IT Governance Resources - December 2008

Posted by: "Dan Swanson" dswanson_2008@yahoo.ca dswanson_2008
Wed Dec 31, 2008 5:25 pm (PST)
The last resource email for 2008 is focused on providing leading
Governance resources from around the world.

Enjoy -- please share with your colleagues as well.

All the best in 2009 - May it be your best year ever!

Dan Swanson

Roadmap to Being an Effective Director
This website is dedicated to speeding up learning for new directors and removing some of the mystery from the process. It's a roadmap to the basic risk management skills used by boards. It ramps-up the learning curve so new directors can be effective at the board table more quickly and participate with confidence. Sounds promising–but how do you do that – in practical terms? How can an independent Director, who attends a four-hour meeting six times a year, learn to supervise full time management? That's what this site is all about. Developed over the past five years, GovernanceTools© explains risk management, the biggest part of a director's job. It provides relevant information in timely, need-to-know chunks. And learning can occur prior to your board meeting, whenever you have available time. http://www.governan/cetools.com/home.asp

An overview of corporate governance – (by ICAEW)
What is corporate governance? - Corporate governance is commonly referred to as a system by which organizations are directed and controlled. It is the process by which company objectives are established, achieved and monitored. Corporate governance is concerned with the relationships and responsibilities between the board, management, shareholders and other relevant stakeholders within a legal and regulatory framework.
http://www.icaew.co.uk/index.cfm?route=122444

Most organizations today understand the importance of Ethics, Leadership, and Values-Based Business Practices. And those that actually turn their good intentions into action – those that “walk the talk” – are able to: Attract and retain the very best people; Deliver high-quality products and services; Build and maintain customer loyalty; and Achieve long-term, sustained results.
Editor’s note - that one extra degree of effort may be all you need; enjoy this inspirational movie.
http://www.the212mo vie.com/

What the Board Needs to Know About IT: Phase II Findings
Maximizing performance through IT strategy
http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/ article/0,1002,sid= 36692&cid=151800,00.html

Corporate Directors May Not Be Providing Sufficiently Robust Enterprise Risk Oversight The "Executive Summary" of this new Conference Board report is available at:
http://www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=2893

CICA’s Risk Management and Governance Collection
20 Questions Directors Should Ask – (on various important topics).
Consider just obtaining their CD, i.e. with all this guidance combined into one place.
http://www.rmgb.ca/index.cfm/ciid/ 3083/laid/ 1.htm

Unplanned Work: The Silent Killer
Find out how unplanned work - those activities not mapped to any project, procedure or change request - is undermining the effectiveness of your IT efforts.
http://www.networkworld.com/whitepapers/nww/pdf/Tripwire_Unplanned_Work_Management_ Paper.pdf

20 Questions Directors Should Ask About IT (Revised April 2004)
Information technology is a critical part of an organization' s internal control and management information system. Ensuring its integrity is an important responsibility for board members. ITAC has compiled 20 key questions about IT that should be asked about: strategic planning and technology, performance and personnel issues, internal control issues, risk and security, information privacy, e-business, availability policies, and legal issue.
http://www.cica.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/ 1000/la_id/1

Managing Change
There is no management activity more misunderstood, abused and ignored than the act of implementing Change. Some have even suggested that the phrase "Change Management" is an oxymoron. The articles available below have a single purpose, to transform the act of Managing Change from something we dread, to something we approach with skill, insight, wisdom and an increased chance of success.
http://www.technobi lity.com/ docs/menu-managing-change.htm

The Favoritism Test
Learn to avoid the pitfalls of rewarding sycophants in the workplace.
http://www.strategy -business.com/press/enewsarticle/enews022707

ISO 27001 CERTIFICATION GUIDES LAUNCHED
IT Governance Ltd has launched the world’s first practical guides to help company directors and IT project managers understand and achieve certification to ISO 27001, the newly published global certification standard for information security management (replaces BS7799 and complements ISO 17799). In the modern corporate governance climate, ISO 27001 certification will increasingly become a prerequisite for winning new business, thereby accelerating the transfer of IT security issues from the data room to the boardroom.
http://www.itgovernance.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?news_id=25

Featured Internet Sites - Knowledge Management
An interesting collection of web sites focused on knowledge management that is maintained by the legislative library of the Manitoba provincial government.
http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/ leg-lib/net1206.html

What the Board Needs to Know About IT (The board’s role in leveraging technology as a strategic resource)
In 2006, Deloitte Consulting LLP began a research initiative to explore how boards of directors are approaching information technology (IT). Phase I of this research represents the findings of more than 30 interviews with directors and senior executives. The findings from the Phase I interviews have been captured in the point of view: "What the Board Needs to Know About IT:
The Board's Role in Leveraging Technology as a Strategic Resource."
You can also download "Bringing IT Into the Boardroom," which appeared as a supplement to the Fall 2006 issue of Corporate Board Member magazine. Finally, you can learn about the upcoming Phase II research results on the topic of the board and IT by downloading a preview of the survey results, entitled: “Big Conundrum: Phase II Preliminary Findings.”

