Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Makerere University
Vision
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE 1
1.1 Introduction 7
1.2 Identified ICT Services and Information Systems 7
1.3 Policy Summary 8
1.4 Related Requirements 9
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6.1.5 Ownership 29
6.1.6 Hire of External Expertise 29
6.1.7 Service Levels 29
6.2 Core ICT Management Functions 29
6.2.1 End User Support Services 29
6.2.2 Operating System and Network Management 30
6.2.3 Data Base Administration 31
6.2.4 Configuration Management 32
6.2.5 Security and Auditing Services 32
6.2.6 Technology Planning 32
6.2.7 Support Functions 33
6.3 Outsourcing Policy 34
6.4 Make or Buy Policy 34
6.5 Relationship with End Users 34
6.6 Director, DICTS 35
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PREFACE
Any modern institution of higher learning is critically dependent on the smooth
functioning of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and ICT services.
Smooth functioning and running can be assured only if establishment, operation and
extension of ICT and ICT enabled functions is effected within a clear policy
framework that takes full cognisance of the institution's overall strategic goals.
Makerere University recognizes this critical need and has therefore agreed to establish
its ICT Policy, as detailed in this document, comprising the university general vision
of the role and nature of ICT in its functions. It outlines:
1) the anticipated ICT services that are considered of strategic relevance to the
University
The ICT Policy, reflected in this document, is the result of a university-wide needs
assessment, careful feasibility studies, and careful decision making by the University
management. The ICT Policy, by virtue of its approval by the University Council, can
be considered the primary guide for structured ICT implementation planning and
decision making in the next five years.
Like other resources (such as staff, capital, and facilities) ICT and ICT services and
systems require planning, monitoring, controlling, and staffing. The development of a
general policy for assimilating ICT and ICT services into the institution’s operations
has grown steadily more important. To be effective the policy planning process must
deal simultaneously with the realities of the institution’s organizational culture,
general planning culture, existing technologies and systems, and the relevance of ICT
to the institution’s general long-term goals. Some major reasons for integral ICT
policy planning are:
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their long training cycles restrains ICT developments and requires that
planning priorities be established.
In this document ICT policy comprises contents and functionality aspects, process
aspects, and the resource aspects of ICT.
Contents and functionality aspects reflect what ICT systems should do for the
institution, which services they provide and/or data they contain. The process aspects
describe how, when and in which order particular ICT services should be
implemented. They describe the courses of actions to be undertaken in order to
design/develop/implement the systems. They also describe how and by whom the
development process should be organized, controlled and monitored (project
management).
The resource aspects realistically specify the various resources, which are required
for actual implementation, deployment and operational management of ICT services
and systems. Initially, resources are expressed in equipment, software, network,
documentation, and human capacity/expertise. Generally, these immediate resources
are translated into financial requirements (in terms of investments and operating
costs). Resource planning not only specifies what is needed but also how and when
financial consequences can be funded.
Strategic relevance
The strategic impact of ICT and services may vary among institutions and, over time,
within an individual institution of higher education. ICT may be more significant to
some functions within the university than to others. This notion of differing strategic
relevance is critical to understanding the wide diversity of potential practices that can
be used to integrate ICT within the university. It emphasizes the relevance of clear
and timely high-level decision making on ICT subjects and the availability of long
term (strategic) ICT development plans.
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To provide support from the total institutional point of view, ICT must focus first on
the University general long-term objectives, thereby supporting the University’s
overall strategic planning. In other words the ICT policy has to be synchronized with
the institution’s critical success factors and directed towards accomplishing the
institution’s long-term goals.
ICT responsibilities
The following tasks constitute the central core of ICT responsibilities, the minimum
for managing the long-term ICT policy:
- Develop procedures that ensure that, for potential ICT projects, a comparison
is made on internal development versus purchase.
- Maintain an inventory of all installed or planned-to-be-installed ICT services.
- Develop a set of standards that establish:
o Mandatory communication standards.
o Documentation procedures.
o Data dictionary.
o Operating systems.
- Identify and provide appropriate ICT management staff career paths.
- Prepare detailed checklists of questions to be answered in any
hardware/software acquisition to ensure that relevant technical and managerial
issues are raised.
- Identify and maintain relationships with suppliers.
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- Establish education programs for (potential) users that communicate both the
potential and the pitfalls of modern ICT and that define the users’ roles in
ensuring its successful introduction.
