Information technology strategic plan

USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

Information Technology Services

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Information Technology Services

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter from the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer ................................... v Letter from the Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer ...............................................vi Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................vii
Context ........................................................................................................................................................ vii Summary ...................................................................................................................................................... vii Organization of USG IT Strategic Plan 2010 ................................................................................................. viii
Defining Ourselves Anew: Vision, Mission, Core Values, and a New Name............................. 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Vision Statement............................................................................................................................................. 1 Mission Statement .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Core Values ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
Engaging our Constituents in Setting our Goals and Objectives .............................................. 3
The Planning Process ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Contributors .................................................................................................................................................... 4
Information Technology Governance ..................................................................................... 8
Definition ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 Purpose .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Description...................................................................................................................................................... 8 Value .......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Goals and Objectives....................................................................................................................................... 9 Perspectives .................................................................................................................................................. 10 Metrics ........................................................................................................................................................ 11
Collaborative Learning......................................................................................................... 12
Definition ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 Description.................................................................................................................................................... 12 Value ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 Goals and Objectives..................................................................................................................................... 13 Perspectives .................................................................................................................................................. 14 Metrics ........................................................................................................................................................ 15
Knowledge Management..................................................................................................... 16
Definition ...................................................................................................................................................... 16 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................................ 16 Description.................................................................................................................................................... 16 Value ........................................................................................................................................................ 17 Goals and Objectives..................................................................................................................................... 17 Perspectives .................................................................................................................................................. 19 Metrics ........................................................................................................................................................ 20

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Infrastructure ...................................................................................................................... 21
Definition ...................................................................................................................................................... 21 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................................ 21 Description.................................................................................................................................................... 21 Value ........................................................................................................................................................ 22 Goals and Objectives..................................................................................................................................... 22 Metrics ........................................................................................................................................................ 23
Security and Electronic Privacy ............................................................................................ 24
Definition ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................................ 24 Description.................................................................................................................................................... 24 Value ........................................................................................................................................................ 24 Perspectives .................................................................................................................................................. 25 Goals and Objectives..................................................................................................................................... 25 Metrics ........................................................................................................................................................ 26
Services ............................................................................................................................... 27
Definition ...................................................................................................................................................... 27 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................................ 27 Description.................................................................................................................................................... 27 Value ........................................................................................................................................................ 28 Goals and Objectives..................................................................................................................................... 28 Perspectives .................................................................................................................................................. 29 Metrics ........................................................................................................................................................ 29
Plans of Action (Key Performance Indicators by Objective)................................................... 31
IT Governance Plan of Action ........................................................................................................................ 31 Collaborative Learning Plan of Action ........................................................................................................... 34 Knowledge Management Plan of Action ....................................................................................................... 39 Infrastructure Plan of Action ......................................................................................................................... 46 Security and E-Privacy Plan of Action ............................................................................................................ 50 Services Plan of Action .................................................................................................................................. 55
Final Thoughts..................................................................................................................... 61 Appendix A: Abbreviations and Acronyms........................................................................... 62 Appendix B: Network Infrastructure ................................................................................... 63 Appendix C: Background Information.................................................................................. 64
Building on our Past ...................................................................................................................................... 64 Understanding our Present ........................................................................................................................... 66
Appendix D: Resources ....................................................................................................... 67

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LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE VICE CHANCELLOR AND CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER

May 15, 2010

Dr. Susan Herbst Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer

Dear USG Community:
As you know, higher education is in the midst of a profound change with regard to instructional and information technology. Our research demands more sophisticated computing and management of data, and our faculty deserve the very best support we can provide, as they lead our students to success at all levels. With academic excellence and achievement as our central goals, IIT stands at the center. We will not move forward--whether in retaining our students, boosting learning outcomes, or simply engaging their attention--without building the technological infrastructure appropriate to our size and scope as a network of scholars.
This plan is the work of so many terrific University System citizens across the state, who worked with Dr. Carver on an accelerated time table. We feel a great sense of urgency, as we transform IT in a student-centered fashion. Your views of this plan are of utmost importance, and we value your counsel and ideas.
Many thanks for your feedback; the System Office IT organization is designed to serve you, and we want to do that as best we possibly can.
Sincerely,

Dr. Susan Herbst Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer

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LETTER FROM THE VICE CHANCELLOR AND CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

Dr. Curtis A. Carver Jr. Vice Chancellor and Chief information Officer

May 15, 2010
I am pleased to present the University System of Georgia's Information Technology Strategic Plan 2010, Engaging the Customer, Anticipating the Future, Embracing Innovation. This plan establishes our vision, mission, and values. It outlines the strategic priorities that will leverage technology to advance instruction, research, and service for Georgia's students, educators, administrators, residents, and our state educational partners. It also introduces Information Technology Services, the new name for the Office of Information and Instructional Technology.
Our new vision, mission, and core values are closely aligned with the USG vision, mission, and values. Our prioritization of effort represents a collaborative effort with our initial efforts focused on data mart functionality, customer engagement, and USG distance education. Together we can transform education.
Reliance on technology for teaching, research, business functions, administration, information transmittal, storage, and retrieval increases daily. During this period of rapidly expanding student enrollments and mounting economic strain, using technology innovatively is a necessary prerequisite to meet USG educational goals. The USG has already built a strong technological foundation, and we must continue to make the necessary strategic investments to meet the growing expectations. An ongoing commitment to renew and extend our technology resources is required; the USG IT Strategic Plan 2010 is that commitment.
I would like to thank the many people who contributed to this plan. The selfless service of so many has resulted in a forward-looking approach that truly reflects the insight and values of the University System academic, business, and IT leaders.
As the USG's Chief Information Officer, I am excited about our collaboration with our institutions, libraries, and partner agencies to ensure that technology empowers the USG to deliver vital academic support, business services, and information securely to students, educators, administrators, and Georgians.
Sincerely,
Dr. Curtis A. Carver Jr. Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STRATEGIC PLAN 2010
ENGAGING THE CUSTOMER, ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE, EMBRACING INNOVATION
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The key purpose of the USG IT Strategic Plan 2010 is to advance the goals of the USG through innovative technologies. Our constituents include not only the 35 institutions of higher education but also the Georgia Public Library Service, numerous state and federal agencies, businesses, educational partners, and Georgia residents.

Context

The University System of Georgia (USG) adopted six goals in the 2007 USG Strategic Plan, Transforming the System, Changing Lives, Strengthening the State, that focus on increasing the System's capabilities to meet demonstrated needs in Georgia and to transform the lives of future generations of Georgians. Information and instructional technology are critical factors in the USG's realization of those goals, particularly during this dynamic period of explosive student growth and economic pressure.
More than 80 members of the USG community have collaborated to develop a new strategic plan for information technology that identifies those critical factors and how they sustain the USG strategic goals. The USG Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan 2010, Engaging the Customer, Anticipating the Future, Embracing Innovation, is the result of their efforts.

Summary
Visit the USG IT Strategic Plan web site: www.usg.edu/oiit/strategic-plan/

The USG IT Strategic Plan 2010 outlines what we can realistically expect to accomplish during the next three years in order to sustain critical IT systems that support the mission of the USG and also remain prepared to benefit from opportunities that arise. The new plan concentrates on challenges generated by revolutionary changes in technology, the exceptional growth of our student population, and the results of mounting economic pressures. We have engaged our customers in working with us in our planning process to ensure that we act deliberately and creatively to address our anticipated needs together.
The focal point of this plan is not technology; the focus is the impact that technology services can have on the USG's ability to meet major educational goals--the six goals specified in Transforming the System, Changing Lives, Strengthening the State. The key IT performance indicators detailed in the Plans of Action section of this document are measures of accountability that will tell how well we accomplish our IT objectives. However, the more important questions are whether our plans sustain the USG strategic goals. Do our priorities and actions support instruction, research, and service? IT is important because it offers a set of innovative tools that advance our ability to

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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meet our primary goals--educating students, increasing the body of knowledge, and serving the state. IT is a means to that end.
Central to our success will be an ongoing commitment to engaging our customers not only in this planning process but also in the development, execution, and evaluation processes that are fundamental to our mission. We must also better define our relationship with University System Office (USO) leaders. These leaders are responsible for representing customers on the campuses, analyzing their needs, aggregating their requirements, and ensuring that these institutional stakeholders are served. We must develop a participatory IT Governance process that engages System leadership in collaboratively making System-level decisions and setting priorities that also incorporate our expertise and input about technology into the decisions.
Our initial efforts will focus on optimizing our processes with our customers, enhancing institution and System-level decisions by strengthening our data resources, and developing a strategic plan to transform distance education. We have already begun these efforts, and we have also renamed the organization Information Technology Services (ITS) to reflect a renewed dedication to developing and providing outstanding IT services for our colleagues and constituents.
Organization of USG IT Strategic Plan 2010
The main body of this document includes the following major sections: Defining Ourselves Anew: Vision, Mission, Core Values, and a New Name Engaging our Constituents in Setting Goals and Objectives (planning
process and contributors) Strategic Priorities (definition, purpose, description, value, goals and
objectives, perspectives)
IT Governance
Collaborative Learning
Knowledge Management
Infrastructure
Security and Electronic Privacy
Services Plans of Action (key performance indicators for each priority through Fiscal
Year 2013) Final Thoughts Appendices
A: Acronyms and Abbreviations
B: Network Infrastructure
C: Background Information
D: Resources

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VISION, MISSION, & CORE VALUES

Information Technology Services

DEFINING OURSELVES ANEW: VISION, MISSION, CORE VALUES, AND A NEW NAME

Many members of the USG community participated in developing new vision, mission, and core value statements.

Introduction

The USG IT mission, vision, and core value statements were developed with the input and participation of more than 80 members of the USG community. Constituents with a stake in IT and the future of the USG, including University System leaders and administrators, ITS personnel, institutional faculty and IT professionals, students, business representatives, and the public were all invited to contribute their thoughts to the development of these statements that shape our direction.

Vision Statement

To be a nationally recognized leader in providing secure higher education information technology infrastructure, learning support, knowledge management, and services such that if our customers could choose any educational IT provider, they would choose us.

Mission Statement
Anticipate and respond effectively with innovative, robust, reliable, and secure technological and decision-support services and applications to the USG and its constituent institutions so as to educate and inspire students, empower USG educators and administrators, and advance the state of education in Georgia and the nation.

Core Values

The letters in the word IMPACT represent our core values and define the way that we do business.

I

Integrity

Our word is our bond always. We innovate constantly by

Innovation anticipating the needs of our constituents and constantly

learning.

M

Memorable Interactions with our staff are positive and effective. We delight.

Measurable We evaluate continually to improve our performance.

P

People

Our people are our treasure, our most important resource; they

Performance are fundamental to our success. We perform by delivering

results perceived and valued by our constituents.

A

Attitude

A winning can-do attitude differentiates us from a compliance-

Accountable only organization. We are accountable for all that we do or do

not do.

C

Competence Quiet competence permeates everything we do. Professional,

Candor

respectful, and frank discourse underlies and supports our

interactions.

T

Teamwork We are a team; we celebrate our collective successes and work

Tenacity

together to remediate our shortcomings. We never quit. We never give up. We persevere under adversity.

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A New Name

VISION, MISSION, & CORE VALUES

Information Technology Services

We are pleased to announce that the Office of Information and Instructional Technology not only has a new strategic direction; we also have a new name-- Information Technology Services (ITS).
One of our major objectives throughout the strategic planning process has been to engage our customers. Equally important has been for all of us at OIIT to engage in the process as well. The vision, mission, and core value statements were drafted and revised based on input from the staff. Likewise, our new name, Information Technology Services, was selected by the staff from among numerous suggestions also made by staff. You'll note that the word "services" is part of our vision, our mission, and our new name--consistent evidence of the way we define our role.
Throughout the planning process, members of OIIT participated with our constituents and reflected upon OIIT's services as they offered their recommendations. In the remainder of this document, ITS has been substituted for OIIT to position ITS accurately in the new strategic framework.

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ENGAGING OUR CONSTITUENTS

ENGAGING OUR CONSTITUENTS IN SETTING OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Information Technology Services

Curtis A. Carver, Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer, and Merryll Penson, Executive Director of Library Services, meet with the Regents' Academic Committee on Libraries. Expanding access to digital resources, such as GALILEO provides, is a critical need.

Representatives from the University System Office, institutions, and other collaborative partners gather to begin the IT strategic planning process.

The Planning Process

We engaged our customers in the planning process from the beginning to give voice to their perspectives, to define their needs, to help us plan our strategies, and to commit to our joint venture. Our customers are diverse, including the following major groups who use our core services: Students, educators, administrators, and staff of USG institutions Citizens and legislators
Board of Regents and University System Office
ITS project and program teams, departments, and staff
The role of the USO leaders in the planning process is particularly important because they provide guidance and serve as liaisons with campus colleagues, and these leaders will contribute to the IT Governance process. They serve as liaisons with external constituents and agencies as well.

Six committees and an executive steering group with membership from across the USG community worked collaboratively to develop and articulate specific goals, operational objectives, and performance metrics that address strategic priorities supportive of the USG's Strategic Plan, Transforming the System, Changing Lives, Strengthening the State. The committees met together face-toface and virtually--communicating frequently as they discussed and developed their ideas.

Recognizing that IT is an essential means to reaching the goals outlined in the USG Strategic Plan but not an end in itself, the committees focused on the strategic IT goals and objectives that can be accomplished in the next three years. The following strategic priorities help our customers achieve their goals, sustain those vital systems that we already support, and maintain our potential to take advantage of opportunities that evolve: IT Governance
Collaborative Learning
Knowledge Management
Infrastructure
Security and Electronic Privacy
Services

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Each of these priorities directly facilitates the accomplishment of at least one of the goals in the USG Strategic Plan, and most contribute heavily to the accomplishment of numerous goals.

IT Governance is presented first because it establishes the basis for prioritization. Collaborative Learning follows because it targets the academic mission of higher education. Knowledge Management is next because it supports instruction, business processes, and informed decision-making. Infrastructure and Security and e-Privacy are essential underpinnings for all IT, and Services facilitate the accomplishment of each of the other priorities.

Contributors

We gratefully acknowledge the many members of the USG community for their significant contributions to this plan. They volunteered eagerly, collaborating with each other throughout the planning process to produce the vision, mission, goals, strategic priorities, objectives, and performance metrics that constitute the USG IT Strategic Plan 2010. Their enthusiastic participation, thoughtful and open discussions, and willingness to share their insights as leaders of their institutions, professional fields, and the USG contributed greatly to shape this plan and our future. We offer special thanks to the Student Advisory Group who viewed the planning process as another learning opportunity and offered valuable perspectives from our most important constituents.

In addition to the committee members named here, all members of the USG community were invited to participate in the development of the USG IT Strategic Plan 2010. Numerous USG community members also graciously offered input and shared their ideas.

