The integration of technology into institutional corporate strategy A study for the JISC and the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education by Duke & Jordan Ltd with Bob Powell

Purpose of Study Identification of the issues and development needs relating to the integration of technology into institutional strategies in UK higher education Examination of awareness current practices potential benefit

Identification of the issues and development needs relating to the integration of technology into institutional strategies in UK higher education

Examination of

awareness

current practices

potential benefit

Who we interviewed– 1 England NI Scotland Wales Grand Total Governor 1 1 2 SMT 9 2 1 2 14 Planning Officer 4 1 1 6 Head of ICT 13 1 4 2 20 Other 6 1 7 Grand Total 33 5 7 4 49

Who we interviewed – 2 England NI Scotland Wales Grand Total Non Educational org 2 1 3 Other HE organisation 6 1 7 Non Uni HEI 1 2 3 Post 92 Uni 1 2 3 92 Uni 5 2 7 Pre-92 uni 12 2 3 17 Russell Uni 6 1 2 9 Grand Total 33 5 7 4 49

Split of HEIs interviewed England NI Scotland Wales Grand Total Non Uni HEI 1 1 2 Post 92 Uni 1 1 2 92 Uni 5 1 6 Pre-92 uni 6 1 2 9 Russell Uni 4 1 1 6 Grand Total 17 2 4 2 25

Essence of questions to institutional players How does your institutional strategy development process work? How are any conflicts resolved? How does technology currently contribute to delivering your institutional key strategic imperatives in Teaching and Learning, Research, Administration and other activities How does your institution know where and how technology can make a significant contribution to institutional strategy? How well do you think that your institutional strategy development succeeds in integrating consideration of technology? How would you improve it?

How does your institutional strategy development process work? How are any conflicts resolved?

How does technology currently contribute to delivering your institutional key strategic imperatives in Teaching and Learning, Research, Administration and other activities

How does your institution know where and how technology can make a significant contribution to institutional strategy?

How well do you think that your institutional strategy development succeeds in integrating consideration of technology? How would you improve it?

The role of technology Technology can be Transformational ie radical change of the institution A strategic enabler The strategy cannot be achieved without technology An operational enabler Technology used to deliver but not critical

Technology can be

Transformational

ie radical change of the institution

A strategic enabler

The strategy cannot be achieved without technology

An operational enabler

Technology used to deliver but not critical

Strategy Development – Integrated Model CEO SMT University Committees. Academic Units Vision Draft strategy Governors Final strategy Approval Implementation Head of ICT and IS Policy Committee

Corporate Strategy Development – Disjoint Model CEO SMT University Committees. Academic Units Vision Governors Final strategy Approval Implementation Draft strategy

Technology Strategy Development – Disjoint Model CEO SMT University Committees. Academic Units Vision Draft strategy Governors Final strategy Approval Implementation Head of ICT and IS Policy Committee Implementation Draft strategy Draft technology strategy Final technology strategy

Five Examples 1 small HEI 2 1992 HEIs One pre-1992 HEI One Russell Group HEI

1 small HEI

2 1992 HEIs

One pre-1992 HEI

One Russell Group HEI

Example - Institution A Coherent long term corporate vision of institution Technology at the core of university-wide change Structure of roles to develop and deliver strategy Considerable autonomy in Schools Currently have a separate IS strategy Last time for this

Coherent long term corporate vision of institution

Technology at the core of university-wide change

Structure of roles to develop and deliver strategy

Considerable autonomy in Schools

Currently have a separate IS strategy

Last time for this

Example - Institution B No technology strategy felt to be needed Enterprise architecture approach within institutional strategy Cascades down to technology Open senior management team No specific IT skills within SMT But involvement of several members in technology management

No technology strategy felt to be needed

Enterprise architecture approach within institutional strategy

Cascades down to technology

Open senior management team

No specific IT skills within SMT

But involvement of several members in technology management

Example - Institution C Small vocationally-focussed institution Integrated model Technology seen as a strategic enabler CEO and Deputy CEO technology literate Management team tasked to deliver strategy Consultation around How ? rather than What ? Innovation + partnership in technology as key element of success

Small vocationally-focussed institution

Integrated model

Technology seen as a strategic enabler

CEO and Deputy CEO technology literate

Management team tasked to deliver strategy

Consultation around How ? rather than What ?

