ITStrategy20102015

Prof.JohnHeath,PVCEstatesandInfrastructure Dr.SeanDuffy,DirectorofITServices August2011v1.15 UniversityofBirmingham

1.0

Introduction

ThisdocumentoutlinestheITStrategyfortheperiod2010to2015.ItseekstodefinethevisionandoveralldirectionoftravelforthedeploymentandexploitationofITcapabilities acrosstheUniversity.AseparatedocumentwilladdresstheTheBroadActionPlans,detailingthetiming,resourcingandspecificinitiativeswhichwilladvancetowardsthis strategicvision.TheStrategywasdevelopedinclosealignmentwiththeUniversitysnewStrategicFramework,andisakeyenablerfordeliveryofeachofthefivemajorgoalsof thatframework.

2.0 ExecutiveSummary

Asaleadingacademicinstitution,ITisakeyenablerandcorefacilitatortothekeygoalsofacademicresearchandlearningandteaching.Itisthereforeimperativethatthereisa clearandprogressiveITstrategywhichunderpinsthekeygoalsoftheUniversity,withadeliveryandgovernancewhichishighlyintegratedwiththeongoingmanagementofthe institution.TheITStrategyaspirestodeliverastepchangeinthedesire,capabilityanddeliveryofhowITcontributesacrosstheUniversity. Manyofourpeersarealreadywelladvancedacrossmanyofthethemesandinitiativesdetailedhere,intermsoftechnology,overallITspend,andITgovernance.TheUniversity lags,andinsomeareasisnotyetactiveatall,inkeycommonplacetechnologiesandserviceapproaches.Thisstrategyseekstoredresstheseissues,elevatingITleverageand exploitationtoalevelcommensuratewiththebroaderaspirationsoftheUniversity,therebybecomingalaunchpadforacademicadvancement.FailuretoprogressthekeyIT strategicareasmayinhibitsignificantlydeliveryoftheStrategicFramework,anditisthereforeessentialtoprosecutetheresultingBroadActionPlansincloseconjunctionwiththe widerUniversitystrategicprogrammes. TheITStrategyhasfivethemes,whichare: AdvancingtheUniversitytargetedinvestmentinkeystrategicareas; EffectiveInformationStewardshiprecognisingthegrowingimportanceofcapturing,storingandprovidingsecure,effectiveaccesstoagrowinginventoryofinformation; UniversityOperationalExcellenceprovidingcommonstructuralsolutionsinsupportofSustainableExcellenceandthevariousdepartmentalserviceexcellenceinitiatives; ITComplexityReductionreducingtheburdenofmaintainingandevolvingexistingservicestoreleaseresourcesthatdelivernewadvances; and ITFunctionalExcellencecontinuingtobuildeffectiveprocesses,approachesandstructuresinhowITServicesdeliversprojectsandservices.

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 ThegeneralapproachforITfinances,governanceandorganisationisproposedto bestrengthenedthrough: Finances: DrivingITcomplexityreductiontoreleaseresourcestobeavailablefor newinitiativesandinnovation. IncreasingcentraloversightofITspend,includingmanagementofall majorITcapitalinvestmentswithcriticalreviewofongoingspend. SecuringasustainablefundingbasisforHPC. ExploringhowtoleveragefinancialstrengthtoadvancetheITStrategy.

Strategic Goal IT Theme

Advancing the University Effective Information Stewardship IT Complexity Reduction University Operational Excellence IT Functional Excellence

Governance: ExpandingBSSG(BusinessSystemsStrategyGroup)andITIG(ITInfrastructureGroup)toincludeservicegovernance. CreatingIMSG(InformationManagementSteeringGroup)andAMG(ArchitectureManagementGroup)toaddressgapsinoverallITgovernance. CreatinganInnovationPaneltoencourageandsteerrisktakingITserviceinnovationinitiatives.

Organisation PeriodicregroupingandreskillingitsresourcestodelivertheITStrategyprogramme. SupportingareviewofITservicesandengagementstructuresacrossCollegesandCorporateServices. BringingvoiceanddatagovernancetogetherunderITIG.