- Establish an ongoing assessment/review of ICT services and systems for
determining which ones are obsolete and should be replaced/redesigned.
User responsibilities
To assist in the orderly implementation of ICT services and grow in an understanding
of their use, cost, and impact on the institution, the following responsibilities should
be fulfilled by the (potential) users of ICT services:
- Clearly understand the scope of all ICT services supporting the user.
- Realistically appraise the amount of user personnel investment that will be
required for each new project.
- Ensure that comprehensive user input takes place for all ICT projects.
- Periodically audit the adequacy of systems, system standards, performance,
and adequacy of security procedures.
- Participate in the development and maintenance of the institution’s ICT policy
that sets new ICT priorities, and evaluates a portfolio of projects.
Direct and active participation from senior management (general and departmental)
must be a continuing process. Taking into account the substantial impact on
operational and managerial processes and the substantial funds needed to develop and
sustain the projected systems, ICT Policy must receive the full support from general
management.
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and the standards for its quality of service. The central question for both senior
management and ICT management is whether the current ICT developments and
operations effectively support the institution.
ICT can and will change the way in which an institution of higher education
functions. Implementation of ICT is not simply an introduction of new technology, but
a complete re-thinking of how the institution's functions are achieved. Success only
comes when people are able and willing to change (renew) their working habits and
thinking processes. Without this change of thinking and doing when new technology
or new ICT services are implemented, technical success is likely to be accompanied
by organizational failure.
The order in which the planned ICT services and systems will be implemented is
largely dependent on the nature of and the relationship between the different ICT
systems and services. For example: a central Student Records System can only be
accessed by remote users if appropriate connectivity services (Campus and Local
Area Networks) are provided between the central database server containing the
Student Records and the remotely located users´ desktop computers. To understand
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the point in time at which a particular ICT service and system can/must be
implemented, the essential relationships with other systems are mentioned but not
elaborated.
The first section is this Preface, giving the background and the rationale for the policy
and master plan decisions presented in this document. Chapter 1 gives a summary,
condensing all the policy statements relating to each ICT systems, services or
processes.
Chapter 3 presents the anticipated ICT services and systems, regarded as of strategic
importance to the University in the short and long term. It defines the major
functional characteristics of the ICT services/systems, critical implementation
decisions (issues), and operational and deployment essentials. The information
systems discussed are the Library Information System, the Academic Records
Information System, the Financial Information System, and the Human Resource
Information System.
The Master Plan, giving the schedule of implementation and full documentation of the
expectation for each service or system, is detailed in Annex A, while Annex B gives
the concept drawings of the networks for the different campuses as well as data about
the LAN segments.
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This chapter contains policy statements on ICT services and information systems that
are of strategic importance to the university. The concise description of the essential
functional requirements, as well as the relationship with other systems and services,
are given in the later chapters. Detailed functional descriptions, the most essential
resources, and the essential implementation strategies are given in the Master Plan
(Annex A).
The university ICT Policy anticipates the implementation of the following ICT
services and information systems as well as related implementation, operation and
management issues:
1.2.2 Internal and external E-mail and Access-to-Internet services at all workplaces
embodying general internal and external information provision through
Internet/Intranet technology (Web based information services).
It must be noted that the university ICT policy does not explicitly include specialised
applications supporting teaching processes (Computer Aided Learning) and
professional applications to be used in specific educational and scientific fields, such
as CAD/CAM. Neither does it include specific applications for research purposes.
These classes of ICT applications are assumed to be the responsibility of the faculties
concerned. It is however part of the University's policy to:
1.2.9 Ensure that all end users are equipped with the necessary level and variety of
skills to facilitate their functions.
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In addition, the University has addressed the following issues at policy level:
1.2.10 Sustainable management of ICT resources that takes into account the interests
of all users
1.2.11 Sustainable funding
1.3.3 It is the University Policy to promote office computing in all offices. In this
text the term office computing is used for the application of ICT, mostly desk-
top computers, to support general office tasks. This applies to lecturers,
researchers, managers, as well as to secretarial and clerical workers. Major
office computing applications are: word processing, electronic mail,
spreadsheet processing, document storage and retrieval, desktop publishing,
access-to-internet and intranets.
1.3.4 It is the University Policy to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of
library operations and services through the implementation of an integrated
on-line Library Information System (LIBIS).
1.3.5 It is the University Policy to enhance and streamline student education related
administrative and managerial processes and to improve academic reporting
facilities at both central and faculty level through the implementation of an
integrated Academic Records Information System (ARIS).