For more info on the Deloitte initiative, all the above mentioned documents, and “more”, visit: http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/article/0,1002,sid=26562,cid=132853,00.html

CERT Launches Podcast Series

The CERT® Program is pleased to announce the launch of its first podcast series, "Security for Business Leaders," available at http://www.cert.org/podcast. The series will provide both general principles and specific starting points for business leaders who want to launch enterprise-wide security efforts, or who want to ensure that their organizations' existing security program is as effective as possible. New podcasts will be available every two weeks.
The newest podcast features Rich Pethia, Director of the CERT Program. Other podcast topics include "Why Leaders Should Care about Security," "The ROI of Security," "Proactive Remedies for Rising Threat," and "Compliance vs.Buy-in." Podcasters can listen to entire conversations, download PDF transcripts, and investigate additional references in show notes.
"Security for Business Leaders" is the first podcast series for the SEI.


ACI/KPMG resources on Risk Management
http://www.kpmg.com/aci/risk_mgmt.asp

The Role of U.S. Corporate Boards in Enterprise Risk Management
Boards of Directors in the United States, having focused heavily on Sarbanes-Oxley requirements and more rigorous governance and compliance standards, are now beginning to assess their evolving role in providing oversight in the area of enterprise risk management (ERM). In view of the rapidly developing state of ERM in U.S. corporations, boards face a particularly challenging set of issues in responding to the need for improved oversight of risk management. The Conference Board with McKinsey & Company and KPMG's Audit Committee Institute conducted research on the role of U.S. corporate boards in Enterprise Risk Management between October 2005 and February 2006.
http://www.conference-board.org/publications/describe.cfm?id=1190

Frequently Asked Questions in Corporate Governance (FAQs)
As directors, officers, and advisors work to safeguard and build the value of corporations, they often encounter new corporate governance issues and turn to NACD for answers. Below are some of the questions that our members and others have asked us in recent times, along with some brief answers and links to our current resources.
http://www.nacdonline.org/FAQ/

Tottel’s Corporate Governance Handbook, Third Edition
Tottel’s Corporate Governance Handbook provides invaluable, practical guidance to help you ensure your company functions legally and ethically. Corporate governance is playing an increasing part not just in how companies are run but also how they appear to be run from the outside. The new edition of Tottel’s Corporate Governance Handbook has been brought right up-to-date to provide practical and readable advice on how to ensure your company meets the required standards.

The NEW, fully updated edition includes:

Checklist for implementing the 2003 Combined Code
Assessing board and director performance
The on-going review of the Turnbull Report by the Flint Committee
HM Treasury policy on audit committees and governance of pension schemes
European corporate governance developments and NYSE corporate governance rules
And much more.
http://www.itgovernance.co.uk/products/ 453

Dialogue in corporate governance
The Dialogue in corporate governance initiative aims to facilitate better understanding of pressure and opportunities that arise in increasingly international capital markets. It encourages dialogue around business, investment accountancy and policy issues relating to corporate governance through publications, roundtables and face-to-face meetings.

Dialogue in corporate governance is convened by the ICAEW and its purpose is to: 1) challenge commonly held assumptions, 2) identify fundamental questions; and 3) set challenges for future research. http://www.icaew.co.uk/index.cfm?route=144872

Tougher Boards for Tougher Times: Corporate Governance in the Post-Enron Era (John Wiley & Sons Canada, 2006).
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470837306.html,
The IIA's position statement regarding Organizational Governance.
In my view this is one of the most important papers that the IIA has issued in the past six to seven years. This position paper (it is the first item on the list) is available at:
http://www.theiia.org/doc_d=126

NACD Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) reports.
www.nacdonline. org
1. The NACD BRC on Board Evaluation - 2005 Edition
2. The NACD BRC on Board Leadership
3. The NACD BRC on Director Compensation
4. The NACD BRC on Audit Committees
5. The NACD BRC on Director Professionalism
6. The NACD BRC on Role of the Board in Corporate Strategy
7. The NACD BRC on Risk Oversight

