The Impact of IT Governance Implementation on Local Colleges and Universities in the National Capital Region: Towards an Improved Framework

Information Technology (IT) governance has become a strategic imperative for higher education institutions seeking to enhance institutional performance in increasingly digital and resource-constrained environments. While international studies affirm the value of IT governance, empirical evidence remains limited for Local Colleges and Universities (LCUs) in developing contexts such as the Philippines. This study examines the extent to which IT governance implementation influences institutional performance among selected LCUs in the National Capital Region (NCR). Using a quantitative, descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from 170 administrators, faculty members, IT leaders, and governance stakeholders across four ALCUCOA-accredited LCUs. IT governance was operationalized across three dimensions—accountability and decision-making, strategic management of IT assets, and alignment and adaptability to institutional goals—while institutional performance was measured using accreditation-based indicators. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were employed to determine predictive relationships. Results indicate that IT governance implementation is generally moderate to high, with alignment to institutional goals emerging as the strongest implemented dimension. Regression findings reveal that IT governance dimensions collectively exert a statistically significant positive effect on institutional performance, with accountability and decision-making serving as a consistent predictor across multiple domains. Based on these findings, the study proposes a context-responsive IT governance framework tailored to LCUs. The study contributes empirical evidence to IT governance literature in higher education and offers practical and policy-relevant insights for institutional leaders, accrediting bodies, and policymakers.