DIT IT Strategic Development Plan

Transcription

1 DIT IT Strategic Development Plan Release: Version 1.0 Date: 5th April 2012

2 1 Executive Summary This document outlines the DIT IT Strategic Development Plan for , which states how the IS Department intends to provide continuous incremental value and benefits across DIT to deliver an excellent customer experience. 1.1 Background to the IS strategic development plan The DIT strategic objectives , as approved by Governing Body in July 2011, provide the basis from which this IT plan is developed. It is also informed by the requirements of DIT Students and Staff which have been captured through surveys, workshops and individual consultations with the Senior Leadership Team. In addition, the role of Higher Education in Ireland has changed and the IT plan must reflect not just Institute policy, but also government policy through initiatives such as the Hunt report Finally, there have been significant advances in the development of technology since the previous strategy, particularly in the areas of mobile computing, social media and cloud-based computing which offer opportunities and threats to the way we conduct our business. 1.2 Key IT development priorities The IT plan will be realised through the delivery of quality IT services to meet the current and emerging needs of DIT. These services will be delivered across a number of themes that will demonstrably support the strategic objectives of the Institute. There are seven themes and these are listed below. Customer service and communications Learning and Teaching support IT services for researchers Delivery of management information IT Governance and benefits realisation Develop a service-oriented IT architecture Resourcing of IT service delivery There are a significant number of risks to the delivery of the IT plan. These can range from loss of key staff to reduced funding or shifting priorities. Therefore, the IS 2

3 Department will manage risks in accordance with the processes outlined by the Institute s Strategic Development Services team. This development plan shall also be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure it reflects current priorities. Any changes to the plan will be brought before the DIT Facilities, IT & Procurement sub-committee for approval. 3

4 2 Introduction and current context for Higher Education in DIT The ability to create, refine and disseminate information is a fundamental requirement for any successful Higher Education Institute. This capacity to manage information has in recent years become utterly dependent on the availability of reliable, cost-effective, and increasingly, mobile Information Technology. In DIT, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) has been assigned responsibility for the delivery of information services in order to achieve Institute operational and strategic goals. In a time of uncertainty, with a growing demand and reduced funding, it has become critical that the resources available to the CIO are organised in such a way as to create the highest possible yield so that Institute goals can be met. The purpose of this document is to set out our plans for the period to develop, not only our IT infrastructure and services, but to enable the full exploitation of the information available to the Institute in realising its objectives. The successful implementation of this plan will enable DIT to become more effective, agile and costefficient with enhanced reputational and funding opportunities. 2.1 DIT s Strategic Objectives The DIT strategic objectives provide the basis from which this plan is developed. These key Institute objectives for are as follows. Learning: Research: Engagement: Student Services: People: To be the HEI of choice in arts, tourism, business, engineering, built environment, sciences & health for career-focused education through quality teaching and learning To be an important source of discovery and underpin DIT s education programmes and its contribution to the economy and society To be valued by academic, industry, community and other partners, nationally and internationally, for the transfer of knowledge and skills relevant to sustainable development To be recognised in Ireland for the quality of our services to students To maximise and harness the collective talents and abilities of all colleagues within DIT 4

5 Organisation Development: Financial: To transform DIT to become more streamlined, agile and dynamic To ensure that DIT operates efficiently and effectively with available resources The IT Strategy is also informed by the requirements of DIT Students and Staff which have been captured through surveys, workshops and individual consultations with the Senior Leadership Team 2.2 The role of IT governance in achieving DIT s strategic objectives The purpose of IT governance is to clarify how decisions regarding IT are made, who gets to make them and who is accountable for their implementation. IT governance is a critical link in the chain of ensuring IT plans are aligned with the priorities of the Institute. Within DIT, the Facilities, IT & Procurement sub-committee has been assigned the task of ensuring that IT services meet the educational needs and standards of the Institute. This includes the development of an annual work programme as well as the measurement of progress against metrics (key performance indicators). Decisions are made by the voting members comprising of the President (Chair) and three Directors to the Institute. 2.3 The current context for higher education in DIT There have been substantial changes in the national strategic objectives and the technological landscape since the development of the previous IT strategy. This section identifies the most relevant ones to DIT Campus development and planning DIT, in conjunction with the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Dublin City Council, is developing a new unified campus that will be located at Grangegorman in Dublin s inner city. The campus will bring together the Institute s core and supporting activities in a single vibrant environment, integrating with the strategic development of Dublin city and providing a range of facilities for Students and Staff, for industry and the wider community. The Grangegorman Development Agency, who is managing the project, has published a Strategic Plan for 2011 which states that Information technology will 5