The Center for Strategic communication is to serve as an advocate for an integrated-communic ation approach to investor relations and corporate communication. World-class communication is a goal of any organization, and one of the most difficult challenges to CEOs is sending a clear and consistent message to highly divergent constituents. The Center would treat world-class communication as the “end goal” and will become the primary source for leading-edge and implementable strategies for any organization to reach that goal.
http://www.niri.org/about/center.cfm

DM Extra is an electronic publication published by NACD. It is designed to provide you with immediate, up-to-date information regarding current events in the corporate governance arena. http://www.nacdonli ne.org/dm/ xtra.asp
I like this publication because it provides thoughtful, timeless, board level "perspectives" .
Three "classics" I strongly recommend you review include: (note - there are many more).
a. The Rise and Fall of Enron: Principles for Director Focus
http://www.nacdonline.org/members/ dmx/dmxtra_0202.pdf
b. Worldcom: Six Questions for Directors
http://www.nacdonline.org/dm/ NACD-Jul02- DMX-RE.pdf
c. Rise and Fall of Enron
http://www.nacdonline.org/nacd/enron.asp?user

Business Planning Guide: Practical Application for SMEs
The Professional Accountants in Business Committee identified a practical business planning guide as a very useful tool for management, principally but not exclusively, operating in the small and medium entities (SMEs) area of the market. This information paper provides practical guidance that will help SMEs to understand their own business and industry, enabling them to better evaluate the business potentials and their associated risks. It will also be useful to small and medium-sized practitioners that are providing professional accounting services to SMEs.
http://www.ifac.org/Store/Category.tmpl?Category=ProfessionalAccountantsinBusiness& Cart=11717418193 382 247

A Question of Trust
The latest issue of Tone at the Top, “Stakeholder Trust Remains a Hot Topic,” looks at seven things directors should consider in regard to rebuilding the trust of stakeholders. If your executive management and audit committee members are not already receiving Tone at the Top, please provide their mailing and e-mail information to pr@theiia.org. Many, many past issues are also accessible - go to: http://www.theiia.org/periodicals/newsletters/ tone-at-the-top/

Definition of Investor Relations
Investor relations is a strategic management responsibility that integrates finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance to enable the most effective two-way communication between a company, the financial community, and other constituencies, which ultimately contributes to a company's securities achieving fair valuation. http://www.niri.org/about/ mission.cfm

About TheCorporateCounsel.net
Following the long-standing tradition of The Corporate Counsel and The Corporate Executive, TheCorporateCounsel .net is an educational service that provides practical guidance on legal issues involving corporate and securities regulation and corporate governance practices - as well as many other areas impacting today's corporate practitioner. The Editor is Broc Romanek and the Associate Editor is Julie Hoffman, who are assisted by Jesse Brill, Mike Gettelman, and Alan Dye, among many others at Executive Press.
http://www.thecorporatecounsel.net/home.asp
"It Takes A Lot More Than Attitude...To Lead a Stellar Organization" - By Stever Robbins.Become a better leader in a Fun, Provocative Read! Looking for new ideas you can implement immediately to be a more effective leader? Pick up 'It Takes a Lot More than Attitude ... to Lead a Stellar Organization. . ' This collection of essays explores with what it takes to be a great leader, in an engaging, no-nonsense conversation that keeps you turning the pages. It also makes a perfect gift for the person with the leadership title who just doesn't get it. Buy it at www.alotmorethanatt itude.com (The only book on leadership that starts by discussing the responsibilities of leadership, and goes on to reveal all the secrets the great leadership pundits never discuss. Like when and why you can wear a feather boa to staff
meetings...)
Purpose -- The Starting Point of Great Companies
The latest strategy & business (s&b) newsletter is out and this issue is regarding “Purpose and Innovation”. Consider checking out their web site too – (its amazing).
http://www.strategy -business.com/press/enewsarticle/enews102606

Creativity Fringes
Is your organization innovative? The Creativity Fringes newsletter is one of the best sources of thinking outside your box, and encourages creativity, innovation, etc., in everything we do in a light and educational manner. A truly great monthly read, past issues are available below.
http://www.fcg.gov/creativityfringes.shtml

