CIOs are being asked to develop IT strategies sometimes in the absence of any strategic game plan from the business units. While it may be trickier to come up with an IT strategy without direction from the other executives, it can be done, advises Bob Lewis in a post at InfoWorld.

Because IT is involved in aiding all aspects of a business these days, CIOs know enough about the business to develop a strategy even if formal plans aren't written down, Lewis writes. He sets out four steps to create a do-it-yourself IT strategic plan.

First, it should not be hard to identify areas where there is room for improvement in IT, such as in obsolete applications or inadequate skills. These weaknesses provide a foundation for future remediation.

Next, you brainstorm what technology--or two--would make a big difference for your business if it were widely deployed throughout the company. You can get an idea of what new capabilities are available by reading trade press reports such as his, Lewis points out.

Take a look at the IT requests that different business units and departments have made, and separate out the ones that require new capabilities. Leave the ones that do not require new capabilities out of the strategic plan, and put the others in the category of capabilities that need to be acquired.

Finally, you write your strategic plan based on two pillars: One involves remediation projects to make fixes to the weaknesses you've identified, and the other involves projects to implement missing capabilities. The plan will include the necessary staff, budget and schedule.

"Write all this down in an organized way, turn it into a PowerPoint presentation, title it 'IT Strategic Plan,' show it to the executive team, and see if they'll fund it," Lewis advises. "If they do, you have an actionable IT strategic plan. If not, at least you'll have called their bluff."

For more:
- see Bob Lewis' post at InfoWorld

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