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1st Choice Destination

Engaged University

Student Experience

Financial Strength

Research Power

ThetableshowshowthesefivethemesunderpintheStrategicFrameworkgoals. Insummary,eachthemeisastrongcontributortoseveraloftheStrategic Frameworkgoals

3.0

Viewofthefuture

Thestrategicvisioncanbeviewedinoverviewusingthefourlenses 3.1 ResearchvisionforIT

ITprovisionshouldenhanceandfacilitatetheUniversitysworldclassresearch.Thisgoalisdescribedwithrespecttothreemainareas: Communication ITshouldfacilitatecommunicationwithinUoB,withotheracademicsinthenationalandinternationalcontext,withbusinessandwiththe generalpublic.Thisrequirestoolsforcollaborativeworking,fosteringthesenseoftheUoBacademiccommunitythroughtechnology,andusing datarequestsintelligentlytounderstandtheneedsofstudents,researchersandtheusersofresearchoutputs. Infrastructure ResearchersshouldbeabletoexploitstateoftheartITinfrastructureforhighperformancecomputingandhaveaccesstoinhouseexpertiseto makeprojectsviable.ITprovisionandsupportshouldensureexcellentvalueformoneytothebenefitofbothgrantholdersandtheInstitution. ITinfrastructureshouldreflectthechangingwaysinwhichresearcherswork,supportingvirtualisationanduntetheredworking. Data UoBneedstobeproactiveintheBigDataeraprovidingthemeanstoaccessandsharedatasets,aswellasensuringsecurityandresiliencein datastorage.ITprovisionshouldprovidethemeanstobothprotectandexploittheInstitutionselectronicassets. LearningandTeachingvisionforIT

3.2

ThelearningandteachingvisionforITistodevelopservicesandsystemswhich: supporttheUniversitysvisionforenquirybased,researchled,teaching&learning; createaseamlesslearningenvironment,blendingadistinctivecampusbasedexperiencewithselectivedistancelearning,placingtheindividualstudentatthe heartofthelearningprocess; areaccessibleandeasytouse,andwhichencourageandrewardstaffwhoengagestudentsinnewwaysoflearningbasedontheirwiderexperienceof technology,includingsocialandinteractivetechnologiesandwaysoflearningpriortouniversity allowstafftodeliver,andstudentstolearn,anytimeandanywhere providetimelydataandinformationtoenablestafftomanagetheirtime,ensureefficientstudentsupport,andtomaximisethetimeavailableforsupporting teachingandlearningandundertakingresearch arefullyintegratedwithotherstudentservicesincludingadministrative,studentlife,library,theGuild,andwhereappropriatelocalservicesandstudentsocial activities Thisincludesareliablewirelessenabledcampusanddevelopinghighqualitylearninghubsandspacesforteaching,collaborativelearning,researchandprivatestudyas wellasappropriatehardwareandsoftwareapplications

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StudentExperiencevisionforIT TheUniversityiscommittedtodeliveringadistinctiveandhighqualitystudentexperience.ITcansupportthissignificantlythrough: Higherqualityinteractionswhereservicesareseamless,highlyaccessible(mobile),anddelivercomprehensivesolutions,includingforthosestudentswhorarely visitcampus; Personalisationofserviceswherestudentsexperienceasuiteofservicestunedtoandtailorablebythemasindividuals; Supportinginaseamlesswaythelearningandteachingstylesandpedagogicdevelopments,includingprogressingfeedbackapproaches; Facilitatingmoreresponsive,inclusiveandtunedcollaborationenvironments,supportingcommunitiesbothwithinandoutsidetheUniversity; Fosteringongoinginnovationandfocuseddevelopmentofnewservices; Supportingstudentsthroughafullrelationshiplifecycle,fromapplicationthroughundergraduateand/orpostgraduatethroughtowhentheyleaveandbecome alumni,includingongoingCPD(continuousprofessionaldevelopment). 3.4 ProfessionalServicesvisionforIT BusinesssystemswithintheUniversityarenecessarilycomplexbecausetheyhavetobothunderpinthecorebusinessofteaching,learningandresearchandalsosupport theUniversityslegislativeandcomplianceagenda. Inthepast,businesssystemswerelargelydevelopedcentrallyinisolationfromtheacademiccommunityandthisledtoaproliferationoflocalapplicationsresultingin duplicationandinefficiency.Morelatterlyithasresultedintheneedformajorreconfigurationstoexistingsystemstoallowgreateraccesstherebydilutingthe institutionalresourceavailablefordevelopmentandinnovation. Thevisionfortheinstitutionisthereforetomoveforwardtoamoreintegratedandsimplifiedprovisionwhichpromotesandfacilitatescollaborativeworkingandprovides dataacrosstheInstitutionthatisfitforpurpose,accessible,portable,agile,robust,accurate,timely,scalable,secureandprovidescomprehensivereportingsolutions. Thiswillbeachievedbyturningofflegacysystems,investinginintegratedsystemsandensuringappropriateinterconnectionbetweenapplicationsthroughtheuseof middlewaresolutions,tobeunderpinnedbyacomprehensiveUniversitywidetrainingprogramme.Broadlythedirectionistofollowanapproachofbestinclassoverall ratherthanbestinclassforeachspecificrequirement.

