Risk management is important for IT. Too many development projects fail to meet expectations and virtually all online systems face a growing array of threats. IT professionals need to pay attention to risk. CIPS (Canadian Information Processing Society) has formally recognized the importance of conducting risk assessment at the beginning of assignments and continuing with risk management during assignments.
Open Source Content Management
I have recognized for a long time that web content management systems make sense, especially when the site is to be maintained by multiple people, or by those with limited ability or inclination to work with "raw" html. Over the last few years I have encouraged several non-profit organizations to install and use a content management system for their website. The result has been a dramatic reduction in the technical problems of maintaining the resulting sites.
Risk and the Professions
The role of the professional is changing. For a long time, we turned to the professional because we faced a problem which we recognized belonged in the professional’s domain. We had a medical problem and we turned to a doctor. We had a legal problem and we turned to a lawyer. Or we had an engineering problem and we turned to an engineer. They had the recognized knowledge and skill to solve problems in their respective domains.
Standards of Practice Presentation
This post is really a note that provides words to go along with the PowerPoint slides used in a presentation I am to make at the CIPS Ontario 2005 AGM on Thursday, 2005 September 22. A reduced size version of each slide is embedded in this post. If you would like a copy of the full presentation - Standards of Practice Presentation.
Value of Certification
First a few words about terminology. Certification is normally viewed as voluntary. Individuals obtain certification because they value what this says about them. While certification is not required by the state, the demands of the workplace may make it a near requirement. Accreditation, on the other hand, happens to educational institutions, not individuals. A program of study is accredited. There is often a connection, however, when certification requires completion of an accredited program of study (or equivalent).