IT Programme Board

To ensure we maintain excellent visibility of all significant IT projects, that we can understand current priorities, resource requirements and monitor progress against plans both within a project and, significantly, between and across the major projects, the IT Steering Group (ITSG) has established a University IT Programme Board (ITPB).

A Programme is a set of inter-related or coherent projects which have a common purpose - in this case to deliver the IT Strategy of the University. The Programme Board will be chaired by the Director of University IT and the Chair will report to the ITSG. The ITPB will meet regularly to ensure it is sufficiently responsive to the business needs of the University. The approach will also involve obtaining the regular input from academic administrative and IT staff from across the whole University.

Remit

Purpose

The programme board will provide oversight of the IT Programme (comprising IT and associated projects across the University).  The ITPB will play a proactive role in business case assessment, project initiation and progress and delivery of expected benefits throughout project and programme lifecycles.

Specific responsibilities:

• To act as the gateway for Preliminary Business Cases for all projects with a significant IT element and as the nominated channel for reporting progress of these projects to senior stakeholders in the University.
• In consultation with other relevant department s(e.g. SPCU), to review and agree the process by which the University initiates and approves IT projects (approval and review of Project Initiation Document)
• Delivery of the IT programme in support of the IT Strategy;
• Keep the programme plan under review, assessing new project proposals as documented within business cases and make recommendations to ITSG regarding approval and scheduling of projects;
• Review of the programme mandate, programme brief and associated documentation;
• Make recommendations on optimum utilisation of the programme budget;
• Make recommendations to ITSG regarding adjustments to the programme plan and budget within the approved budget envelope;
• Sign off the completion of each project, including the deliverables;
• Communicate information about the programme to ITSG and stakeholder groups as necessary;
• Review programme progress reports, project plans and programme risks/issues;
• Setting of priorities and management of risks and issues between projects which need the input and agreement of senior stakeholders to ensure successful resolution;
• Escalation of issues to ITSG where these cannot be satisfactorily resolved by ITPB;
• Review the process for quality assurance of project outputs;
• Reporting decisions and other matters to ITSG.

IT Programme Management Office

The IT Programme Management Office (PMO) provides support and advice to the overall programme and the individual projects of the programme in order to ensure successful delivery of projects. The PMO is led by John Kelly, the IT Programme Manager. It will establish a project methodology, making clear for each project: what the project is about, who is in control, timelines, risks, benefits and key stakeholders.

The PMO monitors all IT-related projects and developments to provide an important oversight of IT activity on a University-wide scale. The PMO also provides a body of Project Management resource for IT.