Five-Year Tactical Plan

Information Technology ServicesPeralta Community College District

Prepared by FerrilliRevised: October 2016

Table of Contents

Background.....................................................................................................................................4Recommendations.......................................................................................................................4

Staffing............................................................................................................................................4Governance.....................................................................................................................................8Policies and Procedures..................................................................................................................9

Tactical Plan.................................................................................................................................12Triage Tactical Plan...................................................................................................................12

Security..................................................................................................................................12Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity.............................................................18Active Directory..................................................................................................................20PeopleSoft.............................................................................................................................21PeopleSoft 9.2 Roadmap.................................................................................................25Data Center/Network Design.........................................................................................26Email Migration...................................................................................................................27Training and Professional Development....................................................................28

Planning for the next five years............................................................................................30SWOT Analysis.....................................................................................................................30Equitable Distribution of Resources............................................................................31District and Colleges Information Technology Responsibility...........................33Upgrade District-wide Fiber............................................................................................35Academic Computing...............................................................................................................36Service Desk Support for Instruction..........................................................................36Libraries.................................................................................................................................37Infrastructure and Desktop Hardware........................................................................37Upgraded District-wide VoIP...........................................................................................38Microsoft System Center and Active Directory Training.....................................42Server Room HVAC and Expansion..............................................................................43BPR for Administrative Offices......................................................................................45Print Management and Wireless Printing..................................................................45Upgraded District-wide Wireless..................................................................................46Inadequate Network Documentation..........................................................................47Implement Change Management.................................................................................47

Impact............................................................................................................................................48Urgency.........................................................................................................................................49Change Categories........................................................................................................................50Change Management Procedure...................................................................................................50

Appendix A – TCO Model..........................................................................................................52The Process.......................................................................................................................................52IT: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).................................................................................................54Checklist............................................................................................................................................54Cost Analysis....................................................................................................................................55IT Standards......................................................................................................................................56

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Background

During the winter of 2015- 2016, Peralta Community College District (PCCD) undertook an IT project to rethink its information technology strategy and take steps to proactively deploy resources to meet the needs of its constituents.

This report provides a short-term and long-term tactical plan, and identifies the pressing issues currently facing the Peralta Community College District. Due to the number of issues uncovered, it is suggested that the first phase of the Tactical Plan be considered a “triage,” to address the information technology issues that face PCCD. The Tactical Plan should be re-evaluated within the next 6 months.

Recommendations

The following observations and recommendations are presented as a precursor to the five-year tactical plan. Step-by-step guidelines are included for Governance and Policy and Procedure creation so administration can monitor the progress of these activities. In order to achieve the goals of PCCD, all recommendations should be addressed. The Tactical Plan is broken into two part; initial “triage” to remediate pressing issues, and projects that must be completed in the next five-years.

Staffing

PCCD should complete a reorganization of the District and College Information Technology Departments. PCCD should review IT roles, responsibilities, and placement within the organizational structure, to include the structure and responsibility of the District Technology Committee (DTC). The District should make sure that IT functions are overlapped to eliminate special dependence on any single individual. With cross training and succession planning, the organization will be better able to cope when and if staff terminate employment. Please reference the Reorganizational Structure Review provided by Ferrilli.

The District should consider using short-term, project-based contract assistance for any project for which there is no staff expertise, as long as the projects are appropriately managed and monitored. The District should discourage the intake of new projects until the initial “triage” is complete. Where critical business activities necessitate otherwise, new projects should be appropriately budgeted and vetted. Additionally, there are functions of the Technology Services area, to include data stewardship, particularly in Windows-based administration, that should be moved to Enterprise Services. This change would provide an optimal setting for the creation of single sign-on opportunities, optimized account provisioning, and the transparency required

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to properly manage enterprise level systems. Onboarding, off boarding, and other account provisioning, should be managed by Enterprise Services.

The District and Colleges require the addition of a Chief Information Security Officer, who should report directly to the Chancellor, and provide regular updates to the Board. This responsibility should encompass both District and College security administration, and compliance. The District Technology Services team also requires the addition of a junior Security Administrator, to aid in the remediation of major network security issues. In addition, there is a need on the District Enterprises Services team, for an Administrative Systems Security Analyst. This organizational structure supports Information Technology best practices specific to separation of duties.

IT should seek to enhance the role of the Help Desk by transforming the current support model into a Client Services division, which would become the basis of a Central IT Services Department, that would be responsible for improving client relationships by triaging services such as all desktop services, service desk support and support for a newly formed training function. All requests would be entered into the Footprint system that would be configured based on current business rules, to aid in the resolution of Level One tickets. In this scenario, immediate needs of users can be met, and IT staff can focus on more pressing issues. This centralized service group would also process PeopleSoft security, changes and terminations. It is envisioned that this group would provide a knowledgebase, documentation repository for business processes, and play an intrinsic role to ensure improvement in quality assurance by implementing best practices in testing methodologies, including quality assurance.

A critically important element that is absent throughout the Peralta Community College District, is a mature training program. The proposed team would coexist within the Client Services division. The training team would provide a much needed service, that would benefit the entire Peralta District. Focus would be on basic technology training, functional user training, and District standard software training. Primary responsibilities for this team would include PeopleSoft training, which would aid in workflow optimization, improve integrity of the data, and establish the foundation for the District to make accurate data-driven decisions.

Clearly the District IT organization is facing significant challenges in the area of human capital resources. At the present time, the ratio of IT staff to district-wide total supported FTEs are out of alignment with best practice recommended staffing levels. That being coupled with the constant struggle to demonstrate mastery of technical core competencies and soft skills in a dynamic changing environment, creates additional stress on already challenged employees. However, there are options that need to be considered to assist in optimally facilitating the information technology needs of both the

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District and the campuses, as well as ensuring equitable allocation of resources. Some of these measures could reduce the overall cost of Information Technology to the District as a whole. Some staffing issues could be resolved through the proper configuration of the network to include robust configuration management, optimization and clarification of the service offerings. Without a complete understanding of the services offered by ITS, exact staff requirements cannot be determined.

Significant risk is increasing daily as the administrative computing systems are no longer supported by the vendor (Oracle), and are deployed on servers that have not been maintained or upgraded over the years. The applications have been customized to a great extent with little to no business process documentation to support the need for customization. Currently, there are only three senior programmer/analysts who serve as primary support for four major areas (Campus Solutions, Financial Aid, Finance and HR), in addition to one junior level programmer with no PeopleSoft experience. Thus, there is one senior programmer/analyst for all of the Campus Solutions modules except Financial Aid; one senior programmer/analyst for Financial Aid; and one senior programmer for Finance (GL, Commitment Control, Purchasing, Student Financials and Accounts Payable) and HR (HR, Payroll and Base Benefits). In addition, the senior programmer/analyst who supports Finance and HR is often called on to assist in support of several Campus Solutions modules, thus significantly increasing risk in an already

It is recommended that other application support models be reviewed, evaluated and compared to the current support model for administrative systems in place at Peralta. Over time, innovative options have become available that could lend itself to enhanced support for the District including sophisticated software applications specifically designed for Higher Education data management and business models. In addition, managed hosted services offer two alternatives that may provide greater efficiencies, reduced risk and greater reliability. Typically, the hosting provider is responsible for setting up and configuring hardware, installing and configuring software, technical support, patch management, system maintenance, monitoring, backups, load balancing, disaster recovery, vulnerability scans, intrusion detection and distributed denial of service prevention and mitigation. An in-depth cost/benefit analysis should be conducted immediately to ensure that a decision is made in a timely manner as environmental risks continue to rise in the current state and should be completed prior to any discussion regarding administrative system upgrades.

It is also highly recommended that a complete inventory of software used for data storage, processing of data and reporting at the campuses be reviewed for possible transitioning and support to the District IT Office. It appears that PCCD currently employs a number of differently skilled people and collects quantities of highly varied data, which reside in numerous disparate systems.

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Over time, decentralized support has changed as personnel have either transferred to other departments or have permanently left their positions, thus leaving the various systems vulnerable and at risk as newly assigned personnel are generally not trained to assume support roles and documentation about the systems is generally nonexistent. The end result is inconsistent data representation, manual processes to fill in gaps for reporting and inconsistent application support frequently resulting in frustrated calls to the District office for assistance from the programmers and/or networking teams. Examples of such applications include: BI reporting and data warehousing which are supplemented by Access databases built and saved on local machines and the SARS application/database. While decentralized systems may provide more opportunities for an element of control, it does not allow for cross-department and cross-campus visibility, making them operationally less efficient and does not lend to leveraging the vast data stores to answer critical student, funding and operational questions. If primary systems that are used by all PCCD campuses were centrally supported, compliance and security risks would be improved and standardization of data could occur thus resulting in greater consistency in reporting and data distribution as constituents creating and accessing reports and/or applications would be using the same data standard sets as well as application configurations.

