Management Update

Purpose

To review and coordinate the progress of the IAT Website & Online Services Project at senior management level and make/approve required decisions and actions.

Attendees

John McFadyen, Phillip Rutherford, Mohammed Al Nayedi

Agenda

Item	Activity
1	Review & update on current progress of all project initiatives. (a) Confirm scope of all project activities and how they fit into overall strategic ICT plans. >project list >online systems (b) Discuss project management and communication. Establish regular Directorate management meetings if desired. >project communication & groups (c) Review and finalise project plans and timeframes. >all project plans
2	Progress new IAT website. (a) Overview of new website development plans & activities. >website plan outline >website project (b) Summary of feedback and reviews of existing sites and organisation needs. >feedback & reviews (c) Discuss involvement of staff and required resources. >website resources (d) Establish desired formal project team meetings. >website project groups (e) Discuss key issues & alternatives and make decisions. >key issues (f) Run through examples and approve finalized requirements and priorities. >requirement scope (g) Confirm recommended approach to development (system choice, setup arrangements, prototype creation). >website plan >emirates skills
3	Progress new IAT intranet. (a) Overview of new intranet development plans & activities. >intranet plan outline >intranet project (b) Summary of feedback and review of existing intranet usage and needs. >feedback & reviews (c) Discuss involvement of staff and required resources. >intranet resources (d) Establish Dept representatives and formal project team meetings. >intranet project groups (e) Discuss key issues & alternatives and make decisions. >key issues (f) Run through examples and approve finalized requirements and priorities. >requirement scope (g) Confirm recommended approach to development (system choice, setup arrangements, prototype creation). >intranet project
4	Summarise Agreed Actions & Outcomes. (a) See IAT Website decision summary below. (b) See Intranet decision summary below.

IAT Website Approved Decisions

1. Confirm website plan, timeframes and project management.
2. Define target audiences and level of information & services to be delivered. Resolve key issues & alternatives.
3. Identify current & future staff involvement for design, development, content sourcing/creation & ownership/maintenance, online service provision & website administration and support.
4. Approve requirements scope & priorities.
5. Confirm development approach (system, setup & prototype creation).
6. Confirm roles and interface with associated websites (e.g. VEDC) and other online systems (new Intranet).

Intranet Approved Decisions

1. Confirm intranet plan, timeframes and project management.
2. Define extent of information & services to be delivered. Resolve key issues & alternatives.
3. Identify current & future staff involvement for design, development, content sourcing/creation & ownership/maintenance, online service provision & administration and support.
4. Approve requirements scope & priorities.
5. Confirm development approach (system choice, setup arrangements, sharepoint test site creation).
6. Confirm roles and interface with other systems. E.g. Business systems (HR, Finance, student data), IAT website, other external sites.

Summary of Progress, Conclusions & Agreed Approach

1. All project plans inclusive of timeframes and intended activities have been finalized and published.

2. Reviews and analysis of current and desired website, intranet and online service usage have essentially concluded. The new website, intranet and online services will be developed to replace the existing systems and deliver effective solutions for the identified target audiences and extended information/service needs that will be delivered online.

3. The requirement scopes for the new IAT website and new intranet have been completed with priorities assigned, feasibility noted and recommendations made (e.g. to develop or not; evaluate usage during prototype; deliver through another system).

4. An open invitation for staff involvement has identified several (mostly teachers and not in Dubai) with an interest in contributing their experience and skills when time & location permits. The graphic designer in Dubai (Ismail Ghareeb) is also actively participating. However, it is likely that all near-term development work for websites, the intranet and other web-based services/tools (e.g. online applications, e-learning) will depend on the Project Consultant (Adrian). However, this is a temporary position and future staffing for development (e.g. extension/customization), professional content creation, administration, support & training should be planned and resourced.

Formal allocations of responsibility for dept/school representation & liaison; content sourcing, creation, ownership & maintenance; and online service provision (contact points, administering forms, updating directories, etc) should commence ASAP during the prototype development.