3.3

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4.0

ITStrategyThemes

TheITStrategytodeliveragainstthesefuturevisionsisinencapsulatedin5themes: 1. AdvancingtheUniversity.ItiskeytotheStrategicFrameworkgoalsthatenergyandfocusisdirectedtowardsthekeyareasfordevelopmentanddelivery.ThisIT themeistodelivergamechangingadvancesinhowITsupportsthethreekeyareasofacademicresearch,learningandteaching,andadistinctivestudent experience.Itwilldothisthroughamarketfocusedapproachcoupledwithcollaborativeinnovationforeachofthesethreeareas. EffectiveInformationStewardship.Itiscriticalthatgreaterfocuswithsystemsandproceduralsupportisestablishedincapturing,storingandprovidingeffective secureaccesstoawiderangeofassimilatedinformationsets.Thiswillensure(i)legalcompliance,balancedwith(ii)costeffectiveandresponsiveserviceprovision, and(iii)practicalproceduresandguidelinestoassistacademicstaffandadministratorsmanageinformationmosteffectively. UniversityOperationalExcellence.Inanumberofareas,therearesignificantopportunitiestoimprovehowdepartmentsandfunctionsoperateacrossthe UniversityoftenasfacilitatorstoSustainableExcellenceimprovements.Thisthemefocusesonunderlyinginfrastructurestepchangeenhancements,carbon reductioninitiatives,andstaffskillsdevelopmentswhichcandirectlycontributetosuchimprovements. ITComplexityReduction.RecognisingthecurrenteconomicrealitiestogetherwithanexistingITprovisioncapabilitywhichisalreadyfullycommitted,itis necessarytoadoptnewapproachesforITdeliveryinordertoreleaseresourcesfortheadvancingITagenda.AkeydriverofthecurrentITprovisionistechnical complexity.ThereforedeliveringastepchangereductioninITcomplexitycanfacilitatearepurposingofresourcestohelpdelivertheoverallITStrategy,particularly intheareasofdesktopsupportandapplicationarchitecture. ITFunctionalExcellence.Asacorefunctionforaninformationdrivenenterprisewithhighaspirations,ITneedstobestrivingforbestinsectorprovisionofIT servicesandprojects.Thisthemecontinuesestablishedprogrammes,andexpandsthemparticularlyintheareasofITstaffskillsdevelopmentandnetworking, effectiveITprocurement,diversefundingsourcing,andselectiveintroductionofinternalcharging.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Thefollowingtablesprovidedetailsofthedirectionforeachtheme,andindicatinghoweachcorrelatestothe5strategicgoalsfromtheStrategicFramework.Thethemesarelisted inpriorityorder,althoughitisexpectedthatdependenciesandleadtimeswillmeanthatearlyactionmaybenecessaryacrossallthethemesthisdetailedplanningwillfollow afterapprovalofthestrategy.

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GOAL

RESPONSE

ITTheme1:AdvancingtheUniversity
Nextgenerationresearchplatforms Nextgenerationlearningandteaching platforms CreatecoherentITenvironmentsforresearch,probablyembracingasetoftoolsforcollaboration, informationstore,IP,researchprocesses(e.g.grants)andfacilitatingheterogeneousinterworking SustainableHPCprovisionsolution Createthelongtermelearningvision StrongengagementwithLearningandTeachingstrategyinitiatives Closealignmentwithnextgenerationresourcediscoverystrategy(incl.library) Createthelongtermstudentexperiencevision(incl.portal) ITServicesinnovationgroup ITObservatorytrendwatch(e.g.webusage,searchesetc.)