Executive Steering Committee

Stanton Gatewood, Chair ITS

Beth Brigdon

Medical College of Georgia

Susan Campbell Lounsbury Board of Regents

Curtis A. Carver

ITS

Tonya Lam

Board of Regents

Mary Lou Mudge

ITS

Shelley Nickel

Board of Regents

Bryson Payne

North Georgia College & State University

William G. Potter

University of Georgia

Usha Ramachandran

Board of Regents

Melinda Spencer

Board of Regents

Robert E. Watts

Board of Regents

Chief Information Security Officer Vice President & CIO; ACIT Representative Assistant Vice Chancellor, Research & Policy Analysis Vice Chancellor & CIO Associate Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs Executive Administrative Specialist Associate Vice Chancellor, Planning & Implementation CIO; ACIT Representative
University Librarian; RACL Representative Vice Chancellor, Fiscal Affairs Chief of Staff, Academic Affairs Chief Operating Officer

IT Governance Curtis A. Carver, Chair Steven Burrell Dave Evans John Fuchko Michael Herger Mary Lou Mudge Catherine Murray-Rust

ITS Georgia Southern University Kennesaw State University Board of Regents Board of Regents ITS Georgia Institute of Technology

Vice Chancellor & CIO Vice President for IT & CIO; ACIT Representative Library Director; RACL Representative Chief Audit Officer & Associate Vice Chancellor Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Sourcing Executive Administrative Specialist Dean of Libraries; RACL Representative

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IT Governance Denise Samples Barbara A. White

ITS University of Georgia

Executive Director, Resource Management Support CIO & Associate Provost, ACIT Chair

Collaborative Learning

Kris Biesinger, Chair

ITS

Diane Burnette

ITS

Reba Cain Lonnie Harvel

ITS Georgia Gwinnett College

Doug Hyche Irene Kokkala
Annie Payton Merryll Penson Mike Rogers Gene Ruffin Lynne Weisenbach

ITS North Georgia College & State University Fort Valley State University ITS Board of Regents Georgia Gwinnett College Board of Regents

Associate Vice Chancellor, Services Associate Director, Instructional Support Services; Interim Director, Online Services & Assessment Administrative Associate Vice President & CIO, Educational Technologies, ACIT Representative IT Program Director, GeorgiaVIEW VISTA Project Director, Center of Teaching & Learning Excellence; Professor of Biology; RACDE Representative Director of the Library; RACL Representative Executive Director, Library Services Director, Instructional Design & Development Library Director; RACL Representative Vice Chancellor, Educator Preparation & Innovation

Knowledge Management

Lisa Spence, Chair

ITS

Erik Bowe

Kennesaw State University

Sandi Bramblett David Cauble

Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Institute of Technology

Bob Cernock Chris Ferland Brian Finnegan George Gaumond Roberta Lacefield John McGuthry
LaVerne McLaughlin Beverly Norwood Ed Rugg Karen Scoville Jon Sizemore

Board of Regents Board of Regents OIIT Valdosta State University Waycross College Armstrong Atlantic State University Albany State University ITS Kennesaw State University ITS Valdosta State University

Kim Thompson Alan Travis

Georgia Southern University Board of Regents

Tom G. Walter

Gainesville State College

Associate Vice Chancellor, Operations Director of Data Warehousing, Enterprise Information Management Director, Institutional Research & Planning Senior Project Director, Institutional Research & Planning Chief Data Officer Research Analysts Lead Past Executive Director, Innovations Support University Librarian; RACL Representative Distance Learning Faculty CIO; ACIT Representative
Director, Library Services; RACL Representative Executive Director, Integration & Deployment Services Executive Director, Enterprise Information Management Assistant Director, Resource Management Support Director, Distance Learning; Assistant Director, Public Services; RACDE Representative Comptroller Director of Planning & Special Projects , Real Estate & Facilities Vice President, Student Development & Enrollment Management; RACSA Representative

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Infrastructure J.L. Albert, Chair Linda Daniels Mary Jo Fayoyin Tracy Kent Matthew Kuchinski Bryson Payne
John Scoville Nan Seamans

Georgia State University Board of Regents Savannah State University ITS ITS North Georgia College & State University ITS Georgia State University

Associate Provost/CIO; ACIT Representative Vice Chancellor, Facilities Library Director; RACL Representative Administrative Associate Director, System Office Technical Support CIO; ACIT Representative.
Executive Director, Enterprise Infrastructure Services Dean of Libraries; RACL Representative

Security and Electronic Privacy

Stanton Gatewood, Chair ITS

Herb Baines

Georgia Institute of Technology

Joy Bolt

Georgia Gwinnett College

Erwin (Chris) Carrow

Board of Regents

Tim Daniels

Georgia Public Library Service

John Isenhour

Kennesaw State University

Matthew Kuchinski Bede Mitchell Kevin Moore William C. Monahan, Jr.
Mary Lou Mudge

ITS Georgia Southern University ITS United States Air Force Reserves ITS

Chief Information Security Officer Director, OIT Information Security
Head of Outreach & Assessment (Library) Interim IT Audit Director Assistant State Librarian for Support Services; GPLS Representative Interim Assistant Vice President, Information Systems; Director, Information Technology Services Director, System Office Technical Support Dean & University Librarian Information Security Officer Major, United States Air Force Reserves
Executive Administrative Specialist

Services John Bryan, Chair
Kris Biesinger Reba Cain Melanie Clay
Jack Delinsky Lydia Knight Kathy Kral Marie Steed Shawn Tonner
Tom G. Walter

Clayton State University
ITS ITS University of West Georgia
ITS Dalton State College University of West Georgia ITS North Georgia College & State University Gainesville State College

CIO/Vice President of Information Technology & Services; ACIT Representative Associate Vice Chancellor, Services Administrative Associate Associate Dean, Extended Degree Programs; RACDE Representative Director, Software Resource & Services Library Director; RACL Representative CIO; ACIT Representative Executive Director, Customer Support Director, Library Services; RACL Representative
Vice President for Student Development & Enrollment Management; RACSA Representative

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Support Services for IT Strategic Plan
In addition to the committees listed above, the following individuals from ITS contributed significantly to the USG IT strategic planning process:

Richard Eckert Catherine Finnegan Tracy Kent Ray Lee Mary Lou Mudge Barry Robinson Linda Van Sickle Jen Williams Nicole Youngblood

Systems Support Specialist Director, Online Instructional Services and Assessment Administrative Associate Director, Information & Web Services Executive Administrative Specialist Project Manager Senior Information Associate Senior Technical Writer IT Client Support Specialist

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IT GOVERNANCE

Information Technology Services

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE
I am sometimes a fox and sometimes a lion. The whole secret of government lies in knowing when to be the one or the other. Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, approx. 18041815

Definition Purpose Description
May 2010

The USG Academic Committee on Information Technology (ACIT), its subcommittees, and individual members regularly collaborate and exchange information. The ACIT advises the Vice Chancellor and CIO and helps establish policies and procedures--best practices related to IT--that benefit individual institutions and the System as a whole with respect for different regions of the state and differing institutional missions and sizes.
In many organizations, success depends on the ability of IT to enable achievement of business goals. In such an environment, governance over IT is as critical a board and management discipline as enterprise governance. Effective IT Governance helps ensure that IT supports business goals, maximizes business investment in IT, and appropriately manages IT-related risks and opportunities. IT Governance is a process for ensuring informed strategic decisions, organizational alignment, actions that enable effective and efficient enterprise architectures, and IT Governance standards. IT Governance also produces effective processes for enterprise architecture, standards and requirements, risk management, capital planning and investment, systems development life cycle, and project management.
In an age where technology is the foundation for communication and productivity and is often the agent of change and innovation, effective IT Governance underlies success and failure. This governance provides a framework for decision-making aligned with USG strategic goals balanced between decentralized and centralized control and within which institutions and the System Office can thrive. Specialized knowledge and leadership are required to operate advanced knowledge systems effectively and deliver the services that empower the education, research, training, and inspiration of USG students, educators, and administrators.
IT Governance examines the relationship between ITS, the System Office, and constituent organizations. Information Technology Services' leaders make decisions that have a strategic impact on services, data systems, and the direction of education in the State of Georgia. Given this critical impact, the thoughtful development of leaders and their systemic involvement in the governance of IT systems is paramount to USG success.

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In addition to customers who directly use the tools and services that we develop, provide, or support, we have numerous other constituents external to the USG to consider in our governance and prioritization processes. The following examples do not constitute a comprehensive list of stakeholders, but they illustrate what we mean by constituents:

We must consider regulatory requirements, changes, and deadlines of Federal agencies when we evaluate new tools for USG use or modify those already in place. For example, changes to student financial aid and lending laws may require revisions to enterprise applications to achieve conformance.
We must include compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), security, and protection of privacy as standards for enterprise technologies and those made available for institutional implementation.
Other state agencies, e.g., the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) that manages the HOPE Scholarship Program, may make policy changes that necessitate corresponding revisions to processes and tools that ITS supports.
To provide the best tools and services to our customers, it is imperative that we address these expectations in our plans and that we partner effectively with agencies whose work dovetails with the USG.

Underlying USG IT Governance is a culture of performance assessment, transparency, and accountability that is grounded in the active mentorship and development of the next generation of technology leaders in Georgia.

Value

Our value lies in our ability, capacity, and strategy to promote awareness and impart technical knowledge and guidance for making decisions that affect IT strategic direction and promote innovation and success in the System goals that we support.

The IT Governance priority is essential in addressing the following goals in the USG Strategic Plan (see http://www.usg.edu/strategicplan/):

USG Strategic Goal 4, strengthen the USG's partnerships with the state's other education agencies
USG Strategic Goal 6, increase efficiency, working as a System
In addition, the IT Governance priority impacts our ability to support all other goals through all other priorities.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Expand the business, educational, and research IT impact as an integral strategic and operational planning component at all levels throughout the USG, its institutions, and external entities as appropriate.
Objective 1A
Build a customer focused governance model founded on transparency, participation, and accountability that reflects the explicit prioritization of strategic leaders through aligning IT shared governance organizations and System Office IT strategic partnerships.

Objective 1B
Establish a foundation for future innovation and ongoing support of services through a disciplined process of mission analysis, service level agreements, and strategic roadmaps for every project, service, or initiative that ITS supports.

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Goal 2: Raise the return on IT investment through prudent stewardship of resources.
Objective 2A
Improve our responsiveness to constituents and directly address USG priorities through realigning the ITS organizational structure with this strategic plan.

Objective 2B
Enhance the repeatability and effectiveness of our processes through disciplined innovation and relentless process refinement.

Objective 2C
Allocate resources in accordance with USG strategic priorities through baseline operational and project budgets and an annual cost-benefit analysis with USG strategic leaders.

Objective 2D
Respond to USG IT purchasing needs through strategic partnerships with vendors that enhance our collective purchasing power.

Goal 3: Produce effective technical leaders through System-wide programs to support the identification, recruiting, educating, training, collaboration, mentoring, and retention of exceptional IT staff and leaders at all levels.
Objective 3A
Increase the development of and collaboration among Georgia IT leaders through campus visits and the use of new social media constructs to create a collaborative forum for exchange for IT professionals among all USG institutions.

Objective 3B
Develop participation in an IT Leadership Development Program or technical training curriculum for IT leaders and professionals within the USG that defines expected skills necessary to attain our strategic and operational aspirations.

Objective 3C
Increase the brand of Georgia IT leaders and USG through increasing the number of, and participation in, internal and external leadership activities.

Perspectives

The Office of Information and Instructional Technology (now ITS) provides leadership and invaluable services to the libraries of the University System of Georgia. The Regents' Academic Committee on Libraries (RACL), the governing committee comprised of the deans and directors of the USG libraries, highly values the productive collaboration with ITS on setting the agenda, building partnerships, taking initiative, and measuring progress.

Catherine Murray-Rust, Dean and Director of Libraries, Georgia Institute of Technology

RACL works closely with ITS to set priorities based on the information needs of the faculty and students. GIL (GALILEO Interconnected Libraries) Express, cooperative journal purchases, and shared technology services are priorities crucial for the success of faculty and students as they pursue their learning and discovery goals. The RACL libraries are also mindful of the requirement to carefully align financial resources with programs, which is especially challenging in an environment with rapidly escalating costs and decreasing budgets.

For the library perspective to be effectively incorporated into ITS' technical governance structure, the libraries need to be strong participants in establishing standards. In addition, close collaboration with the Administrative Committee

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on Information Technology (ACIT) would enhance the ability to meet the strategic objectives that advance the mission of the University System and its institutions.

Barbara A. White, Chair, Administrative Committee on Information Technology; CIO and Associate Provost, University of Georgia
Metrics

The 35-member Administrative Committee on Information Technology (ACIT), initially approved in 1989 by the University System Advisory Council, enthusiastically joins the broad University System in moving forward with the 2010 Information Technology Strategic Plan. As an advisory body to the Vice Chancellor for Information Technology, and as a professional organization, the ACIT membership endorses the systematic, inclusive, and collaborative spirit in which the 2010 Strategic Plan has been developed.
Clearly, the framework for effective shared IT Governance is critical as the system moves forward in support of the six USG goals adopted in 2007, and the more recent strategic priorities identified as core to the 2010 IT Strategic Plan. The membership supports the transparent problem-solving approach and the focus on innovation, continuous improvement, accountability, and the importance of working together as a team. The statement that this plan is not about technology, but is in fact, focused on the information technology priorities necessary to enable the innovation and support of the USG in its ability to meet major educational goals is clearly central to the mission of the ACIT.
See the Plans of Action section of this document for key performance indicators for IT Governance.

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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Information Technology Services

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. Mark Twain, 19th century American author and humorist
It is only by the hardest effort and the deepest sacrifice and devotion to the greater life that a group and a state can rise to the high conception of what a university can do and what it may be, and what place it should occupy in a democracy. W. E. B. DuBois, Atlanta University Professor (18971910; 19341944), Activist, Journalist, Sociologist

Collaborative Learning experiences in campus classrooms, in libraries throughout the state, and online result in high quality education for USG students.
Definition
Collaborative Learning empowers people to create quality learning experiences that result in achievement and success through provision of robust technologies in an efficient and cost-effective manner; integration of technologies, content, and collaborative environments to benefit students, faculty and institutions; engagement of leadership at all levels; and active exchange of best practices across institutions.

Purpose

To thrive in today's increasingly global economy, higher education institutions must examine and collapse the traditional silos that exist within and between institutions to provide their students and faculty with access to the best pedagogical experiences and educational content available for their particular interests and goals. Appropriate technology tools must be in place to support these exchanges and engagement, whether on the physical campus (classroom, library, laboratory, or student union) or in the online environment.

Current research reinforces the importance of emphasizing teamwork and collaboration in teaching and in involving others from diverse settings in education experiences as these skills are desirable entry-level skills for virtually any employment opportunity in today's world. Additionally, as technology is increasingly a part of every facet of our day-to-day world, it is our responsibility to utilize it in innovative and meaningful ways to produce productive and successful citizens.

Description

Learning is not confined to classroom walls. Today's students have many opportunities to use technology to meet their learning needs, to pursue a wide range of interests, and to connect with diverse people and resources.

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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Information Technology Services

Collaborative learning encourages students and faculty to produce, share, and consume quality educational content and experiences across traditional boundaries. ITS leaders, in partnership with institution leaders, must collaborate to create an environment conducive to adoption of emerging trends in instructional technology.

Value

Our value lies in the unique position of the USG to make connections, share information, and promote innovation in successfully educating the citizens of Georgia through the strategic use of technology and empowering collaboration.

The Collaborative Learning priority is aligned with all of the goals of the USG Strategic Plan (see http://www.usg.edu/strategicplan/); however, this priority most tightly fits with the following goals:

USG Strategic Goal 1, renew excellence in undergraduate education to meet students' 21st century educational needs
USG Strategic Goal 2, create enrollment capacity to meet the needs of 100,000 additional students by 2020
USG Strategic Goal 6, increase efficiency, working as a System
Collaborative Learning also aligns closely with the USG's Principles to Guide Campus-Level Innovation, released on March 10, 2010.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Identify, develop, and share sustainable strategies that support collaborative teaching and learning and expanded access to educational opportunities in the USG.
Objective 1A
Help position USG institutions as leaders in distance education within the U.S. through strategic partnerships.

Objective 1B
Develop and implement communication strategies to facilitate a broader awareness of tools, innovations, policies, and resources that promote collaborative learning.

Objective 1C
Redefine existing distance education metrics to improve the ability to measure and track distance education activity across institutions and as a System.

Goal 2: Expand opportunities for collaborative teaching and learning through system-delivered technologies, sharing, and cost-effective purchasing strategies.
Objective 2A
Sustain and improve enterprise systems that provide a stable and robust architecture for teaching and learning activities.

Objective 2B
Develop and implement strategies that allow institutions to customize System-provided services to better serve institutional academic goals.

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COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Information Technology Services

Perspectives
Gene Ruffin, Director Georgia Gwinnett College Library

Objective 2C Identify and develop innovative technology solutions that promote collaboration within and across institutions.
Objective 2D Build a foundation for the investigation and roll out of state-of-the-art technologies for teaching and learning.
Goal 3: Expand access to resources such as academic journals, books, textbooks, learning objects and other materials that support teaching, learning, and research.
Objective 3A Expand the collections of GALILEO, Georgia's Virtual Library, including academic journals, books, Google books, and multimedia resources that will provide enhanced resource quality.
Objective 3B Strengthen and expand System delivery mechanisms that provide access to teaching, learning, and research materials created by USG faculty, staff and students.
Objective 3C Implement a shared storage facility to build capacity for collaborative learning spaces by consolidating less frequently used physical library resources.
ITS services provide an essential added value to the collections and services of USG Libraries. GALILEO is a national leader in collaboration and resource sharing and GIL is a model for state-wide integrated library management systems, providing access to the circulating collections of all USG institutions. Services such as these are a catalyst for cooperative engagement that makes possible new levels of excellence for USG libraries. In this way, ITS is pivotal in placing the University System in the forefront of library information technology.

