IT Strategic PlanOpen House

Dave Wallace, CIO,

Andrea Chappell

and The Team

The IT Strategic Plan Project

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.

A uWaterloo IT Strategic Plan, not an IST plan! Where IT should head together.

Today’s agenda

• Summary of activities to date• The IT Strategic Plan governance• The Strategy Map• Samples of early findings• Prioritization• Your suggestions• Next steps

Activities to date

• September: Planning and organization• October: Info gathering in advance of

consultations• November, December: Consultations and

strategy model development (Strategy Map)

Governance

  

Project 1 Project 2 Project N

Exec Advisory Group

Provides advice on University directionsAdvises on overall Strategy

Uni

vers

ity S

take

hold

ers

 

 

UCIST/Steering

Provides direction on strategy map (Vision, Mission, Principles)

 Task Force Team

Provides parameters of Plan’s results (“Shape” of outcomes)

 IST Directors Team

IST Mgmt Team

New and existing projects align to Strategic Plan results.

 CTSC

Provides advice on Plan implementation

 

Exte

rnal

Res

ourc

es

Two pronged approach

• Top down– The Strategy Map model

• Bottom up– Existing data and consultations (listening)

The Strategy Map

• Visual representation of main elements of strategy:– Mission, Vision, Values– Strategic Objectives (where you want to go,

how you want to be)– Stakeholder promise (Walmart, Apple, or Four

Seasons?)

• Also, associates performance indicators

Our Purpose (Mission): Evolve an exceptional, innovative IT environment to enable

engagement, creativity, and impact.

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

learning, teaching and research environments.

V4.1 Draft uWaterloo

IT Community

CORE VALUES

Stakeholder

Internal Process

Organizational Capabilities

Resource Management

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

Enable the optimization of administrative processes across campuses

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

Enable the achievement of uW research and scholarship objectives

Optimize the user experience

Exchange accessible, high quality data and information when, where, and how needed

Enable timely access to the right integrated, cutting-edge information technologies

Build a cohesive, knowledgeable IT community across the campus

Build a culture of pro-active support and technology leadership

Take an University-wide perspective to IT

Build collaborative relationships with our Stakeholders and each other

Make the necessary technology infrastructure and resource investments

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

Understand the needs of our Stakeholders

Continuously improve and optimize IT processes,

workflow, and platforms

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

clearly communicate this to our Stakeholders

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

Understand, foster and leverage trends and

innovations in information technologies

Ensure data security, integrity,

and privacy

Provide knowledgeable, pro-active insights, advice,

and solutions through effective governance

Service Openness & Collaboration Knowledge & Creativity Operational Excellence

Take a design approach to IT development and implementation

Be easy to do business with

Enable University outreach activities

Balanced Perspective

• Stakeholders (people who use IT services)• Internal Processes (what we do)• Organizational Capabilities (skills,

capacity)• Resource Management (the money)

Stakeholder Perspective

• Who are our stakeholders?

Stakeholder Perspective

• Our identified stakeholders:– Faculty– Students– Staff– Outreach areas (employees, alumni,

prospective students, etc.)

Stakeholder Perspective

Stakeholder Enable the optimization of administrative

processes across campuses

Enable the achievement of uW

teaching and student life-learning objectives

Enable the achievement of

uW research and scholarship objectives

Optimize the user experience

Enable University outreach activities

Internal Processes

• Internal Processes– how IT runs at Waterloo

Internal Processes

Internal Process

Exchange accessible, high quality data and information when,

where, and how needed

Enable timely access to the right integrated, cutting-

edge information technologies

Understand the needs of our

Stakeholders

Continuously improve and optimize IT processes,

workflow, and platforms

Define IT accountabilities, responsibilities and authorities, available resources, and

supports, and clearly communicate this to our Stakeholders

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

Understand, foster and leverage trends and

innovations in information technologies

Ensure data security, integrity, and privacy

Provide knowledgeable, pro-active insights, advice, and solutions through effective

governance

Take a design approach to IT development and

implementation

Be easy to do business

with

Organizational Capability

• Organizational Capabilities– employee development and IT overall

improvement– people are the main resource

Organizational Capability

Organizational Capabilities

Build a cohesive, knowledgeable IT community across

the campus

Build a culture of pro-active support

and technology leadership

Take an University-wide perspective

to IT

Build collaborative relationships with our Stakeholders and each other

Resource Management

• Where you spend money (people salaries and development, computers, software, etc.)

Resource Management

Resource Management

Make the necessary technology infrastructure and resource

investments

Optimize the allocation and use of our financial, technology, and human

resources

Are we (getting) there yet?

• Measurements!• How do we measure what we do?• How will we measure what progress we’re

making (or not)?• Next step is to identify these measures ..

the balanced scorecard

Balanced scorecard – metrics• Stakeholders

– How well satisfied and served they are by IT processes directed to them

• Internal processes– Are IT services answering requirements (mission)

• Organizational capability– Where to focus training, mentoring, communications

• Resource management– Timely and accurate funding data needed

Your feedback on the Map

• Are there elements missing?• What items seem the most important on

the Map?• Would you find this useful to refer back to?• How might you use this in your area?• Other comments?

