It’s been ages since I blogged and feels like even longer since I was on holiday. I had a trip to the states this summer and was once again surprised about how far behind the time they seem in card security (debit and credit). All I had to do was to sign my name on a bit of paper or on an electronic signature thingy. This has been the same for at least the last 20 years. Does anyone know why they aren’t using the available technology like chip and pin or verified by visa/ mastercard on the web? Interestingly, in contrast, to join a casino (for the free dinner of course) I had to produce a passport and was finger printed. It just doesn’t make sense to me, especially when the casino only took cash.

Anyway…. I digress. I wanted to share with you a list of common themes and Headings from workshops that have come up in the strategy sessions so far in strengths and weaknesses. We are now getting towards the end of the consultation cycle and its interesting that so many common themes have emerged.

It is currently planned that a draft IT strategy for the University will be available at the end of the year and then some form of consultation will follow from focus groups. It is unrealistic to again consult the 500 or so that have been to the workshops and so this will need some careful thought. As always, thoughts and comments are more than welcome,

I thought that this might be useful as a reference point as to the purpose of the IT strategy workshops. Following discussions with a colleague, I followed up the conversation with this email…………

I thought I would send you a note after our chat today and you are welcome to forward it to anyone you think may be interested. 

It’s just to reiterate that the IT strategy workshops are just that – they are intended to find out what the University wants from an IT service in the future, that meets the needs of staff and students and looks ahead to the changing environment. They are not about consulting on a structure or strategy for NU-IT, this will come later, once the University has decided what it needs to deliver. Of course, there will be full consultation and discussion before any progress on NU-IT can take place and this will be carried out after the workshops have taken place and an IT strategy formulated.

 Incidentally, and as you would expect, there is already an IT strategy for ISS but not a University wide one that encompasses all requirements. The Digital Campus initiative would surely be doomed to failure if it didn’t gather these requirements.

thanks

Jane

The first workshop http://www.ncl.ac.uk/digitalcampus/events/ was held yesterday with the intention of starting to develop a University wide IT strategy to support the vision of the University. I am pondering today on the success of the approach (using SWOT analysis) and on the variety of feedback I have received thus far:

• not strategic enough
• too strategic
• too many computer officers there which swayed the weight of the debate
• computer officers didnt have the chance to voice thier collective opinions
• it went on too long

This is the first time (that I know of) that University strategy building has been attempted from the “bottom up”, giving everyone a chance to contribute. The Digital Campus Steering Group are committed to listening to staff and students about what IT services the university should be providing and how we can do it in an efficient and effective manner. There are further challenges to consider such as the  changing way we communicate, learn, teach and research and the strategy must be flexible and agile enough to constantly scan the horizon for new opportunities and be ahead of the game.

So how do we measure the success of the approach? Weaknesses, issues and problems are emerging some of which can be addressed now, so presumably there will be less of those as we move on. People were engaged and animated at the workshop, ticking the box that everyone can contribute. But how do people feel when they leave? That they made a difference? That they were listened to? they didnt get a chance to speak? Or worse case scenario…… that it was a waste of time and things are set in stone (absolutely not the case).

Comments please…..