6 be a defining characteristic of the new campus. It is expected that a section of DIT students and staff will accommodated on the new campus during the lifetime of the IS plan thus necessitating the provision of IT infrastructure and services there. In the meantime, there remains a need to ensure that the current DIT buildings remain fit for purpose to support current teaching practices as well as meet Health & Safety and energy efficiency requirements. These developments are coordinated through the DIT Buildings Office with IS contributing in an advisory and planning role National Strategy for Higher Education (Hunt report) The publication of the Hunt report in 2011 outlined a strategy intended to deliver transformational change in the Irish HE sector over the coming two decades. It has forecast a significant rise in demand for higher education and outlined a need to improve the quality, responsiveness and relevance of HE Institutes to meet that demand in a sustainable manner. Some of the key structural changes recommended in the report are outlined below. Having a smaller number of higher education institutes of greater strength, critical mass and governed according to international best practise Providing for the establishment of Technological Universities Restructuring and strengthening the Higher Education Authority Requiring greater interaction between our higher education and enterprise sectors Current and emerging technology trends In addition, there have been significant advances in the consumarisation of technology since the previous strategy and a greater understanding of how DIT can benefit from these is required. Some of these emerging technologies are as follows: Mobile computing: For students who grew up with Internet access, there are high expectations for the accessibility of DIT services via tablets and smartphones owned by DIT students. With a growing movement away from expensive one-size-fits-all desktop applications to almost-free single purpose apps, this flexibility will create challenges in areas of security, infrastructure and support Cloud-based services: Companies such as Google and Microsoft have developed transformational web services and HE institutes are investigating whether these services can deliver computing power, applications or data storage more efficiently and cost-effectively. However, there remain concerns regarding the confidentiality, cost and availability of such services 6

7 Social computing: In a recent DITSU survey, 66% of students indicated that they spent over five hours per week using Facebook. Whether this is time well spent is the subject of much debate but the role and potential benefits of social computing using sites such as Twitter and Facebook needs to be understood and opportunities for exploitation examined Game-based learning: Games designed for learning purposes rather than pure entertainment are becoming increasingly popular with research showing players can connect with the content more easily while partaking in roleplaying or collaborative problem-solving. DIT has developed a number of projects in this area including the Grangegorman VR project Learning analytics: This is defined as the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners for optimising learning and the environment in which it occurs. This could mean being able to analyse a student s on-line interaction with DIT for the purposes of identifying at-risk learners or to support the Institute decision-making and resource allocation DIT customers and their IT requirements The IT plan is informed by the needs of staff and students in DIT. In a 2011 satisfaction survey, DIT staff were asked to identify the IT services most in need of improvement. The 262 responses received are represented below with the size of a word illustrating the frequency with which it was used in responses to the question. 7

8 In a 2010 survey, DIT Students were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with their DIT experience across a variety of areas. The key IT-related issues that were identified in 2,343 responses are listed below. Access to a computer when I need one Availability of printing/copying facilities Access to training in software Cost of printing 8

9 3 Information Services Mission, Vision and Strategies While both the complexity of IT and the demand for IT services have increased in recent years, it should be noted that the allocated resources and budget for IT have declined. Moreover, the IS Department understands that by 2014: DIT will need to offer more leading-edge IT services to remain competitive The IS Department will be expected to deliver ever more complex IT services Consequently, there is a clear recognition within IS that there is a need to move from the current predominantly reactive IT environment to a predominantly value-based environment and consequently our mission, vision and strategies have been updated to reflect this. 3.1 Our mission, vision and values Mission for what purpose do we exist: To continuously develop and enhance ICT services that will underpin DIT s reputation for student-centred learning, innovative research and community engagement Vision what type of organisation do we want to be? To deliver a high-quality student experience using the best available technologies, making DIT the most innovative higher education institution in Ireland. We will achieve this through delivery of student-centred learning environments; provide equality of IT access for all our customers; ensure IT services are integrated with the business; and engage with our partners to make best use of our limited resources. Values - the personal traits that will drive our behaviors: Forward-focused with a positive attitude and a professional approach to everything we do Our IT services will be recognised for their quality both in DIT and the wider HE community 9

