Educause October 29, 2001 Top-Down or Bottom-Up?: Strategic IT Planning Avi J. Cohen, Assoc....
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Transcript of Educause October 29, 2001 Top-Down or Bottom-Up?: Strategic IT Planning Avi J. Cohen, Assoc....
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Top-Down or Bottom-Up?:Strategic IT Planning
Avi J. Cohen, Assoc. Professor - Department of [email protected]
Bob Gagné, Executive Director - Information Technology [email protected]
Copyright Bob Gagne and Avi Cohen, 2001. This work is the intellectual property ofthe author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Strategic I.T. Planning
About York University and I.T. at York
I.T. Strategy Project Scope and Process
Review and Assessment
I.T. Strategy Starter Kit
Questions
Agenda
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
A diverse academic community …
a city of 40,000 people and growing
About York University
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
About York University
Student/Faculty/Staff Profile
Student Profile • 35,000 Undergraduate students (full- and part-time)• 4,000 Graduate students (full- and part-time)• predominantly “commuter” students
Faculty and Staff Profile (all unionized)• 1,100 full-time faculty • 2,000 contract faculty and teaching assistants • 1,800 full-time support staff
• 36 professional librarians
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
In the heart of the Greater Toronto Area
2 main campuses in the City of Toronto
About York University
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
10 Faculties offering 5,000 courses per year
• Arts • Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies • Education • Environmental Studies • Fine Arts • Glendon (bilingual French/English)• Graduate Studies • Osgoode Hall Law School • Pure and Applied Science
• Schulich School of Business
About York University
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Organization of I.T. Resources
• Decentralized in the early 1990’s
• ~ 20 Information technology support units on campus• Computing and Network Services• Information Technology Services• Student Information Services• Faculty and departmental support units
• Over 250 staff
About York University
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Computing and Network Services
• Our role ...• Provide I.T. leadership and coordination in areas that
have broad organizational impact• Build and support the university information infrastructure• Provide common, widely used technology services and
support
• Two key customer groups ...• Individual students, faculty and staff• University I.T. support units
About York University
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Some technology highlights ...
• 13,000 network drops (offices, classrooms, residences)
• Almost 5,000 computer workstations
• 300+ servers
• Total I.T. expenditures about 7% of University budget
About York University
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
The Need for an I.T. Strategy
Rapid technological change
Growing importance of I.T.
Significant institutional resource
Pan-University Strategy
Resource restrictions
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
I.T. Strategy Background
1998 - President’s Consultation
• Artificial distinction between administrative and academic
computing
• Better, faster access and training
• Reduce overlap and redundant systems and services
• Too many committees and too little information
• More clarity and training around pedagogical use of technology
• Proposal for “CNS Strategic Policy Paper”
• 1999 CNS restructuring
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
University Academic Plan - July 2000
“Computers are now a pervasive medium of informationexchange and an indispensable feature of almost all aspects of our teaching, research and academic administration.”
I.T. Strategy Background
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Challenges ...
• Academic traditions of decentralization and consultative
decision-making
• Multiple stakeholders
• Unknown endpoints due to fast-changing technology
• Taking an institutional view
• Centralization vs decentralized I.T.
I.T. Strategy Background
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
How did York do it?
• “Long March” vs “Quick Strike”
• Balancing consultation with realistic timeframes
• Executive support and sponsorship
• Focused community involvement
• “Constitution” vs a detailed project list
I.T. Strategy Process and Scope
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
I.T. Strategy Process and Scope
The goal ...
To develop a plan for the next three to five years that will determine how we are going to use and effectively manage information technology to contribute to the success of the University in achieving its goals.
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
• Examine the current state of IT at York and key factors influencing its direction
• Articulate an institution-wide vision for the role of IT
• Define the context for operational planning - set out general directions and objectives, not detailed action plans
I.T. Strategy Process and Scope
In scope ...
