Technical Debt Is a Governance Decision, Not Just an IT Concern
In my work within a Belgian public service, technical debt management is a governance priority. I believe decisions about maintaining and renewing technology belong in the same conversation as decisions about new digital services. They concern the organisation’s capacity to support its mission over time. Making technical debt visible brings that responsibility into strategic planning, where it belongs. We are developing our digital strategy with that responsibility in mind. Managing technical debt means looking beyond the immediate delivery of a solution and considering the obligations that accompany it. For me, the practical question is clear: how do we balance what we need to deliver with what we need to sustain? That balance deserves deliberate attention when setting digital priorities. Our digital roadmap runs to end of 2027. It gives visibility to the direction of our work and coherence to the choices ahead. I value a roadmap that connects individual initiatives with a broader ...