UITS Goals for Fiscal Year 2013

University Information Technology Services (UITS) has been undergoing a number of changes in recent months, partly in response to the McKinsey report which outline steps for more efficient and cost-effective operations throughout the University. In addition to organizational changes and improvements, a set of strategic goals has been identified for achievement in Fiscal Year 2013, with separate goals established for each of the operational units and senior management of UITS.

We appreciate any feedback you may have regarding these goals.

In addition to the FY’13 goals, UITS has also proposed seven strategic priorities for information technology to the Board of Trustees. These are pending board review and approval.

Information Technology Strategic Priorities

As the University has experienced reduced operating budgets related to infrastructure in recent years, basic foundational technology requirements have not been replaced, upgraded or properly maintained. This limits central information technology’s (UITS) ability to be agile and meet the growing demands for new services while maintaining a stable, reliable, and available production environment. Although there are many initiatives that must be undertaken over the next several years to bring the central IT facility up to date, there are seven priorities identified by UITS as being critical to avoid crisis situations and requiring immediate resources to remediate.

• Data Center Rescue
• Disaster Recovery
• Network Master Plan (wired)
• secureU
• End User Services
• Identity Management
• Decision Support System (Data Warehouse)

These seven priorities would require an annual operating budget increase of $13.2 million and one-time capital funds over the next three years of $59.4 million. In the near term, University administration will work aggressively with the Provost and UITS to develop a funding plan for the future.

Goals for FY’13

Office of the VP/CIO:

• To seek new resources for Information Technology across the institution to strengthen the network and the services provided, to be the face of IT within the leadership of the institution, and to represent the work of all IT employees.
• Identify funding to initiate the $4M renovations of the MSB Data Center (1 of 10 critical priorities identified and moved to BOT).
• Identify funding to start work on the wired network across the Storrs campus and the regional campuses (1 of 10 Critical Priorities Identified and moved to BOT).
• Initiate the Governance process which has been developed and ensure the utilization of the UConn IT Project Management Office for all project requests.
• Monitor and track the expenses against the Student Technology Fee and the usage of that fee, especially the student innovative fund portion. Develop a proposal to request an increase in the fee to better reflect costs.
• Provide leadership to build a model of cost recovery that reflects users and their usage of the network and related IT resources (i.e., summer conferences and institutes).
• Increase the coordination and communication of all IT projects and initiatives across the institution.

Administrative Assistance

• Increase knowledge about the IT Departments and the roles of members.
• Learn KFS to serve as a backup for Business and Finance.
• Coordinate the staffing process and work of student employees hired to support the reception desk.

Business Management

• Reorganize the Business Office to develop a positive team attitude and atmosphere and serve as a resource to all UITS staff. Create and implement a workflow chart that streamlines processes. Provide staff with KFS training so they can become proficient in using the new system. Improve current billing turnaround time.
• Identify staff strengths and weaknesses, review cross training, and develop a training schedule where needed.
• Review, update and streamline UITS forms and handbooks to include, pre- and post- travel; order forms; and student employment handbooks for supervisors and students.
• Identify and create a listing of all renewable maintenance and software licenses that includes cost and termination dates.
• Establish and refine the process of hiring outside consultants to lower annual cost and provide a tracking and reviewing of the consultant position to determine if permanent position is required.

Connecticut Education Network (CEN)

• Correct technical staffing levels to prevent staff burnout, meet federal project deadlines, provide excellent support to our members, enhance current services and add additional services which add value.
• Start a marketing and communications initiative to educate our members on the value and services provided. Establish an advocacy action plan to be leveraged for marketing, communication, education and lobbying as needed by June 2013.
• Begin strategic planning with member stakeholders.
• Host the first annual Member Conference.
• Enhance current NOC support services as we replace our current NOC contract and extend 24x7x365 to all member sites.
• Replace current filtering solution for the public K12’s as the current one goes End of Life (EoL).
• Complete the migration from the legacy network onto newer DWDM backbone and 10G to member sites (March 2014).

Data Center and Infrastructure

• Organize groups with respect to the cloud service offering models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS). Create, refine, and modify standard operating procedures.
• Execute phase one of Data Center Rescue Project by completing Operation Clean Sweep, installing 2 new A/C units and installing new power feeds into the data center (1 of 10 critical priorities identified and moved to BOT).
• Start a “Back to Basics” initiative by implementing a monitoring framework for infrastructure, servers, and services which will provide a matrix to evaluate uptime and reliability. Work together to minimize single points of support for systems and applications as well as evaluating overall staffing requirements. Implement high availability technologies to mitigate single points of failure throughout the infrastructure. Continue the migration of standalone servers into the virtualization cloud. Establish and implement training programs designed to enhance employees personally and professionally. Get published in trade magazines, websites, blogs, and speak at conferences.
• Start laying down the framework for a Network Operations Center (NOC) and Security Operations Center (SOC).
• Actively manage and monitor the mainframe deprecation process to ensure savings opportunities are realized in a timely fashion, and software and hardware are shut down and removed.

