On January 1, 2021 ETS and the academic units joined together to create an IT Shared Services unit. Bringing together the collective experience of IT professionals from throughout campus will continue energize efforts to streamline and focus service quality and delivery. The following items provide a list of iterative activities currently underway in support of the transition to this new model of IT service delivery:
Comprehensive Project Plan
A draft comprehensive project plan, including details about the transition phase of Shared Services, is now available and can be viewed by viewing the Shared Services Project Plan Overview v2 (PDF). The Chief Information Officer is also meeting with each of the IT Governance groups to garner feedback that will influence how the plan unfolds.
Discovery of Current IT Services
Discussions with IT professionals and some key stakeholders in the academic units over the past few weeks have made it possible to collect an inventory of themes of IT services currently being offered in the various units. So far, it seems that most IT services currently offered outside of ETS have a natural home within the IT Service Catalog. It is also apparent that the concentration of experience will lead to more effective and efficient delivery. The process has identified some areas—event management, web content management, IT procurement and technology account management—that don't immediately align with the current service catalog. In the coming weeks, we will involve the academic units in business process review sessions to document the current service delivery mechanism for these four services. Then, we will determine how best to support such services. Other services may emerge during that process that will also have to be addressed. Ultimately, this collaborative process will inform the actual structure of units and teams within our shared services organization.
Strategic Alignment of Service Catalog
The leadership of the IT Shared Services unit has been reviewing the current service catalog to align it to emerging needs. As promised during the announcement of Shared Services, members of the IT community and key stakeholders will also be involved in this alignment, and they will be invited to provide input and feedback into this iterative process. In the coming weeks, Shared Services leadership will be seeking feedback within their units to support the strategic alignment of the service catalog. While ¶¶Òõ̽̽ IT professionals already offer many services, the ongoing revision of the service catalog gives us the opportunity to be more explicit about some services, including databases, web hosting, academic support, IT consulting and development, IT project management, and IT support and training.
Peer-Buddy Program
The Shared Services Peer-Buddy Program aims to help colleagues who are new within our organization become familiar with the existing work culture and practices. The program will pair new members with volunteer colleagues who will provide guidance and support in a range of areas, such as how to handle flex time, PurCard use and reconciliation, and working with ABSC. Individuals interested in the participating in the program are encouraged to contact the Office of the CIO (uvmcio@uvm.edu).
Renewed Effort Around Standardization
With IT Shared Services now launched, we have renewed our efforts around standardization of technology tools and practices. As of January 1, 2021, YellowDig (the robust discussion board platform previously available to only 2,000 users through CDE) has moved into the CTL and is now available to all members of the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ community. The adoption of YellowDig, like that of Teams and OneDrive, represents a model of institutionally supported technologies improve performance and support.
Infrastructure Collaboration Efforts
Although personnel from LCOM Technology Services are not included in the initial transition of academic units into IT Shared Services, LCOM is contributing to these institutional efforts in unique ways to help gain efficiencies while sharing knowledge and talents. The recent joint deployment of a data protection infrastructure along with the allocation of rack spaces to LCOM within the university infrastructure are some examples for recent successes in this area. Additionally, these infrastructure collaboration efforts have improved the university's overall information security incident response capability.
Office Hours
The CIO office hours provide an excellent for members of the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ IT community at large to connect with the CIO to discuss ideas, concerns or suggestions pertaining to Shared Services or the overall direction of IT at the university, in general. So far, these interactions have proven to be valuable. Therefore, the concept of CIO office hours will be extended through June 30, 2021. To engage in CIO office hours, please send an email to uvmcio@uvm.edu to indicate your interest, and we will find a time to accommodate your schedule.