1.3.7 It is the University Policy to enhance and streamline the human resource
management and administrative processes through the implementation of a
Human Resource Information System (HURIS).
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1.3.8 It is the University Policy in the broadest sense to promote the deployment of
ICT in all areas of education and research through creating technical and
organizational preconditions.
1.3.9 It is the University Policy to ensure and require that all students, academic
staff, administrative and support staff, and managerial staff are trained on a
continuing basis to equip them with the requisite skills to fully exploit the ICT
environment in their different functions
1.3.11 It is the University Policy to provide for the growth and financial sustainability
of its ICT resources through appropriate funding and operational mechanisms
ICT services and systems will become inherent in the university’s educational,
research, administrative, and managerial processes. Each individual ICT service and
system as such places demands on the:
1.4.2 Staff resources during implementation stage. This will involve Makerere staff
as well as local and foreign expertise
1.4.4 And the operational ICT management environment during and after
implementation.
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• The back-end email server application that forwards messages from the sender
to the receiver. Messages are stored until delivery, and a translation facility
allows users of different email systems to exchange message. In general, the
email server application requires one or more dedicated computer(s). Email
server software is available as part of modern server side operating systems or
may be acquired from specialised vendors.
This is (or becomes) one of the most valuable communication services for institutions
of higher learning. It provides access to a wealth of information sources, located on
computer systems around the world. In the university Access-to-Internet includes the
following components:
Intranet Services include facilities to design, develop and store information formatted
as web pages and make them accessible through the LAN of the institution, while
Internet services publish information on the World Wide Web. In general, both
services use similar software and hardware technology.
Intranet Services may be used for on-line publication of parts of corporate databases,
maintained by systems like FINIS, LIBIS, ARIS and HURIS. Further, in an academic
environment Intranet Services are applied to access course manuals and other study
and research documentation.
The administration of all users, employees, guest accounts and others as well as
students is tedious work. In order to handle the large numbers at Makerere University
(more than 20,000) there should be one user database, for the university common
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system. The database contains general information on each employee such as name,
department, addresses, phone numbers, email address, web-address and so forth. For
students, as an example, names, addresses and departments/courses are collected. The
information on students is imported from ARIS while the information on employees is
imported from HURIS. Information about visitors would be provided by the different
departments.
The database will generate information to digital catalogues such as web- and e-mail
catalogues as well as to printed catalogues of different kinds. Last but not least, basic
information will also be generated to the authentication system, containing user-id and
password including the accounts for different systems. For the students, this means
that the same account/e-mail-address and user-id can be used for the length of the
program. The account automatically expires when the student is no longer active in
ARIS. In the same way, expiry of employee accounts will be flagged by HURIS.
Figure 2.1 shows a schematic of the email and internet/intranet access data base
management system (DBMS).
Figure 2.1: Email and internet/intranet access data base management system
It is the university’s policy to promote office computing in all offices. In this context
the term office computing is used for the application of ICT, mostly desk-top
computers, to support general office tasks. It does not only apply to clerical and
secretarial work, but also to the office work of managers, researchers and lecturers.
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It is the University Policy to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of library
operations and services through the implementation of an integrated on-line
Library Information System (LIBIS).
The anticipated Library Information System will integrate the following functionality:
Implementation issues
As part of the implementation process, there will be a lot of effort and high costs
required in converting current manual files into computer files. This process involves
a considerable amount of staff time for weeding, inventory, revamping circulation
procedures. Serious consideration will be given to out-sourcing this function.
Academic Records Information System (ARIS) is the generic term for the collection
of ICT services designed to support student and education related administrative and
managerial processes. These include: management of student personal records,
student academic performance registration and analysis, student admission/
registration, examinations, management of data related to academic programs and
courses, allocation of facilities and staff, class scheduling.
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Implementation issues
Though not as critical as the LIBIS problem, there will be need to convert all
students’ records from the time the institution started operating to computer files.
Serious consideration will be given to use of temporary staff or out-sourcing this
activity.
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• Debt management.
• Cash management.
• Foreign aid management.
• Revenue management including assessment of financial needs, collection of gifts,
determination of tuition fees, government appropriations, contracts and grants,
investments, sales.
• Expenditure management including authorization of expenditures, personnel
costs, vendors, awards.
• Personnel cost administration (payroll).