Irene Kokkala, Director, Center of Teaching & Learning Excellence; Professor of Biology, North Georgia College & State University

The collaborative essence of ITS' approach to strategic planning is very encouraging for the future support of smaller institutions facing challenges of limited resources. The highlights of the USG IT Strategic Plan 2010 that I find most encouraging from an educator's perspective are the following:
Negotiation of System-wide implementation of software and third party services
Restoration of a conference focused on teaching and learning techniques and the use of emerging technologies in education
Increased visibility for distance education Implementation of new Learning Management System in a timely fashion Use of repositories and open-source learning objects, e-textbbooks, and
other educational resources
The USG IT Strategic Plan emphasizes the continuous renewal of a robust and stable infrastructure that supports faculty and staff in their work, which is focused on the success of students in the 21st century.

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010 Collaborative Learning Committee Members Kris Biesinger Diane Burnette Reba Cain Lonnie Harvel Doug Hyche Irene Kokkala Annie Payton Merryll Penson Michael Rogers Gene Ruffin Lynne Weisenbach
Metrics

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Information Technology Services

The members of the USG IT Strategic Plan 2010 Collaborative Learning committee articulated the following key assumptions that serve as a basic foundation of understanding for the goals and objectives developed:
Education is changing, faster in some sectors than others, in ways that recognize the differences among learners and the need to attend to these differences through instructional delivery formats.
Current cognitive research reinforces the importance of students' engagement in learning. Technology can play a key role in enabling faculty to move from "sage on the stage" to "guide on the side."
Today's students, more than any generation before, have immediate access to information, resources, and global communication options, all of which require educators to rethink their roles in the classroom.
Collaboration, whether it is with classmates, colleagues, or experts, has become a part of the fabric of day-to-day life, given tools such as Facebook, Twitter, wikis, blogs, and text messaging.
As a System of 35 extraordinary institutions, each with exceptional talent, we have the opportunity to leverage this talent for potential benefit to a larger audience than only those individuals subscribed to a single institution.
Leveraging the connections afforded by technology, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to extend our reach to benefit first and foremost the faculty and students in the USG, but potentially through outreach and example, the larger audience of Georgia students as well as students beyond our state boundaries.
Staying abreast of innovations ensures that we are always looking at what might be instead of focusing just on what is.

See the Plans of Action section of this document for key performance indicators for Collaborative Learning.

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KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
Knowledge is not simply another commodity. On the contrary, knowledge is never used up. It increases by diffusion and grows by dispersion. Daniel J. Boorstin, American historian, professor, attorney, and writer; Twelfth Librarian of Congress

Definition Purpose Description

Knowledge management data and information are used for decision making and stewardship by the institutions, the Board of Regents, the Georgia General Assembly, and citizens; knowledge management also supplies information for campus, State, and Federal reporting.
Knowledge Management provides information technology systems, tools, governance, and support to facilitate the creation and management of data and the use of information and knowledge for effective analysis and decision making both at the System and campus levels. Knowledge Management establishes and advances an environment and a set of practices that support agile and accessible collection, transformation, warehousing, retrieval, analysis, and exchange of vital enterprise data and decision-support information.
The purpose of this priority is to create an environment that provides a foundational level of centralized services for institutions that will support campus academic and administrative operations. It also supports the integration and use of actionable enterprise information from those major centrally supported service applications and other sources with the personal intelligence (insights, know-how, and experience) of people at all levels of the USG to achieve valuable personal, unit, and/or organizational success and advancement.
Knowledge Management includes services that are central to ITS' role in supporting its constituents. These enterprise services include not only GeorgiaBEST (student information) and GeorgiaFIRST (financial administration) but also the data warehouse architecture and tools that provide a comprehensive base of information for decision-making at every level of the USG. These services, along with those provided as part of the Collaborative Learning, Infrastructure, Security and e-Privacy strategic priorities, are the heart of ITS' operations, and they provide a foundation for business and administrative operations in the USO and on almost every campus in the USG.

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Information Technology Services

Value

Achievement of the goals identified for Knowledge Management will create a necessary foundation for the continued improvement and expansion of centralized services and information resources for use by USG stakeholders. Without these key elements, the potential of services and information resources that otherwise could be used for the advancement of individual and organizational efforts will be seriously undermined.

The applications and services in the Knowledge Management strategic priority address each of the six strategic goals defined for the USG (see http://www.usg.edu/strategicplan/).

USG Strategic Goal 1, renew excellence in undergraduate education to meet students' 21st century educational needs by providing information to assist in evaluating retention and graduation rates, character and quality of the campus physical environment, and aspects of teaching excellence
USG Strategic Goal 2, create enrollment capacity to meet the needs of 100,000 additional students by 2020 by supporting analysis of diversity, capacity, and accessibility
USG Strategic Goal 3, increase the System's participation in research and economic development to the benefit of a global Georgia by providing an environment for the storage and collaborative use of research results and faculty expertise data
USG Strategic Goal 4, strengthen the USG's partnerships with the state's other education agencies by supporting analysis of results of teacher preparation courses and the success of at-risk students
USG Strategic Goal 5, maintain affordability so that money is not a barrier to participation in the benefits of higher education by supporting financial and operational analyses that address efficiency at institutional and System levels
USG Strategic Goal 6, increase efficiency, working as a System by providing a source of accurate, consistent data for use across institutions and by demonstrating best practices in the stewardship of System resources
In addition, the Knowledge Management priority is aligned with the USG Principles to Guide Campus-Level Innovation, released on March 10, 2010.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Improve customer access to information that is correct and current through modifications of the existing infrastructure of data sources and data repositories.
Objective 1A
Establish a process for improved audit outcomes while providing timely, accurate, secure, and accessible information for USG decision makers to facilitate informed decision making.

Objective 1B
In partnership with the Chief Data Office (CDO) and representative business and academic units, identify existing and necessary policies, methods, and practices for Knowledge Management and governance to ensure data integrity, quality, and relevance.

Objective 1C
Provide a layer of information views that serve as a foundation for selfservice reporting and presentation tools.

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KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

Goal 2: Establish a foundation for effective Knowledge Management in the future at the System and campus levels.
Objective 2A Implement reliable data quality and integrity measures that support decision-making.
Objective 2B Continue expansion of metadata to provide for consistent definitions of data, locations, content, and business rules for information reporting and analytics.
Objective 2C Implement a reliable, extensible, and flexible architecture for data collection and management.
Objective 2D Identify data collection and integration sources and strategies to establish integrated Knowledge Management information repositories.
Goal 3: Assess and continuously improve Knowledge Management systems to maximize value.
Objective 3A Create a mechanism for continuous review of the benefits and weaknesses of the integrated Knowledge Management environment in supporting decision-making needs.
Objective 3B Create a mechanism for continuous review and advancement of the technical architecture supporting the knowledge management environment.
Objective 3C Create a mechanism for identifying future needs and emerging opportunities for innovation.
Goal 4: Offer, maintain, and continuously improve centralized services in support of campus academic and administrative operations (e.g., Learning Management System, Library Information Management System, Student Information System, Financial Records Management, Human Resources Records Management, and associated integrations).
Objective 4A Sustain and improve enterprise systems that provide a stable and robust foundation for business and administrative activities.
Objective 4B Develop and implement strategies that allow institutions to customize System-provided services to better serve institutional business and administrative goals.

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Perspectives
Roberta S. Lacefield, STEM Director and Associate Professor of Mathematics, Waycross College

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

Walter Wriston, banker and former chairman of Citicorp, has said of knowledge management, "The person who figures out how to harness the collective genius of his or her organization is going to blow the competition away." I believe ITS is in a solid position to harness the genius of the USG.
We, the USG, are a collection of people who are expert in our fields. We have been leaders in the field of using technologies such as WebCT/Vista, podcasts, and Web 2.0. We are engaged in continuous analysis of our methods. We are routinely incorporating new approaches and new ideas. We are constantly creating new understanding. When our System, through the efforts of ITS, figures out how to organize the knowledge we are all creating in such a way that we can access it, share it, investigate it, and use it, we will have harnessed the future and given our state value for the money they have spent on us. I believe we are on track to do exactly that.

John McGuthry, CIO, Armstrong Atlantic State University
Knowledge Management Committee Members
Lisa Spence Erik Bowe Sandi Bramblett David Cauble Bob Cernock Chris Ferland Brian Finnegan George Gaumond Roberta Lacefield John McGuthry LaVerne McLaughlin Beverly Norwood Ed Rugg Karen Scoville Jon Sizemore Kim Thompson Alan Travis

The ability to make informed decisions is vital to the success of any organization. A successful Knowledge Management priority will assist in providing valuable information needed to help make those informed decisions at the University System of Georgia and at the institutions. Effective Knowledge Management will require the active participation and collaboration of the Chief Data Officer, the Chief Information Officer, the ACIT, and most importantly, an engaged governance structure encouraged by ITS that includes representatives from campuses as well as the System Office.
The ACIT can provide valuable assistance with launching and improving the technology processes associated with Knowledge Management and also assist with the important processes associated with the validation and transfer of data to and from the campus environments and ITS. Many campuses are now pursuing or are planning to pursue campus-based knowledge management initiatives. Although different in scale, these initiatives, audience, and implementations should be consistent with established core data elements.
The governance structure for Knowledge Management will provide valuable assistance with setting end user expectations for program implementation and program management. It will also assist with setting priorities and schedules, defining core data elements, and setting the direction for future enhancements.
The members of the USG IT Strategic Plan 2010 Knowledge Management committee offered the following key principles as a basic foundation of understanding:
Faculty expertise and research results should be an area for data and knowledge capture in the future. To date, efforts to capture and use this kind of information are disjointed at best.
Knowledge Management should include consistent re-evaluation of customer needs and data sources necessary to fulfill those needs. The original work done with USG123 focused on academic, financial, and human resources data. Over time, we must include other sources of data that can be used to generate significant value. Goal 3 identifies an approach for managing ongoing improvement and expansion; evaluation of needs and sources should be part of the work associated with meeting this goal.

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Metrics

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

As part of Goal 3, an assessment of utilization will be important, including a periodic evaluation of skill sets, awareness, and necessary training for users of the knowledge environment, so that its use is as complete and effective as possible.
The partnership between the Chief Data Officer (CDO) and ITS must be actively fostered for success in achieving our objectives in Knowledge Management.
Collaboration with campus and USO personnel who provide data and use information provided for decision-making is important to the success of knowledge management initiatives.
The enterprise systems used by institutions for administration and academic support represent key input mechanisms for knowledge management.
The efforts defined in our goals and objectives have short- and long-term areas of focus and need not be undertaken sequentially. Work can begin on defining the future environment even as we seek to improve what we have now.

See the Plans of Action section of this document for key performance indicators for Knowledge Management.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Information Technology Services

INFRASTRUCTURE
Do good work. Gus Grissom, 20th century American Mercury astronaut. Complete text of speech to employees building Atlas boosters.
For over a thousand years, Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of a triumph--a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeters and musicians and strange animals from the conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot.... A slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ear a warning that all glory is fleeting. Voiceover attributed to General George S. Patton in film "Patton" (1970)

USG students and educators on campuses and at distant locations rely on PeachNet for access to classes, libraries, and many other educational and administrative resources.
Definition
The Infrastructure continually enhances a stable, adaptable, resilient, and costeffective technology foundation for a physical and virtual learning environment supporting education, research, outreach, and economic development establishing the USG as a leader in the expanding global educational community.

Purpose

The technology infrastructure is composed of those fundamental enabling resources used in building, supporting, and improving key aspects of the educational environment such as collaborative learning experiences, academic research, and knowledge management. Strategic relevance and/or innovation potential are only possible through achievement of operational excellence built upon a foundation of capable, reliable, and cost-effective infrastructure. Agile and reliable infrastructure can not only enable other USG and IT strategic goals, but it can also be used to create new opportunities for innovative teaching, learning, and research.

Description

A robust infrastructure is essential for instruction, research, and administration in higher education to accomplish its stated goals and objectives. An adaptable and affordable architecture must be designed, built, maintained, supported, and enhanced to provide the environment(s) that will enable educational innovations, economic development, community development, and operational efficiencies in the future.

The Infrastructure priority provides the enabling technology infrastructure required to achieve all six of the USG's strategic goals (see http://www.usg.edu/strategicplan/).

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Value

INFRASTRUCTURE

Information Technology Services

The current infrastructure architecture, including PeachNet, supports all USG information and instructional technology (IIT) efforts. It is the mission-critical foundation that connects all institutions to each other, the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS), GALILEO (Georgia's Virtual Library), the Internet, Internet2, and other resources for instruction, research, and administrative services.

PeachNet Network Infrastructure February 2010 For larger map, see Appendix B.
Goals and Objectives
Goal 1: Deliver robust, efficient, and effective technological services and solutions to the member institutions of the USG, GPLS, and other state agencies.
Objective 1A Establish diverse PeachNet WAN connections for all USG sites to maximize availability.
Objective 1B Anticipate future growth and proactively plan by enhancing external Internet connectivity with increased bandwidth and diversity.
Objective 1C Identify, evaluate, and provision a technical environment, including computing, storage, and network, that will support the current and future USG services as determined by the application and services owners.
Objective 1D Improve the service offerings and level of support within the virtual work environment supporting the University System Office and ITS.
Goal 2: Strengthen IT management and service delivery through improved operational prioritization, efficient and cost-effective standardization, and innovative technologies and processes.
Objective 2A Evaluate and implement next-generation optical networking technologies to enhance and improve efficiencies on our fiber architecture.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Information Technology Services

Perspectives
Martha T. Nesbitt, President Gainesville State College
Metrics

Objective 2B Implement advanced features and services within our virtualization environment for improved manageability and efficiencies.
Objective 2C Enhance our digital certificate management program to reduce the cost of certificates and allow greater flexibility for each of our campuses.
Objective 2D Identify and evaluate the potential to provision a highly scalable backup and recovery environment, focusing on business continuity and disaster recovery, which will support the current and future USG services as determined by the application and services owners.
Goal 3: Improve fiscal management and strategies to move beyond sustainability into a proactive, innovative, and responsive environment that is not only sustainable but regenerative in that it can grow and evolve to support new and emerging information technology.
Objective 3A Re-establish and validate the fiscal model and strategies that allow for proactive and responsive initiatives that provide valuable economies of scale and return on investment (ROI).
Objective 3B Identify opportunities to capitalize on strategic investments that lower the overall cost and/or significantly improve the capacity and performance of the infrastructure.
Objective 3C Develop a strategic partnership with our vendors reflective of our collective purchasing power and responsive to the needs of the USG and its constituent institutions.
Gainesville State College has experienced enormous growth in recent years and the PeachNet team that supports the USG Infrastructure priority has, on numerous occasions, worked with GSC's IT staff to come up with ways to accommodate that growth and help us offer an exceptional level of service to our customers. This type of quick response and spirit of collaboration is a model of service within the University System of Georgia.
One example was cited by Brandon Haag, GSC's Director of Information Technology, who shared with me how quickly OIIT (now ITS) responded to a request for assistance--going above and beyond the call of duty to help resolve a network issue at GSC--staying late to work with the GSC IT staff to develop a solution. PeachNet staff then went on to implement this solution the very next day. This swift response allowed the GSC IT staff to put the local campus component quickly into place and permanently resolve the issue.
See the Plans of Action section of this document for key performance indicators for the Infrastructure priority.