10 We take pride in the Institute and recognise the part we play in its achievements Our team will have opportunities to develop the skills they need to excel at their job To be ethical & honest in all we do Working together as one DIT finding solutions to remove silos We will adhere strongly to the IT governance model and to the implementation of agreed annual programme of work 3.2 Summary plan and objectives for IT services To develop IT services that will meet the strategic goals of DIT, a number of themes have been identified for development over the coming three years. These are listed below Customer service and communications The objective is to be more pro-active in the delivery of IT services so that there will be improved satisfaction for our customers and less surprises for IS. At the heart of this is an improved customer relationship model where needs are agreed and prioritised, where the time and place for service delivery are redefined, and where communicating to our customers is embedded in everything IS do. This will be achieved through implementation of the following programmes of work: Programmes for theme of Customer service and communications 1. Develop and implement a framework for customer relationship management (CRM) 2. Adopt a lifecycle approach for all IT services 3. Establish quality objectives for each IT service and measure performance against those objectives 4. Deliver increased self-service functionality Learning and Teaching support Technology is an enabler of learning when used effectively and this is demonstrated through the widespread use of on-line learning environments in DIT. Additional focus is now required in leveraging the technology used in classrooms and labs to support teaching staff in engaging with an increasingly diverse student cohort in terms of 10

11 their technology experience and study patterns. This will be enhanced through the implementation of the following programmes of work: Programmes for theme of Learning and teaching support 1. Enabling flexible learning 2. Removing barriers to education through technology 3. Supporting blended learning through IT IT services for researchers The DIT Research community is comprised of staff and post-graduate students from across the four Colleges. The funding, publication and commercialisation of this research is coordinated through the Directorate of Research & Enterprise and it is all dependent on the continued availability of a high-quality infrastructure to meet their demands. A number of projects to support this requirement have already been identified in other programmes but there are additional requirements unique to Research and these are listed below Programmes for theme of IT services for researchers 1. Developing research infrastructure 2. IT advisory services for researchers Delivery of management information The immediate requirement is to improve access to key information in order to support Institute decision-making and meet external reporting requirements. This will require the creation of an information strategy to highlight the extent to which DIT is dependent on information, in all of its forms, and how best to manage this strategic asset and, make it readily available to authorised staff and students using Internetbased technologies (i.e. web-enabled). Also of critical importance is how to automate labour-intensive processes and reduce the dependency on paper-based forms. A number of programmes to facilitate this have been identified and are listed below. Programmes for theme of Delivery of management information 1. Information governance and application roadmap 2. Develop business continuity planning processes 3. Data integration and report generation 4. Drive efficiencies in business processes 11

12 3.2.5 IT Governance and benefits realisation An effective IT governance structure is vital for ensuring that limited resources are invested in the projects of greatest strategic importance to DIT. A governance committee must also focus on achieving operational efficiency across the Institute. However, by necessity, such a committee must operate at a strategic level and is wholly dependent on the delivery of accurate information on which to support their decision making and on controls to ensure that these decisions are implemented accordingly. This will be greatly facilitated through the implementation of the following programmes of work: Programmes for theme of IT governance and benefits realisation 1. Delivery of management information to support governance decision making 2. Achieving greater value for money Develop a service-oriented IT architecture A high-quality IT infrastructure is fundamental to the successful operation of the Institute. However, it must be able to accommodate emerging technologies, such as game-based learning, changing buildings requirements not to mention increasing customer expectations, all at a time of significant financial constraints. Therefore, this theme will seek to address deficits identified in the risk register through a variety of programmes which are listed here. Programmes for theme of Develop a service-oriented IT architecture 1. Maintain and develop current service infrastructure 2. Provide high-quality network and storage services 3. Deliver infrastructure for new and redeveloped campus buildings 4. Implement an information security programme Resourcing of IT service delivery As a consequence of the current economic climate, DIT has, in common with other public sector bodies, had to operate under reduced staffing and investment which has increased the risk of service failures. Therefore, the IT service in DIT must continue to be consolidated, where appropriate, into one unit in order to achieve greater efficiencies. Progress has been made with the reassignment of a number of technical staff to IS and further steps must to taken to align the efforts of all IS staff in the delivery of this plan. Also, investment in IT infrastructure must be maintained, particularly when almost all business processes are heavily dependent on IT. 12

