ICT Assessment by Farragan Group
North
Powered by the ICT Capability & Maturity Framework
A structured, evidence-based assessment across 12 ICT domains. True North tells you exactly where your capability sits today — and gives you a clear, prioritised roadmap to act on.
Designed for
About the assessment
What is True North?
True North is a structured ICT assessment that gives leaders a clear, honest picture of where their technology capability sits — and a practical, prioritised roadmap for what to do about it.
Most ICT planning starts with a system audit or a budget conversation. That's the wrong place to start. True North starts with your organisation — its structure, its people, its risk exposure — and works outward. The result is a roadmap grounded in what you actually need, not what a vendor is selling.
The difference
True North is collaborative, not evaluative. The process is designed to surface what people already know but haven't had a safe space to say. You get findings you can act on — not a report that sits in a drawer.
Synthesised from
Governance & risk domains
Service management domains
Architecture & integration
Education-specific context
Five-level maturity model
From reactive to strategic
Incomplete
No implementation. The need isn't yet recognised or prioritised.
Initial
Reactive and ad-hoc. Works because of specific people, not because of process.
Managed
Developing processes. Pockets of good practice, not yet consistent.
Defined
Standardised, documented, and proactive. A formal strategy is in place.
Quantitatively managed
Data-driven decisions. ICT is integrated at the enterprise level.
Optimising
Continuous improvement. Technology is a genuine strategic partner.
Audience
Who True North is for
True North was built for education — but the underlying framework applies wherever an organisation needs an honest picture of its ICT capability.
Education
Developed specifically for the complexity of educational organisations — federation governance, constrained budgets, long procurement cycles, and the unique demands of supporting staff, students, and families simultaneously.
- Catholic dioceses and school networks
- Independent and non-government schools
- Universities, TAFEs, and vocational providers
- State and territory education authorities
- Early childhood and multi-site education groups
General organisations
The 12-domain framework and five-level maturity model are not education-specific at their core. Any organisation that wants a structured, honest assessment of its ICT capability — and a prioritised roadmap — can use True North.
- Not-for-profits and charities
- Local government and councils
- Professional services firms
- Healthcare and community services organisations
- Any organisation without a clear ICT picture
Three pillars — twelve domains
What True North covers
Each domain is assessed individually against the five-level maturity model. Together they give a complete, calibrated picture of where ICT capability is strong — and where the gaps are.
Operational ICT health
The day-to-day foundations. If these aren't solid, nothing else sits well on top of them.
- 01
Infrastructure
Networks, devices, cloud, and data centre
- 02
Support & Service Management
Helpdesk, SLAs, ITSM processes
- 03
ICT Policies & Compliance
Policy coverage, currency, and enforcement
- 04
Enterprise Architecture & Integration
System landscape, integration, and technical debt
- 05
Cyber Security
Controls, threat posture, incident response
- 06
Business Continuity & DR
BCP coverage, RTO/RPO, testing cadence
Governance & Risk
How ICT decisions get made, how data is protected, and how risk is managed at the board and executive level.
- 07
Strategic Alignment & ICT Governance
ICT strategy, board oversight, decision rights
- 08
Data Governance
Data ownership, quality, privacy, and access controls
- 09
Risk Management & Compliance
Risk register, regulatory obligations, audit readiness
Strategic & Innovation
Whether ICT is actively supporting the organisation's mission — and whether you're positioned for what's changing.
- 10
Project & Change Management
Delivery capability, change adoption, portfolio management
- 11
User Experience & Digital Capability
Staff digital literacy, tool adoption, training pathways
- 12
Innovation & Emerging Technologies
AI readiness, technology evaluation, innovation governance
Four-phase engagement
How a True North assessment works
Each engagement runs across four phases. From first conversation to final roadmap workshop, the typical timeline is six to eight weeks.
Phase one
Scoping & mobilisation
Stakeholder mapping, kickoff sessions, and agreeing the evidence sources. We understand the context before anything is assessed.
Phase two
Data collection & analysis
Documentation review, structured interviews with ICT staff and leaders, and direct observation. Multiple evidence sources are triangulated.
Phase three
Synthesis & reporting
Maturity scoring across all 12 domains, visual outputs, and a written report in plain language — not jargon.
Phase four
Roadmap facilitation
A facilitated workshop to build the three-year roadmap with your team. Year 1 quick wins and Years 2–3 strategic shifts, with clear ownership.
What you get
A prioritised three-year ICT roadmap with Year 1 actions, domain maturity scores, a summary report for the board or executive team, and a facilitated debrief with your ICT staff. Everything is yours — no ongoing dependency on Farragan to use it.
Let's talk
Find your
True North.
Every organisation is different. An initial conversation costs nothing and takes 30 minutes — we'll tell you whether a True North assessment makes sense for your situation right now.