Three major concerns accompanied that ambition: How to leverage the data How to integrate the data to create a single trustworthy information

source (across applications and devices) How to access the data (especially from mobile devices)

This situation could not be truer for Higher Education institutions – organizations employing a large number of differently skilled people and collecting vast quantities of highly varied data, which often reside in numerous disparate systems.

So, how can Higher Education institutions overcome these concerns and leverage their vast data stores to answer critical student, funding and operational questions?

A case in point: Macquarie University and University of Konstanz

By successfully deploying an enterprise-ready BI solution, Macquarie and Konstanz universities have been able to:

Eliminate knowledge silos and improve interdisciplinary cooperation between departments and faculties

Analyze, share, discuss and take data-based action through a single trustworthy source of organizational information

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Make data analysis accessible to academic and business decision-makers anywhere, anytime on any device

Through the strategic use information, Macquarie and Konstanz universities have been able to drive crucial data-based outcomes, including:

Improving the quality of external reporting to government, research, funding and ranking bodies to boost institutional performance, ratings, revenue and better manage costs

Underpinning strategic planning to improve the quality of teaching, student services, marketing efforts to boost student acquisition, as well as increasing operational efficiencies and optimizing finances

Attracting better students and improving academic performance

In an era of streamlined budgets and greater competition for student dollars, Macquarie and Konstanz universities have obtained a significant advantage over other Higher Education providers, through the strategic use of their student, operational and research data.

Governance

PCCD does not have a sound technology environment. The primary issue can be directly connected to lack of IT leadership and cohesive IT governance.

As a critical asset of the district’s success, IT management and the management of the Institution must share the same goals and objectives – and clearly communicate those goals, plans, and procedures.

Information Technology Services must manage, operate and, maintain the technology for the institutions.

Governance

The IT Governance Committee should be a single technology steering committee, which will represent the interests of all constituencies should be chartered. Any other IT committees would be ad hoc or a subcommittee to this IT Governance Committee. The current District Technology Committee should be retooled and empowered to properly support the required governance function.

First Steps

1. Create a governance structure that can provide input to technology planning and communication about information technology projects and

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progress. This group will be the single governance group to address technology issues, and will serve as the umbrella committee for special interest groups. Special interest groups could include: Distance Learning, Faculty Innovation, and Strategic Technology Planning. However, all strategic technology recommendations should come through this committee. It is critical that this committee report through the Chancellor’s office and provide regular communications to its constituencies.

1.1. Create a charter and mission that will establish a technology governance committee and can provide input and direction for the IT organization, as well as serve as a communication channel with the district constituencies. The charter should focus on policy-level decisions and provide guidance for the district in information technology decisions and support.

1.2. Identify a group of individuals to represent all areas of the Colleges, including students. Develop a process for appointment, terms, and replacement.

1.3. Establish regular meeting times, take and post meeting minutes.

2. Define and communicate the IT Governance Committee’s role to the PCCD community

2.1. With input from the newly formed IT Committee, create a vision and mission statement for the IT organization. Follow the mission statement with an internal and external SWOT analysis that leads to the creation of a new district IT Strategic Plan.

2.2. Create a standard communication plan and utilize a recognized vehicle, such as Passport for communicating with campus users. This vehicle should provide information about new projects, project progress, technology updates, and staff training.

3. Transition application stewardship from the information technology group to technology users.

3.1. Establish a robust technology-training department within Information Technology to provide and coordinate end-user training.

3.2. Create a staff development/user training plan that will provide up to date information about the existing technologies and facilitate adoption of innovations.

3.3. Institute teams/committees to provide direction for and stewardship of the various enterprise applications, such as PeopleSoft.

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4. Redefine the IT support organization to maximize resources and strengthen support for all constituencies

4.1. Align the existing positions to match the goals and objectives of of the strategic plan.

4.2. Implement a service-oriented information technology framework such as the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

Policies and Procedures

One of the issues facing PCCD, is that there are few policies/procedures in place to support critical areas such as data security, data stewardship, or innovation deployment. This causes confusion among faculty and staff about how to initiate new projects, obtain reports, and fosters questions of “ownership” of applications and systems. The first policies that should be reviewed or created include, but are not limited to: Acceptable Use Policy, Computer Hardware and Software Standards, Online Privacy, Access and Security, and IT Governance.

It is also recommended that PCCD begin the implementation of new policies and procedures alongside the creation of a public-facing Service Catalog. The Service Catalog will lay the groundwork for defining supported systems and what services are offered to students, faculty, and staff. As the Service Catalog is developed, internal procedures need to be created to support each service offering. Related policies should be referenced in the Service Catalog for clarity.

In 2017, PCCD should accomplish the following objectives:

Develop and enforce a security policy and procedures to support the District that will protect technology resources while providing appropriate access for faculty, staff and students.

Draft, promote, and implement a Service Catalog to support technology users.

Create a change management policy and procedures to support, track and implement new technologies and related projects.

Formalize a data stewardship group that will classify, enforce and document policies as well as determine stewardship of PeopleSoft data.

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Each of the above objectives is critical to strengthen support of users, and to ensure the security of the district’s critical information resources.

First Steps

1. Develop a security policy and procedures

1.1. Create security policies based upon security standards and best practices.

1.2. Provide extensive user and constituent information and security training

1.3. Implement new policies to support the newly-established procedures

2. Draft, promote, and implement a Service Catalog to support technology users.2.1. Solicit input from users to negotiate service agreements and

manage service expectations.

3. Create a change management policy and procedures to support, track and implement new technologies and related projects.

3.1. Develop a database of all campus technologies (Configuration Management Database), the components, owners and dependencies.

3.2. Create a procedure for implementing new technologies and updates that are communicated to the end users, tracked and assessed.

4. Institute a data stewardship group that will establish, enforce and document policies as well as determine stewardship of PeopleSoft data.

4.1. Identify a cross institutional group to update a data standards document.

4.2. Draft and communicate the data standards to all affected and impacted areas of the district.

5. Improve upon existing production control process that includes end user-testing protocol and procedures for each PeopleSoft patch and update. In addition, the schools must be engaged in the requirements approval to testing cycles as opposed to the District Office representing their interests.

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5.1. Identify appropriate users to perform testing after each patch and update.

5.2. Draft testing scenarios for each module and area.

5.3. Create a method by which users can certify that testing has occurred and is validated.

5.4. Create an IT process to release changes in the production environment.

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Tactical Plan

This tactical plan details actionable items so fiscal and human resources are budgeted, and allocated in a timely manner. This plan establishes deliverables and timelines for individual sub-projects that should become part of an IT master plan. The IT Master Plan should include the District’s and the Information Technology department’s goals, objectives, and initiatives. Traditionally, a master plan also includes a three to five-year tactical plan, a prioritized portfolio, staffing requirements, and budget estimates.

The current “Information Technology Strategy” (http://web.peralta.edu/it/files/2013/04/Peralta-District-wide-Information-Technology-Strategy-Plan-February-2012.pdf) is outdated and requires a major revision to ensure it aligns with Peralta’s Mission, Strategic Goals and Institutional Objectives, and implements best practices and standards. The plan should be revised by the DTC and Ferrilli consulting team, to reflect the following tactical plan.

Completing the “triage” tactical plan requires over 12 months, assuming any vendors’ activities stay on schedule. The IT department should review the analysis of each project and evaluate the implementation strategies, as well as the total cost of ownership (TCO).

This plan remediates several outstanding issues. Urgent needs in desktop and network infrastructure, enterprise systems, and professional development are all addressed. Projects address PCCD’s growing need to streamline business processes, replace outdated equipment, and establish best practices in IT to facilitate the mission of the district.

Triage Tactical Plan

Security

There are several security concerns at PCCD throughout the IT organization. For the purpose of this tactical plan, a number of the projects addressed will support the remediation of security concerns. Primary issues with security at PCCD are the current data center, improperly configured network, access management issues, and firewalls.

Access control and password authentication is not following best practices for security protocol, putting the district at risk for a security breach. Implementation of the Manage Engine product will remediate and negate many of the current issues with the failure to adhere to a password policy.

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Network closets are not restricted exclusively to Network Personnel and network switches are not physically secured in locking cabinets within the accessible closets. In light of the district’s utilization of a VoIP network this is a serious security flaw in the Voice system. The failure to physically secure network equipment provides would-be hackers’ simplified access to telephone conversations.

Security –Access ControlCategory Security Financial Cost

$3995.00/yearlyStart Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Implementation of a system meeting best practice standards of Access Control and Identity Access Management to include complexity, compliance, appropriate user administration, improved user experience, enhanced monitoring and reporting. This measure will also help to eliminate the volume of Help Desk issues and remediate an overarching security concern. Description The implementation of Manage Engine self-service password reset.

Staff Resource

Assistance from District IT staff and the consulting team

Security – Upgrade of Unsupported Operating SystemsCategory Security Financial Cost

Staff Hours Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Mitigating major risks such as malware that can steal personal data and lower security. Remediation of regulatory and compliance issues. Description Identify and upgrade all unsupported server and desktop Operating Systems.