13 Therefore, this theme will attempt to address these issues through a variety of programmes which are listed here. Programmes for theme of Resourcing of IT service delivery 1. Reorganisation of the IT function 2. Developing shared services 3. Investing in the infrastructure underpinning IT services under an agreed one DIT budget framework 13

14 4 Information Services projects and KPIs The programmes that have been identified in the previous section are now broken down into individual projects and/or actions. The measurement of progress against each programme will be made by agreeing key performance indicators (KPIs) with stakeholders that will communicate the success or otherwise of the IT Strategy in a non-technical manner. 4.1 Customer service and communications Develop and implement a framework for customer relationship management (CRM) 1. Establish formal Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for IT services with Colleges and Functions 2. Develop reception centres for students and staff seeking IT services in person 3. Provide support services outside of normal office hours 4. Implement a "business partner" framework to improve communications between IS and Colleges & Functions Adopt a lifecycle approach for all IT services 1. Define each IT service available to students and staff, how to access it and, how it will be developed 2. Ensure all IS staff have completed customer service training 3. Review effectiveness of all ITIL processes adopted by IS and identify additional processes for deployment 4. Develop a standard operating environment in conjunction with SLAs Establish quality objectives for each IT service and measure performance against those objectives 1. Proactively monitor service performance and take immediate steps to address service issues 2. Conduct regular customer reviews 14

15 4.1.4 Deliver increased self-service functionality 1. Extend provision of self-service loan machines in DIT libraries 2. Implement web-enabled requisitioning process 3. Introduction of procurement cards for small value purchasing 4. Provide mobile support for key business applications To ensure that progress is made against this theme of the IT strategy, the following measures or key performance indicators (KPIs) are proposed. Customer experience satisfaction Response times to service requests Service Level Agreements Business Partner Framework Measure the customer satisfaction with the IS services provided on a regular basis, identifying any areas of dissatisfaction, the cause for under-performance and proposed remedial actions. Customer expectations need to be defined, managed and delivered against. Determine the average response time for service requests to ensure a consistent level of service for each College and campus Measure the number of SLAs that have been agreed with the Colleges/Functions and are being actively monitored through performance reports and review meetings Record the number of IS business partners allocated to work with each College providing professional advice as outlined in the Organisation of DIT paper 4.2 Learning and teaching support Enabling flexible learning 1. Initiate pilot for lecture capture with on-demand playback 2. Implement hosted desktop solution in PC labs to deliver applications for multiple disciplines (e.g. Biology, Marketing, etc.) 3. Deliver enhanced, integrated collaboration tools for students 4. Support for the Virtual University initiative Removing barriers to education through technology 15

16 1. Ensure all cloud-delivered services meet accessibility requirements of DIT Disability Services Support education in developing countries through PC recycling with partner organisations (e.g. Camara) 2. Publish database of all academic software available and simplify software procurement Supporting blended learning through IT 1. Create media services unit for support of classroom technology 2. Define a standard operating environment for teaching/learning spaces within DIT 3. Develop support services for mobile technology 4. Review of managed print and copy service for students and staff 5. Conclude desktop migration in Colleges to ictdomain 6. Migrate to Windows 7 as preferred operating system To ensure that progress is made against this theme of the IT strategy, the following measures or key performance indicators (KPIs) are proposed. Accessibility Reuse of old PCs Learning & teaching spaces Print/copy services for students Measure the level of accessibility of academic applications to visually impaired students Report on the number of PCs recycled for education purposes in developing countries Record the number of learning & teaching spaces that adhere to the standard operating environment Measure the level of satisfaction with student print & copy services 4.3 IT services for Research & Enterprise Developing research infrastructure 1. To clearly define requirements for high-performance/distributed computing for researchers 2. Provide 24/7 hosted environments for research purposes 16