5. Any formal groups & meetings desired for project management, progress reporting, decision-making and consultation/reference should be established early during prototype development by senior management. Informal consultation, liaison and progress updating will continue through the blog, email and ad hoc meetings. It is highly recommended that a formal group for the intranet project be established with representatives from all departments/functions & schools.

6. Principles and guidelines covering all the online systems to be developed as part of this project have been created. This online systems overview indicates what systems are being developed, for which purposes, and how they will interact and be accessed.

7. Given agreement on requirements and system purposes, development will commence on prototypes for the new IAT website and intranet. These prototypes will be developed in flexible systems to allow ongoing refinement of live, working models. Priorities for both the new website and intranet are being identified to ensure these are the first aspects addressed in the prototype development.

Intranet Project Outline

Intranet Project Overview

As part of its comprehensive initiative to develop modern online services, IAT will be creating an intranet system to meet all internal staff communication, information-sharing and collaboration needs. This intranet will run on IAT's network and be accessible to all campuses, locations & remote staff with network access. The objectives, scope, timeframes and activities will be summarized in this project plan, with progress updated on the blog.

Project Goals, Rationale & Benefits

> Enable staff to access all the information they need including about all key aspects of IAT (e.g. structure, staff directory); policies, procedures & forms (e.g. HR, Finance, Operations); and organisational information resources (e.g. Curriculum Framework, Professional Development, Best Practice).

> Provide for improved communication - both between campuses and especially between Directorate and the campus staff. The intranet will allow and encourage feedback, input and ideas from all staff and deliver a clear mechanism requiring responses and action to that feedback.

> Allow staff to work collaboratively & effectively coordinate their activities on projects and in whatever teams they participate in.

> Create a repository for storing & sharing all appropriate documents and files in a well-organised, easily-accessed common space.

> Act as a portal to all organisation functions (IT helpdesk, HR & Finance contacts, Operational liaisons e.g. facilities) and online services including news/announcements, calendars, directories, groups, project sites, forums, classifieds, etc.

Project Scope

The full scope of this project includes all activities required (from planning & requirement determination to development, implementation & usage) to meet the objectives outlined above. To make this substantial undertaking manageable, the project will be split into three distinct phases:

Phase 1: Consultation with Directorate and campus staff, collection & analysis of intranet requirements, solution recommendation & selection, and creation of a prototype with examples and needed plans/documentation.

Phase 2: Full development of the chosen intranet solution with migration from any existing alternatives and integration with relevant organisation areas (e.g. HR). Initial content covering all areas & services to be added so that the new intranet can be launched.

Phase 3: Implementation of extended intranet content/services and ongoing effective usage by all staff.

Project Timeframes & Chief Milestones

*Draft only

	Key Milestones
Phase 1 21st Feb - 15th Mar	- Finalization of project scope & plan (27th Feb) - Finalization of requirement consultation (4th Mar) - Completion of requirement specification (5th Mar) - Selection of recommended intranet system (7th Mar) - Complete setup of sharepoint 2007 system (8th Mar) - Creation of new intranet prototype & examples (15th Mar)
Phase 2 16th Mar - 24th April	- Creation of approved intranet design & structure (17th Mar) - Development & integration of all required intranet functionality & services (3rd April) - Completion of development, testing and initial content creation (15th April) - Confirmation of key organisation areas & staff with major ongoing intranet activities. E.g. content maintenance, online service provision. Training commencement. (16th April) - Begin migration of existing sharepoint, network drive and other alternatives (17th April) - Completion of operational, production intranet site with initial content (24th April)
Phase 3 25th April - Ongoing	- Confirmation of initial go-live content & service requirements (25th April) - Completion of initial staff training and maintenance arrangements (27th April) - Launch of new intranet site & services (1st May) - Completion of migration of existing sharepoint & other network alternatives (11th May) - Post-launch review & assessment of achievement of project goals - Ongoing content addition and refinement

