What is the primary objective when implementing an IT governance framework?

The primary objective of implementing an IT governance framework is to ensure IT alignment with the business. This alignment is crucial because it ensures that IT strategies and initiatives support and drive the overall goals and objectives of the organization. When IT is effectively aligned with the business, it facilitates better decision-making, ensures that resources are utilized efficiently, and helps in realizing business value through technology.

Achieving such alignment leads to improved collaboration between IT and business units, ensuring that technological investments and projects are focused on delivering business outcomes and meeting stakeholder needs. This collaboration helps in establishing clear communication channels, which makes it easier to prioritize IT projects that provide the most benefit to the organization.

While accountability, value realization with IT, and enhancing the return on IT investments are all important aspects of IT governance, they are often considered outcomes of effective alignment between IT and the business. Without proper alignment, accountability may not be adequately enforced, value realization may be compromised, and returns on IT investments may not be maximized. Thus, aligning IT initiatives with business goals is fundamental and serves as the foundation upon which those other objectives are built.