• General Ledger.
• Budget Ledger.
• Commitment Ledger.
• Accounts Payable.
• Account receivable.
• Fixed assets management.
• Inventory Control.
• Cost accounting functions.
• Financial analysis and (Web technology based) reporting capabilities.
Implementation Issues
Traditionally most financial management tasks are centralized. Partly due to the
availability of computer networks and modern distributed financial information
systems a trend to decentralizing certain financial management tasks is apparent. The
University management is aware of this inevitable trend. They may decide, as part of
the system’s implementation process, to change/redesign administrative procedures
and even to decentralize certain financial management tasks and responsibilities. The
introduction of a computerized financial information system may require fundamental
reforms of functional processes or methods such as the introduction of an appropriate
budget classification system. Makerere has already started operating decentralised
financial management functions, and should therefore easily adapt to the required
changes.
A university spends over 70% of its financial resources on personal emoluments and
the university must concentrate its efforts on effective management of its employees
for optimum returns on its investment in human capacity. The university’s objectives
will be realised only through proper human resource management as a pre-requisite
for providing its primary services, education, research and dissemination of
knowledge, and for managing other resources.
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Personnel data makes up the bulk of data in the core data base, linked to other activity
areas such as Payroll, Human Capacity Planning and Welfare. A major objective of a
Human Resource Information System will be optimisation of a scarce and expensive
resource.
A policy element the university has to address at a higher level is the establishment of
a guide about the acceptable relative sizes of academic (line function) and
administrative (support function) staff. This will also be reflected in the financial
outlays for the core versus the support functions in the university.
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It is the University Policy in the broadest sense to promote the deployment of ICT in
all areas of education and research through creating technical and organizational
preconditions.
It is the University Policy to ensure and require that all students, academic staff,
administrative and support staff, and managerial staff are trained on a continuing
basis to equip them with the requisite skills to fully exploit the ICT environment in
their different functions
(a) All students in all faculties are required to take the prescribed introductory level
module(s) that will be credit carrying modules within twelve months of first
registration.
(b) All staff recruited into positions above M.. are required to demonstrate the
prescribed level of competence before formal appointment.
(c) Before appointment to Assistant lecturer level, academic staff are required to
demonstrate the prescribed level of competence in technology enhanced
interactive learning techniques. Staff already at or above this level will be
required to acquire the prescribed competence by the end December 2002.
(d) It is required that each faculty, school or institute has at least 1 computer per 5
students enrolled for undergraduate degree and postgraduate diploma courses,
and 1 computer per Masters or PhD student, by the end of December 2002.
Knowledge and skills for the development and implementation of ICT services and
systems and for the use and management of these systems is very limited in both
academic and administrative areas. Consequently, staff training in use of ICT services
and systems, development of ICT professional skills, and appropriate (project)
management capacity are regarded high-priority goals of the university’s ICT Policy.
In line with the implementation of the different ICT services and systems,
considerable knowledge and skills have to be developed among the end-users so that
they are able to:
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Training shall be provided to cover, as far as possible, all skill levels. While it is not
intended to turn all users into experts, it is important that the training plan supports all
users at all levels. It would be inadequate to only support the least advantaged group,
as that would have the undesirable effect of creating a great mass of ‘average’ users
with no experts. The need for experts is never diminished.
The short- and medium-term goals shall aimed at creating, as rapidly as possible, a
sizeable proportion of staff who are familiar with, and able to effectively use the ICT
infrastructure in their daily work. At the end of the first phase of the training, the
University expects that:
• All students and staff at all levels are able to use standard application packages
(word processors, spread sheets, data bases) as well as email and the Internet.
• Administrative chores like calling meetings and distribution of minutes and other
documents are handle via email
• Students and staff interact more using online message boards, email, and online
discussion fora. The traditional modes of interaction (notice boards, circulars)
should be replaced for most activities.
Training Resources
In order for the above to have a good chance of being effective, the University needs
well-equipped training facilities. At the moment there are a number of computer labs
scattered around the University that could be used for CBT. However all of them are
lacking in some respect or other. Two fully equipped training centers will be set up at
the University, to be used as needed for training purposes. The centers, to be owned
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To better support learning, online applications for user support will also be developed.
These will include moderated online discussion fora where users can ask questions,
share ideas and solutions and basically keep in touch; online manuals and Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ) lists. This approach will enhance information sharing as well
as increasing user familiarity with using online resources.
