Workstreams: IT Strategy Development & Alignment

The evolving technological landscape at UCSB necessitates a revised IT strategy to identify campus technology priorities and objectives. As the central IT entity serving the campus, it is imperative for Information Technology Services (ITS) to align its core organizational identity and activities with an updated IT strategy. As such, this workstream comprises two interconnected areas of work: Campus IT Strategy Development and ITS Mission and Culture.

CIO Josh Bright and Next Generation Leadership Partners will engage academic and administrative leadership, faculty members, students, key campus stakeholder groups, as well as campus IT in strategic planning to ensure alignment with priorities and goals across all UCSB activities and operations. This area of work will ultimately result in an updated UCSB IT Strategy that reflects a cohesive technology vision for the next 3-5 years of the campus.

Developing a successful IT strategy will require ongoing, robust engagement with and input from campus leadership, as well as our many other UCSB partners and stakeholders. Learn more about anticipated campus stakeholder involvement in IT strategy development.

Concurrently, under the guidance of MOR Associates, ITS leaders and teams will collaboratively engage in shaping the organizational framework. A Mission & Culture Working Group, comprising 45 members from diverse ITS units and affiliated campus IT entities (Administrative & Residential IT and Library IT), will actively contribute their collective insights during three multi-day workshops. Their effort will lay the foundation for ITS' via a new mission, vision, core values, and cultural framework.
 

A defined mission and vision for ITS, developed alongside the new UCSB IT Strategy, will set the foundation for a unified technology landscape synced with campus-wide goals.The Campus IT Strategy Development and ITS Mission and Culture Workstream will produce the following:

• An updated Campus IT Strategy highlighting:
  • 3-5 core strategic areas steered by campus and IT leadership
  • Key goals for each strategic area
  • Action roadmaps that directly support the defined goals of each area
  • A dynamic review process for ongoing alignment
• Mission and Vision statements for ITS
• A Statement of core values for the ITS organization
• An ITS culture development plan
• A communication strategy, including a stakeholder analysis and processes for effective engagement
• An analysis of unified channels, tools, and platforms and a go-forward utilization plan 

There are significant opportunities for optimization and increased efficiency in Information Technology Services. Through this workstream, ITS will continue to deliver effective services to campus while promoting continuous improvement. ITS will implement six-month improvement cycles that concentrate on specific focus areas, beginning with known areas where enhancements are needed following the ETS/SIS&T integration, and identifying future priorities based on the updated IT strategy.

The Operational Alignment workstream will produce the following:

• Initial areas of focus for targeted improvement sprints
• A prioritized list of organizational improvement opportunities
• A plan for implementing effective continuous improvement practices, including appropriate staffing, measurement methods, and documentation requirements
• A dynamic, phased approach for six-month improvement sprints
• A defined operating charter that identifies roles, responsibilities, and processes within each ITS unit

An updated IT strategy will inform how ITS works together, concentrating on organizational structure, internal processes, and personnel growth. Efforts in this workstream will support the continuous improvement of our administrative operations. The staff development component of this workstream is particularly dependent on the updated IT strategy as it will determine how we need to evolve our workforce. Central to this workforce evolution is a comprehensive organizational development plan that orients training on required future capabilities and refines leadership skills.

The Workforce Alignment workstream will produce the following:

• An updated organizational chart aligned with the updated IT Strategy and enhancement opportunities
• Documented administrative processes in Promapp with a prioritized plan for refinement
• Robust documentation management solutions for sustained organizational clarity
• A comprehensive professional development plan informed by IT strategy, encompassing:
  • Refined professional development processes
  • Key focus areas for teams and individuals for the next 6-12 months
  • An ongoing leadership cultivation program