17 3. Develop interfaces between the Research information system and the Finance/HR systems 4. Implement improved remote access to research equipment 5. Provide enhanced library search facilities for researchers (Millennium Encore) IT advisory services for researchers 1. Implement simplified process for the procurement of specialised IT hardware for research purposes 2. Provide AV/IT support services for conferences/seminars 3. Create a professional services unit to provide consultancy to DIT researchers To ensure that progress is made against this theme of the IT strategy, the following measures or key performance indicators (KPIs) are proposed. Highperformance computing Remote access Conference support Measure level of HPC available to DIT researchers Report on number of research centres where equipment can be remotely managed Detail the number of conferences where full AV service were provided 4.4 Delivery of management information Information governance and application roadmap 1. Establish an application governance model with business sponsors for each cluster of applications, e.g. student, administration, research 2. Establish a prioritised set of business requirements and development plans for each application service over a three year period 3. Replace HR recruitment application (with e-recruit) 4. Develop an information strategy for DIT data assets 5. Review each business application to determine if it can be retired, hosted externally or continue to be hosted in DIT 6. Implement measures to increase the level of application exploitation and reduce the degree of customisation unique to DIT 17

18 4.4.2 Develop business continuity planning processes 1. Achieve compliance with legal requirements for the deletion of unnecessary student data 2. Document business recovery plans to detail steps needed to recover from major service failures and ensure required infrastructure in place Data integration and report generation 1. Integrate the DIT module catalogue with the student records system 2. Deliver customisable report generation to meet external reporting requirements 3. Update applications to reflect new DIT structure 4. Integration of Admissions processes with common tools 5. Further develop existing Identity Management solutions Drive efficiencies in business processes 1. Improve process and application for management of HPAL teaching staff 2. Implement application process for international students 3. Implement a records management system and workflow technology to improve the tracking and monitoring of Institute decision-making 4. Implement common processes and applications as per recommendations of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland including the measurement and tracking of student progression from entry to graduation 5. Shared services integration with CDVEC 6. Automate process for examiner fee payments To ensure that progress is made against this theme of the IT strategy, the following measures or key performance indicators (KPIs) are proposed. Application lifecycle BCP/DR Quality of data Measure the status of each business application in terms of whether it should be retired, externally hosted or kept within DIT Measure the number of key business processes for which Business Continuity Planning/Disaster Recovery arrangements have been agreed with the process owner Measure progress against external recommendations (e.g. NQAI 18

19 report) Data integration Measure the gap between the number of interfaces between various data sources and Institute demand 4.5 IT governance and benefits realisation Delivery of management information to support governance decision making 1. Review current IT governance model and establish appropriate sub-groups to focus on specific topics, i.e. business processes, research, College-based, etc. 2. Develop dashboard of metrics (KPIs) on progress against strategic objectives 3. Review the effectiveness of the current ICT PMO process and extend it to include all Buildings & Facilities projects Achieving greater value for money 1. Conduct benefits realisation review for completed projects 2. Manage all Institute IT spend into a single budget framework with governance oversight to ensure the greatest yield can be realised by DIT and meet Circular 2/09 obligations 3. Consolidate application licensing to achieve cost savings and publish details on available software packages To ensure that progress is made against this theme of the IT strategy, the following measures or key performance indicators (KPIs) are proposed. Project management IT governance Benefits realisation Reduction in operational spend Measure number of projects on schedule and within budget Report on the effectiveness of sub-committees reporting into the Facilities & IT governance committee Measure the effectiveness of completed projects in terms of savings or revenue generation Measure the cost savings realised in operational IT spend as reported to the Department of Finance via Circular 2/09 19