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The chapter documents the ICT policy decisions made on the required functional
structure of the university’s data communication network. This provides a planning
framework enabling the network planners to design and implement a consistent and
flexible corporate DC infrastructure, meeting the collective DC requirements inherent
to the agreed ICT applications and services. It also provides a global picture of where
major servers are located, the segmentation of the building networks for each
building, the principles of the intra-campus network and major characteristics of the
inter-campus links for each campus. The actual geographical and technical details of
the network nodes shall be decided during the implementation phase.
For each one of the university campuses the campus backbone will project what will
be defined as the entry points for the area networks. The area networks will be
connected to the campus backbone. The area network interconnects the different
buildings within the defined area. Within each building a structured cabling system
will be installed. The campus backbone network will consist of buried fiber-optic
cables, although microwave systems may also be used. The area network connecting
the various buildings will also be a fiber optic network.
Figures B.2, B.3, B.4 and B.5 in Annex B respectively show the main backbone
schematics for the Makerere University main campus, Faculty of Medicine, Makerere
University Business School, and Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute
Kabanyolo. For the main campus, there will be a ring starting at Physics, through the
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Main Library, Senate Building, the Institute of Computer Science (ICS) Building
(when constructed), CCE, and Back to Physics (Figure B.2).
When planning the fiber structure for the campus backbone and area networks, they
may both benefit from one and the same trenching. Fig B.6 shows a typical area
network schematic.
The main subdivision of the area network system into Local Area Networks (LAN) is
identified. For each building the number of connection points (wall sockets) in
various sections (rooms, floors) is identified. Where necessary, links to major data
processing nodes (e.g. database servers) as well as network requirements, which differ
from general standards, are shown explicitly.
Table B.1 in Annex B identifies and shows the assumed primary users of each of the
identified LAN segments. It shows the estimated number of communication outlets
per segment or (if relevant at this stage) per room; bandwidth requirements if different
from the general standards; type of DC node to connect the LAN segment to the
building wiring system (building backbone); and specific functional requirement if
appropriate. It must be noted that this situation is true at the moment of the policy
decisions. One of the first activities of each network implementation effort is to
verify whether this table is still in accordance with the current and expected situation
particularly related to the usage of the connection points.
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It is the university policy to design and implement all network segments under a
single project management structure. However, the timing of those components of
the infrastructure, which are a prerequisite to particular services or systems, must
be synchronized with the implementation process of those services or systems.
The network design and implementation process of the university computer network
should be flexible enough to take advantage of future changes in technology options,
to incorporate unforeseen changes in communication requirements and to adapt to
unexpected changes of the timing of the implementation of services and applications.
The University’s ICT Security Policy is the collection of rules by which people who
are given access to the University’s information technology and data must abide. The
main purpose of a security policy is to inform and guide users, staff, and managers of
the requirements and their obligations in protecting technology and information
assets. Security is not an activity that is over once it is done right the first time.
Rather, it is an iterative process, continually improving on what already is being done
and what has been done. Implementation of security measures is not organized as a
project, but as a permanent set of tasks integrated in the Information Resource
Management function (Chapter 6).
Several characteristics are associated with an effective and feasible ICT security
policy:
• Implementability.
• Enforceability.
• Privacy.
• Access.
• Accountability.
• Response.
• Flexibility.
• Sustainability/Maintainability.
• Networks will be built entirely with switches since this nearly eliminates the
possibility for users of “snooping” accounts and passwords from the net.
• All links between switches will be optical fiber.
• Encrypted communication methods (like ssh instead of telnet, https,.....) will
be used by all university critical systems (eg financial, student databases and
so on).
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This chapter focuses on the university policy concerning the management and
maintenance of the University’s ICT resources.
It is the University Policy to provide for the growth and financial sustainability of
its ICT resources through appropriate funding and operational mechanisms.
The University has decided on the following general policies for the development of
appropriate Information Resources Management (IRM) capabilities. The general
policy includes short-term IRM policies, long-term IRM policies and ownership
policies.
• Monitor and control the progress of all activities arising from the
implementation of the University’s ICT Policy;
• Monitor and control the progress of the development of DICTS (See 6.1.2)
• Allocate resources according to the agreed master plan
• Budget for the cost of management, operations, maintenance and
expansion through the university budget
• Recommend proposals for cost-recovery and cost-sharing
• Determine /approve ICT Policy adjustments arising from technology
trends or new visions and strategies.
