IT Strategic PlanOpen House 2: March 26th

Dave Wallace, CIO,

Andrea Chappell

and The Team

The IT Strategic Plan Project (Dave)

To create an Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan to advance the state of IT to meet the opportunities for University of Waterloo over the next 5 years.

Today’s agenda

1. Summary of activities

2. The updated Strategy Map

3. Emerging IT directions

4. Some emerging priority initiatives

5. How IT “happens” at Waterloo

6. Next steps

Phase 1: Consult, consolidate (Andrea)

September: Kick-off

orientation meetings

October: Gather

"what we already know"

November: Consultation

with Stakeholders

December: consultation

January: More

consultation, Draft writing

Phase 2: Consolidate, prioritize, review … The Plan

Jan/Feb: Draft document;

feedback from governing

groups

Feb: Draft Report

communication

March: Amalgamate feedback for

Plan

April: Approval

by governing

groups

End April: IT Directions

Plan

December 5th open house

• The IT Strategic Plan project governance• The Strategy Map – overview of how it

was built, what it means• Samples of early findings – what we heard

in consultations in Nov/early Dec• Prioritization – what is important to

consider?

(Updated) Strategy Map (Dave)

• Visually represents strategy elements:– Mission, Vision, Values– Strategic Objectives (where you want to go,

how you want to be)

• 6 strategic objectives for initial focus• Definitions exist for values and strategic

objectives

Our Purpose (Mission): Enable an exceptional, innovative IT environment through

engagement, creativity, and impact.

Our Goal for 2018 (Vision 2018): Enable the University’s mission through exceptional

learning, teaching and research environments.

V6.4 Draft WaterlooIT Community

Together, we enable

CORE VALUES

Our Users

Internal Process

Organizational Capabilities

Resource Management

Our Promise to Our Users: Inspiring and supporting the University of Waterloo through technology leadership and excellence.

U4 - Enable the optimization of administrative processes across campuses

U3 - Enable the achievement of teaching and student life-learning objectives

U2 - Enable the achievement of research and scholarship objectives

U1 - Empower users and optimize their experience

IP9 - Exchange high quality data and information when, where, and how it’s neededIP10 - Enable timely access to the right integrated,

cutting-edge information technologies

OC3 - Build a cohesive, knowledgeable IT community across the campus

OC1 - Build a culture of pro-active support and technology leadership

OC2 - Take an University-wide perspective to IT

OC4 - Build collaborative relationships with our users and each other

RM1 - Make the necessary technology infrastructure and resource investments

RM2 - Optimize the allocation and use of our financial, technology, and human resources

IP1 - Understand the needs of our users

IP5 - Continuously improve and optimize IT processes, workflow, and

platforms

IP2 - Define IT accountabilities, responsibilities and authorities, available resources, and supports, and

clearly communicate these to our users

IP8 - Maintain a secure, reliable, and useable information and technology environment

IP4 - Understand, foster and leverage trends and

innovations in information technologies

IP6 - Ensure data security, integrity, and

privacy

IP3 - Provide knowledgeable, pro-active insights, advice,

and solutions through effective governance

Service Openness and Collaboration Knowledge and Creativity Operational Excellence

IP7 - Take a structured approach to IT development and implementation

IP11 - Be easy to do business with

U5 - Enable University outreach activities

IP2 - Define IT accountabilities, responsibilities and authorities, available

resources, and supports, and clearly communicate these to our users

IP1 - Understand the needs of our usersOC2 - Take an University-

wide perspective to IT

OC4 - Build collaborative relationships with our users

and each other

RM1 - Make the necessary technology infrastructure and resource investmentsU1 - Empower users and optimize their experience

Emerging IT directions (Andrea)

• Address usability of core systems• Provide modern info/business mgmt tools• Advance student IT environment• Grow technology enabled learning environ• Create integrated, service-oriented helpdesks• Help improve communications• Define governance and federated model

Emerging initiatives

• Started process of prioritizing initiatives• Map to strategic objectives• Following items are examples

– Many details to be worked out, need to work with partner groups

– More work to be done

• Looking for your feedback and input

Usability initiatives

• Need to work on our core systems, e.g.:– Financial reporting (FORE) critical for researchers, but

not intuitive for infrequent use (see Info Mgmt)– Grad admissions review, improved workflow; next,

determine enhanced features

• Usability team?– Human-computer interface experts, others specializing

in design – how to tap into this?– Product usability tool kit (e.g., UPK for PeopleSoft)

Student IT environ initiatives

• Pilot with AHS for remote access (“virtual desktop”) to SAS/SPSS from home, Lib, anywhere

• Mobile app framework investigation• Jobmine replacement (IT support to CECA)• Cell service improvement and Wifi upgrades• Portal (demo of prototype during session)

Information and business mgmt initiatives

• Called Enterprise Business Intelligence, much of our report/inquiry will be redesigned and rebuilt

• Improved usability, consistency, service levels• Will provide information and access layers to

feed …– Open Data, portal and mobile development, etc.

• Also, info system behind FORE reports

Tech enabled learning• Many trends affecting us, e.g.,

– Massively Open Online Courses (MOOC), open courseware, fully online courses between universities

• Live collaboration tools introduced– Videoconferencing infrastructure with Mech Eng– Centralizing web collab software, begun in ManSci

• Working with Desire2Learn– Integrate Maple TA into LEARN– LEARN upgrade in April– And, stability of hosted site!