Project Staff & Steering Committee

Project Managers:
Husham Zaki. Dubai Campus. Email: husham.zaki@iat.ac.ae.
Adrian Lobo. Dubai Campus (A217). Email: adrian.lobo@iat.ac.ae

Project Sponsors:
Layla Al Bloushi. Deputy Director HR & Finance. Dubai Campus. Email: layla.albloushi@iat.ac.ae
Phillip Rutherford. Deputy Director Operations. Dubai Campus. Email: phillip.rutherford@iat.ac.ae

Department Representatives: Representatives for each Directorate department, campus and major projects will be identified and listed here. These representatives will be responsible for coordinating the provision & maintenance of information and services for their area. They will also represent their areas on any Working Group meetings.

Department / Area	Representative	Email
Human Resources
Finance	Huda?
I.T.	Fedha?
Operations
Curriculum & Assessment
Professional Development	Tony?
Al Ain Campus
Abu Dhabi Campus
Dubai Campus
Fujairah Campus
Ras Al Khaimah
VEDC
School of Nursing
Aviation College
ADEC
Other? B/G, SOC, AAwir, Pre-uni GHQ

Other IAT staff will be involved in various activities and stages of this project. Please see the How to Get Involved post to find out how you can contribute to this or other related projects.

Steering Committee: A Steering Committee will be used to discuss and approve all strategic decisions relating to this project, such as the choice of intranet systems and the nature of its usage: services available, accessibility/security of information, for what purposes it can be used by staff. The steering committee members will be listed here. It will meet as required with Layla Al Bloushi as the chair.

Project Resources

Intranets are intended to be actively-used systems by a large number of staff and the new intranet will need to be well-supported by key personnel in each area who have been trained to maintain and update their information and services. The extent of ongoing, widespread usage will largely depend on the successful incorporation of intranet usage into the activities of these areas - whether corporate (e.g. HR) or at the campuses (e.g. for teacher groups).

It is also desirable that permanent, in-house development, customization and administration skills are ultimately available in the chosen intranet system - either through existing I.T. staff obtaining this familiarity or through recruitment. Additional recruitment requirements can be combined with the requirements for supporting the new IAT websites and other online services being developed.

Standards, Guidelines & Compliance

Any UAE Government or other regulatory standards and guidelines that relate to record & information management, policy communication and staff administration need to be taken into account in setting up the new intranet system and determining the information available and access to it.

Project Execution/Action Plan

Please see the Intranet Project Action Plan on the blog.

Project Outputs/Deliverables

The main deliverable will be a completely new intranet with integrated online services that provides IAT with the capability to attain the project goals outlined. This new intranet will replace all existing intranet systems and ad hoc alternatives.

Integration with Internet site & Related Systems

While it is possible to run an internet and intranet site in the same system, consultation to date has determined that the new systems be completely independent but able to be readily associated where desired. It is intended to eliminate duplication by clearly delineating between content for the internet vs the intranet and maintaining information only on one system or the other. Wherever relevant, this information can be connected between the internet & intranet using hyperlinks and serving content from one system within the other.

Extranet Usage
While an intranet is a private network for internal staff, an extranet is a secure network for communication with external clients, partners or stakeholders. Current analysis of extranet requirements for IAT indicate that the relevant secure services for students, parents, the government, etc can be delivered through the internet site. The new internet site will have login capability to allow authorized users to gain access to customized, special information and services. These can either be delivered through the internet application itself or by it acting as a gateway to separate web-enabled business applications.

Considerations & Issues

Please see Intranet Considerations & Issues on the blog.

Review of Existing Intranet Usage

Please see Review of Intranet Usage on the blog.

Requirements for the New Intranet

Please see Intranet Requirements on the blog.

New Intranet Potential Alternatives

Please see Intranet Alternatives on the blog.

Online Systems Plan

Below is a simplified representation of the new website & online services that are envisioned and being discussed here. Click on the diagram and you'll be able to access links to the specific topics on this blog. These links to topics & examples will expand as this project/blog develops.

Please add your suggestions or queries about the online services to be available and how these systems will work (i.e. be accessed, integrated, etc).