Innovation + partnership in technology as key element of success

Example - Institution D Vision and top level strategy developed by SMT Rolling approach roughly one area of strategy updated annually ICT seen as strategic enabler One strategy component is devoted to ICT

Vision and top level strategy

developed by SMT

Rolling approach

roughly one area of strategy updated annually

ICT seen as strategic enabler

One strategy component is devoted to ICT

Example - Institution E Very long term corporate strategy 10 year cycle Very broad aims Separate functional strategies overlapping time cycles Schools have significant autonomy and financial independence IT strategy is a Governance strategy sets the framework and boundaries rather than content and substance

Very long term corporate strategy

10 year cycle

Very broad aims

Separate functional strategies

overlapping time cycles

Schools have significant autonomy and financial independence

IT strategy is a Governance strategy

sets the framework and boundaries rather than content and substance

Issues – 1 - Success In Question 4 we asked How well do you think that your institutional strategy development succeeds in integrating consideration of technology? How would you improve it? Answers Most said “Reasonably well” Whatever their style of strategy development

In Question 4 we asked

How well do you think that your institutional strategy development succeeds in integrating consideration of technology? How would you improve it?

Answers

Most said “Reasonably well”

Whatever their style of strategy development

Issues - 2 Two principal models of University Federal Number of strong independent planning loci Unitary Planning is concentrated with clear central view taken Variants of Disjoint are most common

Two principal models of University

Federal

Number of strong independent planning loci

Unitary

Planning is concentrated with clear central view taken

Variants of Disjoint are most common

Issues – 3 – the role of technology Technology can be Transformational ie radical change of the institution Few HEIs A strategic enabler The strategy cannot be achieved without technology Some HEIs An operational enabler Technology used to deliver but not critical The norm for HEIs

Technology can be

Transformational

ie radical change of the institution

Few HEIs

A strategic enabler

The strategy cannot be achieved without technology

Some HEIs

An operational enabler

Technology used to deliver but not critical

The norm for HEIs

Issues – 4 – The role of the Head of ICT CIO territory CTO territory The Comfort Zone The Hard part

Issues - 5 Where does the Head of ICT sit in the hierarchy SMT Elsewhere This was the major issue seen as needing improvement in the answers to How well do you think that your institutional strategy development succeeds in integrating consideration of technology? How would you improve it?

Where does the Head of ICT sit in the hierarchy

SMT

Elsewhere

This was the major issue seen as needing improvement in the answers to

How well do you think that your institutional strategy development succeeds in integrating consideration of technology? How would you improve it?

Issues - 6 The skills/characteristics of the Head of ICT CTO CIO Frequently from outside the sector

The skills/characteristics of the

Head of ICT

CTO

CIO

Frequently from outside the sector

What is good practice? Clear that most institutions have thought about how and where consideration of ICT is made in the strategic planning process Not clear that all CEOs understand what technology can/cannot deliver But if you are not using the tools to hand optimally, you are denying yourself opportunities

Clear that most institutions have thought about how and where consideration of ICT is made in the strategic planning process

Not clear that all CEOs understand what technology can/cannot deliver

But

if you are not using the tools to hand optimally, you are denying yourself opportunities

What is good practice? Our recent work on shared services for the JISC HEIs must deal with Globalisation of HE Economic downturn HEIs need to be Lean Agile Technology critical to both of these

Our recent work on shared services for the JISC

HEIs must deal with

Globalisation of HE

Economic downturn

HEIs need to be

Lean

Agile

Technology critical to both of these

What is good practice? We sought to establish examples of good practice Practice and processes which ensure that consideration of ICT is brought into play effectively in development and delivery of institutional overall corporate strategy Fundamental criterion for establishing effectiveness was the judgement of those interviewed

We sought to establish examples of good practice

Practice and processes which ensure that consideration of ICT is brought into play effectively in development and delivery of institutional overall corporate strategy

Fundamental criterion for establishing effectiveness was the judgement of those interviewed

To improve good practice SMTs should be technology literate ie at least one member of SMT should understand what technology can and cannot deliver Requires CIO or equivalent Technology should at least be a strategic enabler Cannot achieve this without integrated strategy development UK HEIs should develop Their own CIOs Technology support staff who are business focused

SMTs should be technology literate

ie at least one member of SMT should understand what technology can and cannot deliver

Requires CIO or equivalent

Technology should at least be a strategic enabler

Cannot achieve this without integrated strategy development

UK HEIs should develop

Their own CIOs

Technology support staff who are business focused

Dearing Recommendation 42 “ We recommend that all higher education institutions should develop managers who combine a deep understanding of Communications and Information Technology with senior management experience.”

“ We recommend that all higher education institutions should develop managers who combine a deep understanding of Communications and Information Technology with senior management experience.”

Thank you