Nextgenerationstudentlifeplatforms ITServiceInnovation

ITTheme2:EffectiveInformationStewardship
Informationmanagement Approachforinformationmanagement Broadentheinstitutionalrepository Multitiercategorisationofdata Dataownershipandresponsibilities Revitaliseinformationclassification Goal:selectiveISO27001accreditation(fordata/securitymanagement) Agreedframeworkforretention,andprovisionofpublic/3 partyaccesstoinformationassets
rd

Datastorageframework

Informationsecurityandprocesses

Openaccessinformation

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1 ChoiceDestination Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

StudentExperience

EngagedUniversity

FinancialStrength

ResearchPower

st

GOAL

RESPONSE

ITTheme3:UniversityOperationalExcellence
Collaboration Standardplatformforstaff,studentandexternalcollaboration Multidevicesupport Userorienteddirectoryservice Coresolutionfordocumentmanagement Standardworkflowplatform Usefrontwaretointegratestandardworkflowandothercoresystems Revitaliseexternalwebpresence Rearchitecttheintranet,revitalisingthestaffandstudentportals,embracingcollaborationandworkflowas coreplatforms Multitiercarbonassessment Locatesteadystate,nonresearchserversincarbonefficientlocation Furthervirtualisation:Unixanddesktop Structuralapproachtotools/culturetraining Coaching Reviewreportingsolutionsandapproach Architecturalreview Staffabletoaccessalltheirnormalservicesremotelystaffbecomelocationindependentandcandoalltheir workanywhere(fromanITperspective) Facilitatecloudservicesacrosscampus

Businessprocessimprovementand automation WebandIntranet

Carbonmanagement

1 ChoiceDestination Y Y Y Y Y

StudentExperience

EngagedUniversity

FinancialStrength

ResearchPower

Professionalstafftrainingenhancement

Moreuseableandcomprehensivereporting

Flexibleaccessandnextgenerationcampus network

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st

ITTheme4:ITComplexityReduction
Abilitytosupportstaffmobiledevices BasicMACsupport BasicLinuxsupport 5distinctservicesandSLAs: ACORPORATE:standardPCdevices(annualupdate):1desktop,2laptops;lockdown;softwaredistribution BRESEARCH:standardsuppliers;nolockdown;nosoftwaredistribution;lowerSLA CCLUSTER:standarddevice(annual):1desktop;lockdown;softwaredistribution DSTUDENT:helpserviceforowndevices;mobile;docks;idocks ESTAFFMOBILE:selectivesupport(withsecurity)formobiledevices Notrealistictoreplacealllegacysystems Applicationsarchitecturecontrol Moretoserviceorientedarchitecture(SOA)forapplications Tightcriteriaforundertakingbespokesolutions

Agileapplicationsarchitecture

Orchestratedapplicationsstrategy

ITTheme5:ITFunctionalExcellence
Hybridinfrastructuresourcing Internal/externalmixedeconomy Sharedservices:regional(backup);rangeofHPCserviceplatforms CompletionofITILadoptionacrossITServices ServiceAgreementsforallmajorsystems SkilledITsuppliermanagers(workingwithProcurement) Y Y Y

ITServiceadvancement

EffectiveITSuppliermanagement

ITfundingdevelopment

Exploitexternalfundingopportunities ExplorepartneringopportunitieswithintheHEsector ITCareersPanel FacilitatedITcommunity

ITstaffpooldevelopment

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5.0

ITFinances,GovernanceandOrganisation 5.1 ITFinances

InconsideringITFinances,therearefourbroadaspectstoconsider:(a)levelofspend,(b)visibilityandcontrolofspend,(c)sourcesoffunds,and(d)charging philosophy.

(a) LevelofITSpend Traditionally,IThasbeenregardedwithintheUniversityeitherasanecessaryevil,orasacosttobemanagedandcontained.Thisisperhapsnotuncommonin commerce/industry,nodifferentfromothercorporatefunctions.Howeverforanenterprisewithinformationandknowledgetransferatthecoreofitspurpose, ITneedstoberegardedaskeyopportunitytobeleveragedtothemaximum. Certainlyscaleandbreadthofprogrammesisafactor,butitisinescapablethatthecurrentITspendinglevelsarebelowwhatwouldbeexpectedforaprogressive, researchintensiveinstitutionwithhighambitions.Somekeysymptomsofthisspendlevelarealsovisible: (i) ThecurrentITorganisationisfullwithverylimitedabilitytotakeonmajornewprojects.Thusitisnowestablishedpracticetotakeon contractorsforanynewinitiative. (ii) Giventhisreducedcapacity,ithasbecomecommonplacefornewneedsinCollegesandSchoolstobesatisfiedusingseparate,sometimes externalresources.Therearenowquiteanumberofnowcommonplacetechnologiesinthesectorandindustrywhicharelackingatthe University. (iii) ThereisminimalproactiveITserviceinnovationtheonlyinnovationisreactivetosupplierproductupgrades. Theproposedapproachis: ThroughITcomplexityreduction,seektoreleaseexistingresourcestobeavailableonanongoingbasisfornewinitiativesandinnovation.