Service-oriented helpdesks

• Collaborations and integrations– Extended helpdesk hours (with Housing and

Library)– Shared support for core services

• Industry best practice (e.g., ITIL: Info Tech Infrastructure Lib)

• New request system (with knowledge-base)• Better use of social media

Communication/collaboration

• Need better tools to help people stay up-to-date and collaborate

• Drupal (our web content management system software) add-on (in development)

• Tech enabled learning tools• Better, concerted use of social software

And many more …

IT Directions and SOs (samples)

• Usability

• Info/business mgmt

• Student IT

• Governance, federated model

• U1 Empower users• U3 - Enable achievement of

student life-learning• IP1 Understand needs• IP9 - Quality data/info when,

where, how needed• IP2 IT accountability• IP4 – Leverage, foster

trends, innovations • OC2 U-wide perspective• OC4 Collab relationships• RM1 Tech investments

IT Directions and SOs (samples)

• Usability

• Info/business mgmt

• Student IT

• Governance, federated model

• U1 Empower users• U3 - Enable achievement of

student life-learning• IP1 Understand needs• IP9 - Quality data/info when,

where, how needed• IP2 IT accountability• IP4 – Leverage, foster

trends, innovations • OC2 U-wide perspective• OC4 Collab relationships• RM1 Tech investments

IT Directions and SOs (samples)

• Usability

• Info/business mgmt

• Student IT

• Governance, federated model

• U1 Empower users• U3 - Enable achievement of

student life-learning• IP1 Understand needs• IP9 - Quality data/info when,

where, how needed• IP2 IT accountability• IP4 – Leverage, foster

trends, innovations • OC2 U-wide perspective• OC4 Collab relationships• RM1 Tech investments

Demo of portal

By Pavol Chvala

Activity: Feedback

Consider the sample list of IT Directions and example Initiatives. Do they seem to hit the mark?

1. Your feedback on the IT Directions?

2. Your feedback on the example Initiatives?

Emerging IT directions: Feedback?

• usability of core systems• modern info/business mgmt tools• student IT environment• technology enabled learning environ• integrated, service-oriented helpdesks• communications

Sample initiatives: Feedback?

• Usability– E.g., Financial reporting

(FORE), Grad admissions– Usability team and tools

• Student IT environ– Remote access to software– Mobile app framework– Jobmine replacement– Cell service and Wifi

upgrades– Portal

• Improved service helpdesks

• Tech enabled learning– Address important trends – Live collaboration tools– Work with D2L (add-ons,

upgrade, stability)

• Enterprise Business Intelligence– Redesign report/inquiry – Improved usability,

consistency, service levels– Data access and provisioning

• Improved communications

Governance and Federations (Dave)

• How we work together• How decisions are made• How the community is informed and

involved

How does IT work at Waterloo?

“Together we enable”: What does it mean?• IT is distributed• Central IT (IST)

– Maintains core infrastructure, enterprise systems, processes to manage, secure, use it

• Faculty and department IT– Maintain systems and provide services,

including those unique to the area

Towards a federated model

• Benefits of centralized & decentralized IT– Economies of scale, efficiency– IT cost visibility and control– Easier dev/integration of enterprise apps– Responsive to local needs

• Risk of duplication, overhead challenges• Requires strong governance and clarity

What does it look like?• Faculty or department services

– Services specific to local needs

• Shared services (in-sourcing)

– Concentrated expertise ( “Centers of Excellence”)

– Lead group provides to others, maybe cost-share

– Needs collaborating service centres

• Common or utility services– Centralized services used by everyone (the

infrastructure).

E.g., Federated model between central IT (IST) and Faculty IT

Research

Administration

Teaching and LearningIST

Faculty IT

E.g.,Teaching and learning tech federated model, between IST and fully online group

Content Creation

Application Support

User SupportIST

Centre forExtendedLearning

Federations SLAs and OLAs

• Service Level Agreements: provider to client– Describe IT services being provided,– Document service targets, and– Responsibilities of IT service provider and

client.– A set of agreed upon promises

• Operational-level agreement: responsibilities of cooperating support groups

E.g. of Federated model between central IT (IST) and Faculty IT

Research

Administration

Teaching and LearningIST

Faculty IT

SLA/OLAs defineservices and responsibilitiesbetween groupsand users

E.g. of Federated model between central IT (IST) and Faculty IT

Research

Administration

Teaching and LearningIST

Faculty IT

Some SLA/OLAsmay look differentfrom others!

Federations need governance. One view?

KeyAdvisory/Recommendation Bodies

Chairs of AdvisoryRecommendation bodiessit on Strategy and Policy body

Strategy and Policy Body

CIO and Provost

Activity: Feedback

Consider what you have seen of federated models and governance.

1. What does it mean to have success in the way IT works together at Waterloo?

2. What would it take to get there?

Gov/Fed and SOs

• Usability

• Info/business mgmt

• Student IT

• Governance, federated model

• U1 Empower users• U3 - Enable achievement of

student life-learning• IP1 Understand needs• IP9 - Quality data/info when,

where, how needed• IP2 IT accountability• IP4 – Leverage, foster

trends, innovations • OC2 U-wide perspective• OC4 Collab relationships• RM1 Tech investments

Next steps

• Continue prioritization to define initiatives and how to make progress

• Continue to align with the evolving University strategy and directions

• Continue to define indicators that allow us to measure progress

• End April: 1st IT Strategic Plan!

Thanks to the Team!

The web site lists people working on the Task Force, UCIST (the Steering committee), and our Executive Advisory group.

Thanks to you!

• Your feedback and participation during this process has made it invigorating, ‘real’, and meaningful.

• We appreciate your continued input.

How to stay involved

• Contact us:– dave.wallace@uwaterloo.ca (CIO)– andrea.chappell@uwaterloo.ca (Project lead)

• Web site:– https://uwaterloo.ca/it-strategic-plan

• Watch for the Plan at the end of April

The end