Directors and Boards
http://www.directorsandboards.com/

The Language of Compliance
The Language of Compliance is the biggest (3,500+ entries) resource for acronyms, terms, and extended definitions. Authored by Dorian Cougias and Marcelo Halpern it covers the terms found in HIPAA, SOX, GLB, CobiT, ISO 17799 and 27001, BCI, BSI, ISSF, and over 100 other regulatory bodies and standards agencies.
http://glossary. unifiedcompliance.com/buy_now/the_language_of_compliance.html


Unified Compliance Project (UCP)
ITCi's Unified Compliance Project (UCP) is an independent initiative focused on supporting IT compliance management. The UCP parses and reconstructs complex corporate regulations into a holistic IT compliance view. http://www.itcinsti tute.com/ucp/

Audit Integrity
Audit Integrity research services support risk management practices that help investors, insurers and others lower risk and improve performance with objective ratings and reports. The Audit Integrity Accounting and Governance Risk (AGR®) rating is a measure of the overall risk related to corporate accounting and governance practices.
http://www.auditintegrity.com/ index.php

Audit Integrity Salutes Top 100 Firms for Excellence in Accounting and Governance http://www.auditintegrity.com/upload/iblock/9a0/Audit_Integrity_20070326_Top100List.pdf

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (the GAO)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an agency that works for Congress and the American people. Congress asks GAO to study the programs and expenditures of the federal government. GAO, commonly called the investigative arm of Congress or the congressional watchdog, is independent and nonpartisan. It studies how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars and advises Congress and the heads of executive agencies about ways to make government more effective and responsive.


Leading best practice guidance on various management practices - http://www.gao.gov/aac.html

Leading IT and IM guidance - http://www.gao.gov/special.pubs/cit.html

Posted by: "Dan Swanson" dswanson_2008@yahoo.ca dswanson_2008
Wed Dec 31, 2008 5:25 pm (PST)


The last resource email for 2008 is focused on providing leading
Governance resources from around the world.

Enjoy -- please share with your colleagues as well.

All the best in 2009 - May it be your best year ever!

Dan Swanson

Roadmap to Being an Effective Director
This website is dedicated to speeding up learning for new directors and removing some of the mystery from the process. It's a roadmap to the basic risk management skills used by boards. It ramps-up the learning curve so new directors can be effective at the board table more quickly and participate with confidence. Sounds promising–but how do you do that – in practical terms? How can an independent Director, who attends a four-hour meeting six times a year, learn to supervise full time management? That's what this site is all about. Developed over the past five years, GovernanceTools© explains risk management, the biggest part of a director's job. It provides relevant information in timely, need-to-know chunks. And learning can occur prior to your board meeting, whenever your have available time. http://www.governan cetools.com/ home.asp

An overview of corporate governance – (by ICAEW)
What is corporate governance? - Corporate governance is commonly referred to as a system by which organizations are directed and controlled. It is the process by which company objectives are established, achieved and monitored. Corporate governance is concerned with the relationships and responsibilities between the board, management, shareholders and other relevant stakeholders within a legal and regulatory framework.
http://www.icaew. co.uk/index. cfm?route= 122444

What drives Toyota ? The presumption of imperfection— and a refusal to accept it.
It's the story of Toyota 's genius: an insatiable competitiveness that would seem un-American were it not for all the Americans making it happen. Toyota 's competitiveness is quiet, internal, self-critical. It is rooted in an institutional obsession with improvement that Toyota manages to instill in each one of its workers, a pervasive lack of complacency with whatever was accomplished yesterday.
Editor’s note – how much focus does your organization place on competitiveness?
http://www.fastcomp any.com/magazine /111/open_ no-satisfaction. html

Most organizations today understand the importance of Ethics, Leadership, and Values-Based Business Practices. And those that actually turn their good intentions into action – those that “walk the talk” – are able to: Attract and retain the very best people; Deliver high-quality products and services; Build and maintain customer loyalty; and Achieve long-term, sustained results.
Editor’s note - that one extra degree of effort may be all you need; enjoy this inspirational movie.
http://www.the212mo vie.com/

Information Technology and the Board - "An Insightful Resource".
http://www.deloitte .com/dtt/ article/0% 2C1002%2Ccid% 25253D152626% 2C00.html

What the Board Needs to Know About IT: Phase II Findings
Maximizing performance through IT strategy
http://www.deloitte .com/dtt/ article/0, 1002,sid= 36692&cid=151800, 00. html