EstablishanITinnovationregimewithacentralcatalystgroup,collaboratingacrosstheUniversity,andoperatingundertheguidanceofanInnovation PaneltoencouragetargetedrisktakingexplorationsintonovelITservices. ExplorehowbesttoleverageourrelativefinancialstrengthtoadvancetheITStrategyanditsdelivery.

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(b) VisibilityandControlofITSpend Lookingatwherespendoccurs,asignificantamountofITspendisoutsideITServices.ForasignificantnumberofITsuppliers,mostspendlevelsareverymodest andwouldnotnormallywarrantinvolvementofthecentralpurchasingteam.Thisoverallspendingapproachleadstoseveralissues: (i) Missedbuyingleverageopportunitiesfororchestratedcollectivespend. (ii) ChallengeinensuringcompliancetoEUprocurementthresholdrules. (iii) ReducedlikelihoodthattheoverallITspendprofileacrosstheUniversityisalignedcloselywithstrategicpriorities. (iv) WellintentionedamateurpurchasingofITproductsandservices,resultinginrisksandconstraintswhichmayposeproblemslater. AnextremeapproachwouldbetocentraliseallITspendwithinacentralgroup.Howeveramorebalancedapproachisproposed: Implementanoversightapproach,sothatallITspendisvisible,andinparticularthatEUprocurementthresholdsandpossibleissuesaredetectedearly andpriortomakinganycommercialcommitments. BringallITcapitalspendingover10kunderacommonumbrellatogainleveragedpurchases,andtoseekstrongeralignmentwithstrategicpriorities. Workingwithcentralpurchasing,developtraining,assistanceandguidelinesinITpurchasing,toincreasetheeffectivenessandreducetherisks associatedwithdispersedITpurchasing.ThisalsoneedstoembedsustainableprocurementwithinallITpurchasing. (c) SourcesofFunds ITisfundedasacorporateoverhead.Twosmallareasoperatetradingaccounts(studentprintservicesandstudentsoftwaresales).Certainfacilities,e.g. Bluebear,areregardedasbeingincludedwithinFEC,althoughthereisnodirectlinkagebetweenusageandfunding.Furthermore,IThastraditionallynotexplored externalfundingsources,e.g.JISC,HEFCE.ITisproposed: Bluebear/HPCfundingisreviewedeithertobringfullywithinFECortooperateclearlyoutsideFECwithseparatecharging. Externalfundingsourcestobeexploredandmaintainedintheongoingrangeoffundingoptionsforinitiativesandinvestments.

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(d) Chargingphilosophy Currentlywithsomesmallexceptions,ITdoesnotchargeforservicesorprojects.Thishasthebenefitofavoidingnonvalueaddingbureaucraticcharging processes,movingmoneyinternally,butoftenimpactingrarelytheexternalspend.Howeveritencouragesloosenessinmanagementandhasthepotentialfor significantdistortionsinresourcingagainststrategicneeds.Theintroductionofchargingwouldhavethebenefitofestablishingcleardisciplinesandalinkage betweencostandvalue,butwouldasalwaysencouragebothloopholeexploitationandleakageofITspendtoexternalsuboptimalproviders,andwouldattract theadministrativeoverheadforchargingadministration(andcheckinginCollegesandSchools). Itisproposedthat: TheprincipleofstandardutilityITservicesprovidedtoallshouldcontinuetoapplyencompassingPCs,email,personalstorage,etc. Abenefitsmanagementapproachtobedevelopedtoensurethatinvestmentcasesclearlyarticulatethebenefitssought,andthatthe sponsors/customersofinvestmentsshouldbeheldaccountablefortherealisationanddeliveryofbenefitsoncompletion. Inselectiveareas,chargingforservicestobeintroducedtominimisedistortionsofresourceusagesandmaximisebenefits.Bluebearisaclear candidateforsuchcharging,toensurestrongeralignmentbetweenHPCresourcesandresearchincome.