Staff Resource

District and campus IT staff, consulting team

Security – Monitoring and AuditingCategory Security

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Security – Anti Virus and Desktop Software StandardCategory Security Financial Cost

Staff hours for configurationStart Date Expected

Completion DateDeliverables Protect PCCD data, prevent hardware issues, protect against

hacking, and reduce technician support time. Description Make the district’s antivirus platform part of a set of district

standard software that is required for all computers in the districtStaff

ResourceTechnicians from the district and each college working alongside the consultant team

Security – PeopleSoft Category Security Financial Cost

$15,000Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Assessment and recommendations to remediate security risks.

Description Application security must be reviewed for best practice separation of duties in all applications.

Staff Resource

Outside resource required to meet security best practices.

Security – Physical Security Category Security Financial Cost

To be completed as part of the Access Control project or approximately $5,000

Start Date Expected Completion Date

Deliverables Properly functioning locks and card swipes on the District data center and warehouse doors.

Description Replace existing locks and provide card swipe entry to track access.

Staff Resource

Technology Services working alongside consulting team and vendor

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Security – Training for IT StaffCategory Security Financial Cost

$ 3,000 - $5,000 per person depending on the course (SAN Course SEC301 or CompTIA Security+, or similar information technology introductory course)Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables The staff will have the training required to appropriately complete

Description The IT staff are not following security best practices concerning information security. Training is required to ensure that they have the technical knowledge to create and apply security best practices.Staff

ResourceAt least 2 persons from the Technology Services Team

Security – Training for Users/Anti-PhishingCategory Security Financial Cost

Initial training is free, Advanced Anti-Phishing through PhishMe costs $23,000

Start Date Expected Completion Date

Deliverables Educate and empower the users at Peralta in order to heighten security awareness, prevent phishing, and aid in securing the overall environment.

Description Users will be provided with online training resources that will provide education on cybersecurity awareness to include malware, phishing, insider threats, surfing the web, data protection, passwords, and social networking.

Staff Resource

Technology Services and consulting team to set up training and Phishing campaign

Security – Laptop Encryption Category Security Financial Cost

$20-50 per laptop depending on solution *A lost laptop costs a College about $50,000 on average due to data issues

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Security – Laptop Encryption Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Laptops should be brought into the district office, checked for software updates, checked for malware, spyware, and virus related issues, receive any required updates and have full-disk encryption software installed.

Description Encryption is a method for protecting data. Currently, data on district laptops is not protected in the event that a laptop is lost or stolen. In order to protect the district’s data and ensure that the district is in compliance with best practices, all district owned laptops should be encrypted. A comprehensive project plan needs to be created in order to facilitate the project.

Staff Resource

Technology Services staff

Security – SSL Certificates Category Security Financial Cost

Contingent on inventory assessmentStart Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables All sites will have appropriate SSL certificatesDescription Digital certificates are utilized to provide a secure connection

between a server and a browser. There are certificate issues, as pointed out in the Ferrilli assessment, that need to be addressed.Staff

ResourceTechnology Services

Security – Software and Licensing AssessmentCategory Security Financial Cost

The assessment piece will not incur a financial cost. The cost of remediating Software and Licensing issues will be evaluated during the assessment

Start Date Expected Completion DateDeliverables An inventory of all software and licensing

Description Creating an assessment of software and licensing is a key component for beginning of inventory software for a CMDB and addressing security concerns.

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Security – Software and Licensing AssessmentStaff Resource

Technology Services Staff and IT leads on each campus

SafetySafety is a core value of PCCD campus leadership and is supported by the Information Technology department. The items below address physical safety concerns for students, faculty, and staff.

Safety – Data Center and WarehouseCategory SafetyFinancial Cost Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Create an environment that is physically sound and safe from hazards.Description The data center and warehouse currently pose a safety hazard for PCCD staff. These areas need to be cleaned of random waste and organized in a manner that promotes a safe work environment. A number of electrical safety issues exist in these area and need to be addressed by a licensed electrician. Other safety issues include improperly run fiber, unlabeled and messy cabling, and potential ceiling issues.

Staff Resource

Vendor to work alongside Technology Services

Safety – E911Category SafetyFinancial Cost

Needs to be determinedStart Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Properly configure E911 across the DistrictDescription There are major issues with the current PBX configuration as

well as the accurate configuration of 911 and E911 per FCC regulations and best practices. The current way that the system is configured is a major safety concern.

Staff Resource

Technology Services, Vendor, and consulting team

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Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

PCCD has a number of critical issues that it is facing. One of the most critical issue is its lack of ability to recover from a disaster. Many organizations do not understand that disasters can be anything from an equipment failure to losing a single human resource. The disaster recovery plan must cover all contingencies from data backup and verification, data recovery from backups, complete system reimplementation, to a hardware replacement plan.

PCCD lacks an overarching disaster recovery strategy and plan for information technology assets. For example, a natural disaster affecting the primary data center at PCCD would take the institution’s data off-line for several days if not weeks. As such, as part of disaster preparedness, PCCD must identify a disaster recovery strategy and business continuity plan and develop a Disaster Recovery plan and a methodology for business continuity in the event of a disaster. The DR plan should be inclusive of data backup procedures, data recovery procedures and validation, human resource contingencies, data center contingencies and a communication plan. This DR plan should be tested twice annually.

It is noted that some systems are being appropriately backed up, and need to become part of a comprehensive plan to address all district administrative systems.

Disaster Recovery Strategy and PlanCategory InfrastructureFinancial Cost

To be determinedStart Date Expected

Completion DateDeliverable External DR consultants and Ferrilli consultants, working with

PCCD executives and IT personnel, develop a detailed disaster recovery plan for information technology. The plan would include a summary of the current environment, back up strategy, primary vendor information, and short-term and long-term data strategy plans.

Business Continuity Strategy and PlanCategory Infrastructure and

Enterprise Financial Cost

$ 90,000

Start Date ExpectedCompletion Date

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Business Continuity Strategy and PlanDeliverable Design a set of activities that will keep the colleges

operational during a period of displacement or interruption of normal operation. Create a process of rebuilding an operation or infrastructure after the disaster has passed.

Backup and Storage SystemsCategory InfrastructureFinancial Cost

$80,000 - $120,000 (Disk to Disk backups)20TB-30TB storage ($100,000)Project Management $12,000 - $15,000 (for servers, AD, and backups.)Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables This project significantly expands data storage and enables rapid restoration of vital computing services.

Description This project focuses on improving system sustainability, cost savings, staff efficiency, system high availability and disaster recovery through the utilization of system virtualization at each site.Justification This project is required for payroll, portal, and other PeopleSoft services. This project supports various instructional systems also.

Dependencies

This project requires adequate rack space, cooling, and dovetails with new servers.

Staff Resource

Technology Services staff, vendor resources

Active Directory

Active Directory is a centralized authentication and directory service, based around standards such as the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP.) It stores information about user accounts, groups, distribution lists as well as information for directory enabled applications. The forest acts as a security boundary for an organization and defines the scope of authority for administrators. By default, a forest contains a single domain, which is known as the forest root domain. Additional domains can be created as part of the forest.

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As a result of historic configuration and management of Active Directory, the system is largely undocumented and not set up in adherence to Microsoft best practices. The separate local domains found in two of the Colleges create configuration issues and a largely inconsistent environment. Active Directory requires an assessment and design for the future state.

This assessment will achieve the following objectives: Document Active Directory forest Perform required health checks of Active Directory Upgrade and create current documentation Create plan for remediation of Group Policy Objects (GPO) Design ideal future state for Active Directory

Active Directory Category Technology ServicesFinancial Cost

Staff resources (After the assessment there may be a need to invest in new hardware)

Start Date(First Replacement Round)

Expected Completion Date

Deliverables Assessment and remediation of Active Directory. Improved services and environment capable of properly delivering desktop services.Description Create an assessment, plan, and new configuration of Active Directory.

Staff Resource

Technology Services team and College IT to work alongside vendor Authentication – AD Hardware Upgrade

Category InfrastructureFinancial Cost

Requires BidStart Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Upgraded servers are necessary to support current versions of Microsoft Active Directory (AD) services.

Description This project focuses on improving security and establishing a single-sign on for networked services. PCCD uses AD for email access, servers, and workstation security.

Justification Active Directory is required for email, access to workstations, and other network services.

Dependencies

New hardware must be in place to support new AD software.

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Authentication – AD Hardware UpgradeStaff Resource

Systems Administrators and IT Director, Ferrilli team

PeopleSoft

Should the District choose to continue the support and administration of PeopleSoft at the district as opposed to a managed service model, the following items must be addressed:

Summary

PCCD must work with their chosen PeopleSoft System Implementation (SI) vendor and use their comprehensive plan and roadmap for the transition to PeopleSoft 9.2. In order for PCCD to successfully transition to the new platform, investment must be made in hardware, project management, staffing, and staff training.