Corporate Directors May Not Be Providing Sufficiently Robust Enterprise Risk Oversight The "Executive Summary" of this new Conference Board report is available at:
http://www.conferen ce-board. org/utilities/ pressDetail. cfm?press_ ID=2893

CICA’s Risk Management and Governance Collection
20 Questions Directors Should Ask – (on various important topics).
Consider just obtaining their CD, i.e. with all this guidance combined into one place.
http://www.rmgb. ca/index. cfm/ciid/ 3083/laid/ 1.htm
Unplanned Work: The Silent Killer
Find out how unplanned work - those activities not mapped to any project, procedure or change request - is undermining the effectiveness of your IT efforts.
http://www.networkw orld.com/ whitepapers/ nww/pdf/Tripwire _Unplanned_ Work_Management_ Paper.pdf

20 Questions Directors Should Ask About IT (Revised April 2004)
Information technology is a critical part of an organization' s internal control and management information system. Ensuring its integrity is an important responsibility for board members. ITAC has compiled 20 key questions about IT that should be asked about: strategic planning and technology, performance and personnel issues, internal control issues, risk and security, information privacy, e-business, availability policies, and legal issue.
http://www.cica. ca/index. cfm/ci_id/ 1000/la_id/ 1

Managing Change
There is no management activity more misunderstood, abused and ignored than the act of implementing Change. Some have even suggested that the phrase "Change Management" is an oxymoron. The articles available below have a single purpose, to transform the act of Managing Change from something we dread, to something we approach with skill, insight, wisdom and an increased chance of success.
http://www.technobi lity.com/ docs/menu- managing- change.htm

The Favoritism Test
Learn to avoid the pitfalls of rewarding sycophants in the workplace.
http://www.strategy -business. com/press/ enewsarticle/ enews022707

ISO 27001 CERTIFICATION GUIDES LAUNCHED
IT Governance Ltd has launched the world’s first practical guides to help company directors and IT project managers understand and achieve certification to ISO 27001, the newly published global certification standard for information security management (replaces BS7799 and complements ISO 17799). In the modern corporate governance climate, ISO 27001 certification will increasingly become a prerequisite for winning new business, thereby accelerating the transfer of IT security issues from the data room to the boardroom.
http://www.itgovern ance.co.uk/ news_detail. aspx?news_ id=25

Featured Internet Sites - Knowledge Management
An interesting collection of web sites focused on knowledge management that is maintained by the legislative library of the Manitoba provincial government.
http://www.gov. mb.ca/chc/ leg-lib/net1206. html
FMEA - Failure Mode and Effects Analysis ( Information Center )
Everything you want to know about Failure Mode and Effect Analysis.
http://www.isixsigm a.com/offsite. asp?A=Fr&Url=http://www. fmeainfocentre. com

What the Board Needs to Know About IT (The board’s role in leveraging technology as a strategic resource)
In 2006, Deloitte Consulting LLP began a research initiative to explore how boards of directors are approaching information technology (IT). Phase I of this research represents the findings of more than 30 interviews with directors and senior executives. The findings from the Phase I interviews have been captured in the point of view: "What the Board Needs to Know About IT: The Board's Role in Leveraging Technology as a Strategic Resource."
You can also download "Bringing IT Into the Boardroom," which appeared as a supplement to the Fall 2006 issue of Corporate Board Member magazine. Finally, you can learn about the upcoming Phase II research results on the topic of the board and IT by downloading a preview of the survey results, entitled: “Big Conundrum: Phase II Preliminary Findings.”

For more info on the Deloitte initiative, all the above mentioned documents, and “more”, visit: http://www.deloitte .com/dtt/ article/0, 1002,sid% 3D26562%26cid% 3D132853, 00.html

CERT Launches Podcast Series
The CERT® Program is pleased to announce the launch of its first podcast series, "Security for Business Leaders," available at http://www.cert. org/podcast. The series will provide both general principles and specific starting points for business leaders who want to launch enterprise-wide security efforts, or who want to ensure that their organizations' existing security program is as effective as possible. New podcasts will be available every two weeks.
The newest podcast features Rich Pethia, Director of the CERT Program. Other podcast topics include "Why Leaders Should Care about Security," "The ROI of Security," "Proactive Remedies for Rising Threat," and "Compliance vs.. Buy-in." Podcasters can listen to entire conversations, download PDF transcripts, and investigate additional references in show notes.
"Security for Business Leaders" is the first podcast series for the SEI.