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SECURITY AND ELECTRONIC PRIVACY

Information Technology Services

SECURITY AND ELECTRONIC PRIVACY
If you spend more on coffee than on IT security, you will be hacked. What's more, you deserve to be hacked. Richard Clarke, White House Cybersecurity Advisor

Definition
Purpose Description Value
May 2010

Teaching students about Security and e-Privacy issues is just one step toward establishing a culture of awareness and preparedness.
Securing and protecting the University System of Georgia's information and information systems is of the utmost importance. Striving to defend and protect our constituents' assets and privacy, sustaining legal and regulatory compliance, obtaining strategic and operational goals, ensuring reliability, and supporting fiscal accountability are our goals and objectives.
The Security and Electronic Privacy (e-Privacy) priority will establish a Systemwide culture of awareness and preparedness; confidentiality, integrity and availability; and provide for the mitigation, transfer or knowledgeable acceptance of risk.
The purpose of this strategic priority is to engage, educate, enlighten, and empower the USG and its constituents to secure and protect the portions of cyberspace that they own, operate, control, or with which they interact. Securing cyberspace is a difficult strategic challenge that requires focused and coordinated effort from the entire University System, the federal government, the state, and citizens.
Security and e-Privacy are the means by which the USG protects and defends its mission-critical assets and further ensures that strategic and business goals are met. Security and e-Privacy utilize policies and processes, technology, people power, and awareness to achieve this strategic goal.
The value of Security and e-Privacy lies in the creation of simple and costeffective means by which a culture can lower risks and threats while teaching, conducting research, learning, contributing, collaborating, and enjoying life in cyberspace. By managing risk, Security and e-Privacy creates an environment that can alter the future.

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SECURITY AND ELECTRONIC PRIVACY

Information Technology Services

Protecting and defending our customers' assets and privacy underlies the USG's ability to conduct the business of education. Security and e-Privacy are prerequisites for the following goals in the USG Strategic Plan (see http://www.usg.edu/strategicplan/):

Perspectives
Chrystle M. Ross, CIO Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

USG Strategic Goal 1, renew excellence in undergraduate education to meet students' 21st century educational needs
USG Strategic Goal 3, increase the System's participation in research and economic development to the benefit of a global Georgia
USG Strategic Goal 6, increase efficiency, working as a System
Identifying theft, state and federal regulations, 24 x 7 production requirements, and technology-infused mission critical applications are variables that require institutions to function in environments that business and industry have recognized as mandatory since the inception of e-commerce. With increasing technology demands on current staff and limited resources, maintaining adequate environments will be among the many challenges facing USG institutions.

Institutions must look to the System for the necessary policies, practices, and tools with which to safeguard institutional resources. Furthermore, institutional staffing levels will not sustain the concomitant increases seen in opportunities for data theft. As such, and from an economic feasibility perspective, a centralized approach for security oversight, policy development, service, and training is and will continue to be needed to ensure that all institutions operate in as secure environments as possible while not limiting operational obligations and opportunities for new and innovative IT implementations.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Establish a USG governance structure for information security and privacy protection.
Objective 1A
Establish an information security and electronic privacy governance committee to assist and support the USG Information Security and ePrivacy program.

Objective 1B
Place the role and responsibilities for electronic privacy protection within the USG's Office of Information Security to develop appropriate electronic privacy policies, processes, and risk management strategies.

Goal 2: Implement a common security management framework for use by all USG institutions, System Office, and GPLS to ensure consistent, trustworthy information sharing, analysis, and collaboration.
Objective 2A
Develop System-level security and e-privacy policies, standards, and guidelines that support an agile, adaptable, and resilient digital infrastructure.

Objective 2B
Establish and sustain an information security and e-privacy risk management (RM) & information security management system (ISMS) framework to provide assurance that information security strategies are aligned with business objectives and consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

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Metrics

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Information Technology Services

Objective 2C Assist all USG institutions and GPLS to select and implement a nationally recognized information security management system model and standards.
Goal 3: Provide USG institutions, System Office, and GPLS with access to security and privacy solutions (policies, processes, technologies and awareness) that strengthen and fortify the USG's digital infrastructure.
Objective 3A Establish standards and qualification criteria for the selection and hiring of USG's and GPLS' Information Security Officers (ISOs). Develop training programs to enable prospective and designated ISOs to achieve the necessary skills to consistently support institutions, System Office and library information security goals and objectives.
Objective 3B Establish the USG Information Sharing and Analysis Center (USG-ISAC) web portal to provide a central resource for state government, institutions, and GPLS to share information on cyber threats to the USG's IT environment and its critical infrastructures.
Objective 3C Develop and operationalize a USG Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) to improve cyber and information security attack identification, analysis, and response in a coordinated and efficient manner across institutions, GPLS, and the System Office.
Objective 3D Develop and deploy specialized security and privacy training and certification courses for ISOs/point-of-contact, IT program managers, systems architects, developers, system/network administrators, and other stakeholders involved in significant IT capital, renewal, acquisitions or upgrades, and management.
Objective 3E Develop and deploy a Managed Security Services (MSS) program to provide specialized information security and electronic privacy services to USG institutions, System Office, and GPLS.

See the Plans of Action section of this document for key performance indicators for Security and e-Privacy.

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SERVICES

Information Technology Services

SERVICES
Being on par in terms of price and quality only gets you into the game. Service wins the game! Tony Alessandra, Author; Ph.D. in Marketing, Georgia State University

Elizabeth Bryant, a member of the professionally certified Helpdesk team, provides customerfocused services every day.

Matthew Kuchinski, Director of System Office Technology Services, assists a speaker with a presentation to the Student Advisory Group.

Definition

The Services priority means providing outstanding customer-focused services that exceed expectations in support of the individual needs of USG institutions and the System Office to produce educated and competitive 21st Century Georgia citizens.

Purpose

Services permeate all that we do and differentiate between our being any technology provider and being the technology provider of choice. Services encompass a wide range of activities--some focused on the end user and others that improve our internal operations so that we are more efficient and effective in our work with our customers.

Description

Services promote engagement with customers and increase customer satisfaction through process improvement. Services facilitate each of the other IT priorities by providing and managing essential support processes, tools, and expertise. Customers who use our core services include the following major groups: Students, educators, administrators, and staff
Citizens and legislators
Board of Regents and University System Office
ITS project and program teams, departments, and staff
Customers receive direct services and benefits such as helpdesk support, software, and services at reduced cost, analytical information for better decision making, training, and communications.

Services also support all of the other priorities by assisting System Office and ITS staff whose responsibilities are to serve USG constituents. These services increase efficiency and effectiveness by providing and managing additional support processes, tools, and expertise that facilitate ongoing programs, initiatives, and projects for USG customers. We work with institution customers who, in turn, leverage benefits from our services to improve the services that

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SERVICES

Information Technology Services

they deliver to their customers. Services also facilitate responsiveness to requirements specified by external constituents, such as regulatory and compliance agencies.

Value

Because information and instructional technologies are increasingly complex systems essential for instruction and administrative services, high levels of service and support are needed to maximize their benefit to students, educators, and staff in the USG.

Continuing engagement and collaboration with our customers and ongoing process improvement are essential for ITS to provide high quality services that address identified needs, promote innovation, propose and evaluate solutions, establish roadmaps for implementation, and implement and support projects and ongoing programs.

The Services priority closely aligns with the USG Strategic Plan (see http://www.usg.edu/strategicplan/) Goal 6, increase efficiency, working as a System because it focuses on customer engagement, customer satisfaction, process improvement, and innovation to improve quality and increase efficiency for customers. Services improve efficiency and effectiveness, reduce costs, promote knowledge sharing across the System, and identify innovative services that address both System-wide and institutional needs.

Goals and Objectives

Goal 1: Build a customer-centric culture that sustains and consistently improves the quality of existing and new IT services.
Objective 1A
Develop and sustain customer engagement strategies resulting in improved IT services.

Objective 1B
Implement continuous process improvement strategies to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery for our customers.

Objective 1C
Provide and continuously enhance a range of communications using methods so that customers can acquire and use the innovative services they seek in an appropriate, efficient, and effective manner.

Goal 2: Enhance the ability of the System Office and the institutions to improve the quality of services that they provide to their customers.
Objective 2A
Provide outstanding online and face-to-face training opportunities that maximize customer benefits.

Objective 2B
Advance best practices based on national standards and benchmarks to measure institutional and System performance and set future goals.

Objective 2C
Leverage project management and customer service resources to make consultation and customization available to the System Office and institutions to increase their ability to provide direct services to their customers.

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010
Perspectives
Ed Boyd, Interim CIO, Georgia College & State University

SERVICES

Information Technology Services

The services provided by the Office of Information and Instructional Technology (now ITS) have historically been and without doubt will continue to be a priceless asset to the effective and efficient operation of the USG higher education community.
Having been one of the small to mid-sized institutions within the USG, as well as Georgia's Public Liberal Arts University, we have always been challenged with smaller operational budgets and minimal staffing, yet faced with providing the same levels of service as our larger sister institutions. Numerous times, we have relied upon the centralized expertise in the ITS office to assist us with major technical designs, systems support, and project implementations. ITS has provided us with support in the areas of technical educational training, hardware and software installation and trouble shooting, network design, and contract negotiations for discounted purchasing and support. ITS is always available to consult with when we encounter a technical problem and can't seem to find a solution. In almost every way, they have become an extension of our local technical staff. Their help desk support has always been great and they have exhibited excellent customer service.
Because the ITS staff is made up of a number of employees who were once staff members at actual USG campuses, they have been able to better understand the needs and challenges that we at the local campuses encounter on a daily basis. I've been privileged as a member of the ACIT to work with the ITS staff and benefit from their leadership to the University System community. The close working relationships that have developed over the years have enriched everyone involved and fostered a unity throughout the USG.

Kathy Kral, CIO, University of West Georgia
Metrics

The Office of Information and Instructional Technology (now ITS) provides mission critical services to every institution within the University System. A key success factor in the delivery and adoption of those services is the ability to provide exceptional customer service and support to the institutions.
The identification of Services as a strategic priority will allow ITS to target their efforts to become the technology provider of choice. Engaging in meaningful dialogs with the campuses about the services and support they need, and then delivering that support in a way that exceeds expectations, will benefit every student, faculty, and staff member within the USG.
See the Plans of Action section of this document for key performance indicators for Services.

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

SERVICES

Information Technology Services

Note: Blank page inserted to facilitate front/back printing.

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: IT GOVERNANCE

Information Technology Services

PLANS OF ACTION (KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS BY OBJECTIVE)
Following are the plans of action for each of the priorities outlined in the USG IT Strategic Plan 2010. The plans include actions planned to accomplish each of the objectives, measures of success, baseline (current status), and activities targeted for Fiscal Year (FY) 11, FY 12, and FY 13.

IT Governance Plan of Action

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 1: Expand the business, educational, and research IT impact as an integral strategic and operational planning component at all levels throughout the USG, its institutions, and external entities as appropriate.

1A: Build a customer-focused governance model founded on transparency, participation, and accountability that reflects the explicit prioritization of strategic leaders through aligning IT shared governance organizations and System Office IT strategic partnerships.

ACIT, RACL,& RACDE actionable items implemented by ITS
Alignment with strategic leader prioritization
Number shared governance members involved in IT decisions

Limited participation by functional ACIT, RACL & RACDE communities in previous ITS strategic plan

Design new shared governance

Quarterly updates to Chancellor

TBD

structure including USO leaders who represent campuses, make System-level decisions, and set priorities
Implement new shared governance structure
Implement formal monthly project meetings with Vice Chancellors

Biannual updates to BOR
Validate new structure with customers
Re-establish Regents IT Committee Establish 2nd generation of IT policies & procedures with USG senior leadership

Implement formal quarterly

updates to Chief Academic Officer

Establish 1st generation of IT policies & procedures with USG senior leadership, e.g., ADA compliance and scalability

1B: Establish a foundation for future innovation and ongoing support of services through a disciplined process of mission analysis, service level agreements, and strategic roadmaps for every project, service, or initiative that ITS supports.

% Projects with Mission Analysis completed
% Projects with Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
% Projects with strategic roadmaps

0 Mission Analysis, very limited SLAs, 0 strategic roadmaps, no project list

Generate list of projects
Release Service Level Guidelines V1.5
100% of projects with mission analysis, service level agreements, & strategic roadmaps

Rewrite SLG with customers
Establish annual review process for all Service Level Agreements & strategic roadmaps

Adopt more mature model such as Control OBjectives for Information & related Technology (COBIT) standards for BOR implementation

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: IT GOVERNANCE

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 2: Raise the return on IT investment through prudent stewardship of resources.

2A: Improve our responsiveness to constituents and directly address USG priorities through realigning the ITS organizational structure with this strategic plan.

% of organizational capacity

Organizational structure after significant budget cuts, three reorganizations, & eight-year old strategic plan

Conduct gap analysis Implement & build new structure Reallocate office space in Athens & Atlanta

Integrate strategic roadmaps into organizational structure
Calculate % of organizational match between organizational structure & strategic roadmap
Conduct gap analysis of institution capacity

Reduce gap between organizational structure & strategic roadmaps by 10%
Reduce gap between institutional structure & strategic roadmaps by 10%

2B: Enhance the repeatability and effectiveness of our processes through disciplined innovation and relentless process refinement.

Process maturity level Capability Maturity Model Integration
Number completed Lean Six Sigma (L6S) Projects

Initial process maturity Four L6S Projects

Achieve repeatable process maturity Complete four L6S projects Execute one L6S executive management session Train ten additional white belts

Achieve defined process maturity Complete eight L6S projects Train one additional black belt Train ten additional white belts

Achieve managed process maturity Complete sixteen L6S projects Train one additional black belt Train ten additional white belts

2C: Allocate resources in accordance with USG strategic priorities through baseline operational and project budgets and an annual cost-benefit analysis with USG strategic leaders.

% of partnered projects completed on budget/time
Ratio of high to low project priority completion
Return on Investment (ROI)

Limited partnered projects completed on budget/time Very limited project prioritization No calculation of ROI

Establish budget policy Establish project budgets Establish project prioritization Complete one customer-partnered project on budget & on time Revise VC/CIO role in System office purchase process

Establish project budgets
Complete 75% customer-partnered projects on budget & on time
Establish quarterly project prioritization vetting
Implement cost-benefit analysis of all projects

Add to project initiation process
Complete 90% customer-partnered projects on budget & on time
Implement just-in-time automated project prioritization vetting

2D: Respond to USG IT purchasing needs through strategic partnerships with vendors that enhance our collective purchasing power.

Satisfaction of vendor performance survey
Quality of Service (QoS) review

Ad hoc, anecdotal & widespread indications of dissatisfaction from CIOs

Establish QoS review

10% improvement on QoS review Refine QoS review process Build automated system for QoS review
Tie contract renewals to QoS review

10% improvement based on QoS review

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PLANS OF ACTION: IT GOVERNANCE

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Cost avoidance measure based on System-level vs institution level pricing

No consistent data

Build vendor negotiation processes
Establish database of pricing information & cost reduction from System level v institution pricing

Continue process

Continue process

Goal 3: Produce effective technical leaders through system-wide programs to support the identification, recruiting, educating, training, collaboration, mentoring and retention of exceptional IT staff and leaders at all levels.

3A: Increase the development of and collaboration among Georgia IT leaders through campus visits and the use of new social media constructs to create a collaborative forum for exchange for IT professionals among all USG institutions.

Campus visits
Internal collaboration site functionality
Internal collaboration site participation

2 campus visits in 2009
Static, centralized, & dated collaboration sites
No measure of collaboration posts

28 campus visits by VC/CIO Redesign collaboration sites Every CIO & librarian attend at least one meeting Establish baseline of institution collaboration

36 campus visits by VC/CIO support staff
Implement new collaboration web sites
One joint meeting between CIOs & librarians
25% increase in institution posting to collaboration sites

36 campus visits with targeted staff
Most posts on collaboration sites by institutions rather than ITS
One joint meeting between CIOs & librarians

3B: Develop participation in an IT Leadership Development Program or technical training curriculum for IT leaders and professionals within the USG that defines expected skills necessary to attain our strategic and operational aspirations.