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The ICT Steering Committee (ICTSC) will take up the role of ICTIC after the
major systems envisaged in this policy document and the master plan have
been established. ICTSC will be a Council Committee with appropriate
academic, administrative and student representation. The Director, DICTS,
will be the secretary to this committee.
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6.1.5 Ownership
Owners are allowed to hire certain support services from external professional
providers only if cost-effective and if the expertise involved is not (yet)
available in the University and will (cannot) not be developed by DICTS.
Service levels of the IRM department will be determined in line with the ICT
services/systems provided and related service level requirements.
TABLE 6.1
ICT MANAGEMENT: PRIMARY SERVICES
End user support services cover advice, consultancy, and support in all matters
associated with access to and use of network infrastructure and various ICT services.
1
FTE means Full Time Equivalent
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A central help desk will be established as a point of contact, staffed by personnel who
can give immediate support or can refer to specialists.
The central helpdesk will act as the focal point for all problems, questions and
incidents and will be responsible for dispatching of incidents to the technical
specialists. Relevant posts in this organisational unit are: Application Programmer,
End-user Liaison, Office Automation Specialist.
The tasks of this centralized group of specialists focuses on the day-to-day operations
of computers (both common data communication servers and dedicated database
servers) and the data communication network (both active components and cabling
systems). Furthermore this unit includes acquisition and maintenance of these
computers, communication systems and system software. The ability to monitor and
control operations centrally depends on the availability of advanced system
management and monitoring tools. Major tasks are:
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Important positions to be developed in this unit are: System Programmer and Data
Communication (network) Specialist.
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As the size of the networks grows, configuration NMS, along with other centrally
organized management tools (security, accounting, and performance tracking) are
becoming more important. In a distributed systems environment it will be impossible
for system and network managers to perform these tasks on site due to travel time and
expenses. Automating the procedures is a natural and cost effective step.
Technology planning for ICT operations is the process of ongoing review of potential
opportunities of enhancements and obsolescence. The scope and effort of this task is
determined by the nature and the state of the ICT and ICT services in the institution.
To be effective, this activity must involve experienced, imaginative staff. The unit
searches for innovative services on ICT or major improvements to be implemented.
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The major position in this organisational function is the ICT Engineer. Specific
expertise will be gained from the database administration and systems operations unit.
The objective of the review is to determine –relative to available systems- how cost
effective and adequate for improvement the existing deployed technologies are. The
review should generate an update priority list of technologies to be considered.
In order to better define the architecture of future ICT and ICT services, the planning
activity may include field trips to vendors, educational sessions, and pilot studies as
vehicles for obtaining an understanding of new and emerging technologies.
Steering General
Committee Management
Head
of
Department
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Owners of ICT and ICT services in the different faculties and departments are
allowed to hire certain support services from external professional providers only if
cost-efficient and if the expertise involved is not (yet) available in the university and
will not be developed by IRM.
For each ICT service or application the university management will take the decision
whether it should be developed ‘in-house’ or acquired from external sources based on
the following key considerations.
Key factors that favor the make decision include the following:
• A customized ICT application or service that is totally responsive to the
institution’s very specific needs.
• Increased ease in developing software due to the growth of Rapid Application
Development tools and systems.
• Ease of adapting software to rapidly changing user needs without having to co-
ordinate the requirements with vendors.
• Developing professional competence in software development.
Key factors that favor the buy decision include the following:
• ability to gain access to specialized skills that cannot be retained or for which
there is insufficient need to have continuously available.
• Cost. Building software is still extremely costly.
• Staff utilization.
• Ability to make short-term commitment for ICT development support instead of
having to make major investment in staff recruitment and professional training.
The relationship between end-users and ICT professionals has proved to be a source
of conflicts. Clear organizational structuring, specification and consolidation of tasks
and responsibilities, formalizing communication (for instance through help-desk), and
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The status of the Director, DICTS, must align with the role that ICT plays in the
university. He/she is involved in the strategy-formulating process of the institution. In
an institution for higher education, where ICT has strategic importance, a low-status
ICT manager (low-status in reporting level and/or compensation) has difficulty
getting the necessary information from general management level in the strategic
planning process and aligning ICT policies with the vision of general management
and general strategies.
It is the university’s vision that the Director, DICTS should be placed at a hierarchical
level at least equal to that of the Librarian or Director Planning Department, hence
he/she will report to the Vice Chancellor.
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