1. IT Investment Proposals may be identified through a number of avenues including but not restricted to: 

• Unit initiatives
• Infrastructure planning and renewal processes
• Special funding opportunities 
• Research activities

2. IT Investment Proposals may come from individuals, units, committees and other groups within Memorial.

3. If an IT Investment meets any of the current criteria set by the IT Governance and Collaboration Council (available here), an IT Investment Proposal shall be completed and submitted to the Office of the CIO during the academic and administrative budget planning process. The proposal will include:

• Description of the IT investment
• Business need and benefits
• Stakeholders involved in the implementation as well as impacted by the rollout
• Strategic impact and alignment to university priorities
• Timeline constraints
• Funding requirements and availability

4. The template for completing the IT Investment Proposal is available here. Proponents completing IT Investment Proposals may consult with the Office of the CIO for advice or guidance on preparing an IT Investment Proposal or on whether one is required.

5. IT Investment Proposals are initially assessed by the Office of the CIO with the proponent to determine whether an existing solution exists. If an existing solution cannot be found, the assessment will determine the technical and IT resource requirements to proceed. The Office of the CIO may seek input from one or more of the governance committees, as appropriate.

6. Proposals are selected and prioritized by the IT Governance and Collaboration Council based on criteria including but not limited to: 

• Legislative compliance 
• Alignment with university priorities and needs 
• Duplication of business solution
• Funding availability (one-time and ongoing)
• Implementation effort
• Resource availability 
• Benefits of solution 
• Institutional risk

7. IT Investment Proposals for the non-administrative, intellectual conduct of research shall not be assessed and prioritized in the same manner as other IT Investment Proposals. IT Investment Proposals for such research activities shall include the IT requirements to determine feasibility and to assist researchers with appropriate planning.

8. If the Total Investment Cost exceeds $2,500,000, Board of Regents approval is required and considers the review and advice of the IT Governance and Collaboration Council and endorsement of the President's Executive Council (PEC). The Vice President (Research) may deem research investments funded from external grants to be excluded from requiring approval from the Board of Regents. However, this does not exclude research investments with IT requirements that meet the criteria from being reviewed through the IT Governance and Collaboration Framework.

9. If the total investment cost is between $1,000,000 and $2,500,000, PEC approval is required and considers the review and advice of the IT Governance and Collaboration Council. The Vice President (Research) may deem research investments funded from external grants to be excluded from requiring approval from the PEC. However, this does not exclude research investments with IT requirements that meet the criteria from being reviewed through the IT Governance and Collaboration Framework.

10. Following IT investment proposal approval, the proponent works with the Office of the CIO to determine the technology solution, if it has not been identified. During this process, business requirements are reviewed, existing potential solutions are discussed, data requirements are identified, and the end-user experience (if relevant) is determined. Additionally, a technical, operational and compliance review takes place to ensure the technology solution aligns with Memorial’s IT and information management environment. During this process, relevant security, cloud and privacy assessments are completed; network requirements and integration requirements determined; licensing requirements and budget identified; and a plan for technology sustainability developed.