Information Security Oversight: Essential Board Practices, from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).
Learn four steps each board should adopt to avoid the hazards of leaving information inadequately protected from cyber criminals. Review the questions each board should ask to determine inherent risks. Discover the potential liabilities and other woes that might befall corporate boards and management who show too little involvement in safeguarding the security and privacy of corporate-held information. Lessons include identifying vulnerabilities, mitigating damages, establishing controls, educating officers and employees, and resolving issues. Sponsored by KPMG's Audit Committee Institute and published in collaboration with the Institute of Internal Auditors and the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce..
http://www.nacdonli ne.org/publicati ons/pubDetails. asp?pubID= 138&user=D0888270C5 AF46 508BEC8472906F87 C3

ACI/KPMG resources on Risk Management
http://www.kpmg. com/aci/risk_ mgmt.asp

The Role of U.S. Corporate Boards in Enterprise Risk Management
Boards of Directors in the United States , having focused heavily on Sarbanes-Oxley requirements and more rigorous governance and compliance standards, are now beginning to assess their evolving role in providing oversight in the area of enterprise risk management (ERM). In view of the rapidly developing state of ERM in U.S. corporations, boards face a particularly challenging set of issues in responding to the need for improved oversight of risk management. The Conference Board with McKinsey & Company and KPMG's Audit Committee Institute conducted research on the role of U.S. corporate boards in Enterprise Risk Management between October 2005 through February 2006.
http://www.conferen ce-board. org/publications /describe. cfm?id=1190

Frequently Asked Questions in Corporate Governance (FAQs)
As directors, officers, and advisors work to safeguard and build the value of corporations, they often encounter new corporate governance issues and turn to NACD for answers. Below are some of the questions that our members and others have asked us in recent times, along with some brief answers and links to our current resources.
http://www.nacdonli ne.org/FAQ/

Tottel’s Corporate Governance Handbook, Third Edition
Tottel’s Corporate Governance Handbook provides invaluable, practical guidance to help you ensure your company functions legally and ethically. Corporate governance is playing an increasing part not just in how companies are run but also how they appear to be run from the outside. The new edition of Tottel’s Corporate Governance Handbook has been brought right up-to-date to provide practical and readable advice on how to ensure your company meets the required standards.

The NEW, fully updated edition includes:

Checklist for implementing the 2003 Combined Code
Assessing board and director performance
The on-going review of the Turnbull Report by the Flint Committee
HM Treasury policy on audit committees and governance of pension schemes
European corporate governance developments and NYSE corporate governance rules
And much more.
http://www.itgovern ance.co.uk/ products/ 453

Dialogue in corporate governance
The Dialogue in corporate governance initiative aims to facilitate better understanding of pressure and opportunities that arise in increasingly international capital markets. It encourages dialogue around business, investment accountancy and policy issues relating to corporate governance through publications, roundtables and face-to-face meetings.

Dialogue in corporate governance is convened by the ICAEW and its purpose is to: 1) challenge commonly held assumptions, 2) identify fundamental questions; and 3) set challenges for future research. http://www.icaew. co.uk/index. cfm?route= 144872

Tougher Boards for Tougher Times: Corporate Governance in the Post-Enron Era (John Wiley & Sons Canada , 2006).
http://www.wiley. com/WileyCDA/ WileyTitle/ productCd- 0470837306. html

The IIA's position statement regarding Organizational Governance.
In my view this is one of the most important papers that the IIA has issued in the past six to seven years. This position paper (it is the first item on the list) is available at:
http://www.theiia. org/?doc_ id=126

NACD Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) reports.
www.nacdonline. org
1. The NACD BRC on Board Evaluation - 2005 Edition
2. The NACD BRC on Board Leadership
3. The NACD BRC on Director Compensation
4. The NACD BRC on Audit Committees
5. The NACD BRC on Director Professionalism
6. The NACD BRC on Role of the Board in Corporate Strategy
7. The NACD BRC on Risk Oversight

The Center for Strategic communication is to serve as an advocate for an integrated-communic ation approach to investor relations and corporate communication. World-class communication is a goal of any organization, and one of the most difficult challenges to CEOs is sending a clear and consistent message to highly divergent constituents. The Center would treat world-class communication as the “end goal” and will become the primary source for leading-edge and implementable strategies for any organization to reach that goal.
http://www.niri. org/about/ center.cfm