End User Services

• Improve UConn End User Support (1 of 10 Critical Priorities Identified and moved to BOT).  Correct staffing levels to prevent staff burnout, provide excellent service support, increase help center and desktop support hours in support of general assistance (password resets, etc.), online learning, and increased workload at the start of each semester and as new services are introduced.
• Expand the managed workstation program in support of increased security and support efficiencies. Couple with secureU initiative and dedicate 4 ½ end user client support team members through fy15 to focus on the effort.  Backfill production support to ensure continuity of supported services.
• Develop onboarding and off-boarding standard operating procedures for telephone services and computer resources to ensure positive entry and exit experiences and optimal tracking and use of resources. Revisit the UITS pc refresh initiative and develop life cycle management of computer resources through UITS End User Support.
• Work with SAIT HuskyTech to renovate and co-locate student IT support with faculty/staff IT support.
• Develop a comprehensive communications plan and enhance the presentation and usability of the UITS web site.

Enterprise Applications Services (EAS)

• Implement Blackberry (Bb) Learn upgrade (version 9).
• Develop and implement initial Mobile applications for myUConn app.
• Implement Enterprise Web Content Management system pilot.
• Implement Asbestos Inspection for FAMIS.
• Implement Kuali RICE workflow application rewrites, online travel and faculty consulting.
• Finalize the implementation of the SET Project.
• Partner with Enrollment Management to initiate the Talisma CRM solution.

Fiscal Management

• Define budgets across UITS departments.
• Set up automatic reporting for CIO, Directors, Fiscal Manager, and Business Manager/Office.
• Prepare central location for files, agreements, MOUs, process steps and timelines for fiscal matters.
• Create ‘ask’ list for CIO and Director’s review with information relating to funding and priorities as applicable.
• Review current billing structure and make new recommendations to increase/create new revenue.

Human Resources Management

• Improve the UITS search and onboarding processes and work with Web Team to develop online workflow.
• Coordinate new employee orientations.
• Send a note of appreciation to each candidate and search committee member for every search undertaken to recognize the tremendous amount of time and energy that is expended.
• Initiate new proactive strategies for recruiting candidates.
• Implement cost savings strategies to reduce the cost of advertising.

IT Quality Management (ITQM)

• Train additional report developers by holding vendor led in-house WebFocus sessions and establish a Data Warehouse Governance office.
• Develop operations KPIs that can be used by the UITS directors. Implement the replacement for the USD system and introduce the needed procedural changes necessary to effectively manage Service Delivery, Change Management, Problem Management, and a true Service Catalog.
• Provide project status reporting for internally and externally managed projects and develop project management standards and best practices.

Networking

• Combine units to create a single unit that can handle all Networking, High Tech Classrooms, Video, Phone and Video Conferencing technologies.  Create a strategic plan to merge the Audio Visual Technical team with the Network Technicians and Engineers. With UITS HR update the organizational charts to reflect the merging of the Network infrastructure teams.
• Revise the original 2003 Network Master Plan (NMP) to combine with the Infrastructure Plan for the wired and wireless networks and high technology classrooms.
• Review the Telecommunication voice and video contracts and look for cost savings.  Also look for ways to offer services beyond the standard that could be used to generate additional revenue.
• Work with the AVT staff to change the design in the Hi-Tech and Tech-Ready classrooms in order to eliminate the need to have faculty sign out keys to use the equipment.

Security

• Identify funding and establish support for Identity & Access Management Phase One as defined by the strategy document. Establish the core membership, governance and support structure to enable the active directory unification project.
• Deploy and scan 50% all faculty and staff desktop computers using the Identity Finder software. Work through the list of Schools/Colleges/Departments that are actively seeking secureU components.
• Complete a University-wide server inventory. Implement an operating system and software vulnerability scanning and remediation process. Implement granular firewall protections for UITS servers.
• Develop broadly placed awareness information targeted at specific issues (i.e., username and password sharing).  Continue departmental training sessions as currently established through secureU. Implement and refine the HuskyHunt (huskyhunt.uconn.edu) student security awareness game.
• Create, prioritize and publish a service criticality list. Establish service continuity for known highly impactful services (i.e. Authentication services) using existing sites (HBL and MSB server rooms).

Relationship Management

• Help facilitate improving institutional coordination and communication for all Information Technology projects and initiatives.
• Help facilitate building strong relationships and effective IT service support teams through improved collaboration and cooperation.
• Help drive process efficiencies and decision making through IT Governance Groups.
• Reach out and stay closely engaged with the community to understand their business and help set clear expectation of service needs and deliverables.
• Stay current with latest technologies and aspirant strategic directions and implementations.