University ITSM

A couple of weeks ago at the itSMF USA Higher Education SIG group on LinkedIn, I created a discussion topic:

Creating an IT Strategy

At the itSMF Fusion 2009 conference, I heard three different talks that related to creating an IT Strategy:

• http://itsm.is.wfu.edu/node/219

• http://itsm.is.wfu.edu/node/222

• http://itsm.is.wfu.edu/node/223

To over-simplify, a common thread between these three talks was that an IT strategic plan can become a communications tool for IT and the business, so that everyone understands where IT is going.

Does your University currently have an IT strategic plan? If so, how did you create it and how do you maintain it? Can you share it or link to it?

If your University does not have a plan, what are you doing to develop an IT strategic plan? How does your IT department communicate its vision with the rest of the University?

Here's a summary of the responses:

Developing a strategy

• You need mission and vision statements before you create a strategy
• Yes, IT Strategy is often under-developed or under-communicated
• Consider communications venues such as web sites or quarterly newsletters
• Ensure that IT's strategy matches the business's strategy
• How do you develop a comprehensive strategy when IT is decentralized?

Quick Wins

• Quick wins need to be advertised, so people outside of IT know that things are "happening"
• Communicating quick wins could be tied to performance assessments i.e. made part of people's jobs
• Quick wins can be dangerous because they can become the de facto strategy