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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

The International Standards Organisation this week signed off ISO 38504, new "Guidance for principles-based standards in the governance of information technology."

[...] the opposite of principles-based governance is rules-based governance. In the latter, organisations look at the rules under which they must or choose to operate and methodically demonstrate that they comply with each and every instruction. Rules-based governance is usually applied by strongly-regulated organisations or IT shops that like to nail down every last byte and manage change assiduously.

By contrast, as the ISO 38504 summary explains, "A principles-based approach to standardization is aimed at providing non-prescriptive guidance". Principles-based guidelines are considered helpful because "it can identify the outcomes of applying the principles without specifying explicit methodologies, structures, processes and techniques needed to achieve the outcomes."

The new standard is therefore a standard explaining the best way not to obey every last instruction in standards, but still emerge with processes that help IT to remain well-governed.

Original Submission