Peralta’s current Business Processes should be documented and provide valuable input into the Fit/Gap sessions that will help the vendor to guide Peralta toward a PeopleSoft 9.2 solution. During this process, most customizations and modifications should be eliminated wherever possible in favor of workarounds or the creation of simple queries to provide data where needed. Stepping back and gaining greater understanding of present workflows leads functional offices to discover where they can eliminate steps, save time, and therefore provide better services to students. Failure to conduct adequate process reviews creates duplicated effort, inefficient workflows, and frustrated students.

Modernizations & Upgrades

Ferrilli and the IT team have developed an RFP with the purpose of soliciting bids from an SI. The replacement of Peralta’s Financials application should take priority over the HRSA efforts as it is the most unstable and the functional benefits in Financials 9.2 are significant. A best practice approach should be strictly adhered to by including in the RFP a complete list of current interfaces, reports, customizations and “bolt-ons” given the heavy customization of the application and the fact that the original source is unavailable. This acknowledgement of Peralta’s frailty will prevent being “change-ordered to death” if the chosen SI arrives on site and discovers that their SOW was based on an unclear understanding of the level of effort to complete the project. It is recommended that a re-implementation of the Financials application be the

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path forward. It is also an opportune time to reevaluate if the current chart field setup is providing the financial & accounting foundation that Peralta needs currently and into the future. This is also the right time to implement basic best practices and accounting procedures. Only vendors with considerable upgrade experience should be considered for all PeopleSoft applications

Peralta should require during the vendor selection process that their implementation partner perform the upgrades using their ‘As Is’ Business Processes and the current 9.0 systems when conducting Fit/Gap sessions. The purpose is to drive Peralta toward termination of many, if not all, of their customizations. While this will cause the initial consulting costs to be higher, the ongoing maintenance will be simpler and provide a basis for discouraging any future customizations. A strict governance process must be in place to enforce the “no customizations” approach, as a vehicle for controlling costs.

It should be clearly stated in the RFP that Peralta will only accept proposals that are deliverable driven. The vendor must accept that payment for all services will be tied to Peralta’s or their agent’s acceptance of a deliverable based on an agreed-upon schedule. The project approach must follow the advice of the PMI PMBOK and, while it is desirable that the SI’s Project Manager (PM) be PMP certified, it is more important that the PM have wide experience in Higher Education settings, and have a deep understanding of challenges performing upgrades & re-implementations.

No new Financials modules should be implemented while the re-implementation is underway. Once on Financials 9.2, it is recommended that the Grants & Contracts (G&C) modules together with AR & Billing be implemented. The implementation of G&C should be driven by a thorough documentation of all current (As Is) Business Processes in the business areas. A risk assessment of not automating the remaining areas, the remaining Financials applications that should be evaluated and the remaining modules should be prioritized. Once again, it is recommended that Peralta follow best practice and submit an RFP at each iteration of functional improvements.

In addition, Peralta should request in the RFP that the vendor’s proposals advise as to a Big-Bang approach to upgrading all applications coincidently. While this is a riskier IT path, the benefit is that the delays in realizing improvements to the business, academic areas & students is shortened. The District should request that the vendors consider Peralta’s considering moving their upgraded PeopleSoft applications to a managed service provider in all RFPs.

It is strongly advised that Peralta use the services of an Independent Validation & Verification (IV&V) vendor to provide oversight of the management of the upgrade projects. This vendor serves as the trusted

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advisor to the PMO and the DTC. This vendor should be chosen based on success in performing this role several times previously. The density of the services provided here should be discussed and agreed upon. Heavy density in the planning & analysis phases is recommended to assure that success is baked into the model going forward.

PeopleSoft Integration AuditCategory Enterprise ServicesFinancial Cost

Staff resources

Start Date Expected Completion Date

Deliverables

A map of all deployed PeopleSoft applications with itemized modules, customizations, internal and external feeds and reports, and other PeopleSoft interfaces.

Description

Complete a detailed inventory of all systems that interact with any component of PeopleSoft. All financial factors to include cost and maintenance will be included in a vendor’s proposal and SOW as most customizations should be eliminated, interfaces will remain and reports. All conversion activities will be the shared responsibility of the vendor and Peralta.

Staff Resource

The amount of time to perform this activity for HRSA should be minimal. Must validate the same path for Financials, Campus Solutions, and HRSA.

PeopleSoft ServersCategory Enterprise Services and InfrastructureFinancial Cost

UnknownStart Date Expected

Completion Date

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PeopleSoft ServersDeliverables Servers to support a Development, Test, and Production

environment. This requires servers, licensing, as well as storage. *The approximate cost is based on the required physical hardware to meet minimum standards for a PeopleSoft server. PeopleSoft should be consulted concerning the technical specifications prior to purchasing Description New hardware or cloud services are required to set up the environment properly.

Dependencies

Successful deployment is dependent upon district buy-in and appropriate project management and training resources for IT staff and users.

Staff Resource

Enterprise Services staff will be highly engaged in this transition.

PeopleSoft 9.2 ImplementationCategory SustainabilityFinancial Cost

Project ManagementExternal

(RFP for pricing)

$

$Start Date 6/2016 Expected

Completion Date

10/2018

Deliverables Phased in approach to successfully move all campuses using PeopleSoft to 9.2

Dependencies

Hardware must be in place before 9.2 can be implementedStaff

ResourceLead personnel in each of the functional offices.

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PeopleSoft 9.2 Roadmap

Below is a sample roadmap noting the significant events preceding and accompanying the upgrade of the PeopleSoft 9.0 system to the current 9.2 level. While the details within are subject to change, the overall view and interrelationship of the tasks will vary little.

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Data Center/Network Design

PCCD needs to develop a plan to transition their data center to the 21st century. PCCD must begin to approach its technology acquisition and deployment from a more strategic perspective. By simplifying the technology environment, PCCD will be able to deploy critical technologies and maintain, protect and recover. The data center design will set the framework required to pursue disaster recovery efforts.

The current machine room is antiquated and in a vulnerable location where it is at a greater risk for flooding and other natural disasters. Old systems appear to still be running and the room lacks physical security, putting sensitive data and systems at risk. Although changing the nature of the existing environment, particularly expanding into cloud computing was mentioned as a goal, a comprehensive plan for a future state has not been completed. Not only is the room inefficient, plans for future purchases are contingent on expanding the existing environment rather than creating a plan for a new environment. Although the consultant team did not evaluate the cost per square foot, it is readily apparent that a tremendous amount of utility waste is occurring. Creating a new design would give a plan for the Technology Services team that would guide their efforts when expanding services and result in an optimal and sustainable environment for PCCD.

As part of the data center design, the District should include a full network architecture review. This review needs to suggest ways to address network configuration changes that adhere to IT best practices. These designs are needed to correct security issues that exist on the network and provide a practical framework for future infrastructure projects. Foundation for security framework will be a key deliverable of the data center and network design project.

Data Center DesignCategory Infrastructure Financial Cost

$40,000 Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Creation of a new design for the data center, to include meeting physical security requirements and roadmap for future Infrastructure purchases and security framework.

Description Planning to secure physical space for PCCD primary servers that is safe from environmental factors.

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Data Center DesignStaff Resource

Consulting team/CIO to work alongside vendor, Technology Services Staff

Network Design Category Technology ServicesFinancial Cost

$25,000Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Creation of a new design for the network, to include a roadmap for future Infrastructure purchases and security framework. Documentation of existing network infrastructure

Description Assessment and design of the network to include appropriate documentation and a plan for future upgrades.

Staff Resource

Consulting team/CIO to work alongside vendor, Technology Services staff

Email Migration

The DTC had previously approved the district’s migration of their email system from Microsoft Exchange to Google Apps. This decision was made some time ago and the project has not yet been completed. At the time that the Google Apps decision was made, the District did not have access to Microsoft’s 365 product. Microsoft 365 is the email system that has since been implemented for students and is the same exchange platform that is currently being utilized by the district. In order to save on the replacement of current Exchange servers and storage, it is suggested that the District migrate all of their faculty and staff to the same email platform as the students, Microsoft 365.

Email Migration Category Technology ServicesFinancial Cost

The district currently owns the licensing to move all users to Office 365Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables All email accounts should be moved to Office 365 in order to optimize storage and reduce costs to the district.

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Email Migration Description All Exchange servers could be eliminated and the district could

discontinue the utilization of outdated server and storage resources. Staff

ResourceTechnology Services team

Training and Professional Development

Effective service operations are critical for supporting academic and administrative computing. A service desk performs vital day-to-day activities in support of the entire academic enterprise. An effective, well-designed service desk delivers genuine value to the institution, in part, by restoring normal service to users as quickly as possible.