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5.2

ITGovernance
ITgovernanceisjudgedtobereasonablyeffectiveinmanagingprojectsandinitiatives.Howeveranumberofgapsneedtobeaddressed,togetherwith establishinganapproachofmaintainingstrategicbalanceacrossIT.ThechartoverleafoutlinesanewholisticandfutureorientedapproachtoITGovernance. Keyaspectsofcoreofthisstructureareasfollows: Informationrequiresagovernanceapproach.ProposedtocreateIMSG(InformationManagementSteeringGroup): o Steersinitiativesfordataarchitectureanddesign. o Ownsthestrategyformiddlewareandapplicationsinterfacing. o Focalpointfordataandinformationstewardship,supportingtheUniversityresponsibilitiesinthisarea. ApplicationssteeredbyBSSG(BusinessSystemsStrategyGroup)anditsvarioussubgroups. o Ownstheapplicationsstrategy,andapproves/endorsesallsignificantapplicationinvestigationsanddevelopments o Proposedtoextendscopetoincludeservicegovernanceforapplicationsservices. InfrastructuresteeredbyITIG(ITInfrastructureGroup)anditsvarioussubgroups. o Ownstheinfrastructurestrategy,andapproves/endorsesallsignificantinfrastructureinvestigationsanddevelopments o Proposedtoextendscopetoincludeservicegovernanceforinfrastructureservices. o Shouldalsobeexpandedtoincludevoiceservicesandinvestmentsinitsscope. Architecturerequiresdirectionandsupportingprocesses.ProposedtocreateAMG(ArchitectureManagementGroup): o OrchestrateseffectiveprocessestoensureacoherentITarchitecture o SponsorshipofITStandardsList,detailing:current,legacy,obsolete,andpossiblefuturestandardsforallmajortechnologyareas o ClosealignmentwithInnovationPanel/programme InnovationwiththecreationofanITservicesinnovationteam,thereneedstobeaccompanyinggovernanceforinnovationinitiativesandinvestments. TheInnovationPanelwill: o ProvideoversightandguidanceofITserviceinnovationacrosstheUniversity o ProvideanobservatoryfunctiontohelpensureagilityismaintainedinrespondingtonewITdevelopments o ActingasachannelfordiscussionwithBSSG,ITIGandIMSGwhentheseinnovationsarereadytobecomemainstream.

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ITGovernanceFramework

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FollowingtheCouncileffectivenessreview,EISC(theEstatesandInfrastructureSubCommittee)willbeceased,refocusingitsactivitiesetctoeitherSPRCorthe managementstructure(UEB,ICGetc). Forhighlevelmanagement,keyaspectsare: Itisproposedthatanewgroup,theITStrategicPlanningGroup,beestablished,to: o MaintainanongoingholisticviewofITstrategyanddirection,ensuringtheappropriatebalancebetweenapplications,infrastructureand informationalignedwiththeUniversitysstrategicplanasitevolves. o TrackprogressagainsttheITStrategicPlan. o BetheoverallfocalpointfortheforwardspendingprofileforITbothrevenueandcapital. o EnsureappropriatealignmentofITinnovationwithmainstreamactivities ICG(InfrastructureCoordinationGroup)willcontinuetobethemainmanagementgroupoverseeingUniversitycapitalspendingplansandinvestment proposals.ForIT,itwill: o Approve/endorseallmajorITinvestments o Scrutinisebusinessinvestmentproposals

WhereaproposedinvestmentisinlinewiththeagreedITstrategyandITinvestmentprogramme/profile,thenfollowingBSSG/ITIG/IMSGapprovalor endorsement,itwouldgotoICGforbusinesscaseapproval(andhigher,dependingonthetotalamountsought).Ifhowevertheproposalisoutsidetheagreed strategyand/orinvestmentprogramme,thentheITSPGwouldneedtodeterminewhetheritsmeritswarrantachangeinthestrategyandinparticulara rebalanceoftheITinvestmentprogramme. Overall,thegoaloftheITgovernanceframeworksistoensurecoherenceandstrategicalignmentthroughthecentralgovernancestructures(withassociated policies,standardsandprocedures),whilstenablingandsupportinginnovationonalocalbasiswithinColleges,stillwithinanoverallarchitecturalframework.

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5.3

ITOrganisation

CurrentStructure: ACTIVITY Centralinfrastructure/applicationsdevelopmentandsupport Enduseranddepartmentalservices ArtsandLaw MedicalandDental Researchprogrammes Telecoms/voiceservices Assessment: Afteratransitionandsettlingperiod,thecollegeITteamsarenowgenerallyjudgedtobeworkingeffectively. RecognisingthechallengesofdeliveringthestrategicITvision,inparticulartoreducecomplexity,periodicongoingreconfigurationoftheITorganisationwill benecessary.ThisshouldincludetheappropriateapproachforsupportingtheColleges,takingaccountoftheITstrategyandstrategicframeworkaspirations. Staffconsultationwillbeundertakenifrequiredattheappropriatetime. TheconvergenceofvoiceanddataservicesrequiresthatthedirectionandstrategicinvestmentsforvoiceneedtobemuchmorealignedwiththeoverallIT programme.AsaminimumvoiceshouldbebroughtintothescopeforITIG,andstrategicinvestmentsassessedaspartofthebroaderinvestment programme. LifeandEnvironmental SocialSciences EngineeringandPhysicalSciences CorporateServices DELIVERYGROUP ITServices ITServices ITServices(withsomelocalprovisionwithinclinicaltrials, andwithsomeresourcesstillfundedinMDS) ITServices ITServices ITServices ITServices(butwithsomelocaldepartmentalresources) Typicallyembeddedwithinresearchgroups HAS