% trained personnel Structure for professional affiliation/certification

No training plans
No organizational structure for professional affiliation, certification, or tracking training

Implement tracking system for System training
Organizational structure for System & institutional professional affiliation & certification
100% System training planned

50% System personnel trained Construct a repository for IT & library policies & practices Conduct preconference workshops at Georgia Summit & Rock Eagle 100% institution training planned

75% System personnel trained 50% institution personnel trained

3C: Increase the brand of Georgia IT leaders and USG through increasing the number of, and participation in, internal and external leadership activities.

Presence at national IT events Cumulative years presenting at national IT events Cumulative years on boards of national IT events

Limited participation in past 3 years

Identify regional & national opportunities Target membership Develop communication plan

Target leadership opportunities

TBD

TBD

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Information Technology Services

Collaborative Learning Plan of Action

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 1:Identify, develop, and share sustainable strategies that support collaborative teaching and learning and expanded access to educational opportunities in the USG.

1A: Help position USG institutions as leaders in distance education within the U.S. through strategic partnerships.

DE taskforce actionable items implemented by ITS
Number of DE credit & non-credit courses in Georgia ONmyLINE (GOML) search increased
Number of DE degrees offered by USG institutions increased
Usage of consolidated DE resource site by number of hits & percent of institutions tracked

No web site with aggregated policies, etc.
Minimal awareness across institution personnel of (GOML) as aggregator site for institution offerings

Support DE Task Force meetings & development of recommendations
Align tools, resources, & innovations related to DE for easy access through a web resource
Initiate campaign strategies to increase institution awareness of the public GOML site

Implement DE Task Force recommendations
Improve upon initial build to accommodate recommendations for a web resource site
Engage System-wide committees as appropriate in reviews of web resource
Continue awareness campaign for public GOML site & for new resource site for faculty & administrators

Review & modify recommendations as appropriate
Evaluate awareness level of two sites across institution audiences

National recognition as regional & Little to no national activity in past Offer or sponsor presentations on Publish at least one journal article TBD

national DE leaders established

3 years

USG distance education activities at about distance education in the

state, regional & national

USG

conferences

1B: Develop and implement communication strategies to facilitate a broader awareness of tools, innovations, policies, and resources that promote collaborative learning.

Use of identified resources tracked
Use of new resources tracked
Institution participation in events designed for engagement across campuses (seminars/conferences) tracked
Use of resources promoted through various communication strategies tracked

Sharing primarily conducted via listservs aligned with crossinstitutional groups such as Teaching & Learning Consortium & Regents Administrative Committee on Distance Education (RACDE)
One website for communicating strategies & successes in teaching & learning; limited awareness of its utility

Review current tools for sharing information across institutions
Develop a communication plan for facilitating information exchange regarding innovative technologies
Model uses of innovative collaborative tools as communication vehicles
Include strategies that share information about the GALILEO Knowledge Repository, USG Share, `how to' tutorials, expert resource banks, & benefits of eTextbooks

Implement new elements of communication plan & determine measures for tracking success
Host an event (face-to-facepreferred) alternate years to share innovative uses of technologies across campuses
Cultivate vendor partners to support event

Evaluate success of various plan components
Review opportunities for outreach by new emerging technologies; implement as appropriate

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PLANS OF ACTION: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

1C: Redefine existing distance education metrics to improve the ability to measure and track distance education activity across institutions and as a System.

DE taskforce actionable items implemented by ITS
RACDE actionable items implemented by ITS

DE data collected in Data Warehouse across following factors: semester credit hours by institution by term; percent of DE enrollments by gender, race, age; number of course sections by term, by level
Information not produced as standard term report; not widely disseminated

Support DE Task Force meetings & development of recommendations for definitions & reporting
Review national data-tracking trends & compare with USG metrics
Convert DE Taskforce recommendations into requests for system reports
Develop dashboard designs that provide access to DE data for institution administrators

Implement dashboards & other reporting tools
Determine USG comparators with national reports

Evaluate metric tracking strategies for institution participation, accuracy, & communication

Goal 2: Expand opportunities for collaborative teaching and learning through system-delivered technologies, sharing, and cost-effective purchasing strategies.

2A: Sustain and improve enterprise systems that provide a stable and robust architecture for teaching and learning activities.

Number of feature requirements satisfied in new learning management system (LMS) selection
Number of institutions, faculty, & students engaged in the LMS selection process

Major obstacles to upgrade beyond this version of current LMS due to lack of core functionality in new product

Conduct mission analysis & prepare RFP, if required, for new LMS
Select new LMS & begin building environment for hosting new solution

Prepare environment for deployment of new LMS with first set of institutions

Deploy new LMS with remaining institutions
Decommission Vista 8

Number of portal & other tools available for improving engagement & retention

Some campuses have independently implemented diverse portal options

Evaluate use and application of portal technologies and impact on student engagement & retention
Investigate ways to satisfy portal needs for institutions whose student information systems are hosted by ITS

Implement portal technologies in partnership with institutions

Evaluate choices & determine revisions as needed to institution options

Number of institutions, faculty & students engaged in selection process for next generation library software
Number of feature requirements satisfied in next generation library software selection

Current library software lifecycle ending

Monitor developments of next generation library software

Conduct mission analysis & prepare Develop implementation & project

RFP if required for next generation plan for next generation library

library software

software deployment in FY14

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PLANS OF ACTION: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

2B: Develop and implement strategies that allow institutions to customize System-provided services to better serve institutional academic goals.

Number of requests for customization Number of solutions offered Number of solutions implemented Solutions required when LMS transition occurs tracked

Limited options to customize systems. First set of PowerLinks for Vista being deployed this year in 2010

Define technical & functional parameters so that institutions can evaluate customization requests before submission to ITS
Identify low cost, low resource strategies that allow for institution customization on System-wide applications & deploy as appropriate (i.e., PowerLink with USG Share, GALILEO, etc.)

Examine intake requests for patterns that might result in service opportunities for institutions
Continue identification & deployment of low cost, low resource strategies that allow for institution customization on System-wide applications & deploy as appropriate
Evaluate current customizations in light of LMS conversion
Evaluate current set of deployments in terms of usage & satisfaction of institutions to determine continuation in light of LMS conversion

Offer set of customization solutions for institution adoption
Communicate any changes resulting from LMS conversion & customizations & plan for transition of customizations if still needed with migration of institutions to new LMS

2C: Identify and develop innovative technology solutions that promote collaboration within and across institutions.

Number of collaborative software tool requests to Software Resource & Services (SRS)
Number of collaborative tools in place at various institutions tracked by SRS
Number of enabling or system-wide agreements established & tracked by SRS

Limited set of tools available for institution purchase through System level enabling agreements (i.e., Wimba)

Re-evaluate Wimba (web conferencing tool) enabling agreement for potential System-wide license opportunities
Work with SRS to develop tracking category for collaborative learning tools

Track collaborative learning tools via SRS system
Facilitate sharing of institution tool adoption

Evaluate available collaboration technologies for additional toolsets or replacement toolsets to be addressed through System agreements

Number of institution policies spawned from guidelines on social media use in the academic environment

No guidelines or best practices in place

Review existing institution policies regarding social media
Include value & use of social media in the academic environment as topics for System conferences & training

Develop guidelines for use of social media in the academic environment
Enhance offerings at System events regarding uses of additional innovations in higher education

Determine ongoing need for additional guidelines related to implementation of new technologies in higher education

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PLANS OF ACTION: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

DE Task Force actionable items implemented by ITS
Number of institution utilizations of cross-institutional registration solution (INGRESS)
Number of enrollments in offerings of non-home institutions

Minimal offering of crossinstitutional registrations to provide easy access to courses offered by institutions other than the student's home institution

Deploy phase I version of INGRESS that provides cross-institutional registration for eCore & graduate teacher education programs
Scope phase II of INGRESS & begin development to make solution more generically adoptable by all institutions

Evaluate phase I & apply to phase II design (INGRESS)
Test phase II (INGRESS)

Deploy phase II of INGRESS

2D: Build a foundation for the investigation and roll out of state-of-the-art technologies for teaching and learning.

Number of technologies identified Number of technologies reviewed Number of technologies offered through System licenses Number of shared items--whether of success or failure

Innovative thinking & research ongoing but little shared beyond colleagues within ITS
Few are aware of independent work of institutions

Conduct mission analysis to identify solutions for sharing innovative & emerging educational technology solutions & research
Conduct mission analysis of stateof-the-art library discovery tools

Increase awareness of existing information-sharing opportunities
Define criteria for evaluation of new innovations & technology advancements
Develop & implement System-wide strategies for sharing innovative technologies & research in teaching & learning
Include innovative technologies & research in teaching & learning as topics for System conferences & training
Implement, evaluate, & refine selected toolset

Refine & implement System-wide strategies for sharing innovative technologies & research in teaching & learning
Evaluate use of solutions & adoption of innovative approaches
Continue process improvement on library discovery toolset

Number of development efforts tracked
Vendor affiliations as compared with independent developments tracked

Limited mobile application development & distribution by institutions

Conduct mission analysis regarding utility of mobile applications & strategy to facilitate institution implementation
Share solutions & key requirement/ decision making factors to be considered when providing mobile solutions for students, faculty,& staff

Continue evaluation, dissemination sharing, & review processes

Continue evaluation, dissemination sharing, & review processes

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PLANS OF ACTION: COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 3: Expand access to resources such as academic journals, books, textbooks, learning objects, and other materials that support teaching, learning, and research.

3A: Expand the collections of GALILEO, Georgia's Virtual Library, including collections of academic journals, books, Google books, and multimedia resources that will provide enhanced resource quality.

Number of resources added to GALILEO RACL actionable items met by ITS Usage statistics of new materials

Collections as they currently exist

Expand e-Book collection
Add databases based upon curriculum priorities

Implement Google books Expand multimedia resources Add databases based upon curriculum

Add journal packages
Add databases based upon curriculum priorities

Number of additional collections

Incremental digitization of unique collections related to Georgia's history and culture in Digital Library of Georgia (DLG)

Identify options for significantly growing the DLG

Seek sustainable funding options

Digitize additional collections and deploy additional presentation technologies as appropriate

3B: Strengthen and expand system delivery mechanisms that provide access to teaching, learning, and research materials created by USG faculty, staff and students.

Number of users of GALILEO Knowledge Repository (GKR), learning objects (USG Share), & Rich media server
Number of `holdings' of the of GKR, USG Share, & Rich media server
Number of courses utilizing USG Share resources
Number of "open source" textbooks available to students
RACL actions implemented by ITS

Limited awareness & utilization of Rich media server, repository for learning objects & pilot project for sharing of faculty research
Limited funding available to support the above resources
Limited number of "open source" textbooks produced by USG faculty

Establish an advisory committee to formulate guidance & policy concerning access to USG faculty, staff, & student generated content
Engage System-wide leadership in discussion about value of repositories & open access learning objects, textbooks, & other education resources

Continue engagement with leadership
Develop strategies for leveraging the technology and access to these services
Develop & implement an awareness campaign for faculty & students
Seek funds to expand & develop resources
Define & pilot programs for textbook development

Build new resource as determined appropriate
Initiate textbook development plan
Continue awareness campaign for faculty & students

3C: Implement a shared storage facility to build capacity for collaborative learning spaces by consolidating less frequently used physical library resources.

Shared storage facility program plan developed

No shared storage for physical materials

RACL committee conducts needs assessment
Explore potential for inclusion of private institutions

RACL committee develops plan based on needs assessment to include physical & technology requirements

Engage USG leadership for support & funding for operational facility by FY14/15

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PLANS OF ACTION: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

Knowledge Management Plan of Action

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 1: Improve customer access to information that is correct and current through modifications of the existing infrastructure of data sources and data repositories.

1A: Establish a process for improved audit outcomes while providing timely, accurate, secure, and accessible information for USG decision makers to facilitate informed decision making.

Audit findings related to academic, human resources & financials data marts & results of the Academic Data Mart task force report closed
Actionable items by ITS to address Items 2 6 of USG123 audit that apply to the CIO resolved
Ongoing action plan to mitigate risks identified by USG123 audit developed
Action plan to involve user community in data mart (DM) improvement efforts developed
Executive sponsor for the DMs/Data Warehouse (DWH) identified
Advisory group of representatives from campus offices to work with CDO in defining data needs appointed
Iterative process flow for design of DMs/DWH, to include improved data cleansing routines & quality checks developed

Six significant audit findings from USG123 DWH audit remain open; two have been closed
User involvement: minimal, inconsistent, not managed
No identified executive sponsor
Advisory group not appointed or charged
Iterative process flow for design of DWH does not exist. Data cleansing routines not timely or informative; quality checks inadequate

Establish ITS DWH improvement leadership team to address findings
Determine & document where "official" data for System & institution are maintained
Hold monthly progress meetings between CDO & CIO's staff to document actions for addressing audit findings
Define, appoint, & charge advisory group
Address USG123 audit item # 1 by assessing roles & responsibilities, skills & competencies required to support DMs & mapping staff to required roles
With CIO, CISO & CDO, address USG123 audit Item #6 by strengthening access controls & sensitive data encryption
Address & close USG123 audit Item #2 by refining documentation & communications plans
Address specific item in USG123 audit Item #3 by improving process for maintaining & publishing Data Element Dictionary (DED)
Derive specifications for & begin to address specific item in USG123 audit Item #3 by engaging an extract, transform, & load (ETL) redesign

Continue monthly progress meetings
Address & close remaining items from audit Item #3 (ETL redesign)
Implement ETL redesign in production
Design & implement process for continuous review & improvements of DWH IT architecture policies
Implement process for continuous review & improvements of iterative process flow for DWH
Implement process for continuous review & advancement of the roles & responsibilities, skills & competencies required to support the knowledge management environment
Implement mechanism for soliciting customer feedback on change requests & process improvements
In partnership with the Shared Services Center, define & implement corrections to the Human Resources Data Mart to address operational reporting

Continue process improvements
Continue customer satisfaction engagement & assessment activities
Define & implement additional data requirements
Integrate data quality edits into workflow
Improve IT personnel retention /satisfaction & professional development opportunities
Implement mechanism to collect feedback on process improvements & prioritized change

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PLANS OF ACTION: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)
Address & close USG123 audit Item #4 by establishing a foundation for an improved report prioritization & request process, reporting layer & reporting/BI tools
Address & close USG123 audit Item #5 by participating in developing a formal SLA , refined support process, & documented Change Management & Software Development Life Cycle improvements
Document plan to address remaining open audit items
Agree upon design & artifacts for iterative process flow for DWH
Develop & implement mechanism for soliciting customer feedback related to the DMs

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

1B: In partnership with the Chief Data Office (CDO) and representative business and academic units, identify existing and necessary policies, methods and practices for Knowledge Management and governance to ensure data integrity, quality and relevance.

Data governance best practices in place
Functional area participation in data governance & metadata management /organizational awareness
Major policy area classifications
Number of DBA interventions to correct data defined
User group recommendations obtained
Governance group action items identified
Practices Identified to establish & maintain dependable sources for

Limited data policies defined; DED defined but incomplete
Data quality issues
Minimal data governance structure or policies
No metadata or metadata repositories

Establish & document IT data policies
Establish & document process for continuous review of IT data policies
Review data requirements needed to measure changes in retention & graduation rates
Define process for publication of DED
Define & publish process & responsibility for maintaining DED
In cooperation with appropriate authority, officially identify Executive Sponsor for DM/DWH

Establish annual review process for IT data policies
Establish & publish process for interacting with customers & stakeholders for new data requirements
Expand collaboration among analysts & data stewards to maintain DEDs
Develop mechanism for linkage of DED to existing policies, new policies & policy changes
Develop & implement communication plan for policy changes & DED linkages

Continue process improvements
Refine change management to deal with increasing demands from application system changes, database upgrades, regulatory mandates, new or modified business practices
Use group communication portals to create & publish dictionaries & policy references

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PLANS OF ACTION: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

MEASURES
standard & ad hoc reporting

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)
Submit proposals from functional areas for prioritizing missing topics, e.g., Admissions data, Financial Aid, Facilities, Distance Education

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)
Publish plan to expand data collections

1C: Provide a layer of information views that serve as a foundation for self-service reporting and presentation tools.

