projects: groupware requirements panel
Commissioning the Groupware Requirements Panel
In 2007 the Director of IT was asked by Michael Sibly, the Academic Registrar and Secretary of Faculties, to lead on establishing the requirements for a Groupware solution at the University.
The importance of a Groupware solution for the collegiate University was identified in the ICT Strategic Plan Paragraph 250: "the University will need to review, as a matter of urgency, its Groupware solution (e.g. an integrated email, calendaring, scheduling, and messaging system). It is also clear that sectors of the University require a Groupware solution to be supplied, and there is a need for an online environment to help embed post graduate students."
The Office of the Director of IT formed the Groupware Requirements Panel in October 2007. The Panel had a specific remit to specify the scope and requirements for a Groupware solution for students and staff of the University of Oxford. They were to define the scope of the overall project and to specify a set of user requirements
Groupware Requirements Panel: Terms of Reference and Membership
Groupware Requirements Panel Meetings and Process
Four panel meetings and two demonstrations took place between November 2007 and February 2008. The minutes of these meetings and further documentation are available within the: Groupware Documents
The Panel adopted a process which determined the scope of the project, identified the set of essential components required within a Groupware solution for the collegiate University, unpacked each of these into sub-components and split them into 'essential' and 'desirable' categories. The Panel also appraised a number of Groupware applications which were deployed elsewhere. This exercise proved useful in confirming the user requirement priorities.
Deliverables from the Groupware Requirements Panel
The output from the Groupware Requirements Panel is recorded within the Groupware Documents. The primary delivery is a comprehensive set of user requirements summarised in the document: Summary of Groupware User Requirements (PDF 118KB).
This set of user requirements supported a bid for funds for a Groupware project. The bid was considered by the Capital Steering Group and PRAC and was successful. Plans were then put in place for the Groupware Project.
The Groupware Requirements Panel was dissolved in February 2008.
The Groupware Project took the set of user requirements collected by the Panel and worked towards a Groupware solution for the collegiate University. The Office of the Director of IT submitted details of the Groupware Project Board and Selection Panel to the PRAC ICT Sub Committee. These were approved on 5 March 2008.
Further Information on the Groupware Project Board and the Selection Panel may be found on the: Groupware Project page
The technical implementation of the project was led by Oxford University Computing Services (OUCS). Professor Paul Jeffreys (Director of IT) was Project Sponsor and Dr Mark Norman (OUCS) was appointed Project Manager. Further information regarding the User Consultative Group, the Technical Requirements Group and the development of the Groupware solution can therefore be found on the OUCS Groupware Project page