Review by Claire F Brereton FACS GAICD, Brereton Consulting, Australia

This book would be a great reference volume for anyone who directs, manages or consults to IT organizations, or for anyone who is involved in organizational design who wishes to understand more about IT organizations. The reference model which shows the topics and structure of the book contains an important set of core concepts, and I found myself going back to it several times to give context to the chapters.

The book provides not only guidance on the organizational design and process aspects, but also clear instruction on the human aspects, leading through from the different ways of structuring an organization according to functional groupings or processes to the matching of people to roles. I found the breakdowns of strategic, operational and tactical roles and responsibilities particularly helpful. I believe that anyone who took the time to consider all the aspects addressed in this book would create a well thought out and efficient IT organization and a clear view of where their most important continuous improvement efforts should be directed. Most people who are involved in IT organization design appreciate having a structured approach to follow, and this book will give them just that. I did feel that there was one aspect which needed more attention, and that is the requirement to design an organization which will give employees clear paths for career advancement. There are references to career paths, but these are made in the context of individual employees and their skills development rather than in the context of building an organization which will allow for logical progression.

I also felt that the interfaces between the IT organization and related departments, for example procurement or Project Management Offices, would benefit from some more detailed treatment, as, in this reviewer's experience, these interactions contribute to many of the accountability and responsibility issues within organizations.

Having said that, I think that the book will become a must read for organization designers because of its comprehensive and logical coverage, and I will certainly be referring to it time and time again.