End-user report requirements defined
Customer satisfaction with utility of views/end-user reporting layer assessed
Process for establishing user access & assigning roles to key organizational & functional areas developed
Tools for self service deployed
User satisfaction with process for establishing & managing access to portals &repositories assessed
Documentation availability communicated
Discoverable data sources: reports libraries & dictionaries/FAQs/ created
Training availability communicated
Organizational awareness & participation assessed
Data models that span data marts identified

Minimal user requirements gathered; Initial reporting layer designed
Limited support for integration of data across marts
Inflexible architecture at warehouse level & database level-- broken views
Training not timely, not adequate
Limited documentation available vs documentation required

Implement process for gathering end-user requirements
Establish & document delivery of end user requirements phases
Map user requests to reporting layer
Design, develop & deliver end-user reporting layer
Develop & document process for establishing user access
Develop & document process for prioritizing & implementing report change requests
Train users & administrators
Implement Phase I end user requirements
Implement business manager control of refresh/update schedules on data models
Develop structure to govern prioritizing change control resource allocation

Establish & implement process for customer satisfaction survey
Implement Phase II end user requirements
Document, prioritize & implement subsequent end user requirements phases
Establish process for technology review & improvements
Use customer feedback on data requests to facilitate prioritization of data & data model changes

Goal 2: Establish a foundation for effective Knowledge Management in the future at the System and campus levels.

2A: Implement reliable data quality and integrity measures that support decision-making.

Number of problem tickets received
Number of direct data corrections to data stores required
Number of errors encountered in

Number of data problems too high
Too much time spent by technical resources correcting data problems
Edit process intended to cleanse data ineffective

Define metrics for data quality Define metrics for data load quality Apply metrics as part of design for new data architecture

Perform ongoing & periodic reviews of new environment using metrics defined
Report results

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)
Continue change requests Continue mapping change requests to change management process Investigate emerging technologies Implement regular assessment of change requests & survey results to improve overall customer satisfaction Implement predictive modeling support as standard service Develop aggregates & cubes that support refined key metrics reports dashboards & data visualization
Perform ongoing & periodic reviews of new environment using metrics defined Report results

May 2010

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

MEASURES
data store load processes from USG data sources reported

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

2B: Continue expansion of metadata to provide for consistent definitions of data, locations, content, and business rules for information reporting and analytics.

Metadata strategy developed

Metadata does not exist or is not used

Develop metadata strategy
Establish data characteristics, e.g., latency, granularity, duration, lineage

2C: Implement a reliable, extensible, and flexible architecture for data collection and management.

Design flexibility improved Editing processes improved ETL processes improved Operational data store created Data integration with institutional ownership preserved

Problems exist in current edit & ETL processes

Design flexible model for the environment at campus & USG levels
Create operational data store from current data sources
Build integrated edit process that preserves institutional data ownership

Implement improved ETL processes
Implement communication process between USO/ITS & institutions that supports ETL processes

2D: Identify data collection and integration sources and strategies to establish integrated Knowledge Management information repositories.

Appropriate data access defined & delivered
Data currency established & maintained
Vendor support currency reviewed & maintained
Information sources defined & documented
Robust reporting layer for access by toolsets created

Reporting layer does not exist; data access cumbersome & confusing
Data refresh requirements unclear or unmet
Vendor support currency driving aggressive timelines

Create reporting layer spanning operational data store & data warehouse
Partner with vendors to participate in product support plans
Identify sources of information requiring integration to serve decision-making data needs

Establish appropriate data refresh requirements
Implement appropriate procedures to maintain data & vendor support currency

Build data integration

Capability for longitudinal & other studies by providing for integration with data from external sources built

Build data integration capabilities to support partnerships with Georgia Department of Education, Technical College System of Georgia & other external entities

May 2010

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 3: Assess and continuously improve integrated Knowledge Management systems to maximize value.

3A: Create a mechanism for continuous review of the benefits and weaknesses of the integrated Knowledge Management environment in supporting decision-making needs.

Cost model created Benefits defined Usability evaluated

No focused & repeatable process in place
Improvements mandated or recommended as a result of various events such as audits & ad hoc customer requests
Improvements for source systems driven by vendor support & product improvement schedules; loosely governed by executive area USO sponsors

Establish & implement customer service & utilization assessment process
Build a cost model for centralized service

Plan & execute regular usability studies
Expand cost model to estimate System-wide costs
Investigate opportunity costs of shadow systems run on campuses &/or in USO; make recommendation re improvement to central service or cost efficiencies
Investigate costs of running duplicate KM applications & activities; make recommendations re improvement to central service or cost efficiencies to be gained USG-wide based on results
Assess status & results of training programs implemented to promote awareness & effective use of KM environment among end users

Investigate cost of analysis activities not served by knowledge management environment

3B: Create a mechanism for continuous review and advancement of the technical architecture supporting the knowledge management environment.

Performance optimized

Improvements defined by ITS data Implement, monitor & report

Modify metrics for new/changed TBD

Capacity evaluated
Availability at appropriate levels ensured
Adaptability at appropriate levels ensured

warehouse teams as part of their work but not supported by an organized governance process

system metrics for performance, capacity & availability
Implement, monitor & report metrics for speed & quality of completing change requests

architectures

3C: Create a mechanism for identifying future needs and emerging opportunities for innovation.

Mechanism for identifying future Improvements defined by ITS data

needs & emerging opportunities for warehouse teams as part of their

innovation created

work, but not supported by an

Review external environment "Starmap" (as opposed to

Charter a steering committee of constituent group representatives & USG experts in areas of

Review plans produced in FY11 & progress
Continue steering committee

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE
organized governance process

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)
roadmap) of future directions

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)
knowledge management, higher education, policy, etc.
Charge steering committee to implement a planning process that projects future needs & data uses
Charge the steering committee to implement a planning process to project future data analysis areas & methods, & appropriate toolsets

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)
meetings (twice a year?)

Goal 4: Offer, maintain and continuously improve centralized services in support of campus academic and administrative operations (e.g., Learning Management System, Library Information Management System, Student Information System, Financial Records Management, Human Resources Records Management, and associated integrations).

4A: Sustain and improve enterprise systems that provide a stable and robust foundation for business and administrative activities.

Number of technologies implemented as centrally-managed services validated
Number of technologies offered through System licenses validated
Customer satisfaction with centralized services assessed
Utilization of centralized services evaluated

Foundational services provided
Lack of clarity on balancing different needs for diverse campuses
No mechanism to support strategic alignment of services & funding
Few resources devoted to real innovation

Develop a clear service orientation for existing foundational services
Implement mechanisms for evaluating the value of services provided; develop these as inputs into IT Governance structure
Improve mechanisms for gathering & interpreting information about customer activities & resulting service needs, & develop these as inputs into IT Governance structure
Identify existing opportunities for sharing innovative solutions & research/development; facilitate awareness of these methods
Further develop strategic partnerships with primary vendors to enhance & improve foundational applications
Based on outcomes of service evaluations, recommend changes or enhancements for existing services to IT Governance

Establish innovation as performance evaluation criterion for ITS staff as appropriate
Define criteria for evaluation of innovations & technology advancements that should be considered in making decisions & share broadly
Conduct mission analyses to identify solutions for sharing innovative & emerging technology solutions & research
Define strategies for engagement of key constituencies in roll out of solutions that could be adopted System-wide
Act on proposals from IT Governance to plan for changes and enhancements identified

Share innovations in venues adopted for System engagement (seminars, conferences, etc.)
Share innovation activities of institutions or others for System awareness & engagement in venues in which ITS is a delivery sponsor or partner
Evaluate use of solutions & adoption of innovative approaches
Continue process of service evaluation, recommendation to IT Governance, planning, and action

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)
Develop mechanisms for integrating centrally-managed IT services with functional services provided by the USG Shared Services Center

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

4B: Develop and implement strategies that allow institutions to customize System-provided services to better serve institutional business and administrative goals.

Number of requests for customization addressed
Number of customized solutions offered increased
Number of customized solutions implemented increased
Impact of customization on centralized service delivery evaluated

Processes exist for identifying campus customizations to include in centralized models
Challenges exist with evaluating impact & value of customizations, & turning that evaluation into decisions to customize or not
Results in somewhat limited options to customize systems

Define technical & functional parameters that institutions can use to evaluate customization requests before submission to ITS
Identify & deploy low cost, low resource investment strategies for System implementation that allow for institution customization & deploy as appropriate
Develop process for evaluating need for & impact of customizations relative to application system upgrades

Evaluate & assess intake requests for patterns that might result in service opportunities for institutions
Evaluate customizations in terms of usage & satisfaction of institutions to determine continuation

Refine framework for offering & managing customizations as a part of the service model for central services

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: INFRASTRUCTURE

Information Technology Services

Infrastructure Plan of Action

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 1: Deliver robust, efficient, and effective technological services and solutions to the member institutions of the USG, GPLS, and other state agencies.

1A: Establish diverse PeachNet WAN connections for all USG sites to maximize availability.

Maximum % of compliance with diverse connections

Currently, 8 USG Sites have only one upstream PeachNet connection. Second needed to provide redundancy

Identify options for each institution Implement for five institutions

Complete implementation for the remaining institutions

1B: Anticipate future growth and proactively plan by enhancing external Internet connectivity with increased bandwidth and diversity.

Capacity & peers of our Internet connections increased

Currently PeachNet provisions 4.5 Gb of external Internet capacity with peering at two locations

Add at least one additional Internet Increase bandwidth to Southern

provider

Crossroads & Internet Exchange

connections

Add additional Internet peering location with at least one new Internet peer to core network

1C: Identify, evaluate, and provision a technical environment, including computing, storage, and network that will support the current and future USG services as determined by the application and services owners.

Minimum of one year technical environment capacity available at all times ensured

Currently ITS is provisioning the technical environments based on the current services
The current storage environment is at capacity & is aging & must be refreshed

Identify relevant technical environment performance statistics
Track/record relevant performance statistics over time

Perform projection of 3-year utilization & performance requirements for each major program area
Research & evaluate relevant solutions & their applicability to our requirements

Determine which specific solutions & technologies will be implemented
Execute acquisition
Build & execute migration plan

1D: Improve the service offerings and level of support within the virtual work environment supporting the University System Office and ITS.

Increased number of services &/or tools enabling increased productivity & efficiencies

Currently ITS provides a centralized domain, email & calendar service
In addition, ITS provides general LAN & desktop support

Implement self service capabilities enabling individual departments & end-users to manage their own content & data
Create a life-cycle refresh strategy that will keep individual working environments up to date with current technology standards
Implement a robust technical foundation supporting new tools &/or services within a collaborative work environment

Evaluate &update the life-cycle strategy
Evaluate & update the on-going awareness & training programs

Evaluate & update the life-cycle strategy
Evaluate & update the on-going awareness & training programs

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: INFRASTRUCTURE

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)
Identify & obtain in-depth training for current & future toolsets targeting staff responsible for enduser support
Identify & provide end-user awareness & training focused on the enhanced tool set being implemented

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 2: Strengthen IT management and service delivery through improved operational prioritization, efficient and cost-effective standardization, and innovative technologies and processes

2A: Evaluate and implement next-generation optical networking technologies to enhance and improve efficiencies on our fiber architecture.

Implement advanced network technologies & provision network capacity to meet peak load requirement over a three-year period

There are 12 discrete fiber optic networks that need redesign, equipment selection, & equipment upgrade

Complete network redesign & equipment selection for all 12 networks

Complete equipment upgrade for 7 Complete equipment upgrade for

networks

remaining 5 networks

2B: Implement advanced features and services within our virtualization environment for improved manageability and efficiencies.

Enhance the number of consolidated environments by reducing the number of physical platforms & increasing available capacity

ITS manages 24 virtual platform servers that provide over 80 virtual machines. 35 of these virtual machines run on non-clustered, standalone virtual platforms

Migrate approximately 15 physical servers slated for virtualization to the virtual environment
Migrate first third of non-clustered virtual machines to a clustered environment
Implement a single management system for the virtual environment
Provide training for all staff who participate in management of the virtual environment

Migrate second third of nonclustered virtual machines to a clustered environment
Implement a backup & recovery environment tailored for virtual machines (virtual machine quiescence, low-impact backups)

Complete migration of nonclustered virtual machines to a clustered environment

2C: Enhance our digital certificate management program to reduce the cost of certificates and allow greater flexibility for each of our campuses.

The measurement of success will We have an agreement with a

Estimate number & cost of current N/A

N/A

be the implementation of a

major certificate provider that

digital certificate base within the

management program that reduces allows us to purchase standard

USG, including specialty certificates

current cost & allows for more efficient management capability of digital certificates

digital certificates in advance, which we re-sell to University System institutions

Estimate growth of digital certificate usage

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: INFRASTRUCTURE

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)
Verify that the replacement service meets the requirements of greater flexibility & cost savings
Purchase & implement new service

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

2D: Identify and evaluate the potential to provision a highly scalable backup and recovery environment, focusing on business continuity and disaster recovery, which will support the current and future USG services as determined by the application and services owners.

The measurement of success will be the completion of the evaluation, purchase, implementation, & migration phases, as indicated by the target date details

ITS manages two major backup environments, one for each data center. These environments are in need of replacement, as they have been expanded over time & are now nearing their maximum capacity

Estimate % duplicated data within representative samples of our complete backup set
Research & evaluate current deduplication backup technologies & their applicability to our data
Research & evaluate current enterprise backup & recovery software offerings
Decide which specific backup & recovery technologies will be implemented
Purchase updated backup environment

Build host migration plan
Begin execution of host migration plan

Complete host migration plan & discontinue legacy environment

Goal 3: Improve fiscal management and strategies to move beyond sustainability into a proactive, innovative, and responsive environment that is not only sustainable but regenerative in that it can grow and evolve to support new and emerging information technology.

3A: Re-establish and validate the fiscal model and strategies that allow for proactive and responsive initiatives that provide valuable economies of scale and ROI.

Sufficient funding & prioritization to meet future customer requirements for technology & innovation

Current fiscal strategy provides adequate funding to service current debt, annual operational & equipment requirements associated with maintaining today's technical environment

Establish budget policy Create a fiscal roadmap

Quarterly project prioritization vetting
Cost-benefit analysis of all initiatives

Evaluate & update the fiscal roadmap proactively seeking opportunities to enhance current capacity &/or performance of the overall technical environment

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: INFRASTRUCTURE

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

3B: Identify opportunities to capitalize on strategic investments that lower the overall cost and/or significantly improve the capacity and performance of the infrastructure.

For those identified areas of investment, reduce overall cost while enhancing capacity & efficiency

ITS has identified several areas in the technical environments that are suitable for maximizing efficiency & minimizing investment

Identify & prioritize a list of potential acquisitions

Calculate cost-benefit & ROI

3C: Develop a strategic partnership with our vendors reflective of our collective purchasing power and responsive to the needs of the USG and its constituent institutions.

The number of contracts executed that reflect a reduction in total cost of operation for the USG

ITS has identified the opportunity to leverage the number of contracts (services, equipment, & software) that can benefit the entire USG

Execute VMware Enterprise License Renew PeachNet afterhours

Agreement

maintenance contract

Evaluate renewal options for Content Filtering contract

May 2010

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: SECURITY AND E-PRIVACY

Information Technology Services

Security and E-Privacy Plan of Action

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 1: Establish a USG governance structure for information security and privacy protection.

1A: Establish an information security and electronic privacy governance committee to assist and support the USG Information Security and ePrivacy program.

Information Security & e-Privacy Committee established & active

InfoSec seen as an IT issue only
No InfoSec & e-Privacy advisory committee

Establish information security & eprivacy steering committee charter
Recruit information security & eprivacy steering committee members from USO & external information security & privacy community
Schedule ongoing committee meetings
Report progress to USO senior executives

Committee to advise

Committee to advise

1B: Place the role and responsibilities for electronic privacy protection within the USG's Office of Information Security to develop appropriate electronic privacy policies, processes, and risk management strategies.

