IVI & CEPIS APPOINTED BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO
DEVELOP ROLE OF ICT PROFESSIONALS AND CIO IN BUSINESS

GROUNDBREAKING EUROPEAN ROLE FOR IRISH-BASED INSTITUTE

All relevant stakeholders invited to participate in ICT profession-defining research

19 January 2011

With European spend on ICT expected to reach over €600 billion in 2011, the European Commission has contracted the Innovation Value Institute (IVI), housed at NUI Maynooth, to conduct a groundbreaking research project which will strengthen and further professionalize the vital role of the CIO (Chief Information Officer) and ICT professionals in European business, public sector and academic organizations. IVI is inviting all interested parties to engage with the research project.

During 2011 IVI researchers will conduct in-depth interviews with over 100 leading CIOs, ICT professionals and academics across Europe and develop:

A European-wide framework for ICT professionalism, with the goal of enhancing ICT practices and mobility for qualified professionals across Europe.

A European Training Programme for ICT Managers to support and drive innovation and competitive advantage in the organizations they serve.

The Director of Intel Labs Europe, IVI Director, and NUI Maynooth academic Professor Martin Curley, said the appointment reflected the structural shift in the European Union from a heavy industry based economy to a knowledge-based economy and an awareness of the vital role ICT plays in driving modern business.

“However in many organizations the IT department is still a niche player – a provider of support services rather than a boardroom decision maker. This is a global problem and is unsustainable for successful modern organizations. ICT needs to prove itself, and be recognized as a strategic driver of growth rather than a cost centre. This is the challenge the European Commission has recognized and IVI is very pleased to be part of its response”, he said.

André Richier from the EC Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General said the development of the ICT profession was one of the most important challenges facing modern business and administration. “In Europe we see this as a key enabler of economic growth, innovation and competitiveness. The development of a common framework for understanding, communicating and measuring the pivotal role played by ICT and ICT professionals is a significant priority of the European e-Skills agenda ”.

This is the first significant external contract for IVI, the international consortium-based research institute that was established in 2006 as a joint venture between Intel, The Boston Consulting Group and NUI Maynooth to address the common problem of highly sophisticated organizations ‘shooting in the dark’ with their IT investments. Until now IVI has been focused on open forum learning, using its IT-CMF framework, among its patron members which include Microsoft, Chevron, BP, Ernst & Young, SAP, Cisco, ESB, Axa and Merck. IVI was named as a Centre of Excellence by the Irish Government in 2009.

Discussing the challenge for the European Commission, IVI Head of Research and Development, Dr. Stephen McLaughlin said “In Europe as elsewhere there is a much debate about maturing ICT as a profession. Analysis has shown that there will be a 13% shortage of people with the appropriate ICT skills in the workforce by 2015 alone. This is at a time when ICT is at the heart of European policy through the Lisbon Agenda and more recently the EU2020 and Digital Agenda initiatives. As a result ICT is required to take a greater role in strategically driving business and public sector organizations so it is a huge challenge”

“We know one of the barriers to entry into ICT is the lack of an obvious career structure – there is no common language to describe professional skills and competences, there is no basis for measuring these skills and no common framework to adequately assuring them or having them independently recognized. Elsewhere in the business world you have the MBA and an international language which means those professionals are recognized, measured and highly mobile as a result. To keep up, ICT needs to develop. IVI is ideally placed to assist here as our work in the IT-CMF has illustrated our ability to provide a common framework and language for ICT maturity issues affecting blue chip companies in every sector”, added Dr. Stephen McLaughlin.

IVI, which won the contract following a competitive bid process will carry out its work in conjunction with CEPIS (Council of European Professional Informatics Societies) and has a full-time team of four researchers dedicated to the project. Progress on the project will be regularly posted to a dedicated website (details of which will be available from www.ivi.ie) and a key feature of the work will be an ongoing opportunity for all interested parties to engage with IVI. ICT professionals should regularly review the website and contact IVI with their feedback.

Further information from:
www.ivi.ie
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/ict/e-skills/index_en.htm
www.cepis.org

Professor Martin Curley,The Director of Intel Labs Europe, IVI Director and NUI Maynooth academic.