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) distinguishes service desks from help desks by the range of services to the institution. Help desks and Service Desks, as a matter of best practice; serve as a single point of contact for IT organizations. However, help desks tend to focus on simply handling incidents and short-term technical support matters. Service Desks support a broader array of services and often use multilevel support frameworks. For example, a service desk quickly refers incidents it cannot resolve to subject matter experts while also assigning priorities to incidents. Further, the service desk employs standardized methods and procedures to ensure efficient and prompt responses. The result is that well-run service desks enhance institutional perception of the IT department by documenting incidents, managing incidents through to resolution, and assuring resolution priorities align with the institutional need.

Among the objectives for the service desk:

Maintain institutional satisfaction and confidence in information technology through effective and efficient delivery of IT services

Minimize the impact of service outages on day to day activities Ensure that access to services is convenient yet provided only to those

authorized

As a best practice, the service desk serves as a central, single point of contact between the information technology services offered to the institution and the users (faculty, staff, students, and distant/remote users.) Best-practice service desks provide first-line investigation and diagnosis of service and technical requests and only escalate incidents that cannot be immediately resolved.

ITIL training is essential in the creation of a Software Catalog, Service Catalog, and the development of associated policies and procedures.

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In order to establish a world-class IT service help desk, additional professional development on the ITIL framework is necessary (at a minimum) for anyone supervising employees and those providing services within and leading an IT professional organization.

In addition to service-oriented help desk and leadership training, the District must make an effort to see that the ongoing training needs of the IT staff are met. These needs include training in emerging technologies so that the staff stays on the cutting edge of Information Technology in higher education.

ITIL TrainingCategory Training and Professional DevelopmentFinancial Cost

$600 -$2500 per person – one time ITIL Self-study program, books, and exam fee (per person)Training $150, Books $150, Exam $300 (Total self-study program per person $600) Optionally: Intensive 3-day instructor led sessions ($2295 plus travel)Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverable IT service desk professionals conversant on current IT service management best practices yielding superior IT services for PCCD.

The Information technology staff lacks technical skills in a variety of areas. The staff also lacks opportunities for relevant training and professional development. In order for the staff to grow alongside emerging technologies, focus must be placed upon continuing the educational development of IT staff. Specifically, there is a need to ensure that a member of the Technology Services team, at minimum begin the pursuit of Cisco Career Certifications. Additionally, a minimum of one IT staff needs to be a current Microsoft Certified Professional. All technicians should take advantage of the free training courses that are offered by Lenovo.

Professional Development Category Training and Professional DevelopmentFinancial Cost

Total

$600 -$2500 per person (28 employees) – annually$16,800 - $70,000

Start Date ExpectedCompletion DateDeliverable IT professionals conversant on current technologies as related

to their position at the District.

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Planning for the Next Five Years

While the above tactical plan addresses pressing security concerns and other major issues that the District is facing, the following items were noted and need to be addressed as part of a five-year tactical plan.

District Information Technology should create a Strategic Plan that clearly adheres to the Institutional Mission and vision. This plan should focus on aiding the District in reaching their Strategic Goals and Institutional Objectives.

It is recommended that PCCD utilize this opportunity to evaluate its approach to technology planning, and begin a process that continually evaluates its architecture, and deploy appropriate technologies that will simplify, interface, and support the vision for the future. This must be accomplished through strong leadership from the CIO, and the mid-level IT management team must work together to coordinate resources and support.

SWOT Analysis

Planning for Information Technology must be directly tied into the over-arching mission, vision, and institutional values of the District. The District’s strategic plan serves as the model for IT Strategic planning and budgeting.

In order to begin the strategic planning process, an environmental scan should be conducted by each unit within IT and collectively, by the IT Leadership team. Ferrilli can facilitate this process.

Supplemental information is contained in the summary below.

An environmental scan informs the department of its current position and reviews the external and internal environments. There are many accepted methods for conducting successful environmental scans. Two that are frequently used in Higher Education are the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and CAS (Council for the Advancement of Standards) methods. For the ITS department, SWOT was utilized to mirror the College’s Strategic plan methodology.

SWOT: This analysis consists of two main scans: the internal scan, Strengths and Weaknesses, and the external scan, Opportunities and Threats.

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The internal scan should provide planners with an accurate assessment of the division/unit/department’s capability before developing priorities, outcomes and action plans. The analysis allows planners to build upon strengths and overcome weaknesses. Internal considerations may include, but are not limited to, culture, finance, reputation, faculty or staff commitment, skills or expertise, organizational systems, stakeholder expectations, and demographics among others.

An external scan considers economic, social, demographic, political, legal, technological, and/or international factors to identify opportunities for growth and improvement, and barriers thereto. Identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats allow planners to recognize and address gaps between the division/unit/department’s current status and vision for the future.

Equitable Distribution of Resources

The District must ensure the equitable distribution of Information Technology resources. Currently, IT resources are divided loosely according to the size of the colleges. In order to ensure that resources are equally distributed among the colleges, it is recommended that the colleges take a concise approach to resource distribution, that follows higher education best practice.

The Information Technology department should follow the TCO plan when evaluating the acquisition of new resources, or the replacement of existing resources (see Appendix A) and provide safe and sufficient physical resources.

Student Learning

The integration of technology with student-centered learning is an essential component of the District’s success.

Information Technology requires continued evaluation and assessment. IT assessment and evaluation include the following main components:

Information technology orientation sessions for management and staff

Inventory of current systems, data resources, software, and applications

Evaluation of business drivers and organizational mandates for information technology

Evaluation of technical deficiencies and gaps

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Review of organizational structure, policies and practices, staffing, and IT governance

Definition of technical requirements (system, data, applications) Definition of requirements for changes and enhancements to IT

management, staffing, policies, and practices

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District and Colleges Information Technology Responsibility The responsibilities of the District and the Colleges are currently not well-defined. As additional services are added, they must go through the TCO process and assigned appropriate district, college, or shared resources for continued support.

The proposed responsibility matrix below defines the roles of District and College Information Technology departments.

District and Colleges Responsibility Matrix

District Colleges Shared

Networks

Infrastructure X

Domains X

All MDFs and IDFs X

District Data Center X

Wireless Controllers and Access Points

X

Active Directory Services X

Storage Area Network (SAN) X

Network monitoring, capacity planning, general health of the network

X

Emergency Backup Systems X

Generators X

Desktop Equipment

Replace CPU X

Laptops X

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Monitors X

Scanners X

Printers X

Operating System X

Virus Protection X

Computer System Repair X

Applications

Peralta.edu Email X

PeopleSoft X

VMware X

Solarwinds X

Desktop Software

Microsoft Office Suite X

Adobe Acrobat X

Adobe Creative Suite X

Educational Software X

Miscellaneous Software X

Accessibility Software X

Training

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Departmental Processes X

Moodle X

Help Desk is Available for 1 on 1 Training

X

Telecommunications

PBX/VoIP X

Voicemail X

Desktop Phones X

Wiring X

Classroom Technologies

Teaching Station Software X

Projectors and Screens X

DVD/VCR X

Control Systems X

Speakers/Amps X

Video Conferencing X

Other Classroom Technology

X

Upgrade District-wide Fiber

Fiber infrastructure is the true backbone of all IT services to the constituents at PCCD. Currently, the fiber is grossly outdated and not functional in some areas. As a result, videoconferencing, wireless expansion, and network improvements are severely limited by the outdated fiber. In addition, the old lines are not compatible with new equipment that would facilitate a proper network configuration.

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All of the fiber infrastructure requires a full assessment and associated upgrade. Without this upgrade, the infrastructure cannot be expanded to support the essential services of the campuses.

Upgraded District-wide fiberCategory InfrastructureFinancial Cost

Professional Services

Requires Assessment and RFP

Start Date ExpectedCompletion Date

Deliverable Updated fiber

Academic Computing

Service Desk Support for Instruction

The Help Desk hours of coverage, at present, are not adequate for the District’s current and planned instructional programs. Service Desk operations at PCCD start at 8 am and close at 5 pm. Additionally, this Service Desk only serves faculty and staff with specific issues. There is no Service Desk support for students on any of the campuses. This is not common practice in higher education institutions and negatively affects student and faculty perception of technology support at PCCD.

The Colleges routinely conduct classes into the evening and on weekends. This lack of extended coverage for evening/weekend and on-line programs undermines the ability to expand programs, particularly when many non-traditional students work during the day. Distance education has become a commodity and service must be outstanding otherwise students will go elsewhere. The situation at PCCD is further complicated by a Learning Management System (LMS) that is not currently supported by ITS.

While some faculty desire for 24/7 support, most would be content with evening and Saturday support. Among the services requested are resolving Portal access/password issues, ensuring that critical services are available and/or restored on a timely basis.

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Smart Classrooms is a major initiative for the District. All classrooms will be outfitted with technology that meets the needs of the instructional environment, and adheres to industry best practices for the utilization of technology in the classroom.

Libraries

The technology needs of the libraries need to be formally addressed. It was remarked by the consultants that approval for basic library software had to go through the District Technology Committee. The libraries should be fully supported by ITS, and not have to make special requests to have their basic technology needs met.