DM Extra is an electronic publication published by NACD. It is designed to provide you with immediate, up-to-date information regarding current events in the corporate governance arena. http://www.nacdonli ne.org/dm/ xtra.asp
I like this publication because it provides thoughtful, timeless, board level "perspectives" .
Three "classics" I strongly recommend you review include: (note - there are many more).
a. The Rise and Fall of Enron: Principles for Director Focus
http://www.nacdonli ne.org/members/ dmx/dmxtra_ 0202.pdf
b. Worldcom: Six Questions for Directors
http://www.nacdonli ne.org/dm/ NACD-Jul02- DMX-RE.pdf
c. Rise and Fall of Enron
http://www.nacdonli ne.org/nacd/ enron.asp? user

Business Planning Guide: Practical Application for SMEs
The Professional Accountants in Business Committee identified a practical business planning guide as a very useful tool for management, principally but not exclusively, operating in the small and medium entities (SMEs) area of the market. This information paper provides practical guidance that will help SMEs to understand their own business and industry, enabling them to better evaluate the business potentials and their associated risks. It will also be useful to small and medium-sized practitioners that are providing professional accounting services to SMEs.
http://www.ifac. org/Store/ Category. tmpl?Category= Professional% 20Accountants% 20in%20Business& Cart=11717418193 382 247

A Question of Trust
The latest issue of Tone at the Top, “Stakeholder Trust Remains a Hot Topic,” looks at seven things directors should consider in regard to rebuilding the trust of stakeholders. If your executive management and audit committee members are not already receiving Tone at the Top, please provide their mailing and e-mail information to pr@theiia.org. Many, many past issues are also accessible - go to: http://www.theiia. org/periodicals/ newsletters/ tone-at-the- top/

Definition of Investor Relations
Investor relations is a strategic management responsibility that integrates finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance to enable the most effective two-way communication between a company, the financial community, and other constituencies, which ultimately contributes to a company's securities achieving fair valuation. http://www.niri. org/about/ mission.cfm

About TheCorporateCounsel .net
Following the long-standing tradition of The Corporate Counsel and The Corporate Executive, TheCorporateCounsel .net is an educational service that provides practical guidance on legal issues involving corporate and securities regulation and corporate governance practices - as well as many other areas impacting today's corporate practitioner. The Editor is Broc Romanek and the Associate Editor is Julie Hoffman, who are assisted by Jesse Brill, Mike Gettelman, and Alan Dye, among many others at Executive Press.
http://www.thecorpo ratecounsel. net/home. asp
"It Takes A Lot More Than Attitude...To Lead a Stellar Organization" - By Stever Robbins.Become a better leader in a Fun, Provocative Read! Looking for new ideas you can implement immediately to be a more effective leader? Pick up 'It Takes a Lot More than Attitude ... to Lead a Stellar Organization. . ' This
collection of essays explores with what it takes to be a great leader, in an engaging, no-nonsense conversation that keeps you turning the pages. It also makes a perfect gift for the person with the leadership title who just doesn't get it. Buy it at www.alotmorethanatt itude.com (The only book on leadership that starts by discussing the responsibilities of leadership, and goes on to reveal all the secrets the great leadership pundits never discuss. Like when and why you can wear a feather boa to staff
meetings...)
Purpose -- The Starting Point of Great Companies
The latest strategy & business (s&b) newsletter is out and this issue is regarding “Purpose and Innovation”. Consider checking out their web site too – (its amazing).
http://www.strategy -business. com/press/ enewsarticle/ enews102606

Creativity Fringes
Is your organization innovative? The Creativity Fringes newsletter is one of the best sources of thinking outside your box, and encourages creativity, innovation, etc., in everything we do in a light and educational manner. A truly great monthly read, past issues are available below.
http://www.fcg. gov/creativity_ fringes.shtml

Directors and Boards
http://www.director sandboards. com/

The Language of Compliance
The Language of Compliance is the biggest (3,500+ entries) resource for acronyms, terms, and extended definitions. Authored by Dorian Cougias and Marcelo Halpern it covers the terms found in HIPAA, SOX, GLB, CobiT, ISO 17799 and 27001, BCI, BSI, ISSF, and over 100 other regulatory bodies and standards agencies.
http://glossary. unifiedcomplianc e.com/buy_ now/the_language _of_compliance. html


Unified Compliance Project (UCP)
ITCi's Unified Compliance Project (UCP) is an independent initiative focused on supporting IT compliance management. The UCP parses and reconstructs complex corporate regulations into a holistic IT compliance view.

