Information Technology Project Approval

Principle:

Memorial University encourages the usage of standard and integrated information technology to support and enhance operations and management. The university strives to ensure that information technology projects are compatible with existing hardware and software, are cost and energy efficient, well organized, highly visible and accessible to the university community.

Purpose:

To ensure:

• university units maximize the use of existing university-owned information technology infrastructure to satisfy their requirements before new solutions are acquired or created
• information technology projects are properly authorized and structured to maximize the likelihood of their success
• that the university community is aware of all information technology projects

Scope:

All university units for information technology projects with a cost exceeding $100,000 including initial acquisition costs and annual vendor maintenance costs over five years. The Vice President (Research) may deem research projects funded from external grants to be excluded from this policy.

Definitions:

Information Technology Project - Information technology is the application of computer, communications and software technology to the management, processing and dissemination of information. Information technology projects (IT Projects) may include, but are not limited to:

• the acquisition/upgrade or development of software
• the acquisition/upgrade of networking technology
• the acquisition/upgrade of computers and related hardware
• the acquisition/upgrade of telephony equipment
• the acquisition of IT-based processing and services (e.g. engaging a company to analyze business requirements, install and/or provide on-going operational support services for software or hardware, host software applications on a mainframe computer or other computing platform)

Information Management Committee (IMC) - Committee comprised of senior university administrators and technical advisors that provides governance in information technology related issues. The committee is co-chaired by the Vice president (Administration and Finance) and the Vice President (Academic) and reports to the university's Senior Executive.

Project Sponsor - University official(s) with custodial responsibility for the unit that wishes to undertake an IT Project.

Project Technical Authority - University official(s) with technical responsibility for the IT Project, typically a director, dean, executive director or principal of units with inherent information technology and project management expertise.

Project Funding Authority - University official(s) with financial responsibility for the IT Project, typically the President, vice president, director, dean, executive director or principal.

Project Operational Authority: - University official with responsibility for the day to day operation of the information technology that is to be acquired as a result of the IT Project, typically a director, dean, executive director or principal of units with inherent information technology expertise.

Developer/Contractor - The external organization or university internal unit contracted to provide and/or develop and install the information technology.

Project Steering Committee - Entity formed to set overall project direction, ensure IT Project direction is consistent with management goals and objectives, maximize functional user involvement, review and resolve business issues, participate in periodic status reports and monitor project performance.

Technical Project Manager (Contractor) - Individual(s) responsible for the day-to-day execution of the project from the Project Technical Authority's viewpoint, including leadership of the project implementation team.

Business Area Project Manager (Sponsor) - Individual(s) responsible for the day-to-day execution of the project from the Project Sponsor's viewpoint with particular focus on requirements definition and quality assurance, including coordination of the Sponsor's project activities.

Policy:

• An IT Project with expected total project costs, including initial acquisition costs and annual vendor maintenance costs over five years, of over $1,000,000 must be reviewed by the IMC who will make a recommendation to the Board of Regents regarding approval of the project. Authority to proceed rests with the Board of Regents
• An IT Project with expected total project costs, including initial acquisition costs and annual vendor maintenance costs over five years, of between $500,000 and $1,000,000 must be reviewed by the IMC who will make a recommendation to the Co-chairs of IMC regarding approval of the project. Authority to proceed rests with the Co-chairs
• University units wishing to undertake an IT Project with expected total project costs, including initial acquisition costs and annual vendor maintenance costs over five years, over $100,000 and up to $500,000 must prepare a summary of the requirements to be satisfied and expected outcomes for review and comment by the IMC.

Projects under the scope of this policy must include a review of functionality resident in existing campus information technology infrastructure to determine if it can be used as a solution.

Related Documents:

Appropriate Use of Computing Resources Policy

Computer Standards - Hardware Policy

Computing and Communications - Security

Computing and Communications - Policies and Documents

Computing and Communications - Project Management

Data Removal Policy

Limitation of Liability with Respect to Computing Facilities Policy

Privacy Policy

Purchasing Policy

Records Management Policy

Surplus University Property Policy

Telecommunications Policy

Wireless Networking Policy

Procedures

• Procedure For Approval Of An Information Technology Project With Expected Total Project Cost To Exceed $500,000
• Procedure For Information Technology Projects With Expected Total Project Cost Between $100,000 And $500,000