Classroom Technology

Many classrooms are lacking basic classroom technology. Much of the existing classroom technology such as podiums, projectors, document cameras are out of date and there is no plan to replace these critical instruction technologies. These technologies are only replaced when they fail. Some of these rooms would appear to be the responsibility of IT, whereas some are the responsibility of the department to maintain. Thus, there is great variance in technology from department to department, and College to college. The District should put out an RFP that solicits a quote and approach to replacing this technology. The ultimate goal should be to have a District standard for classroom technology, and refresh equipment on a five-year cycle.

Classroom Technology RefreshCategory Help Desk – Desktop

SupportFinancial Cost

$ 15,000 - $25,000 (est. Per Room)

Start Date ExpectedCompletion DateDeliverable Updated and sustainable technology for instruction.

Infrastructure and Desktop Hardware

There is a need to replace and implement technology in a planned, logical and organized fashion that supports the teaching and learning environment. Some of the high impact and visible areas include creating a strategy for technology replacement, Infrastructure and desktop

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Configuration Management, Enterprise Monitoring, Asset Management, and Active Directory remediation.

Infrastructure Hardware

In order to remediate the issues with infrastructure equipment the following steps should be taken:

Review the inventory and identify servers and switches that require immediate replacement.

Create an ongoing server and infrastructure replacement schedule.

Infrastructure Replacement (immediate need)Category InfrastructureFinancial Cost Start Date(First Replacement)

Expected Completion Date

Deliverables Replacement of outdated and unsupported equipment that present an urgent need to the district.

Description Replacement of outdated and unsupported equipment.

Staff Resource

Technology Services team to work alongside vendor

Infrastructure Replacement PlanCategory InfrastructureFinancial Cost

Contingent on RFPStart Date(First Replacement)

Expected Completion Date

Deliverables Methodology and schedule for infrastructure replacement. The plan should include an authority matrix, communication plan, and present TCO clearly.

Description Create a plan to replace outdated and unsupported equipment on a regular schedule

Staff Resource

Leadership and Technology Services team

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Upgraded District-Wide VoIP

The VoIP project was largely under estimated and under-funded. Thus, some campuses have some VoIP functionality whereas, other do not. In places where there is VoIP, it is misconfigured and presents major safety issues. The overarching Infrastructure upgrade will allow for VoIP implementation on all of the campuses.

Appropriately completing the VoIP project should be planned and an RFP created to determinate the financial cost that meets the business requirements of PCCD. The scope of this project is to replace the Mitel PBX telephone systems, redundant voice mail service, and approximately 1500 instruments with Cisco’s Unified Communications VoIP system across all campuses and all remote locations. Implementation of the project will be managed by ITS.

In Scope Assess and document current infrastructure Allocate appropriate financial and human resources required to

complete the project Develop new billing and charge back model as needed Migrate current VoIP core infrastructure to VM environment Upgrade network infrastructure to support PoE phone handsets Deploy new handsets Train users to use new communication and collaboration tools Decommission PBX infrastructure

Out of Scope Integration with other services such as PeopleSoft, Cellular System,

Microsoft Lync, Adobe Connect, and others Additional Services Network infrastructure upgrades beyond the scope of VoIP project

District-Wide VoIPCategory InfrastructureFinancial Cost

Professional Services

$$

Start Date ExpectedCompletion Date

Deliverable Secure and widely available VoIP phone service.

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Desktop HardwareThe desktop hardware consists of a mix of approximately one to ten-year-old machines, and upgrades are received without a formalized policy.

As the organization deploys new desktop hardware, there is an opportunity to change the way technology is supported. It is recommended that PCCD create a controlled and stable environment for users that includes the removal of local administrator rights. It is recommended that comprehensive Configuration Management is put in to place prior removing local administrator rights, so the project can be seamlessly handled.

There may be significant cost savings that could be realized once old hardware is entirely eliminated, which thereby significantly reduces the need for service technicians when paired with appropriate Configuration Management. Configuration Management will also allow IT to appropriately monitor the environment

In order to remediate the issues with computer replacement, the following steps should be taken:

Create district desktop standards to include the removal of local administrator rights, if applicable.

Fully implement a robust Configuration Management System.

o In order to effectively remove local administrator rights, robust Configuration Management must be in place.

o The current practice of using a generic logon in open labs and leaving them on all day represents a security risk. The implementation of appropriate Configuration Management, which would include a potential overhaul of the way the domains are configured would remediate this issue.

Identify all desktop computers that must be replaced and create a prioritized list. Student areas that have not yet been replaced should receive priority.

Categorize according to desktop standards. Machines older than four years should be prime candidates for disposal.

Create an RFP to purchase machines in bulk, leveraging buying power, and include imaging and deployment services as part of the RFP.

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Review staffing requirements for computer repair services and effectiveness.

Desktop Refresh Category Technology Services Financial Cost Start Date(First Replacement Cycle)

Expected Completion Date

Deliverables Up to date desktop technology for students, faculty, and staff. The plan would support standardization of the desktop environment and allow for the future support of Windows 10.

Description Creation of a computer replacement program that aims to refresh 1/3 of the Colleges’ machines every year for the next 3 years then, all computers every 4 years thereafter.

Staff Resource

Technology Services team to work alongside vendor

Energy Management

PCCD should implement a computer power management plan to cut utility costs and support PCCD’s sustainability efforts. Energy Management requires full desktop Configuration Management, and a clear communication plan to users.

Accessibility

Establish standards that ensure IT resources, services and facilities comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504 and 508), all pertinent state laws and regulations, and all current and future amendments to the above in order to establish a barrier-free learning community.

Develop an educational program to increase faculty and staff awareness of the law relating to accommodation of people with

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disabilities and the assistive technologies and services that are available at the colleges.

Ensure that all the PCCD web interfaces are in 508 Compliance, to include PeopleSoft

Training for IT staff in state and federal regulations concerning accessibility.

Accessibility Training Category IT Department and

functional areasFinancial CostTotal

$300 (per person at Cornell online)

Start Date ExpectedCompletion Date

Deliverable Trained staff that are proficient in the implementation of technologies to meet the requirements for accessibility in all IT platforms.

Microsoft System Center and Active Directory Training

IT operations at PCCD would improve with professional development for the IT staff. For example, one important opportunity to improve effectiveness is with Microsoft® System Center. The system center software enables IT staff to configure, maintain, and update workstations automatically en masse via the network. This one feature alone saves significant personnel time by not having to individually unlock, update, and relock individual workstations one-at-time.

The software can also save the institution money by managing the power settings on workstations throughout campus. Many claim savings up to $50/year per computer in savings when using power management. As an example, if a campus has 650 computers then the savings could be up to $32,500 per year.

The software updates computers during the overnight hours when the machines are not in use by faculty and staff. The result is a more secure, reliable, and stable computing environment that uses less power. Note also that coupling mass updates with software that tracks utilization enables PCCD to accurately determine the most effective number of labs

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to maintain on the campuses also saving money for on-going replacement of computer labs.

Active Directory is the Microsoft authentication standard for controlling access to workstations, installing and updating software (securely) in a Windows domain, and accessing a variety of network services—including wireless networks. Among key benefit to PCCD when IT personnel are more familiar with Active Directory services include single sign-on for network services, workstations, and software used in daily work functions.

Microsoft® System Center TrainingCategory Training and Professional DevelopmentFinancial Cost

Total

$2995 per person plus travel for Microsoft System Center (Recommend at least two)$2795 per person plus travel for Active Directory Training (Recommend at least two)

Start Date ExpectedCompletion Date

Deliverable Campus workstations will be more secure, reliable, and use less power. This project would also safe significant personnel time (and help desk time) maintaining computer labs and workstations throughout the campuses.

Server Room HVAC and Expansion

PCCD needs to upgrade the HVAC conditions for the primary server room. There are a number of factors to consider:

- The cooling system is reportedly over 15 years old. While parts are available, it is reported that it is difficult to obtain parts quickly.

- There is no alternative cooling in the event the AC system should fail. The equipment would have to be shut down for days until AC replacement parts arrive and cooling is restored.

- Physical features of the space present additional risks and have cost PCCD significant losses in time and money.

The primary server room in the warehouse building is where information technology has equipment for administrative computing, numerous servers, data backups, fiber optic connections, and the central campus network core. In the future, PCCD could consider colocation services at a physically distant location from the District, possibly at Merritt College where vital

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copies of data, servers, or both can be racked to operate the campus in the event of a natural disaster taking out the district equipment area.

Server Room Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC)Category Infrastructure

Financial Cost

Professional Services

$ 90,000 to $ 200,000$4950 to $5500

Start DatePlanning

ExpectedCompletion Date

Deliverable Planning and execution to remodel secure physical space for PCCD primary storage and servers

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BPR for Administrative Offices

Business Process Reengineering (BPR) analyzes and redesigns workflows seeking efficiency whenever and wherever possible. BPR is a vital first step to glean the greatest effectiveness as PCCD prepares to update administrative offices to the PeopleSoft 9.2. For example, many offices develop shadow systems (e.g. stand-alone spreadsheets) to overcome perceived shortcomings in the ERP software. Stepping back and gaining greater understanding of present workflows leads functional offices to discover where they can eliminate steps, save time, and therefore provide better services to students.