20 4.6 Develop a service-oriented IT architecture Maintain and develop current service infrastructure 1. Migrate all business applications off Alpha platform 2. Upgrade all key applications to near-current release versions (Student records, Library, Finance, etc.) 3. Decommission legacy student records system 4. Develop improved processes for the management of the physical IT infrastructure 5. Develop data centre service Provide high-quality network and storage services 1. Deliver a reliable, high-performance network to support core DIT activities 2. Provide metrics (Key Performance Indicators) on the availability of critical IT services 3. Develop and implement unified communications services 4. Develop a cost-effective storage architecture to meet the needs of staff and students that provides appropriate levels of data protection, availability, security and search functionality 5. Ensure all critical Institute data hosted internally is stored in the data centre 6. Ensure wireless coverage and capacity meet usage demands in DIT buildings 7. Provide 24/7 monitoring, alerting and response for critical IT services 8. Maintain business operations by providing secondary voice/data links to DIT campus buildings Deliver infrastructure for new and redeveloped campus buildings 1. Deliver a standard operating environment (PC and telephony) to ensure staff can relocate between buildings without service change 2. Deliver infrastructure for renovated buildings in Bolton Street campus 3. Provide expanded and new network links for Grangegorman campus developments 4. Deliver infrastructure for all planned buildings development projects 20

21 4.6.4 Implement an information security programme 1. Replace critical network security infrastructure (firewall, VPN & load balancer) 2. Support Schools/Sections in the adoption of DIT-approved security solutions 3. Improve information security awareness through expanded training and education and recommend policies or improvements for increased protection of DIT data assets 4. Provide enhanced security by blocking of SPAM and other malevolent s 5. Ensure all devices connecting to DIT network have up-to-date anti-virus software and security updates 6. Review and revise all Institute policies relating to IT security To ensure that progress is made against this theme of the IT strategy, the following measures or key performance indicators (KPIs) are proposed. Service availability Information security Software versions Capacity management Measure the availability of key infrastructure services such as network, wireless and applications Record the number of staff who have undertaken information security awareness training or who have encrypted their laptop Note the variation between the current release for each enterprise application and the particular version used by DIT and other Higher Education Institutes Measure the level of capacity for key services, e.g. storage available, wireless performance, application response times, etc. 4.7 Resourcing of IT service delivery Reorganisation of the IT function 1. Reassign existing IS staff to ensure critical infrastructure is available to a high standard 2. Develop the Office of the CIO to provide consultancy and strategic services and to support collaborative initiatives 3. Through PMDS, ensure IS staff are adequately trained and have opportunities to develop skills 4. Develop operational unit in IS to deliver IT services for critical business processes to agreed SLAs 21

22 5. Identify duplicate processes within the IT function and consolidate using a one DIT approach Developing shared services 1. Develop data centre hosting as a shared service with HEAnet 2. Identify and implement opportunities to develop shared services and infrastructure or to reduce costs with external partners such as TUDA, An Cheim, HEAnet, DRHEA, etc. 3. Continue to ensure DIT is adequately represented on external stakeholder bodies (e.g. HEAnet, Eduroam, Edugate, etc.) Investing in the infrastructure underpinning IT services 1. Develop 3-year investment plan for all infrastructure and IT services 2. In consultation with the Buildings Office, implement measures to reduce the energy costs/carbon footprint of IT To ensure that progress is made against this theme of the IT strategy, the following measures or key performance indicators (KPIs) are proposed. Service cost Reduce duplication of effort Performance management Carbon footprint Measure the cost for each IT service Review the service catalogue of all IT service providers to DIT to identify duplication of services and where possible, eliminate such duplication Use PMDS to assess the level of skills of all IS staff and identify the training required to bridge any gaps Measure reductions in carbon emissions due to the use of IT 22

23 5 Dependencies There are a number of dependencies associated with these themes of the IT strategic develop plan, including: There are a significant number of risks to the delivery of the plan. These can range from loss of key staff to reduced funding or shifting priorities. Therefore, the management of risks is a key enabler of this strategy with a risk register to be documented and kept under review The reorganisation of the IT Support service in DIT to remove unnecessary duplication and to meet changing needs and circumstances That the IT governance model in place is adhered to and all requests for project work are channelled through the IS PMO for presentation to the Facilities & IT Committee Acceptance by customers of the limited resources and budgets and the ability to deliver innovative services within these constraints Acceptance by DIT that IT plays a strategic role in helping DIT achieve its business objectives Engagement by Colleges & Functions in the development of service level agreements with IS for IT service delivery There may be an initial requirement to spend money on a cost reduction initiative and that cost savings will result over a period of time The availability of IS staff to be trained in the delivery of new services and to adopt better processes Individual line managers within IS need to undertake a full skills and capability assessment of their direct reports through development programmes such as PMDS 23