Expand role of USG Office of Information Security to include Electronic Privacy (USG Office of Information Security & e-Privacy)
Privacy compliance

No electronic-privacy office, role or responsibility designated
USG & GPLS constituents have no privacy compliance resource(s)

Assign role & responsibility for electronic privacy/protection to the USG Office of Information Security & e-Privacy
Develop electronic privacy strategy
Develop vision, mission & strategic priorities
Develop goals & objectives
Develop plan-of-action with milestones
Assess privacy compliance at USO, USG institutions & GPLS
Build a "privacy protection" web site for constituents

Develop electronic privacy protection policies, standards & guidelines in accordance with the following:
International Standards Organization (ISO) 27000
Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)
Control Objectives for Information & related Technology (COBIT)
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
Laws & regulations

Develop e-Privacy training modules related to best practices, national standards, laws & regulations

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PLANS OF ACTION: SECURITY AND E-PRIVACY

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 2: Implement a common security management framework for use by all USG institutions, System Office, and GPLS to ensure consistent, trustworthy information sharing, analysis, and collaboration.

2A: Develop System-level security and e-privacy policies, standards, and guidelines that support an agile, adaptable, and resilient digital infrastructure.

Adopted policy development standard/best practice
% Aware of adopted USG policy development processes
% Utilizing policy development standards & processes
Standardized IS policy development
Known security & e-privacy policy/standard baseline
Communications & training of the USO, institutions & GPLS on policy development policy & plan

No IT/IS policy baseline or minimum policies/standards
Inconsistent or non-existent information security management practices

Inventory existing USG/USO policies, standards & guidelines
Review USG/USO information security policy development processes
Solicit input & assistance from Information Security & ePrivacy Steering Committee, in the development of policies, standards, guidelines (utilize policy development processes)
Review & update existing policies, standards, guidelines
Develop a security & e-privacy policy, standards & guidelines baseline for USG
Develop training related to policies, standards, & guidelines

Conduct policy, standards & guidelines inventory & audit on USO, institutions & GPLS policies
Train USO, institutions & GPLS on IT/IS policy development
Train first 30% of IT & IS staff at institutions & GPLS
Evaluate training results

Conduct Information Security Maturity Model (ISMM) test
Train 30% of IT & IS staff at institutions & GPLS
Evaluate training results

2B: Establish and sustain an information security and e-privacy risk management (RM) & information security management system (ISMS) framework to provide assurance that information security strategies are aligned with business objectives and consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

ISMS framework adopted % staff trained

Security & e-privacy widely regarded as an IT issue only
Inconsistent or non-existent information about security management practices available
No formal information security management system adopted

Review & select ISMS for the USO:
International Standards Organization (ISO) 27000
Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)
Control Objectives for Information & related Technology (COBIT)
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)

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PLANS OF ACTION: SECURITY AND E-PRIVACY

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Risk management model selected USG model developed USG model disseminated

IT/IS risk management not part of life cycle for hardware, software, & services
Information security, privacy & risk management viewed as someone else's responsibility

InfoSec Steering Committee & USG InfoSec to lead constituents in selecting a nationally recognized risk management model

Develop a tailored USG risk management model based on a national model selected & made available to all USG institutions, USO & GPLS

Develop communications & training modules to support risk management model selected

2C: Assist all USG institutions and GPLS to select and implement a nationally recognized information security management system model and standards.

System-wide ISMS policies, standards & guidelines, utilizing known standard or best practices, implemented
ISMS policies & awareness
% trained

Inconsistent or non-existent information security management practices
Risk management not considered as part of information & information system life cycle
Information security, privacy & risk management viewed as someone else's responsibility

Develop ISMS awareness & training modules
Select & establish security domains & security control objectives that affect higher education
Certify USG OIS staff

Engage constituents in reviewing & selecting an ISMS: ISO 27000 FISMA COBIT ITIL NIST
Implement ISMS awareness & training for all institutions, USO, &GPLS
Train 30% USG OIS staff on ISMS

Continue training
Continue engaging constituents in review & selection of ISMS
Start certification & accreditation process
Continue certification & accreditation process

Goal 3: Provide USG Institutions, System Office, and GPLS with access to security and privacy solutions (policies, processes, technologies and awareness) that strengthen and fortify the USG's digital infrastructure.

3A: Establish standards and qualification criteria for the selection and hiring of USG's and GPLS' Information Security Officers (ISOs). Develop training programs to enable prospective and designated ISOs to achieve the necessary skills to consistently support institutions, System Office and library information security goals and objectives.

ISO job description standardized
ISO role & responsibility standardized for all institutions & GPLS
Standardized Information Security Officer training for all ISOs
ISO certification program

Information Security Officers or designees role & responsibilities not standardized
Re-active rather than pro-active stance
ISO role viewed as additional duties
Information security viewed as an "expense," not as investment

Establish USG ISO point-of-contact database (primary & backup ISO at each institution & GPLS)
Engage USG HR in developing ISO job descriptions
Develop ISO baseline courses: ISO in the Public Sector Building an InfoSec Program in
the Public Sector Risk Management in the Public
Sector

Review & update curriculum
Establish ISO training venue/method
Build an ISO curriculum & testing program
Vet & map ISO curriculum & test with national standards & best practices
Develop marketing & communications plan for ISO

Establish dates & times for ISO training Launch ISO training & certification program Test & measure

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: SECURITY AND E-PRIVACY

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)
Assess need/want for a cyber security & privacy leadership academy Train core instructors

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)
training

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

3B: Establish the USG Information Sharing and Analysis Center (USG-ISAC) web portal to provide a central resource for state government, institutions, and GPLS to share information on cyber threats to the USG's IT environment and its critical infrastructures.

Number & % of users

No available portal technology for securely sharing & analyzing security & e-privacy data
No secure & protected resources for exchanging email & documents between Federal, state & local governments
No secure communication resource available to the USO, USG institutions & GPLS
Risk in sharing information in insecure environment

Socialize the need with ISOs for the USG ISAC portal Open for sharing among USG ISOs & GPLS Load credentials into portal 100% utilization

Continue use

Continue use

3C: Develop and operationalize a USG Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) to improve cyber and information security attack identification, analysis, and response in a coordinated and efficient manner across institutions, GPLS, and the System Office.

Standardized computer security incident response & handling processes in place
Technology utilized to locate & identify risks/threats

Computer security incident response & handling is ad-hoc
Widespread Incident Response inconsistency & reactive posture
Incident response metrics not developed
No data/computer forensic tools

Revise/update existing USG computer security incident response policies, standards, processes & guidelines
Randomly select USO, USG institutions & GPLS for tabletop testing of their Incident Response policy & plan
Communicate & train USO, institutions & GPLS on computer security incident response & breach notification policy & plan
Develop Incident Response metrics

Form a System-wide CSIRT utilizing USG InfoSec trained & certified staff
Deploy CSIRT when necessary
Monitor & test compliance with metrics
Build a data & computer forensic capability (training, software, hardware,& tools)

Conduct Information Security Maturity Model test
Monitor & test compliance with metrics

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PLANS OF ACTION: SECURITY AND E-PRIVACY

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

3D: Develop and deploy specialized security and privacy training and certification courses for ISOs/point-of-contact, IT program managers, systems architects, developers, system/network administrators, and other stakeholders involved in significant IT capital, renewal, acquisitions or upgrades, and management.

% of users trained annually in rolebased security awareness, training & education

No low cost security awareness, training, or education solution available
Information security viewed as an "expense," not as investment
Information security, privacy & risk management viewed as someone else's responsibility

Establish security awareness, training, & education policy & plan
Design security & privacy awareness & training program
Develop awareness & training material
Implement program
Evaluate & measure training effectiveness

Launch awareness, training & education for the following:
Awareness training for all users (100%)
Security & Privacy training for all users involved with IT/IS systems (100%)
Training for IT/IS specialist & professionals (100%)

Revise curriculum

3E: Develop and deploy a Managed Security Services (MSS) program to provide specialized information security and electronic privacy services to USG institutions, System Office, and GPLS.

Lower number of vulnerable systems
Standardized encryption key management established
Lower % of un-patched systems throughout the USG

Gaps in governance, risk & compliance
Risk management not considered across life cycle of information systems
Information security viewed as an "expense," not as investment
Information security, privacy & risk management viewed as someone else's responsibility

Conduct vulnerability scanning , sensitive data compliance scan & network mapping
Establish encryption key management & repository service
Establish computer security incident response consulting service
Deploy asset tracking & recovery service
Launch online cyber security & ePrivacy training: All-Users Executive Management IT/IS Staff

Provide InfoSec consulting to USG institutions & GPLS
Offer data & computer forensics examination consultation
Investigate whole disk, file, mobile device & email encryption
Engage constituents in business continuity/disaster recovery planning consultation
Provide system-wide assurance team (SWAT consulting)
Explore centralized personally identifiable information finder service

Centralize software patch management Conduct IT/IS risk Assessments Deploy remote software Evaluate centralized anti-virus, antiphishing, anti-spyware, and intrustion prevention service

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: SERVICES

Information Technology Services

Services Plan of Action

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Goal 1: Build a customer-centric culture that sustains and consistently improves the quality of existing and new IT services.

1A: Develop and sustain customer engagement strategies resulting in improved IT services.

Number & % of institutions participating in decision-making teams
Number of teaming opportunities for decision-making

Limited data available

25% of institutions participate in decision making teams associated with contracts considered
Increase opportunities for teaming

50% of institutions participate in decision making teams
Increase opportunities available for teaming

60% of institutions participate in decision making teams
Increase opportunities available for teaming

% customer participation

Customer involvement in Mission Analyses, SLG, & SLA recently initiated

Institute new procedure to include customer representation in Mission Analysis & SLA
100% Mission Analyses & SLAs include customer representation in development process

Customers participate in SLG revision
100% Mission Analyses & SLAs include customer representation in development process

100% Mission Analyses & SLAs include customer representation in development process

Customer Relationship

No data yet

Management (CRM) role developed

Establish CRM account representatives to focus strategically on institutions & USO

Grow CRM role & investigate tools to provide deeper knowledge & information

Implement needed CRM tools

Information gathered Customer satisfaction measured

No data

Define a process to engage System Office in identifying & evaluating areas of need where IT services could increase productivity & improve efficiency

Engage System Office in identifying & evaluating areas of need where IT services could increase productivity & improve efficiency

Engage System Office in identifying & evaluating areas of need where IT services could increase productivity & improve efficiency

Sponsor involvement Increased

Current understanding of relationship & roles is not always clear

Redefine relationship & communication process with program sponsors
Establish annual status/training session for sponsors

Evaluate & refine process
Hold annual status/training session for sponsors

Evaluate & refine process
Hold annual status/training session for sponsors

Customer satisfaction survey for all services
Customer satisfaction ratings tracked longitudinally for all services to ensure that satisfaction levels increase & exceed customer expectations

Limited available data

Develop & implement annual customer satisfaction survey
Analyze & publish survey results
Based upon results, recommend changes & improvements for systems & services

Revise & conduct annual survey of services
Analyze & publish results & changes over time
Based upon results, recommend changes & improvements for systems & services

Revise & conduct annual survey of services
Analyze & publish results & changes over time
Based upon results, recommend changes & improvements for systems & services

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USG IT Strategic Plan 2010

PLANS OF ACTION: SERVICES

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Quarterly performance against Service Level Guidelines (SLG) published
Number of proactive outbound contacts to customers

Snapshot against performance SLG at June 30, 2010

Implement customer call back before ticket closure to assess quality of resolution & service
Publish quarterly SLG metrics & adjust for improvements

Improve service process & quality from call backs
Publish quarterly SLG metrics & adjust for improvements

Publish quarterly SLG metrics & adjust for improvements

1B: Implement continuous process improvement strategies to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery for our customers.

Operational metrics for stakeholders (total number of change requests & status)
Performance metrics for USO stakeholders

Basic change management process Analyze & improve change manage- Ongoing change management

in place

ment process

process improvement

Ongoing change management process improvement

Helpdesk case management system Helpdesk case management system Upgrade Helpdesk case manage-

remains in sync with vendor

requires upgrade for vendor

ment system

support roadmap

support

Upgrade Helpdesk case management system
Investigate organizational efficiencies

Upgrade & enhance Helpdesk case management system

What-if scenarios based on resource capacity implemented
Resource utilization measurements

Current ITS project & portfolio management tool does not include effort tracking

Implement new effort tracking & project & portfolio management tools in ITS

Extend portfolio management to additional groups in ITS

Evaluate outcomes & enhance functionality

Project prioritization for decision making in use
Comprehensive dashboard for operational status & planning

No integration between current case management & project & portfolio management tools

Design & develop central repository for integrating data from case management & new project & portfolio management tools

Evaluate & modify central repository as needed

Number of projects requiring Mission Analysis
Number of project managers available
Number served & number not served

Currently, insufficient resources to assign project managers to every project requiring Mission Analysis

Evaluate resource demand & supply for all projects requiring Mission Analysis
Assign resources as available
Obtain training for new project managers

Evaluate resource demand & supply for all projects requiring Mission Analysis
Assign resources as available

Evaluate resource demand & supply for all projects requiring Mission Analysis
Assign resources as available

Number of projects & programs requiring support Number of resources available Number served & not served

Currently, insufficient resources to assign technical communicators to every project & program
Resources not available for new projects on the calendar, e.g.,

Define request process for communications expertise & assignment
Evaluate resource demand & supply

Evaluate resource demand & supply
Assign resources as available

Evaluate resource demand & supply
Assign resources as available

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PLANS OF ACTION: SERVICES

Information Technology Services

MEASURES
Style guide developed Quality assurance process implemented % new employee participation in orientation program Number of requests incoming & status Outcomes
Training budgets with appropriate vendor, national benchmarks, & peer standards compared % of staff trained
Usage of self-service access Satisfaction Automated inventory and tracking of assets implemented

BASELINE
video, social networking, accomplishments materials, interactive web materials, branding project, web site redesign No standard across program & project areas for communications
No data
No data
Snapshot against performance SLG at June 30, 2010 Limited data on staff training activities Inventory business analysts & technical support skills
No data

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)
Assign resources as available Obtain training
Develop communication standards, consistent set of methods, & quality assurance process for all services
Analyze & revise customer service request process
Provide customer service & project management training for all ITS employees Analyze personnel skills to improve performance & address customer needs Design & develop mechanism to track skills & training Implement tool for self-service access to services & information for decision making

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)
Use communication standards, consistent set of methods, quality assurance process for all services
Develop a comprehensive employee orientation & mentoring program for new hires
Evaluate & assess intake requests for patterns that might result in service opportunities for institutions Analyze & revise customer service request process to accommodate customization requests
Provide customer service & project management training for all ITS employees Analyze personnel skills to improve performance & address customer needs Analyze & improve tracking mechanism
Grow & enhance self service access with new services & dashboards

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)
Evaluate & revise standards, methods, & QA process
Evaluate training outcomes & modify program Continue process improvement reviews
Recommend training identified to keep staff current Provide customer service & project management training
Grow & enhance self service access

Limited inventory of assets

Implement asset management module of the case management system

Evaluate and revise as needed

Evaluate and revise as needed

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PLANS OF ACTION: SERVICES

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

1C: Provide and continuously enhance a range of communications using methods so that customers can acquire and use the innovative services they seek in an appropriate, efficient, and effective manner.

Identification & deployment of a communication plan for ITS services
Feedback routinely collected on effectiveness of communications by type, tool, service, institution, & department

Inventory of current communication methods by service area

Use existing communication methods
Develop new communication plan for services
Assess new tools for just-in-time information

Implement new communication plan & tools for just-in-time information to communicate ITS services
Develop online contacts database for managing campus contacts
Integrate contacts database with communications methods

Use communication plan & tools for just-in-time communication
Develop, publish, & maintain a repository of applications for sharing across the USG

Annual number & listings of the following:
Service reviews in progress or completed with ITS departments, institutions, or USO
Service offerings discontinued
New services under development or completed for ITS departments, institutions, or USO
Service calendar published with end-of-life phase-out dates for old services & phase-in dates for new

Limited data available

Identify life-cycle service calendar needs by working with customer groups

Continue service reviews & new service development with customers
Develop life-cycle service level calendar

Continue service reviews & new service development with customers
Publish life-cycle service calendar

Web-based catalog of all services developed
Number of web services catalog accesses by service tracked

No service catalog available

Identify ITS services to compile a services catalog

Publish ITS service catalog

Expand, enhance, revise, & maintain a current ITS service catalog

New web sites implemented

Current web site in need of major revision & move to content management system
Current brand well known

Redesign & develop new content for public web site in web content management system
Develop & promote organizational brand
Create branding plan

Implement branding plan
Evaluate & sustain
Design & develop collaborative sites to replace current program area sub-sites
Design & develop collaborative intranet

Evaluate & sustain Implement branding plan

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PLANS OF ACTION: SERVICES

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

Accomplishments materials delivered on schedule

Overall accomplishments doc not published for several years
Annual GaVIEW accomplishments

Create master schedule for servicespecific accomplishments materials
Begin producing accomplishments materials

Continue producing accomplishments materials

Continue producing accomplishments materials

Entries Usage determined by access Benefits through survey

Currently no database

Implement database for managing vendor contracts, renewals, training, & new services indexed for quick retrieval

Develop online contacts database for managing campus contacts
Integrate contacts database with communications methods

Develop, publish, & maintain a repository of applications for sharing across the USG

Goal 2: Enhance the ability of the System Office and the institutions to improve the quality of services that they provide to their customers.