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6.0

MeasuringDeliveryagainsttheITStrategy

Wewillknowweareprogressingeachthemeintherightdirectionsif: For:AdvancingtheUniversity Annualdeliveryplans(roadmaps)areagreedforadvancinghowITsupportsthekeydimensionsofResearchandLearning&Teaching. ThestudentITexperiencehasseendistinctiveenhancements,includingsupportforgreaterstudentmobility. ThereisaclearstrategyforHighPerformanceComputingserviceprovision. AnengagingprocessisinplacetostimulateandmanageITserviceinnovation. For:EffectiveInformationStewardship ADataFrameworkisestablishedandoperationalenablingtheUniversitytooperateallitskeyprocesseseffectively,andallowinguserstoclassify,storeandtransfer data/objectsappropriately. ISO27001certificationisachievedforidentifiedscopeareasforinformationsecurityprocesses. Robustandaccessiblehostingservicesareavailableforinstitutionaldata,particularlyforresearchdata. For:UniversityOperationalExcellence Collaborationandworkflowinfrastructureisoperational,withstandardtemplatesforcommonusageneeds. ReductionsinITrelatedcarbonimpactarebeingdelivered,measuredandarecontinuing. Whererequired,staffareabletodotheirjobsanywhere. For:ITComplexityReduction Standarddesktopsaredeployed,supportedbysoftwaredistributionservices. Frontwareinfrastructureisinplaceandusedtodelivernew,moreusercentricapplications. Middlewareinfrastructureisinusebetweenkeycoreapplications. Acriticalreviewofkeyapplicationshasbeencompleted,positioningthemwithinacoherentlongtermapplicationsarchitecture. For:ITFunctionalExcellence EffectiveprocessesareinplacetoensureITspendingoversightandtransparencyacrosstheUniversity.

ImplementationofITILv3coreprocessesiscomplete.

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7.0

Risks

TherisksassociatedwiththeITStrategyare: RISK Strategicvisionandthemesarenotprogressed. MITIGATION FollowingapprovaloftheITStrategy,animplementation programmewillbedrawnup, documentedasBroadActionPlans,andsubsequentlyapproved,withtimedresourcing provision.Progressagainsttheseactionplanswillbereviewedona6monthlybasis withtheITSPG. Trackingofcostsperinitiative,withsummaryprogressreportsevery6months,andearly escalationtoITSPGofforecastsignificantdeviations. Theprocesstoagreetheplansshouldsecureagreementofprovisionofallthekey resources.Difficultiesorfailuretoprovidethoseresourcestobeaddressedthrough managementstructures,andifnotresolvedtobeescalatedtoITSPGaspartofthe6 monthlyreview. Periodicreviewwillallowdueconsiderationandreprioritisationinresponsetosuchnew factors. Activetrackingandassessmentofexternalfactors,assessingtheirpotentialimpacton strategicvisionandimplementationprogramme.Tobeincludedin6monthlyreviews.

Forecastcostsaresignificantlygreaterthanexpected. Resourcesarenotdeployedtosupporttheagreedplans.

Unexpectedeventsanddevelopmentscausedeferralorcancellation. Externalpressuresdemandearlierdeliveryofinitiatives.

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8.0

NextSteps 8.1 CommunicationofStrategicDirection

Aprogrammeofcommunicationsandpublicityeventswithsupportingmaterialswillbepreparedanddelivered.Thiswillpredominantlyfocusonthecontentof thisITStrategydocument,withthegoaltoensureallkeystakeholdersandaffectedindividualsareawareofthestrategicintentoftheUniversityregardingIT.

