Inside UNB
Major ITS Initiatives
Since July 2009, the ITS unit has undergone a great deal of change that has dramatically improved its ability to deliver professional, high-quality, and consistent products and services to the university. Here are some of the crucial changes that ITS has undertaken:
- Strategic Plan
- New IT Framework
- Project Management Office
- Portfolio Management
- IT Governance
- Quality Assurance and Process Management
- Performance Management
- Voice over Internet Protocol
- Web Strategy
- connectEd
- Acceptable Use Policy
- Mobility Strategy
Strategic Plan
Development of a one-year, ‘interim’ strategic plan was begun immediately upon arrival of the new AVP in July 2009. In the absence of an enterprise IT governance structure, the strategic plan was formulated internally by the AVP with input from all ITS staff, then approved by the Vice President.
In 2010, work began on a broader, more institutionally focused IT strategic plan. With input from staff and external stakeholders, this version was designed as a 3-year plan, and is now entering its final year of implementation. The plan is fully aligned with the university-wide strategic plan, and was approved by the University Management Committee (UMC) on the recommendation of the new Enterprise IT Advisory Committee. When the current review process is completed and its recommendations assessed, the IT strategic plan will be revised and extended, ensuring that it reflects any important new strategies that emerge.
New IT Framework
How work is accomplished in ITS has undergone profound change. The IT framework developed by the ITS leadership encompasses project management, portfolio management, governance, and quality assurance and process management. These principles and methodologies have introduced industry-standard ways of managing, prioritizing, executing, and assessing work within the ITS unit.
Project Management Office
The PMO is responsible for equipping and guiding ITS staff in appropriate project methodologies to carry out projects with a professional, standards-based approach. ITS undertakes projects of many types, and a single methodology doesn’t fit all circumstances, so the unit is flexible in applying project management methodologies; Project Management Institute (PMBOK) and Agile methodologies predominate.
Portfolio Management
This function helps the unit balance and prioritize resources, investments, capacity, demand, and scheduling across all areas. Conflicts frequently arise in the face of competing demands on scarce staff time and other resources; the portfolio manager is in an excellent position to respond and assign resources as necessary. The portfolio manager works very closely with the PMO to ensure all projects are adequately resourced.
IT Governance
Prior to 2010, IT governance at UNB was ad hoc and informal; with the introduction of the Enterprise IT Advisory Committee, the university took the first steps in actually assuming responsibility for and directing the strategic alignment of the IT unit. Still in its early days, the governance function is maturing rapidly, and will become an important driver in ITS’s success. Our governance structure is modeled on and guided by recommendations from the IT Governance Institute.
Quality Assurance and Process Management
The primary function of this role is to help the ITS unit implement industry-standard processes and workflows, resulting in improved outcomes for users, staff, and the university as a whole. In particular, the role guides ITS in the implementation of COBIT (Control Objectives for IT), a set of standards and methodologies that encompass governance, services, internal workflows, and security best practices, and includes the tools to implement them effectively.
Performance Management
One of the first tasks given to the Director of Quality Assurance and Process Management was to design and implement an internal performance management system, a fundamental component of good HR practice. Starting with review and revision of all ITS position descriptions, the initiative eventually produced a performance management system that was designed, tested, and implemented by ITS staff. The system ensures that staff are prepared to fill evolving roles through assessment, training, and personal development.
Voice over Internet Protocol
ITS has been planning the migration to VoIP for over 2 years, and implementation is about to begin. VoIP will reduce telephone costs on the Fredericton campus by 50%, resulting in savings of over $4 million over 10 years. Technically complex, this project leverages existing networks, and through necessary network upgrades, ensures high network—and telephone—service reliability and quality for many years to come.
Web Strategy
UNB’s web assets and presence have been a special area of focus and investment for several years, but no specific web strategy was defined and articulated until the present document was drafted 2 years ago. Approved by UMC in October 2010, the web strategy highlights the unique collaborative nature of web development at UNB, in particular the relationship between ITS and the Communications and Marketing unit. The strategy defined the architecture of the current web, and ensures that appropriate resources are devoted to supporting it. In the near future, the strategy will have to be reviewed and likely revised—the web is a constantly evolving environment, and UNB cannot afford to let its web assets become stale.
connectEd
This project has seen the entire university moved from old, high-maintenance email, file sharing, printing, and calendar systems to a modern, sustainable, and feature-rich system that complements and enhances other features being introduced with the VoIP project. This convergence and integration of systems is a hallmark of the new IT framework approach. connectEd itself is a hybrid system with a ‘cloud’ component—student email and other services—and an on-premise set of tools and services for faculty and staff. Combined, the new systems make individuals more productive through easier to use productivity tools, and save the university money by using modern technologies, at lower costs than ever.
Acceptable Use Policy
The new AUP is a major policy document that redefines how users are required to utilize UNB computing infrastructure legally, ethically, securely, responsibly and respectfully. The policy was exhaustively reviewed by stakeholders throughout UNB, and was approved by the Board of Governors in November, 2011. The AUP was shepherded through the entire process, from first draft to final version, by the Director of Quality Assurance and Process Management, and is now the responsibility of the ITS Security Action Team.
Mobility Strategy
Responding to growing trends in mobility technologies and ubiquitous online presence, ITS is leading development of a mobility strategy that recognizes and proactively supports user expectations and demands for a mobile-friendly university. The first draft has been extensively reviewed, and will soon be presented to the wider UNB community for input. The strategy will explicitly define how users will be supported, and will specify measureable outcomes that can be monitored and assessed.
