MINERAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS GOVERNANCE

Abstract

This research was aimed at gaining an understanding of information systems (IS) governance processes and practices and at assessing their effects in Mineral Resources Management (MRM) departments, thereby ensuring that shareholder value and interests are considered when systems are acquired and used in a quest to derive organisational value. This research was qualitative. Data was collected through structured, one-on-one interviews and by reviewing archived records. It can be said in overall that, De Beers’ MRM department has taken shareholders’ value and interest into consideration when acquiring its systems and when using its systems, in a quest to derive organisational value. Overall, the department’s information systems governance processes, procedures and practices, judged against the IT governance institute’s maturity models, can be said to be “defined” (scoring on average a maturity score of 3.5) but approaching a “managed level” (level 4). Simply put, this means that information systems governance procedures and practices have been standardised, documented, and communicated. It is, however, left to individual business units to follow these processes.