Information Technology (IT) Conference 2005

"Balancing Value and Investment in Information Technology"

April 6 and 7, 2005
Ottawa Congress Centre (Capital Hall Room)
55 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

This conference seeks to build on initiatives and efforts that have focused on evaluating the information technology (IT) function and the use of its resources within organizations. There is renewed interest in this field, especially in light of the current thrust of reforms in the public sector.

Issues and objectives

Today, attitudes toward the management of organizational resources have changed considerably. Several recent trends, including the squeeze on public finances and the explosive growth of information technologies, are drawing public attention to both public and private institutions and their practices and standards. This has aroused interest in measures of performance, quality and outcomes.

Within institutions, information technology is one of the functions increasingly subject to these measurement criteria, despite the technological and management challenges that it poses.

Previously, it might have appeared sufficient to correctly identify fields of application of IT (which were few in number and relatively stable) to ensure that the resources assigned to this function were correctly managed. Currently, technical experts seem overwhelmed by the growing need for IT, while information systems managers find it hard to provide sound, effective and efficient management of the resources devoted to handling and using information to the benefit of the organization .

It is certainly possible to increase the value of IT for the organization by making wise investments, but this is not enough. To maximize the potential of these investments in terms of value added, it is necessary to strive constantly for efficiency and innovation.

In this new environment, a precise knowledge of IT costs and a mastery of the equipment and products provided to users become less relevant when not associated with an evaluation of the gains actually delivered to the organization by information systems. The evaluation of the IT function and the use of its resources should take place within a broader organizational framework in which interactions with other sectors are identified and analysed.

There is thus a need for thinking to evolve on the role, value added and necessary repositioning of the IT function and the use of its resources.

Accordingly, this conference would like to focus participants’ attention more on the value of information systems and technologies than on the purely technological or budgetary aspects that too often monopolize attention to the detriment of good strategic choices and proper use of computer tools to enhance performance.

Sub-themes of the conference

The conference, which will feature leading professionals, researchers and managers in the field of information systems and technologies, will include three main components:

• Management of the Information Technology Function will deal with the position of the IT function within organizations, its governance and the new challenges that it faces with respect to human resources management.
• Technical Goods and Infrastructures will cover the use of physical assets and ways to measure productivity and the quality of services provided.
• Applications Development and Maintenance will deal with methods and means of developing systems to enhance organizational performance.

Content and other information about the presentation

• Final document and/or presentation

• Send the documents to:
  
  Pierre Lafrance
  2005 Statistics Canada IT Conference,
  Statistics Canada
  R.H. Coats Building , 14-O, Tunney’s Pasture
  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1A 0T6
  Phone: 613-951-4613
  Fax: 613-951-0607
  E-mail: pierre.lafrance@statcan.gc.ca

Guidelines for abstracts and presentations

Abstracts
Presentations