Digital Campus Initiative

Professor Tony StevensonPVC Planning and Resources

15 February 2012

Digital Campus Initiative: Scope

• Executive Board considered the KPMG review in November 2011

• We accepted the five key recommendations but KPMG is primarily about value for money, compliance and reducing risk. Although important these are not the only issues to consider

• IT has changed the way we work and innovation, new forms of communication and the ability of staff to flourish in the digital environment, are crucial

What has happened so far

• I am the EB member with overall responsibility for the Digital Campus Initiative which covers four aspects of the IT business:

-Implementation of the recommendations from the KPMG report

- An academic –led future look at IT (including use of social media, cloud computing etc)

-The external facing component, ie.positioning the University

-Digital Literacy

• The Registrar has held a series of road shows to discuss the KPMG findings

What has happened so far.........

• We have advertised for a programme manager to be seconded to support this wide-ranging set of projects.

• Preparations are underway for a Think Tank to be held on March 5th focussing on the academic aspect of the initiative.

Review of IT ExpenditureSummary of Findings• Key findings from the KPMG review are:

WeaknessesStrengths

Stable (99.9% uptime) and scalable ISS provided core infrastructure.

Examples of IT being used as an enabler to support effective teaching, learning and research.

Skills and capabilities of some staff across ISS, the Library, Schools and Institutes.

Examples of local responsive service delivery within Schools and Institutes.

Examples of using outsourcing to deliver improved technology and services to staff and students.

The approach to IT service delivery is incurring unnecessary cost and does not represent good value for money.

Inconsistent service delivery.

Low IT maturity across the University is reducing the overall effectiveness of IT to support:

- learning and teaching (82% NSS); and- research.

The current approach to IT service delivery

is exposing the University to significant operational, financial and legislative risk.

Key recommendations

1. Establish a common University infrastructure • Undertake a discovery phase to understand and agree infrastructure

requirements with each Faculty, ISS and the Library.• Migrate servers and data storage responsibility to the new Newcastle

University IT team (NU-IT).• Establish and agree the IT disaster recovery arrangements that will be

based on the University business impact assessment.

2. Rationalise the IT staff model• Establish a NU-IT organisational model, including a number of important

new roles such as Faculty relationship managers and an enterprise architect who can link University objectives and processes to the IT strategy.

• Transition University-wide IT staff to an NU-IT reporting line, however, IT staff who support local academic systems could continue to be based locally. This should not include the transition of staff who support specialist equipment (e.g. microscopes and specialist scanners).

Key recommendations cont’d

3. Professionalise service management• The University should continue to implement a service management framework

• New technologies should be considered and implemented including remote assistance and increasing self service for staff and students

4. Develop a University wide IT strategy and governance model• Agree an Executive Board member and develop a University wide IT strategy

through detailed discussions with each Faculty, ISS and the Library.• Provide a clear mandate and supporting budget for NU-IT, by clarifying the type

of IT services that they should provide to the University. • Develop an overall understanding of the University wide systems and how

these support University activities. Develop a high level architecture vision and a supporting set of standards that should be adhered to by all.

• Strengthen the existing governance arrangements and establish a Change Control Board that is able to support SISG and effectively prioritise NU-IT effort in the future.

Key recommendations cont’d

5. Realise IT procurement efficiencies• Short to long term activities will include regularly consulting with

each Faculty, ISS and the Library to agree a standardised list of

IT hardware that is fit for purpose (e.g. Apple iPads and laptops),

however allowing variation with justification. The University IT

procurement policy should be enforced.

Timescales

• Up to four years

Staff / Student experie

nce

Digital Literacy

Strategic Positioning

KPMG recommendatio

ns

Digital Campus