http://www.itcinsti tute.com/ ucp/


Audit Integrity
Audit Integrity research services support risk management practices that help investors, insurers and others lower risk and improve performance with objective ratings and reports. The Audit Integrity Accounting and Governance Risk (AGR®) rating is a measure of the overall risk related to corporate accounting and governance practices.
http://www.auditint egrity.com/ index..php

Audit Integrity Salutes Top 100 Firms for Excellence in Accounting and Governance http://www.auditint egrity.com/ upload/iblock/ 9a0/Audit_ Integrity_ 20070326_ Top100List. pdf

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (the GAO)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an agency that works for Congress and the American people. Congress asks GAO to study the programs and expenditures of the federal government. GAO, commonly called the investigative arm of Congress or the congressional watchdog, is independent and nonpartisan. It studies how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars and advises Congress and the heads of executive agencies about ways to make government more effective and responsive.
www.gao.gov
Leading best practice guidance on various management practices - http://www.. gao. gov/aac.html
Leading IT and IM guidance - http://www.gao. gov/special. pubs/cit. html

Global Technology Audit Guide (GTAG)
The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) is producing a series of publications with guidance on information technology. Written primarily for the chief internal audit executive (CAE) and audit supervisors, the guides address concerns of the board of directors and chief-level executives. Each Global Technology Audit Guide (GTAG) is written in straightforward business language to address timely issues related to information technology management, control, or security. GTAG is a ready resource series for chief audit executives to use in the education of members of the board and audit committee, management, process owners, and others regarding technology-associat ed risks and recommended practices.
http://www.theiia. org/guidance/ technology/ gtag/

Board Governance – Deloitte’s Governance Repository
https://www. corpgov.deloitte .com/site/ us/menuitem. 88e49625b72277a9 8f220ce36cdf8a0c /;jsessionid= Cy7kGJSZVYbhbSRy qVXsz1s12ykvs3v6 hSKpkxHzLbVqlNkt Ttv9!-377936133! -608783955

Corporate Governance
This CEO-led task force has identified cyber security roles and responsibilities within the corporate management structure, referencing and combining best practices and metrics that bring accountability to three key elements of a cyber security system: people, process and technology.
http://www.cyberpar tnership. org/init- governance. html

Australia has Corporate Governance Standards, the AS 8000 series at:
The AU Governance series has five main parts:
I. Good governance principles
II. Fraud and corruption control
III. Organizational codes of conduct
IV. Corporate social responsibility
V. Whistleblower protection programs for entities
http://www.saigloba l.com/


Information technology governance - From Wikipedia, (the free encyclopedia)
Information technology governance, IT governance or ICT Governance, is a subset discipline of Corporate governance focused on information technology systems and their performance and risk management. The rising interest in IT governance is partly due to compliance initiatives (e.g. Sarbanes-Oxley ( USA ) and Basel II ( Europe )), as well as the acknowledgement that IT projects can easily get out of control and profoundly affect the performance of an organization.
http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Information_ technology_ governance



..
Global Technology Audit Guide (GTAG)
The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) is producing a series of publications with guidance on information technology. Written primarily for the chief internal audit executive (CAE) and audit supervisors, the guides address concerns of the board of directors and chief-level executives. Each Global Technology Audit Guide (GTAG) is written in straightforward business language to address timely issues related to information technology management, control, or security. GTAG is a ready resource series for chief audit executives to use in the education of members of the board and audit committee, management, process owners, and others regarding technology-associated risks and recommended practices.
http://www.theiia.org/guidance/ technology/gtag/

Corporate Governance
This CEO-led task force has identified cyber security roles and responsibilities within the corporate management structure, referencing and combining best practices and metrics that bring accountability to three key elements of a cyber security system: people, process and technology.
http://www.cyberpartnership.org/init-governance.html

Australia has Corporate Governance Standards, the AS 8000 series at:
The AU Governance series has five main parts:
I. Good governance principles
II. Fraud and corruption control
III. Organizational codes of conduct
IV. Corporate social responsibility
V. Whistleblower protection programs for entities
http://www.saiglobal.com/


Information technology governance - From Wikipedia, (the free encyclopedia)
Information technology governance, IT governance or ICT Governance, is a subset discipline of Corporate governance focused on information technology systems and their performance and risk management. The rising interest in IT governance is partly due to compliance initiatives (e.g. Sarbanes-Oxley ( USA ) and Basel II ( Europe )), as well as the acknowledgement that IT projects can easily get out of control and profoundly affect the performance of an organization.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology_governance



..