Information and Communications Technology Strategic Plan, 2005-06 to 2009-10

Role

The post of Director of ICT will provide leadership and coordination for ICT strategic planning and implementation.

The Director of ICT will be the lynch-pin within Oxford’s new Coordinated Decision Making structure, and through close support for the Chairperson will enable the PRAC ICT Sub- Committee to operate effectively. All structures require a significant amount of executive activity to take place outside the meetings -- the Buildings and Estates Sub-Committee is a good example of where this happens -- and the Director of ICT will serve the structure in this way.

It is anticipated that the Director of ICT will more than cover his/her costs through the savings that can be realized. There are substantial opportunities through coordinated procurement,⁷⁹ exploiting technology to reduce replication, shared software licences, and the exchanging of best practice.

Oxford’s devolved ICT structure has many benefits (as discussed in Section 3), but it is recognized that coordination and leadership is vital in order to ensure that:

• local ICT investment brings maximum return;
• applications and services within the overall ICT infrastructure interoperate
• services provided centrally are cost effective and meet the needs of users;
• mission critical services deliver effectively for the user and are adequately resourced;
• central expenditure is correctly prioritised, and remains within the total allocation made by the collegiate University;
• there is an effective channel for communication between users, ICT suppliers and University management;
• risk to ICT services is managed across the collegiate University;
• applications to external funding bodies (e.g. JISC) are coordinated;
• ICT projects are overseen;
• the overall ICT infrastructure is agile;
• appropriate ICT training is available;
• and the ICT infrastructure complies with legislation.

The Director of ICT post will hold an essential place within Oxford's devolved ICT structure. In terms of overall coordination of ICT across Oxford, the post will report directly to the PRAC ICT Sub-Committee. In terms of governing the central ICT activities the post will report to the Vice Chancellor through the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (RASUC). The P-V-C (RASUC) will consult and seek guidance from the Registrar as required.

The Director of ICT will be responsible for providing overall coordination of Oxford's devolved ICT model, ensuring the governance of central ICT services, managing ICT risk and overseeing business continuity, and directing the implementation of the rolling ICT Strategy through the delivery of a programme of ICT projects. The Director of ICT will be supported, as appropriate, by an ICT Office and will chair the Implementation arm of the PRAC ICT Sub-Committee.

Responsibilities

• Reporting to the Vice Chancellor through the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (RASUC); the P-V-C (RASUC) will consult and seek guidance from the Registrar as required.⁸⁰
• Creating a shared vision for a devolved ICT environment with a Coordinated Decision Making structure to ensure that staff and students are equipped with exceptional ICT facilities and services, and that the services are managed effectively and responsively.
• Overseeing the implementation of effective mechanisms for ensuring input from staff and students into the ICT strategic planning process and ensuring that ICT projects are developed according to the needs of the user community.
• Overseeing the portfolio of ICT projects, including the coordination of applications to external funding bodies .
• Chairing the Implementation arm of the PRAC ICT Strategy Sub-Committee and being a member of the Strategy arm of the ICT Strategy Sub-Committee.
• Developing and reviewing a five-year ICT Strategic Plan for the collegiate University in line with Oxford's devolved ICT model.
• Producing an annually updated five-year strategy implementation plan for ICT, comprising an agreed set of priorities; a corresponding budget for ICT expenditure; programme of projects; and a rolling evaluation of services.
• Ensuring that total central ICT expenditure remains within allocation.
• Creating a single point for communication between PRAC and the ICT community, and between users across the collegiate University and ICT service providers.
• Creating a set of Key Performance Indicators to benchmark Oxford’s ICT services against those in other universities, and to monitor improvement as the strategic plan is implemented.
• Interfacing with the Capital Planning activities in the University on behalf of ICT.
• Ensuring that critical ICT services deliver effectively for the user and are adequately resourced in order to be resilient, robust, and reliable.
• Offer a single point of contact between the University auditors and ICT; managing risk and ensuring business continuity for enterprise-wide and shared ICT services; and assisting in the creation of a framework for managing risk and business continuity for local ICT services.
• Developing an agile and standards-based ICT culture receptive to change and innovation through communication and liaison with central ICT providers, heads of college and divisions, and all components of the coordinated ICT decision-making structure.
• Ensuring appropriate ICT training is available.
• Cultivating a shared understanding of enterprise service provision and direct collaborative service developments amongst central ICT providers.
• Coordinating the development and maintenance of a new University Information Strategy.
• Establishing and maintaining links with other universities and relevant external bodies and otherwise representing the University externally in ways that may from time to time be approved.