Failure to conduct adequate process reviews creates duplicated effort, inefficient workflows, and frustrated students.

BPR for Administrative OfficesCategory SustainabilityFinancial Cost

$80,000Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Documented workflows and process maps are typical deliverables for BPR activities.

Description Business Process Mapping for Financial Aid, Student Accounts Receivable, Student Registration and Records Management to identify, analyze and improve existing business processes to meet goals and objectives and to improve the quality of service to students, faculty and staff.Justification Documents processes leading to greater effectiveness when using PeopleSoft 9.2

Dependencies

NoneStaff Resource

BPR efforts require lead personnel in each administrative office to commit their time.

Print Management and Wireless Printing

PCCD does not limit or manage printer usage in the computer labs throughout the campuses. Previous experiences at multiple campuses show a cost savings of 20%-50% in the first year alone. Implementing a print management solution would save money that could be redirected into maintaining computer labs and instructional classroom equipment.

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Print Limit EnforcementCategory Document

ImagingFinancial Cost

$ Start Date Expected

Completion Date

Deliverables Significant cost savings at PCCD—likely at least a five-fold savings versus software costs.Wireless printing (e.g. PrinterOn) integrated with Active DirectoryPrint Management (e.g. PaperCut, Pcounter, PrintLimit Pro, Description Enforcing print limits on laser printers in computer labs throughout campus eliminates waste, reduces wear on laser printers, and reduces operational costs of computing at PCCD.Justification Reduces costs for PCCD. Promotes sustainability.

Dependencies

Whether to limit printing in the computer labs requires a high level policy discussion regarding use (and savings for) the student technology fee.

Staff Resource

Technology Services Staff

Upgraded District-wide Wireless

PCCD’s wireless infrastructure developed over a number of years. An upgraded and secured wireless infrastructure is necessary to expand services. A wireless network coupled with Active Directory yields secure network services for faculty, staff, and students. PCCD gains the flexibility to provide different services to campus guests. The result is that campus constituents have the assurance their information is secure while enjoying the services and personal productivity gains that come with ubiquitous Internet access. Currently, there is no overall inventory, plan, or documentation for the campus wireless network.

In addition to the existing campus network documentation, a scale drawing of the campus overlaid with fiber cabling locations in each building conduit routes between buildings is necessary. Further, establishing pre-planned communications in the event of a major incident are vital to rapid restoration of network services.

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Upgraded District-Wide WirelessCategory InfrastructureFinancial Cost

Professional Services

$600,000 - $1,200,000 depending upon desired coverage.$16,500 to $33,000Activity can progress in phases.

Start Date ExpectedCompletion Date

Deliverable Secure and widely available wireless Internet services for faculty, staff, students, and guests to campus.

Inadequate Network Documentation

PCCD’s network is not appropriately documented. There does not appear to be any documentation detailing the physical layout of data and fiber optic cabling matched to campus floor plans or college maps. Further, the logical layout of the campus network is not documented.

Appropriate network documentation is a vital aid to for network expansion planning. Expanding the campus network to new areas involves an intricate balance of adding new data lines or potentially adding new closets, while also having to take into account cable run distance.

The lack of truly well versed network engineers, the lack of documentation of physical networking or virtual networks combined with limited data security should be a major concern of the institution

Our observations indicate that physical cabling was installed in compliance with IEEE and National Electrical Code Standards at the time of installation. However, much of the cabling is out of compliance with current standards.

Implement Change Management

The goal of the Change Management Plan is to ensure consistent methods and procedures are used to address changes to the environment. In the context of this system, change is any deviation to the existing status of

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the system and a change may include any modification to network infrastructure, servers/hardware, licensing, and deployment.

Changes can arise from a variety of sources such as budgetary constraints, customer service requests, introduction of new services, planned or unplanned outages, and ITS involvement in other technology related projects. Using the guideline below, PCCD needs to implement a comprehensive change management plan.

Change Committee

The Change Committee is the primary governing board in the Change Management process.

Classification

Change will be classified to determine its priority in order to understand when the change can be implemented and quantify the importance of the change compared to other change requests.

Impact is an indicator of the qualitative and quantitative effect of the change. Urgency level determines how quickly the change should be implemented. Priority is derived from a combination of the urgency and the impact of the change and indicates how important a change is relative to other change requests.

ImpactImpact is determined by a combination of the effect and the scope of the change. The effect of the change falls into one of the following four areas:

No visible change or effect Minor change Major change Outage

The scope of the change falls into one the following three areas: Fewer than 5 users A group of users Campus wide

The result is a single classification of the impact of the change: Minor Significant

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Major

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Impact MatrixEff

ect

Scope< 5 Users Group Campus

wideNo visible change or effect

Minor Minor Significant

Minor change to the scope of the scope of the project

Minor Significant Significant

Major change to the scope of the project

Significant Significant Major

Outage Significant Major Major

Once the impact is known, the urgency of the change must be considered in order to determine the final priority of the change.

UrgencyThe urgency criteria are as follows:

Low: A low urgency is when a change is desirable, but can wait until a convenient time

Normal: A normal urgency is when a change should be implemented soon

High: A high urgency change is when a change should be implemented as soon as possible

Urgent: An urgent change is the highest level of urgency and used when a change must occur immediately. An emergency meeting of the Change Committee may be required to make immediate decisions.

PriorityOnce the impact (minor, significant, major) and the urgency (low, normal, high, urgent) are known, priority is determined by at the following chart.

Priority Matrix

Effec

t

ImpactMinor Significant Major

Low P5 P4 P3Normal P4 P3 P2

High P3 P2 P1Urgent P2 P1 P0

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Knowing the priority of a change can assist in determining its importance relative to other change requests.

Change CategoriesChanges are categorized by the following: Planned, Pre-approved, Urgent, Retroactive or Unauthorized. This categorization determines the specific steps a change must follow.

Planned: A planned change is when upfront scheduling and communication of the change occurs in advance of implementation in accordance with project deployment timeline. Generally, a planned change impacts the customer the least and gives the Change Committee enough time to evaluate the change, approve scheduling, and assist with communication if necessary.

Pre-approved: A pre-approved change is a low impact or risk routine change that is fully documented. These types of changes are reviewed by the Change Committee for pre-approval status. If pre-approved status is granted, then the can occur without being individually approved by Change Committee every time it is scheduled. Pre-approved change must be fully documented and repeatable, scheduled, announced and logged.

Urgent Changes:Urgent changes must be carried out as soon as possible and must have authorization to proceed. Urgent changes do not follow the normal Change Management process because of the immediacy of the change. Depending on the impact and if there is time, the AD Project Manager will organize a meeting of the Change Management Committee to make immediate decisions.

Unauthorized Changes:The goal is to have zero unauthorized changes. Changes made without explicit approval are unauthorized changes. The potential outcome can have a detrimental impact if something goes wrong. A cascading effect could greatly influence our customers and environment as a whole. Unauthorized changes are reviewed by the Change Committee to determine the appropriate action to take.

Change Management ProcedureFollowing is a step-by-step procedure for taking a change from change request to implementation.

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1. Identify Change 1.1. If change is pre-approved, go to Step 6.1.2. If change is already built and is ready for release, go to Step

4. 1.3. OUTPUT: Change entered and classified.

2. Evaluate and Prioritize Change(s) 2.1. Discuss benefits, impacts, risks and urgency.  Consider client,

support and technical impacts. Risk is defined as possible impact and severity.

2.2. If this is an Urgent Change, go to step 4.2.3. Assign priority and sort with other changes.  If change has

significant or higher Impact, consult with Change Committee.2.4. OUTPUT: List of changes sorted by priority.

3. Select Changes to be Built 3.1. Based on estimated cost and resource availability/schedule,

determine which highest priority changes should be built.  3.2. OUTPUT: Specific changes to be built.

4. Design, Build, Test and Ready Change 4.1. Write up test results, backout plan, proposed schedule,

communication/training plans, other impact and risk mitigation plans and results.

4.2. If Technical Lead role exists, they must sign off on change from a technical perspective.

4.3. OUTPUT: Change is ready for release.5. Approve Change to Implement

5.1. Provide Change Committee with change request when ready to implement. 

5.2. The Change Committee reviews the change request for readiness (test results, backout plan, proposed schedule, communication and training plan). 

5.3. OUTPUT: Change is approved or deferred to implement.6. Implement Change

6.1. OUTPUT: Change implemented.7. Post Implementation Review

7.1. Review what did and what didn’t go according to plan.7.2. Capture any post-change incidents. Include IT Request ticket

numbers if available.7.3. Write up lessons learned and assign action items with due

date and responsible party.7.4. If this change is low risk and is likely to re-occur, apply for Pre-

Approved status.  7.5. OUTPUT: Change reviewed.