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
• Make recommendations related to:
• organizational roles and responsibilities
• processes and structures for IT management and
decision-making
• priorities for application and infrastructure technologies
• funding processes
• approaches to implementation
I.T. Strategy Process and Scope
In scope ...
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
• Create a detailed project list
• Specify implementation costs and timelines
• Recommend changes to institutional or academic direction
I.T. Strategy Process and Scope
Out of scope ...
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
I.T. Strategy Process and Scope
Organizational StateStrategy, Goals, Values
“Environmental”Trends
Technology StateInfrastructure, App, Mgmt
• Key Directions
• Organization
• Management Framework
• Technology Architecture and
Application Priorities
Information Technology Strategy
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
The Process
Discovery
Where are we?
• How we use I.T.• Current resources
and management• External trends• York Strategy
Visioning
Where do we want to be?
• 3 to 5 year view• Supporting University
mission and strategy• A “picture” of where
we are going
Direction
What must we do to get there?
• Key recommendations and actions
• Guidance on implementation
• Measures of progress and success
IT Strategy Development at York
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Consultation and Development
Community
ConsultationStrategy Roundtable
Participation Working Group
Production
IT Strategy Development at York
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
• Facilitate the process
• Assist with “Discovery” information about external trends
• External view
• Can’t be seen to lead or drive the project
I.T. Strategy Process and Scope
Using Consultants ...
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Timetable ...
I.T. Strategy Process and ScopeActivity Planned Actual
Project Initiation September 2000 September 2000
Discovery October - December 2000 October - December 2000Roundtable Meeting Dec 13
Visioning January - March 2001 January - April 2001Focus Groups MarchRoundtable Meetings April 5-7
Direction April - May 2001 April - June 2001Roundtable Meeting May 24
Project Completion June 2001 June - September 2001Board Approval September 28
Timetable ...
I.T. Strategy Process and Scope
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Our vision for technology at York is to embrace the communications revolution - to create a connected campus and through it develop a connected community.
The connected campus will extend what we do within the physical campus providing a vital environment for discovery, investigation and interaction, all freed from the bounds of time and place.
I.T. Strategy Outcomes
The vision ...
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
I.T. Strategy Outcomes
1. Assess implications of technology in teaching and learning,
ensure support and improve access for faculty.
2. Enhance academic and management information
resources.
3. Increase and integrate service delivery via the Web.
4. Put in place an information technology environment that is
accessible, sustainable and adaptable.
5. Modify information technology organizations structures,
funding, policies and planning processes.
Recommendations and Actions -
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
What worked -
• Senior level support (need to know that it will make a difference)
• Clear and firm scope
• Role of the consultants
• Get the working group right (people and stakeholders)
• Anticipate the politics of consultation and dissenting voices
• Focused consultation
• Single voice in the document
I.T. Strategy Outcomes
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Improvements -
• Dedicated support staff (half time full academic year)
• Shorter (fit to academic year)
• Launch the project at the end of discovery
• More work on the process design up front (use consultants)
• Increase communications – engaging the roundtable and
the community
I.T. Strategy Outcomes
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Selected Articles and Books -
I.T. Strategy Starter Kit
McCredie, J.W. (2000), “Planning for IT in Higher Education: It’s Not an Oxymoron,” EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 23(4)
Barone, C.A., et. al. (2000), Information Technology, Systems, and Services in Higher Education: A Primer, NACUBO.
Broadbent, M. and P. Weill (1998), Leveraging the New Infrastructure, Harvard Business School Press.
Shurman, M. and D. Wershler-Henry (2000), Commonspace: Beyond Virtual Community, FT.com Financial Times.
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
York Project Documents -
I.T. Strategy Starter Kit
• Project Description
• Vision Phase Description
• Focus Group Agenda
• Vision Exercise
EducauseOctober 29, 2001
Questions
This presentation, including the Starter Kit documents are at
http://www.yorku.ca/bgagne/
Avi J. Cohen, Assoc. Professor - Department of [email protected]
Bob Gagné, Executive Director - Information Technology [email protected]