In this blog, I have reasoned educational technology must be appropriate, proper, and reasonable. As I think about this more, it seems there are three separate and related, but largely independent groups that must give input into the management of information technology in school organizations.
Steering Committees are diverse groups comprising representatives from across the community. They have a strong vision for the organization, broad understanding of the operations of the organization, and an interest in identifying technologies that appear to be fill the gaps in how the organization is functioning and the technology that is available.
ICT Governance is that group of leaders who ultimately make decisions about what technology is purchased and installed, managed and used. These are the “C-level” leaders of the organization.
Infrastructure Implementation are the professionals who make sure the technology recommended by the steering committee and approved by the leaders is configured and maintained in a manner that ensures it is reliable, robust, and secure.
These groups certainly have “leaky boundaries” but within them, they must be autonomous. Steering committees cannot shy away from recommending technology that will be too expensive (thus denied by those with governance responsibilities, or opposed as “too difficult” by the implementers). Infrastructure implementers must be left to their own decisions about how to best integrate and and configure recommended and approved technology. Those responsible for governance have the duty to support and accommodate others, but sometime they must make difficulty and unpopular decisions.
