1. A Capability Maturity Framework
for Sustainable ICT
Brian Donnellan - Innovation Value Institute
Charles Sheridan – Intel Corporation
Edward Curry – Digital Enterprise Research Institute

2. SICT Drivers
Self-interest (image,
competitive differentiation)
Economics Social, cultural and
Savings political influence
Sustainable
ICT
Environmental Industry and External
Concerns Business Pressures
Regulatory &
Compliance
Requirements
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3. Two Faces of SICT
External to IT
data collection collaborative web smart buildings
and reporting technologies conferencing
de-materialization Internal to IT
e-waste data centre design Virtualisation, cloud Power Mgmt., PC
and operations computing refresh cycle
e-procurement
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4. Challenges for the CIO
Complexity
and rapid
evolution of
CIO
SICT
Lack of agreed and
consistent standards
Evolving regulations
and legislation around
the world
The need for new
SICT metrics and
measures
Lack of
expertise in
SICT
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5. IVI formed to create IT capability maturity framework – creating new
approaches, leveraging existing standards and addressing "value" gap
Steering patrons
www.ivi.ie
IVI membership includes leading enterprises, consulting,
not-for-profit, government and academic organisations.

6. IT Capability Maturity Framework
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7. SICT acts as a standalone critical process with increasing
maturity as well as influencing other critical processes in IT
IVI CMF SICT Maturity Curve Additional/amended CP-specific
(all critical processes) - supports creation of critical practices to improve sustainability
process with specific maturity
sustainability practices,
outcomes, metrics.
Example
Portfolio Planning & Prioritisation
PPP
(SICT specific)
S
PPP board decisions
I demonstrably take Sustainability
C criteria into account. SICT-specific
T
KPIs include:
Ø % of PPP board approvals that include
sustainability criteria
Ø % of portfolio planning discussions that include
IT BU and organisation-wide sustainability
objectives
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8. IVI SICT Assessment Process
Scope & • Define the scope and goal of SICT
Goal • Agree on the business posture
• Assess current maturity
Understand • Online assessments
Capability • Individual interviews
• Data collection to validate
Develop • Develop SICT Capability
Capability Building Blocks
• Assess and manage progress over time
Manage • Develop a roadmap and action plan
• Yearly follow-up assessments
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9. The IVI Approach to SICT
1
Assess status and update baseline 1
Assessment
2
Design solution model for next phase
5 2
Improvement Design
3
Implement strategy and transition to
next capability level
4
Operate under new SICT capability
level using metrics 4 3
Operation Transition
5
Define improvement paths based on
operational experience and metrics results
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10. Sustainable ICT: Categories and building blocks
Capability
Category Description
Building Block
Definition and execution of ICT sustainability strategy to influence and align to
Alignment
Strategy & business sustainability objectives
Planning
Objectives Definition and agreement of sustainability objectives for ICT
Operations
& Life Cycle
Sourcing, operation and disposal of ICT systems to deliver sustainability objectives
Process ICT-Enabled Provision of ICT systems that enable improved sustainability outcomes across the
Management Business Processes extended enterprise.
Performance & Reporting and demonstration of progress against ICT specific and ICT enabled
Reporting sustainability objectives, within the ICT business and across the extended enterprise.
Definition, communication and use of common sustainability language and vocabulary
Language across ICT and other business units including the extended enterprise, to leverage a
People & common understanding
Culture
Embedding of sustainability principles across ICT and the extended enterprise.
Adoption
Evangelising of sustainability successes and contributing to industry best practice
Enablement and demonstration of compliance with both ICT and Business
External Compliance sustainability legislation and regulation . Clear accountability for sustainability roles
Governance and decision making across ICT and the enterprise
Establishment of common and consistent policies to support an ICT sustainability
Corporate Policies
strategy to meet current and future sustainability objectives, as part of periodic review.
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11. Increasing maturity involves systematically improving
capability in nine key ‘Capability Building Blocks’
Collaboration with
extended enterprise;
Optimised
Pro-active development
with external input
Pro-active communication
Advanced and feedback with business;
Clear professional
career track
Regular consultation
Intermediate with business,
Formalised roles and
responsibilities
Formal technology roles
within projects,
Basic
Key stakeholders identified
and informed
Ad hoc No SICT roles &
Responsibilities,
Ad hoc, project-based
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12. SICT Assessment Results
Maturity of capability building blocks Initial Basic Intermediate Advanced Optimising
Alignment (A1)
Strategy and
Planning (A)
Objectives (A2)
Operations and Life Cycle (B1)
Process
ICT Enabled Sustainable Business
Management Process (B2)
(B)
Performance Measurement and
Reporting (B3)
Adoption (C1)
People and
Culture (C)
Language (C2)
Regulatory Compliance (D1)
Governance
(D)
Corporate Policies (D2)
Benchmark Benchmark
Range Median
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13. SICT Assessment Results
"“We have the right technologies and platform.
We just have to ensure organization wide
Alignment (A1)
Strategy and awareness and mindset shift” Company A
Planning (A)
Objectives (A2)
“Implementation - We seem to have the most
problem with follow through, taking the idea
Operations and Life Cycle (B1)
all the way to whichever edge would have us
Process realize the visualized returns“ Company B
ICT Enabled Sustainable Business
Management Process (B2)
(B)
Performance Measurement and
“We need to be active in practicing what we
Reporting (B3) preach” Company C
Adoption (C1)
People and “Environment has to be part of everyone’s job
Culture (C) not just the environment team but will take
Language (C2) longer for different functions to take on…
need to change mindset” Company D
Regulatory Compliance (D1)
Governance
(D) “SICT will only become a reality when Business
Corporate Policies (D2) Units decide they are behind it and change
demands and behaviour”. Company E
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14. IVI SICT Assessment outputs
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15. Insight from Assessments
• Obtain Senior Management’s Vision
• Clear business vision for sustainability with goals and milestones
• Senior-level drive, visibility, and communication
• Engage IT and Business Operations
• Assessment can be a wake-up call for both parties
• Broad actions needed across both IT & the business—not just in IT
• Accept Cultural Change
• Embed SICT into the everyday work routine
• Success requires SICT to be viewed as “business as usual”
• Incentives can drive cultural change
• Understand the Potential and Expand Expertise
• Misconception remains that sustainability typically represents a cost
• SICT skills and experience are still in short supply
• Education is critical to changing this skills shortage
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16. Further Information
B. Donnellan, C. Sheridan, and E. Curry, “A
Capability Maturity Framework for Sustainable
Information and Communication Technology,” IT
Professional, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 33-40, Jan. 2011.
E. Curry and B. Donnellan, “Understanding the
Maturity of Sustainable ICT,” in Beyond
Efficiency: Business Process Management for
the Sustainable Enterprise, S. S. Jan vom
Brocke, Ed. Springer, 2011.
Innovation Value Institute – www.ivi.ie
Contact
brian.donnellan@nuim.ie
charles.g.sheridan@intel.com
edward.curry@deri.org
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17. Credits:
Sheila Upton
Paul Lidbetter
Andrew Stewart
Maurice O’Connor
John Shaw
Theodora Ngosi
Louise Ogden
Emanuelle Saussier
Benoit Hudzia
Stephen Dawson
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