While organizations develop information technology plans that are matched to their needs, the planning process and the activities undertaken are similar.The sequence and importance of the planning activity may vary, but the conceptual information technology planning process is generic.This process entails that organizations will develop information technology plans in four phases — an orientation phase, an assessment phase, a strategy phase and a tactical phase.

APPROACH — Phase I:Orientation
The first phase is required to establish or confirm the scope of the information technology for the planning process, the methodology and techniques to be applied, mobilization of the planning team, and the reporting lines for the planning process.The planning process may have been initiated in response to a major change in the business strategies, or the implementation of most of the projects in the tactical plan, or where the business or information technology assumptions of the existing plan have changed significantly.Major steps in this phase and the key activities are described below.

Establish scope:
The scope of the information technology plan normally follows the business plan of the organization and represents an essential starting point to the planning process.Key activities include:
determining if the plan incorporates all business units or that separate plans will be developed for selected business units;
assessing the impact, if any, of organizational structure and policies on the scope — for example, for autonomous business units the practicality of formulating centralized strategies;
evaluating the extent of third-party involvement in the planning process — for example, to support inter-organizational systems; and
establishing an overall timeframe for the strategic and tactical plans.
At the end of this step, the scope and timeframe for the information technology plan will have been established.

Establish methodology/techniques and mobilize resources:
Information technology planning can be a time-consuming process depending on the size of the organization, and the scale of its current or desired information technology usage. Once the scope has been established, the methodology and techniques need to be established and the background information and resources necessary for the planning effort need to be mobilized, including a clear delineation of reporting lines.Key activities include:
gathering necessary background information on the organization, its information technology profile and capabilities and any impending changes that may impact the planning process;
selecting a proven methodology to support the planning activities.This may be provided by external consultants, internally developed, or acquired from a third party;
determining techniques that will be used for collecting and analyzing information, including questionnaires, interviews, workshops, etc.;
developing a specific timetable for the completion of the plan, particularly the key phases;
establishing an information technology project team.Typically, this will be a multidisciplinary team, comprised of persons with both information technology and business skills.Frequently, the team is supplemented by external consultants with expertise in information technology planning; and
formalizing the reporting mechanism for the project team.Generally, the team reports to a steering committee which is headed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Information Officer, or another senior business executive and comprises key business unit managers, the information technology manager, and an information systems audit manager.
At the end of this step, a methodology, approach and timetable will have been established, background information gathered and an information technology planning team will be in place for the planning activities remaining.

APPROACH — Phase II:Assessment
In the second phase of the information technology planning process the focus is on establishing a base line. During this phase, data is collected and analyzed to describe the existing usage and management of information technology and the extent to which they are unable, or may be unable, to support business objectives. Also, this phase provides an opportunity to identify other potential uses of information technologies which may assist in meeting business objectives. Major steps in this phase and key activities are briefly described below.

Confirm business direction and drivers:
This step is necessary to ensure that the key driver for the information technology plan is the business direction of the organization.Typically, this information will be extracted from the business plan of the organization.Key activities include:
identifying core business goals, strategies and priorities, critical