Articles by Hazel Jennings

Hazel is a certified IT professional with 30 years’ experience using appropriate technology to increase organisational capabilities. After an international career with technology vendors, Hazel moved to New Zealand and the non-profit sector. She is on the board of three NZ charities; The 2020 Communications Trust, Social Development Partners and the Funding Information Service. Hazel is a national councillor of the Institute of IT Professionals and a member of the NZ Institute of Directors. In 2010 Hazel founded Dale Jennings Associates to offer independent IT advice, planning and project support. Some 90% of her clients are non-profits.

Governance

Information Flow is the New Cash Flow

Information flow is the new cash flow, quite literally, in the case of electronic funds transfer. More metaphorically, in the case of the myriad of electronic transactions collecting, storing and analysing data or those that carry conversations to plan and make decisions. In both cases, if the flow stops, the organisation stops. Yet Information and Communications Technology (ICT) governance lags far behind fiscal governance in most organisations. It begins and ends with minimising costs, fretting about social media and obtaining (often untested) assurances that the back-ups are regularly taken.