8. Close Change Request8.1. Make sure Steps 1-7 have been completed.8.2. OUTPUT: change request closed.

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Unless the change is granted pre-approved status, all changes must go through the Change Management process.

Appendix A – TCO Model

This report provides observations and recommendations to assist the Peralta Community College District Administration in managing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for Educational Technology, selecting the best-fit technology and systems, as well as, aligning its technology with the Institutional mission, goals and institutional objectives, to include the equitable distribution of resources for the four Colleges.

The Process

Peralta Community College District understands that its Software Licensing, Hardware, Services, and Maintenance requires upgrading, continued maintenance, and support.

All major projects that are outside of a regular maintenance schedule or under an existing contract, should be organized into a structure that will allow for thorough evaluation and a decision based upon predetermined criteria. Individuals from across the organization will participate and provide input toward the final decision.

The following criteria will be used for selecting a vendor for all major IT projects.

Best-Fit Functionality Optimum Implementation Strategy Total Cost of Ownership

The process has been designed to help PCCD focus on its priority needs and functional requirements. All major selections should be processed through three oversight bodies: Information Technology Steering Committee, the District Technology Committee (DTC), and the Planning and Budget Council (PBC).

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The Information Technology Steering Committee (TSC) is responsible for evaluating the viability and functionality of each vendor finalist.  This Team will design demonstration scenarios and specific functional questions to be answered by the vendors.  The Technology Steering Committee will provide to the DTC an analysis of the functional fit from each vendor.  The DTC will review the analysis and evaluate the implementation strategies as well as the total cost of ownership.  It is the DTC’s charge to provide a final recommendation to the PBC.The graphic below illustrates the project organization.

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Identify Functional Requirements

Functional requirements will be defined and presented to the Technology Steering Committee for reviewThe Steering Committee approves appropriate demonstrations and test scenarios

Collect Data

A minimum of two competitive proposals meeting purchasing guidelines must be received from reputable vendors Proposals are evaluated based on pre-defined, published criteria and references are validated by Purchasing and the TSCPurchasing and Technology Steering Committee checks references

Analyze Data

Technology Steering Committee reviews demonstrationsFollowing a pre-defined checklist, TSC reviews and evaluates product capabilities through vendor demonstrations.Compute Total Cost of Ownership and cost analysis for products

Select and Negotiate

Technology Steering Committee reports findings to the DTCThe DTC reviews all facts and compares with criteriaRecommentation to the PBCRecommendation to Chancellor & Board

Chancellor & Board of Trustees

Planning and Budget Council

District Technology Committee

The IT Technology Steering

Committee

The Technology Steering Committee consists of members who meet bi-weekly and represent a cross-section of leadership at the District level. Approximately 15 individuals are actively engaged and participate on the Technology Steering Committee. These individuals represent a cross-section of the organization including Faculty, Finance, Human Resources, Academics, Enrollment Management, Continuing Education, Information Technology and Financial Aid.

Total Cost of Ownership

Calculation of TCO should address the following:

Direct Labor – established support infrastructure as well as user support and computing infrastructure

Indirect Labor – time costs incurred by user training, productivity losses experienced when problems occur, or time lost when a device fails or network connectivity is lost.

Amortized Equipment Costs – computers, servers, network equipment, printers and other hardware, software and external service providers.

Software Licensing, Hardware, Services, and Maintenance are the primary areas that are considered in calculating the total cost of ownership. It may also be necessary to consider the cost of additional long and short-term staffing. It is extremely important that Peralta Community College District maintain a contingency fund for unexpected requirements. Management and support, communications, end-user expenses and the opportunity cost of downtime, training and other productivity losses should be considered as sub-categories of the four primary areas.

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IT: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Checklist

Every time a project is considered for the District, the ITS department will complete the following checklist.

Is there adequate budget allocated to complete the project/task?

Are there adequate resources to complete the project/task?

Are there ongoing software support maintenance needs/costs?

Is there a (3-5 year) refresh cycle plan for hardware & equipment?

Are software & hardware requests compatible for the project/task?

Does equipment (computers, tablets, etc.) have secure stations/check-out?

Does the existing network infrastructure support the project/task?

o Wireless, wired, virtual desktop, remote access

Is there adequate electrical power?

Is there adequate data cabling?

Are there available ports on the switch?

Is there adequate space allocated for the project/task/activity?

Does this project/task meet ADA requirements?

Does this project/task meet OSHA standards?

Does the software integrate with PeopleSoft?

Is there single sign-on capability?

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Cost AnalysisAll major IT projects, including hardware acquisition, will go through cost-analysis for the life of the contract prior to the selection phase.

Evaluation Rubric

This rubric will aid the District Technology Committee in the selection of a product or vendor. Criteria can be added or removed to meet the appropriate priorities of the District.

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3 2 1 0 Score

Strategic Plan

Project clearly relates to the District Strategic Plan (goals and objectives) It includes several supporting details and/or examples.

Project clearly relates to the Strategic Plan. It provides 1-2 supporting details/examples

The Plan is mentioned but there are no details and/or examples provided.

Information does not speak to the District Strategic Plan

IT Master Plan

Project clearly relates to the IT Master Plan. It includes several supporting details and/or examples.

Project clearly relates to the IT Master Plan. It provides 1-2 supporting details/examples

The Plan is mentioned but there are no details and/or examples provided.

Information does not speak to the IT Master plan.

Facilities Master Plan

Project clearly relates to the Facilities Master Plan. It includes several supporting details and/or examples.

Project clearly relates to the Facilities Master Plan. It provides 1-2 supporting details/examples

The Plan is mentioned but there are no details and/or examples provided.

Information does not speak to the Facilities Master plan.

District Mission

Project clearly relates to the District Mission. It includes several supporting details and/or examples.

Project clearly relates to the District Mission. It provides 1-2 supporting details/examples

The Mission is mentioned but there are no details and/or examples provided.

Information does not speak to the District Mission

IT StandardsStudent Lab/Library, PC StandardsA1.a

PCs for students One PC will be dedicated to student use for every 20 FTEs

A1.b

PCs for students with assistive technology

10 percent of all computers in this category will be configured with assistive technology to provide increased access to students with disabilities.

A2 Printers One workgroup printer will be dedicated to every 30 student computers.

A3 Office Software All student computers will have access to word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

A4 Email communications

All students will have access to a college-provided email account to facilitate college-to-student, faculty-to-student, and student-to-student communication.

A5 Internet All student computers will have access to the Internet via a browser.

A6 Security All campus-owned student access computers will be protected by anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software.

A7 Student Online Services

All student computers will have access to student online services provided by the District.

A8 Refresh Rate of computers

Computers will be replaced on a four-year schedule. This requirement is consistent with industry practices.

A9 Online Library and Learning Resources

All student computers will have access to electronic library databases and the electronic library card catalog.

Student, Faculty, and Staff-owned ComputersA5 Internet All student, faculty, and staff-owned

computers will have access to the Internet via a browser.

A6 Security Each personally-owned computer will be protected by anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software.

Faculty PC Standards

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B1.a

PCs for Full-time Faculty

One PC, with appropriate assistive technology, will be provided for every full-time faculty member.

B1.b

PCs for Adjunct Faculty

One PC, with appropriate assistive technology will be dedicated to part-time faculty for every part-time FTEF.

B2 Printers One workgroup printer will be dedicated to every 25 faculty computers.

B3 Office Software All faculty computers will have access to word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

B4 Email communications

All faculty will have access to a college-provided email account to facilitate college-to-student, faculty-to-student, and faculty-to-faculty communication.

B5 Internet All faculty computers will have access to the Internet via a browser.

B6 Security All campus-owned faculty access computers will be protected by anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software.

B7 Faculty Online Services

All faculty computers will have access to faculty online services provided by the District.

B8 Refresh Rate of computers

Computers will be replaced on a four-year schedule. This requirement is consistent with industry practices.

B9 Online Library and Learning Resources

All faculty computers will have access to electronic library databases and the electronic library card catalog.

B10

Digital Media Services

Optical character recognition and image scanning software are available to faculty upon request.

Administrative and Classified Staff PC StandardsC1 PCs for permanent

administrative and classified staff

One PC, with appropriate assistive technology will be provided for each of 80% of the permanent administrative and classified staff.

C2 Printers One workgroup will be dedicated to every 25 staff members

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C3 Office Software All staff computers will have access to word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software.

C4 Email communications

All staff will have access to a college-provided email account to facilitate college-to-student, faculty-to-student, and faculty-to-faculty communication.

C5 Internet All staff computers will have access to the Internet via a browser.

C6 Security All campus-owned staff access computers will be protected by anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software.

C7 Administrative Online Services

All staff computers will have access to job-related administrative online services provided by the District.

C8 Refresh Rate of computers

Computers will be replaced on a four-year schedule. This requirement is consistent with industry practices.

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