2A: Provide outstanding online and face-to-face training opportunities that maximize customer benefits.

Number of customers trained by service, institution
% of customers for satisfaction with training content & delivery
Number & % of course improvements implemented
Training needs solicited from customers appropriate to the current budget climate & training budget
Customer satisfaction ratings tracked longitudinally for all training metrics to ensure that satisfaction levels increase & exceed customer expectations

List of training opportunities for each service

Identify training offerings by service area & format
Solicit training needs & develop an appropriate training strategy given the budget
Implement consistent training strategy for 10% of service areas
Evaluate & revise training

Implement consistent training strategy for 40% additional service areas
Solicit training needs & develop an appropriate training strategy given the budget
Evaluate & revise training

Implement consistent training strategy for remaining 50% of service areas
Solicit training needs & develop an appropriate training strategy given the budget
Evaluate & revise training

Number of participants Variety of offerings Training evaluations

Minimal training offerings available

Identify training offerings for System Office
Solicit training needs & develop an appropriate training strategy given the budget
Evaluate & revise training

Solicit training needs & develop an appropriate training strategy given the budget
Evaluate & revise training

Solicit training needs & develop an appropriate training strategy given the budget
Evaluate & revise training

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PLANS OF ACTION: SERVICES

Information Technology Services

MEASURES

BASELINE

FY 11 (TARGET DATE)

FY 12 (TARGET DATE)

FY 13 (TARGET DATE)

2B: Advance best practices based on national standards and benchmarks to measure institutional and System performance and set future goals.

Comparison with selected benchmarks

Campus Computing Survey data Educause Core Data Survey data USG University Benchmarks for IT data

Re-engage ACIT in benchmarking discussions Define value of benchmarking data Re-visit standards that should apply to USG & institutions Identify appropriate sources

Collect & analyze data Report & disseminate findings

Repeat process & refine reporting

2C: Leverage project management and customer service resources to make consultation and customization available to the System Office and institutions to increase their ability to provide direct services to their customers.

Number of requests Quality Assurance ROI

Limited services available to System Office
No services offered to institutions

Evaluate need for customized services
Determine resources needed & cost
Plan pilot project

Pilot project Evaluate outcomes & ROI Make adjustments to plan as needed

Implement if successful

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FINAL THOUGHTS

FINAL THOUGHTS

Information Technology Services

By continuing to work together with our customers, we can anticipate future needs and employ innovative IT tools to sustain and enhance services to the University System of Georgia.
Six priorities--IT Governance, Collaborative Learning, Knowledge Management, Infrastructure, Security and Electronic Privacy, and Services--define the USG's goals and strategies for action related to IT. We have developed these priorities by engaging System leaders, our partner institutions, libraries, state agencies, and other academic, business, and IT leaders in our collaborative planning process. These IT priorities are an essential means to achieving the goals articulated in the USG Strategic Plan.
We have defined IT goals and objectives that we expect to accomplish within the next three years. We have established our expectations, and we have proposed measures of accountability for those expectations. We have taken the first steps toward Engaging our Customers, Anticipating the Future, and Embracing Innovation. We have renamed our organization Information Technology Services to emphasize our new strategic direction. However, we are not finished with our work.
We must continue to engage our customers as we establish the tactical steps required to realize tangible benefits in the near term from our plans. Despite limited resources, we must continue to work together to make strategic decisions and investments that renew our technology infrastructure and also sustain and enhance services to our constituents. Together, we must continually assess our progress and evaluate the outcomes and success of our plans.
Our initial efforts during the first year of this plan's implementation will focus on the following critical areas:
We will re-examine our processes with our customers and optimize those processes by employing a framework built on mission analyses, service level agreements, and strategic roadmaps.
We will strengthen our data resources to ensure that the data can be translated into information that is useful for institution and System decision-making.
We will develop a strategic plan that will transform distance education in Georgia.
No set of goals and objectives is ever complete, but strategic planning structures our priorities and creates the capacity for growth. The USG IT Strategic Plan 2010 communicates standards for accountability against which we can measure, but more importantly, it increases our readiness to confront challenges and take advantage of opportunities. The strategic planning process that we have undertaken is the necessary preparation for us to do our part to Transform the System, Change Lives, and Strengthen the State.

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ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Information Technology Services

APPENDIX A: ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

ACIT

Administrative Committee on

Information Technology

ISAC

Information Sharing and Analysis Center

BOR

Board of Regents

ISMS

Information Security Management System

CDO

Chief Data Office or Chief Data Officer

ISO

Information Security Officer

CIO

Chief Information Officer

ISO2700

International Standards Organization 2700

CISO

Chief Information Security Officer

IT

Information Technology

COBIT

Control OBjectives for Information and related Technology

ITS

Information Technology Services

CRM

Customer Relationship Management

ITIL

Information Technology Infrastructure

Library

CSIRT

Computer Security Incident Response Team

L6S

Lean Six Sigma

DBA

Data Base Administrator

LMS

Learning Management System

DE

Distance Education

MSS

Managed Security Services

DED

Data Element Dictionary

NIST

National Institute of Standards and

Technology

DM

Data Mart

OIIT

Office of Information and Instructional

Technology

DWH

Data Warehouse

OIS

Office of Information Security

ETL

Extract, Transform, & Load

QoS

Quality of Service

FAQ

Frequently Asked Question

RACL

Regents' Academic Committee on Libraries

FISMA

Federal Information Security Management Act

RACDE

Regents' Administrative Committee on Distance Education

GALILEO

Georgia Library Learning Online

RACSA

Regents' Administrative Committee on Student Affairs

GIL

GALILEO Interconnected Libraries

ROI

Return on Investment

GKR

GALILEO Knowledge Repository

RM

Risk Management

GOML

Georgia ONmyLINE

RPA

Research and Policy Analysis

GPLS

Georgia Public Library Service

SLA

Service Level Agreement

GSFC

Georgia Student Finance Commission

SLG

Service Level Guidelines

IIT

Information and Instructional

Technology

SRS

Software Resource & Services

IRP

Institutional Research and Planning

USG

University System of Georgia

IS

Information Security

USO

University System Office

WAN

Wide Area Network

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NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

Information Technology Services

APPENDIX B: NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Information Technology Services

APPENDIX C:

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
This section will increase the reader's understanding of the environment and the rationale for a new IT strategic plan.

Building on our Past

This graphic illustrates some of the many instructional and administrative functions and enterprise technologies that must work together seamlessly in the Integrated Learning Environment.

The history of IT in the USG can be traced through earlier documents, strategic plans, and fact sheets. Those documents are available for those interested in knowing more. Learning Without Limits
(2002) OITPlan Implementation
Long-Ranged Plan (Appendix B, LWOL, 1989 1990) Remarks at Ribbon-Cutting in Athens (2004) Welcome at Ribbon-Cutting in Athens (25 Year Historic Overview, 2004) Facts from ITS
May 2010

The previous IT Strategic Plan, Learning Without Limits (LWOL), developed in 20012002, emphasized delivery of comprehensive technology resources, services, and solutions; it was built on the following five basic goals that defined the direction of IT in the USG: Enhance student learning Expand reliable and secure access to information and services Increase customer focus Ensure continuous innovation Effectively and efficiently plan and manage IIT operations
These goals focused on the USG's needs at the time, and OIIT provided Systemwide leadership to develop and support an extensive portfolio of applications and services needed to build the Integrated Learning Environment in the USG.

OIIT's primary focus was to build and sustain a secure technical architecture to support ongoing services, functions, and activities that facilitated instruction, research, and service. The USG IIT mission was to deliver comprehensive technology resources, services, and solutions to USG students, faculty, staff, and Georgia residents and to provide system-wide leadership through dynamic policies and practices, accountability, and stewardship of resources. Value was based primarily on the following factors:
Economies of scale and efficiency were achieved by negotiating lower contracts for hardware, software, maintenance, and support costs and by leveraging resources across the System.
Standardization of business processes and technical operating practices increased security and reliability and reduced risks. Services were provided one time for many institutions rather than many times individually for each institution.
A higher baseline level of services was offered than some institutions could provide independently (e.g., learning management system, electronic library services and library management system, administrative services, security, reliability, application support).

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Athens Facility Vista Learning Management System
PeachNet Network Infrastructure February 2010 For larger map, see Appendix B.
May 2010

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Information Technology Services

Following are some selected highlights resulting from LWOL:
20032008 PeachNet extended communication and collaboration capabilities significantly through
the USG fiber initiative, video, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and avoided cost increases. The infrastructure established connectivity to Internet 2 and increased network reliability by building redundant network loops. USG Incident Response Plan, online security awareness courses, Security Intrusion Prevention Project, and revised campus security plans implemented. Daniells Bridge Road facility and data center opened in Athens (2004). Centralized hosting of USG's Learning Management System (LMS) with major upgrade to Vista established a high quality, consistent set of educational tools while maintaining the greatest degree of institutional control and customization to accommodate demand.
GALILEO (GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online), Georgia's Virtual Library for USG, technical colleges, private colleges and K-12 schools, added searching and linking capabilities that leveraged content in resources and customization. Hosted the New Georgia Encyclopedia and redesigned and expanded the Digital Library of Georgia.
GIL (GALILEO Interconnected Libraries) implemented GIL Express so that students can easily access all USG libraries and receive unique resources from them. GIL user group moved online.
System-wide administrative applications (e.g., Banner, PeopleSoft Financial and Human Resource Management Systems, Data Warehouse) standardized to manage and integrate complex IT functions, create efficiencies, reduce costs, and provide decisionmaking information for institutions, System, state agencies and Federal reporting.
IT Project Management Office established to institute best practices that increase efficiencies for the organization and System.
The Helpdesk provided single point-of-contact support, developed first Service Level Guidelines, and began offering Certified Support Center Analyst and Certified Help Desk Manager training.
System-level software and vendor contracts negotiated for cost avoidance, efficiency, and economies of scale.
In partnership with the Georgia Student Finance Commission, GAcollege411 launched a powerful website to help Georgia students plan, apply, and pay for college. (2005)
Georgia ONmyLINE (GOML) launched; increasing access to and supporting crossinstitutional online programs.
Office of Information Security established to defend and protect confidentiality, integrity, and availability of USG information and information systems.
20092010 PeachNet currently at 2700 route miles of fiber connecting 29 of the 35 USG
institutions, as well as additional USG sites.
Funding reductions lead to furloughs and cancellation of travel, training, and conferences. Georgia Summit combined with Rock Eagle in 2008. Both live conferences cancelled in 2009. Annual three-day System-wide computing conference (nearly 100 presentations replaced with one-day virtual conference (15 presentations).
27 institutions offer nearly 3000 courses and more than 150 degree programs ranging from associate level to education specialist degrees through Georgia ONmyLINE.
Growth in use of GeorgiaVIEW learning management system by students, faculty, staff, administrators, and others to 292, 828 active users and 28,864 active sections fall 2009.
Web content management system implemented for USG websites. Case management tools implemented to manage and track work requests, helpdesk
issues, change management, and asset management. GeorgiaFIRST PeopleSoft Financials databases consolidated. Management of Human Resource Management System moved to Shared Services
Center and outsourced to ADP (Automated Data Processing, Inc). Planning and development for new USG IT Strategic Plan initiated.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Understanding our Present

Information Technology Services

At 302,000 students, 40,000 more students are enrolled at USG institutions than 3 years ago. A new IT strategy will address growing needs using innovation to stretch limited resources.
More information about the assessed needs of the state, details of the USG's plan to meet those needs, and the System's progress in doing so is available in the following documents: USG Facts USG Strategic Plan and
Annual Reports USG State of the System
2010 Principles to Guide
Innovation
May 2010

In the time since the 2002 USG IT Strategic Plan was drafted, the USG has grown and changed dramatically, and the focus in IT has shifted from providing applications and solutions to providing customer service based on increased engagement and collaboration with constituents.

In 2007, the Board of Regents of the USG acted to meet current and future state needs by approving a new strategic plan to strengthen the System and the state. The 2007 USG Strategic Plan, Transforming the System, Changing Lives, Strengthening the State, focuses on increasing the USG's capabilities to meet the needs of Georgia and transform the lives of future generations of Georgians. Six strategic goals shape this plan: Goal 1: Renew excellence in undergraduate education to meet students' 21st
century educational needs.
Goal 2: Create enrollment capacity in the University System to meet the needs of 100,000 additional students by 2020.
Goal 3: Increase the USG's participation in research and economic development to the benefit of a global Georgia. Enhance and encourage the creation of new knowledge and basic research across all disciplines.
Goal 4: Strengthen the USG's partnerships with the state's other education agencies.
Goal 5: Maintain affordability so that money is not a barrier to participation in the benefits of higher education.
Goal 6: Increase efficiency, working as a System.
All of these goals rely on innovative, robust, reliable, and secure technological and decision-support services and applications in order to meet their related objectives successfully.

Now, the USG is facing tremendous challenges and pressures caused by a combination of economic and social conditions. More students than ever before are enrolled on USG campuses and in online programs and courses, but fewer dollars are available for classrooms, instruction, research, and support services. The USG confronts both record demand and record budget cuts; current enrollment is 302,000--40,000 students more than three years ago, and the state funding formula is now 30,000 students behind. The USG budget has declined severely, including institutional and System allocations for IT.

IT and human interaction with IT have also changed radically since LWOL was drafted in 2002. Students today are continually connected to the Internet, social networks, and each other; they have instant access to global information, resources, communications, and social networking (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, wikis, blogs, and text messaging). Handheld devices have replaced backpacks. Given the revolutionary changes in IT and the exceptional growth in the USG, it is time to develop a new strategic plan that realigns us with both current System goals and the changing IT culture.

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RESOURCES

Information Technology Services

APPENDIX D: RESOURCES
Facts from OIIT, an archive of information sheets about IT initiatives and activities related to the 2002 Strategic Plan. http://www.usg.edu/oiit/publications/
IT Strategic Planning 2010 Website. http://www.usg.edu/oiit/strategic-plan/
Learning Without Limits, The Information and Instructional Technology Strategic Plan for the University System of Georgia (2002). http://www.usg.edu/usgweb/iitsp/documents/docs/Learning_Without_Limits_4_1_02.pdf
OITPlan, Implementation Long-Ranged Plan (Appendix B, LWOL, 19891990). http://www.usg.edu/usgweb/iitsp/documents/docs/Learning_Without_Limits_4_1_02.pdf
Principles to Guide Campus-Level Innovation (2010). http://www.usg.edu/news/release/regents_approve_new_principles_to_guide_campuslevel_innovation/
Remarks at Ribbon-Cutting in Athens (2004). http://www.usg.edu/oiit/strategic-plan/uploads/thursbyribboncuttingremarks.pdf
Welcome at Ribbon-Cutting in Athens (25 Year Historic Overview, 2004). http://www.usg.edu/oiit/strategic-plan/uploads/steedoiithistory.pdf
USG Facts. http://www.usg.edu/news/usgfacts/
USG State of the System 2010. http://www.usg.edu/chancellor/speeches/chancellors_state_of_the_system_address_2010/
USG Strategic Plan and Annual Reports. http://www.usg.edu/strategicplan/

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Information Technology Services

"Creating A More Educated Georgia" www.usg.edu