Wk14 Developing an It Strategy

8/6/2019 Wk14 Developing an It Strategy

1/19


2/19

What is a Strategy?

From the New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary:

The art of a commander-in-chief; the planning and directionofthe larger military movements and overall operations of a

campaign; an instance or variety of this;

The art or skill of careful planning towards and advantage or adesired end; an instance of this, a stratagem;

In game theory, business theory, etc., a plan for successfulactionbased on the rationality and interdependence of the

moves of opposing or competingparticipants.


3/19

Why develop a Strategy?

GIFT scenarios

Getting requiredSPACE

Approval forSTAFFING and otherRESOURCES

Getting required

FUNDING

Getting SUPPORT

from management

FINGER POINTING

scenarios

Setting a DIRECTIONfor IT in your unitSetting a DIRECTIONfor IT in your unit

Getting requiredSPACE

GIFT scenarios

FINGER POINTING

scenarios

Approval forSTAFFING and otherRESOURCES

Getting required

FUNDING

Getting SUPPORT

from management


4/19

Environmental Features

You may need toconsider...

But sometimes you willfind...

Overall strategy of the organisation Poorly defined

Management structure Often no complete formal structure,or many small caveats

Financial / budgetary model Cloaked approach / hoarding ofauthority

Existing IT strategy Systems have usually evolved on aneeds must basis rather than byplan


5/19

First draft 5. Write the first draft

Skeleton 4. Sketch out a skeleton document

Research 3. Gather all required information

Context 2. Relate to existing environment

Goals 1. Identify purpose of your strategy

How to develop a strategy


6/19

Who to involve

Who is on your side? Get themonboard;

Find people who are respectedwithin your organisation;

Potentially difficult people involvement early on can defuse

trouble later

but be aware of dynamics

Consider who the strategy willbe presented to. Whose support

will count?


7/19

What to include: content

Skills / training

Printing

User services Servers / software

Workstations /software

Research staff

Students

CD-RW /scanners / etc

Administration

Conferences /guests


8/19

What to include: content (2)

Finances

budgets

schedule of expenditure

mechanism of funding

Service levels

core services?

additional services?

Links to otherdocumentation

IT policies eg. AUP,

SITSAP

Code of practice

Disciplinary procedures


9/19


10/19

Potential Pitfalls and Gotchas

too much

detail

boring

too littledetail

obscureterminology

personal

hobby-horse

fixedorganisational

policies

the

wreck

er


11/19

How to layout: BME

A

D

G H J

E F

CB

BEGINNING

MIDDLE

END


12/19

How to layout: client groups

A

D

G H J

E F

CB

STUDENTS ACADEMICS ADMIN.


13/19

How to layout: crisis topics

A

D

G H J

E F

CB

CRISIS

CRISIS

CRISIS


14/19

Tips and Wrinkles

Use the word DRAFT!

Bounce the first draft offsomeone outside the

organisation (eg. a friend);

Be willing to amend the firstdraft;

Allow people to make an input

(or at least think they can);

He who wants to get his own way prepares the first draftHarold Wilson

It was Harold Wilsons doctrine that you should always write the first draftbecause that gave you control of what came out in the end;


15/19

Tips and Wrinkles (2)

Put tables, figures, charts in

an appendix, and include aglossary;

If possible, provide a 1 pageexecutive summary;

Use pictures where theyexplain better than words;

Keep it focussed: use the

SMART1 target paradigm;

Speak with accountant etc

beforehand;

Carve out time (4 days of

elapsed time?);

Be persistent.

1 SMART: Specified, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based


16/19

Useful References

University IT strategy: http://www.ox.ac.uk/it/strategy/

IT Strategic Framework 2000 (Appendix III) Suggested

guidelines for divisional / departmental IT Strategieshttp://www.ox.ac.uk/it/strategy/2000/it014.htm

IT Strategic Framework 2000 (Appendix V) College IT Services

and Facilities (really a policy document!)http://www.ox.ac.uk/it/strategy/2000/it016.htm

Advice on writing a strategy

http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/aa/landt/ltcom/advice.htm


17/19

Making a resolution

Please turn back to the person you spoke to at the start of this

session, and let them know:

1) Do you intend to put together a strategy?

2) If so, then what steps are you going to take?


18/19

What am I going to do now?

TARGET: write down

one important thing youwant to get out of a

strategy;

SPEAK: with someone

on your side aboutwishing to draw up an

IT strategy;

HEADINGS: List themain headings you

want to use;

TIME: be sure to setaside some time

book it in your diary.


19/19

[email protected]

[email protected]

Wk14 Developing an It Strategy

Documents