Our Purpose (Mission): Evolve an exceptional, innovative IT environment to enable

engagement, creativity, and impact.

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

learning, teaching and research environments.

V4.1 Draft uWaterloo

IT Community

CORE VALUES

Stakeholder

Internal Process

Organizational Capabilities

Resource Management

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

Enable the optimization of administrative processes across campuses

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

Enable the achievement of uW research and scholarship objectives

Optimize the user experience

Exchange accessible, high quality data and information when, where, and how needed

Enable timely access to the right integrated, cutting-edge information technologies

Build a cohesive, knowledgeable IT community across the campus

Build a culture of pro-active support and technology leadership

Take an University-wide perspective to IT

Build collaborative relationships with our Stakeholders and each other

Make the necessary technology infrastructure and resource investments

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

Understand the needs of our Stakeholders

Continuously improve and optimize IT processes,

workflow, and platforms

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

clearly communicate this to our Stakeholders

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

Understand, foster and leverage trends and

innovations in information technologies

Ensure data security, integrity,

and privacy

Provide knowledgeable, pro-active insights, advice,

and solutions through effective governance

Service Openness & Collaboration Knowledge & Creativity Operational Excellence

Take a design approach to IT development and implementation

Be easy to do business with

Enable University outreach activities

Bottom up: Existing Data

• Mid Cycle Review data (lots of IT comments)

• CIO search (interviews with ~100 area leaders)

• Faculty Strategic Plans (Eng, Math done)• Evolving departmental Strategic Plans• Various student feedback

Bottom up: Consultation so farAdmin areas:• Housing Managers• Library• Registrar’s Office• Student Info Sys Cross-Fn

Faculty member groups:• Environment Admin Group

Student groups:• Engineering Student Society• FEDS• Grad Student Assoc.

IT Groups:• Arts• Engineering• IST (7 groups)• Math, CS (MFCF, CSCF)• Science• IT CommitteesUpcoming: • Admin grp IT reps• Online learning areas• IAP• Arts staff• Eng sys admins …• https://uwaterloo.ca/it-strategic-

plan/consultation-schedule

8 Emerging Themes for IT1. Enabling Research – common services, local specialty

support

2. Supporting Student-Life – services, support to student use of technologies in life and study, environment for expanding learning

3. Enabling the Learning Environment – IT services and support for technologies in their application to the learning environment

4. Information Management –access to information to facilitate use of data, while maintaining security and privacy

Emerging Themes for IT5. Governance – transparent, effective, participatory

decisions

6. Supporting Business Processes – support admin functions by providing effective, efficient, and user friendly applications

7. Re-focusing Client Service – focus our decisions, support, and evolution of technologies in collaboration with our users

8. Campus Integrations – enable collaboration in IT support and development in our design and architecture; federated IT

“Reputation” – embedded throughout

Early emerging “things to do”

• Some ideas in theme areas from existing data (gaps, strengths to build upon, risk areas, etc.)

• Other “Things to do” examples have come from consultations

• NOT complete or final, examples only!

Samples of early findings• Supporting students at risk & student success, with

broad data• Equalization and standards in the learning environment • Open(ing) data• IT portfolio management and alignment• Horizon technology planning• Software licenses/procurement and online distribution• Community communication strategy• Training and dev for IT staff growth and campus benefit• Knowledgebase …

Activity 1: Prioritization Criteria

Group work … yeah! See worksheet.

1. Work in groups of about 4.

2. Discuss how to prioritize “things to do”.

3. Fill in at least 3 criteria for prioritizing “things to do” in the table 1.

4. Report back.

Prioritization Ideas• Balance low hanging fruit and big proj

– Biggest stressors and quick wins

• Short term solutions where needed• Input for prioritization (stakeholder needs)

– Biggest bang for buck (campus wide); cascade impact for client

• Timing – what’s “ripe” now or other scheduling mandate• Money & cost/benefit – risk of NOT doing something• Need vs want (fit to U mission) – U’s objectives• Enhances collab and reduces silos • Overall enhancement of the IT environment (e.g., innovation, rep)• Legislation, policy (mandated)

– Also, safety

• Where are decisions being made (e.g., upgrading to Smartboard)

Prioritization Ideas

1. Mandatory changes, e.g., from ON Gov’t, uW President/Provost, audit or "edicts"

2. “Biggest bang for the buck”

3. New uW-wide opportunities (new tech, governance, leadership)

4. Unique opportunities (one Faculty)

Activity 2: Top 5 “Things to do”

Work in your group.

1. Consider the sample list of “things to do”.

2. Identify your group’s top 5 priorities, indicating why, in what time frame. Record them in the table 2.

3. Report back.

“Things to do” – your ideas?

Next steps

• December and January:– Continue consultations (wrap up end Dec.)– Analyze data for “things to do”– Work on metrics, ToC and body of Plan

• By February: First Draft Strategic Plan• Feb/Mar: Communications, refinements• End April: IT Strategic Plan – work starts!

Thanks to the Team!

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

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– Survey on the site

• Watch for the draft Plan in February 2013– Feedback and comment through web site