet short enough to tie to budgets. Most organisations refresh it annually so that investment waves follow changes in business priorities.
What do participants take back from an IT strategy and IT leadership course?
Participants take back a Three-Year IT Strategy and Investment Roadmap for a case organisation, with a function diagnosis, strategic themes, a target operating model, ranked investments, sourcing decisions and a board presentation that can be adapted to their own organisation.