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Unit 10: Government and Independent Financial Audit: Comparison

Notes
Presenters at the conferences included IT governance/Corporate governance leaders
such as Mr. Erik Guldentops, advisor to the ITGI board, Dr. Nasser Al Saidi, Executive
Director, Hawkamah, The Institute of Corporate Governance, etc.
2. Workshops: Propagating COBIT as a model framework by conducting workshops
on a regular basis. ITGAF conducted several workshops in 2007 and 2008 on related
topics, including Implementing IT Governance Practices. A workshop titled Using
COBIT for Effective IT Management and Implementing IT Governance was held in
November 2008 and repeated in February 2009.

3. Awards: Commencing 2006 through 2008, ITGAF instituted an award that is
bestowed to the IT department among the Government of Dubai that demonstrates
highest level of process maturity in IT governance. The award is named as “ITGAF
Process Maturity Award”. The criteria for evaluation of process maturity are based
on the COBIT maturity model framework. The maturity model score collation and
evaluation are done using an in-house-developed tool for standardized evaluation.

4. In 2008, FAD developed and rolled out a pilot project to conduct IT Governance
Maturity Model Assessments as a Control Self Assessment (CSA) initiative. Once
this project is fully implemented, all Dubai Government Departments will assess
and report the outcome of CSA to FAD. To support this activity, an exercise of
identifying “Champions” within all Dubai Government Departments and a
workshop was organized to equip the Champions, who will in turn lead the CSA
projects. While this was a pilot project, it is expected to become a formal activity in
2009. Upon gathering the feedback, this is expected to be extended to all other
entities owned by the Government.
5. Scope, applicability and reach of ITGAF extends beyond one organization. In effect,
the above activities have actually made significant contribution towards adoption
and implementation of good governance practices in government departments and
in more than 40 other major to medium establishments, where the Government of
Dubai has a stake.

6. ITGAF/FAD has an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the local
chapter of ISACA for collaborative efforts in the areas of IT governance. This has
been in place since 2007. ITGAF, as an initiative, advocates the cause of IT governance
and that of ISACA/ITGI. The following are the stated objectives in the MOU between
ITGAF and the ISACA UAE Chapter.

7. ITGAF/FAD in the past has designed, developed and delivered customized training
sessions on IT governance, information security, IS audits and preparation of the
CISA examination since 2001.
8. ITGAF has announced and is in the process of gathering and distributing case studies
on successfully implemented IT governance initiatives within all Dubai Government
establishments.

Roles of the Board of Directors
ITGAF has the following structure. Presently, the chairman, president and vice presidents
constitute the board of directors.

Contd....

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