Exploring the Relationship between the ITU ICT Regulatory Tracker and the COBIT IT Governance Framework

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ehsan Baraty 1
Akbar Nabiollahi 2
Naser Khani 3
1 Management Department, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
2 Assistant Prof., Department of Computer Engineering, Na.C., Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
3 Associate Prof., Department of Management, Na.C., Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
10.22034/aimj.2025.442593.1584
Abstract
Today, regulators in the ICT sector are recognized as key players in economic development. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), through the introduction of the ICT Regulatory Tracker (ICTRT), evaluates and ranks the roles of these regulators using 50 indicators across four groups. According to previous studies, there is a direct correlation between countries' scores in the ICTRT and their level of development. Therefore, countries strive to improve their standings in these indicators to enhance their scores and move towards sustainable development. The aim of this research is to explore and discover the relationship between ICTRT indicators and the processes of the COBIT IT governance framework in order to provide solutions for improving these indicators. The main methodology used in this paper was automatic content analysis, and the official text contents related to ICTRT indicators and COBIT processes (such as ISACA/ITU) were used to conduct the research. Based on the research findings, the relationship between ICTRT indicators and COBIT processes has been identified and reported, which could be used to find effective processes for the improvement of each ICTRT indicator. Additionally, a list of processes with higher relationship scores was presented to show the overall relationship between the two frameworks. In this list, three processes—APO09 (Manage Service Agreements), APO11 (Manage Quality), and DSS02 (Manage Service Requests and Incidents)—had the strongest relationship with ICTRT indicators. The findings of this research can also assist regulators in identifying and implementing effective processes to design operational actions for enhancing ICTRT indicators, ultimately leading to improved quality of digital services and increased user satisfaction.

Keywords

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  • Receive Date 13 February 2024
  • Revise Date 23 December 2024
  • Accept Date 06 January 2025