Strategic Plan for the Department of Information Technology
and Communication, University of VirginiaStrategic Planning Process
Version 01.3.26
Draft Date: 3/26/01
STRATEGIC PLANNING IN OIT/ITC
Planning Theory and Organization
The University of Virginia's Office of Information Technologies (OIT) is the office of the vice president and chief information officer, whose duties include long-range planning and coordination of information technology at the University, as well as executive management of the operational Department of Information Technology and Communication (ITC). A director of planning and policy development assists the vice president in the planning duties, specifically serving as the process-manager and editor of OIT's work in IT planning, both at the Universitywide and the departmental levels.
Process
At the Universitywide level, the vice president and a range of ITC staff work with the University Committee on Information Technology (UCIT) in the development of scenarios that define in precise terms exactly what the University community wishes to be able to do with the assistance of information technology tools over the course of the five-year planning horizon. The scenarios are constructed both by UCIT members themselves and by members of the contributing committees that fall under the umbrella of UCIT. Such scenarios are based in part on major University planning documents, such as the University's overall strategic plan (i.e., the Plan for the Year 2000, to be replaced soon by a new University strategic plan) and other important reports such as those of the Virginia 2020 Planning Commissions. The scenarios are presented to University leaders -- the president, the vice presidents and the deans -- for their endorsement or revision based on consistency with the University's overall mission, goals, and strategic directions. When this step is complete, the scenarios collectively represent the vision upon which OIT and ITC build more specific plans. [Note: In 1998-2000, UCIT was undertaking development of a new Universitywide strategic plan for information technology -- this process replaced scenario development for that interval.]
Once University leaders endorse UCIT's vision of the future, OIT and ITC begin planning exercises testing its environmental assumptions and its goals for the evolution in technology at U.Va. We test those assumptions and goals with UCIT and other important constituencies. After confirming our goals, OIT and ITC review a set of key longer-term strategies for accomplishing each one. With that step, the strategic phase of our planning comes to a close.
The next phase of our planning is the tactical phase. The ITC general manager takes over management of the process to produce tactical plans to accomplish our strategic goals. Details of the tactical phase appear in the description of development of an operating plan, below.
The entire plan, from institutional sources of vision to measurable tactical steps (and progress reports), is made public in web-viewable form for the entire University community.Purpose of Planning
For OIT and ITC, the University-level IT planning process produces an annually updated system of guidance that helps us develop budget proposals at the University and state levels, points us toward answers to unforeseen questions and issues that arise during the course of a year, and simply informs our daily operations. At the same time the planning process produces two important additional products -- it provides a vehicle for effective two-way communication between the University community and its technology organizations, contributing to better understanding, and it provides a tracking mechanism of accountability between our organization and the constituencies that it serves.
Frequency of Updates
This first fully developed OIT/ITC five-year strategic plan was designed to be effective from July 1, 1996 to June 30, 2001. It has been updated annually in shortened steps drawn from the original process model. Each year, we ask UCIT to review the future scenarios and suggest deletions, additions, or other changes, and we complete revisions based on those changes. Meanwhile, we will record information on our progress to completion of the plan, and we will note significant environmental or technical changes that affect our ability to accomplish steps or that require changes in course. According to our present schedule, in summer of 2001 we will begin the full process again with a yearlong complete revision of all planning documents. This schedule will be revised according to the University's progress in developing a new overall strategic plan -- all general IT planning and OIT/ITC planning is driven by the strategic vision embodied in the University's overall strategic plan, and because that process is beginning in spring 2001 we will await its results before a full revision of the OIT/ITC plan..
ANNUAL OPERATING PLANNING AND BUDGETING IN OIT/ITC
Defining the terms and segmenting the tasks
Once we have the strategic vision and direction in the OIT/ITC Strategic Plan, annual planning takes the form of review and reconstitution of an operating plan and budget and a related annual project list. Each year, the process of developing the operating plan begins on December 1 when ITC polls its primary constituencies about projects that should be considered for the coming fiscal year (this input period concludes just after the holidays). Those constituencies include deans and other University leaders, our advisory committees, our local support partners and our own staff. At the same time, ITC divisions begin division-specific planning for projects in the next fiscal year, with a special focus on human-resource needs that are tied to potential projects.
The second phase of tactical planning begins in January when the ITC director of budget and administration issues budget assumptions for the next fiscal year. Those assumptions are tested and may be revised as the planning process continues. On January 15, ITC issues a list of proposed projects, based on planning in the divisions and input from the constituencies, that total no more than twice the amount of resources that we project to be available. Normally, projects to be included on this list carry pricetags of at least $20,000. The list is the subject of a forum in which the projects on it are discussed directly with our constituencies, and we accept comments from them until mid-February. By March 1, we prioritize the list considering the input of our constituencies. The prioritized list indicates which projects are most important to do when we know clearly what resources we have available to apply to them.
After developing the prioritized list, ITC spends the next weeks determining how best to match its resources to the work that needs to be done. By May 1, we adopt the operating plan and budget that reflects our best determination of how far down the next-fiscal-year list our funds and personnel will take us. Throughout the planning process, the ITC directors identify important projects as candidates for University addenda funding -- if they will be accomplished in the next fiscal year -- or as candidates for state budget proposals if they will be done in a later fiscal year, and proposals about those are made according the schedules of those specific funding-proposal processes.
The director of planning in OIT monitors the process to ensure consistency between the strategic directions of OIT/ITC and the operating plan that will accomplish shorter range objectives. Each spring, that director and the editor of the OIT/ITC annual report begin assembling "outlook" language that restates the organization's strategic direction and highlights how shorter range projects will move us in that direction. As the fiscal year closes, the report editor (with assistance from OIT planning director and the ITC general manager) assembles progress reports regarding the execution of our plans -- progress reports that are aimed at ensuring good communication with and accountability to our constituencies. The progress reports and the outlook language together comprise critical components of the annual report, available via the Web before the beginning of the fall semester.
OIT/ITC Planning/Budgeting Consolidated Schedule
Draft Date: 3/26/01
Cycle Milestones 2000-2001
Milestone Date Who Begin development of Univ addenda 1-Jan Directors Advisory group tactical input 1 ends 5-Jan Directors, committee contacts Strategic plan revision complete 10-Jan German Operating budget assumptions issued 10-Jan McCormick Advisory group tactical input 2 starts (reaction) 15-Jan Directors, committee contacts Division HR needs assessment complete 15-Jan Directors ITC Forum on next year's projects 9-Mar Directors ETF orders for fiscal year finished 23-Jan All equipment purchasers Univ addenda submitted 29-Mar Reynolds Project planning complete; negotiating begins 15-Apr Directors Advisory group tactical input 2 ends 15-Feb Directors, committee contacts Department HR plan complete 15-Mar McCormick Prioritized projects list adopted 15-Apr Directors Annual Report work begins 1-May Church Operating budget adopted 1-May Directors Begin development of state bud proposals 1-Jun Directors UCIT membership set 1-Jul German Survey final results received 1-Jul Kressin State bud proposals submitted 15-Jul Reynolds ETF proposed list assembled 1-Aug McCormick Annual Report final product 15-Aug Church Committee membership set 1-Sep German Committee strategic input starts 1-Sep Committee contacts Employee evaluations due 1-Oct Directors Employee performance plans due 1-Nov Directors Review of current services starts 1-Nov Directors and managers Review of current services complete 1-Dec Directors and managers Advisory group tactical input 1 starts (new ideas) 1-Dec Directors, committee contacts Committee strategic input ends 1-Dec Committee contacts Reviewed survey design complete 1-Dec Kressin Division-level project planning begins 1-Dec Directors and managers
