Strategic Planning: Information Technology - Methodology and Process for Developing The OIT Strategic Plan

Information Technology: Strategic Plan

Methodology and Process for Developing The OIT Strategic Plan

In developing this plan, the OIT consulted widely with the campus at large. The OIT used the services of an experienced higher education/information technology consulting firm, Edutech International, to conduct interviews with groups and individuals throughout the University. These focus groups included 195 individuals and 64 separate interviews and involved faculty, students, staff, technical and non-technical people, college and University committees, OIT staff and management, and local IT support groups. The needs expressed in these interviews and meetings, as well as the insights into the most effective ways for OIT and the outlying organizations to cooperate in providing infrastructure and services, have been consolidated into the goals and objectives presented in this OIT plan. Profiling the top 20 national research universities, and our top peer Catholic Schools of higher education, we created a university profile to compare our metrics with the best-of-the-best. It should be noted that as we address our infrastructure needs, we must attend to more than wires, switches and hubs. Broadly conceived, the infrastructure includes:

Human capital: sufficient numbers of highly skilled professional support staff, and faculty, students and staff, skilled in the use of information systems.
Policies, governance, and management for information technology.
University-wide security and quality assurance.
Physical infrastructure (building wiring, campus backbone, and external connectivity).
Advanced technologies and services for emerging technologies.

In recognition that the need for an IT strategic plan is critical, our planning process was driven by three factors. We wished to create a plan that:

Recognizes that technology is not for its own sake, but is a means to an end.
Should not be built in isolation solely within the OIT.
Is fully in step with the University community.

As a result, the plan consists of seven strategic goals, based on the issues, goals, and objectives of the University itself, as expressed by users all over campus.

Major Issues