What are the best practices for developing a network governance strategy and roadmap?

1 Assess the current state

The first step in developing a network governance strategy and roadmap is to assess the current state of your network governance. This involves conducting a gap analysis, a risk assessment, and a stakeholder analysis. A gap analysis compares your current network governance practices with the best practices and benchmarks in your industry and identifies the areas of improvement. A risk assessment evaluates the potential threats and vulnerabilities that could affect your network performance, security, and compliance. A stakeholder analysis identifies the key roles and responsibilities of the people who are involved in or affected by the network governance, such as network administrators, users, managers, and customers.

2 Define the desired state

The next step is to define the desired state of your network governance. This involves setting the vision, mission, and objectives for your network governance, as well as the metrics and indicators to measure the progress and outcomes. The vision describes the ideal state of your network governance in terms of its value, quality, and efficiency. The mission explains the purpose and scope of your network governance and how it supports the business strategy. The objectives specify the specific and measurable goals that you want to achieve with your network governance, such as improving network availability, security, or performance.

3 Develop the roadmap

The third step is to develop the roadmap for your network governance. This involves prioritizing the actions, initiatives, and projects that will help you bridge the gap between the current and desired state of your network governance. The roadmap should also include the timeline, budget, resources, and dependencies for each action, initiative, and project. The roadmap should be realistic, achievable, and flexible, and should align with the business priorities and expectations.

4 Implement the roadmap

The fourth step is to implement the roadmap for your network governance. This involves executing the actions, initiatives, and projects that are defined in the roadmap and ensuring that they are delivered on time, within budget, and with quality. This also involves communicating the progress, results, and benefits of the network governance to the stakeholders and obtaining their feedback and support. The implementation of the roadmap should follow the established network governance policies, standards, and practices, and should comply with the relevant regulations and requirements.

5 Monitor and evaluate the roadmap

The fifth step is to monitor and evaluate the roadmap for your network governance. This involves collecting and analyzing the data and information that are related to the network governance metrics and indicators that are defined in the desired state. This also involves reviewing and assessing the performance, effectiveness, and efficiency of the network governance and identifying the gaps, risks, and opportunities for improvement. The monitoring and evaluation of the roadmap should be done regularly and systematically, and should involve the participation and input of the stakeholders.

6 Update and revise the roadmap

The sixth and final step is to update and revise the roadmap for your network governance. This involves making the necessary adjustments and changes to the roadmap based on the findings and feedback from the monitoring and evaluation step. This also involves updating and revising the network governance policies, standards, and practices to reflect the changes and improvements in the network governance. The update and revision of the roadmap should be done periodically and proactively, and should ensure that the network governance remains relevant, responsive, and aligned with the business goals and needs.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?