8.2

BroadActionsDocument
ThiswillsetouthoweachoftheITThemeswillbeputintoaction,withclearplansforlaunchingthevarioussupportinginitiatives.Theinterdependencies,funding andresourcingconsequenceswillbeidentified,reflectedinoverviewtimeplans,anddraftProjectInitiationDocuments(PIDs)preparedforthevariousfeasibility studiestobelaunched.ApprovalwillbesoughtfromUEB.OngoingmonitoringandsteeringwillbeprovidedbytheITStrategicPlanningGroup.

8.3

CommunicationofStrategyImplementationPlans
Afurtherprogrammeofcommunicationsandpublicityeventswithsupportingmaterialswillbepreparedanddelivered.Thiswillfocusoncommunicatingthe implementationplansforthevariousinitiativesrequired.Wheretheseinvolvethecreationofnewteamsandroles,ortheassemblyofexistingresourcesinto projectteams,theappropriatechannelsandprocedureswillbefollowedwhendealingwithsuchchanges.

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9.0

AcknowledgementsandThanks
ThanksaretobegiventoallthosewhohelpedthroughouttheprocessofcreatingthisITStrategy: ITStrategyBoard,ITAcademicAdvisoryGroup,ITCoreteamandITServicesHeadsofSection. AllworkshopparticipantsandfacilitatorsfromITServices,CollegesandCorporateServices Stakeholders,freshers,andsupplierswhocontributedtothedatagatheringphase Universitymanagementandgovernancegroups:BSSG,CollegeBoards,Council,EISC,ICG,ITIG,LGUA,SPRC,UEB

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10.0

Glossary
AMG Banner BI BIRMS BSSG CLAD EEG FEC Frontware HEI HPC IMSG ITIG ITIL JANET JISC LEG Middleware ArchitectureManagementGroup Softwaresuite(supplier:Sungard)usedforholdingandmanagingstudentrecords. BusinessIntelligence BannerIntegratedRecordsManagementSystem. BusinessSystemsStrategyGroupresponsibleforstrategicdirectionofapplications. CentreforLearningandAcademicDevelopment. EducationalEnhancementGroup. FullEconomicCost AclassofITsoftwarewhichenabletheprovisionofITserviceswiththespecificgoalofprovidingaseamlessapplicationservicetoenduserswhilst integratingacrossarangeofbackendsystems,withoutanychangesbeingrequiredtothosebackendsystems. HigherEducationInstitution. HighPerformanceComputingaclassofcentralprocessing/storagewithextremelyhighcapacitye.g.Bluebear. InformationManagementSteeringGroup ITInfrastructureGroupresponsibleforstrategicdirectionofinfrastructure. ITInfrastructureLibraryanindustrysetofcommonproceduresforITservicedelivery). JointAcademicNetworkthesharednetworkprovidingUKHEIswithhighspeedconnectivity. JointInformationSystemsCommitteeaUKwidecommitteeofHEIstaffdirectingaprogrammeofinitiativesandfundedservices(e.g.JANET). LearningEnvironmentGroup. AclassofITsoftwarewhichsitsbetweenapplicationsystemsprovidesmechanismsforrobustdatatransferbetweenthemoftenusingapublishand subscribemodel.Typicallysuchsystemscanalsomap/transformdatatoandfromstandarddatadefinitions,therebyfacilitatingthecoexistenceand interactionofsystemscomplianttoanynewdatastandardswithlegacynoncompliantsystems. ResearchandKnowledgeTransfer(Committee). RussellGroupInstitution. Mostpeoplebelieveitmeans:ReallySimpleSyndication.Aclassofautomatednewsfeedswherebyanychangestoawebsiteareautomaticallysignalled totheenduserintheirbrowser. SoftwareasaServiceaclassofoutsourcingwhererelativelystandardprocessesareexternallyhostedandofferedasabundledservice. Classofsoftwarepurchasedofftheshelftypicallywithoutanycustomisationorbespokedevelopment. AninternetbasedserviceenablingPCtoPCaudioandvideophonecalls,andmulticast(multiparticipant)calls. ServiceLevelAgreement.

R&KT RGI RSS SaaS Shrinkwrap Skype SLA

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SOA SPG TNE U21G

ServiceOrientedArchitectureanapproachtoITsystemdesignwhichenvelopesvarioussystemstothenpresentthemasablackboxservicetoother applications. ITStrategicPlanningGroupoverallreviewandbalanceoftheongoingITstrategyanddirections TransNationalEducationtheprogrammewithinU21Gtargetinginternationalmultiinstitutionprovisionoflearningprogrammes. Universitas21GlobalaninitiativewithintheU21institutions,partneringwithThomsonLearningtodeliveronlinepostgraduatelearningprogrammes.

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