Online Systems Principles & Guidelines

(1) That the services & capability developed & made available will be through systems that have the flexibility to serve various purposes and requirements. i.e. The solutions deployed should be able to serve all areas & allow different customization. E.g. All current & future IAT-related websites will be able to be created on the same application and take advantage of the same services.

(2) That the systems are fully-integrated where it makes sense (e.g. calendar & form functionality with the website) but also modular wherever possible (e.g. e-learning & intranet capability separate from the website but readily linked from it). This will allow maximum flexibility in terms of usage, development and future solution-replacement, while enabling a seamless user experience.

(3) That each system has clearly identified purposes & audiences. Hence, there will also be an evident delineation of content and services. E.g. The intranet will serve the information & service requirements of existing staff while the IAT website will serve prospective staff. Duplication will be avoided through effective interfacing of systems.

(4) All delivered solutions to be scalable, extensible and customizable where possible - to allow extended or new types of usage in the future.

(5) The website is to act as a portal/gateway to all online services without impeding their ability to function independently.

(6) All developed online capability should enable advanced usage by expert staff but be designed for simple usage by all staff.

(7) The new systems developed will incorporate (or readily allow through "plug-in" extension) as much functionality as is necessary to enable all likely future requirements even if these are not deployed when first released. This will allow the systems to "switch on" these "hidden" capabilities at a later date, rather than requiring development changes to production systems.

(8) Open, widely-used & modern technology that is accessible to everyone to be preferred to proprietary or custom systems.

(9) Technology costs of systems & contractual vendor arrangements to be minimized or avoided if possible.

How to Get Involved!

Read the Blog & Feedback!

Whether you want to join the project team or just find out what's going on from time to time, the easiest way to do so is by checking this blog. All project documents, news & information will be published here and all project activities coordinated here. You might also be interested to read other staff comments & suggestions. So just bookmark http://onlineiat.blogspot.com/ and check back regularly!

Add your Comments & Join the Discussion

Input as to what kind of website and online services IAT should develop is strongly desired from all staff - whether teachers, coordinators, administrators or managers. While we will endeavour to meet with as many people as possible too, this blog will be the main method of updating staff and obtaining feedback. This will enable staff at all campuses to be actively involved in this project.

The feedback you provide - whether through comments on the blog, email, in person or via the online surveys - will be used to guide the project and determine what solutions are provided. So it is up to you to make sure your ideas and needs are submitted!

The comments section is also for staff to freely discuss these plans & ideas, so your responses to other staff input are also highly desired.

How to Add a Comment to the Blog
At the bottom of each item on the blog is a "comments" link. Just click on this link under the article you wish to comment on and type your comment into the box that pops up. Any other comments made will also be visible here. You can add as many comments as you wish or reply to other user's comments.

Prefer to send an Email?
If you wish to get in touch by email instead, simply send an email to the Project Consultant - Adrian Lobo: adrian.lobo@iat.ac.ae

Fill in the Surveys
Some of the feedback collected will be via online survey forms that will allow us to more easily collate the overall preferences. Please do fill out all relevant surveys linked from the blog.

Attend the Meetings, Demos & Events (see Calendar)

Meetings & events will regularly take place at the various campuses to consult with staff, discuss the plans, demonstrate existing & new examples and progress the project. A calendar of all scheduled meetings is now available on the blog so that all interested staff can attend.

Join the Project Team or just Contribute your Skills/Work

Various skills and knowledge will be needed for the different activities involved in this project. So whether you have graphic or web design skills, content (information or pictures) you wish to develop or contribute, a specific requirement you wish to work with us on, or simply advice & guidance on areas of interest or expertise (e.g. the best way to facilitate learning or knowledge-sharing using online tools) please get in touch.

Your involvement can be as little or as considerable as desired!

Name	Email	Campus	Activities
Ismail Ghareeb	ismail.ghareeb@iat.ac.ae	Dubai	Graphic Design, Multimedia creation, Site design
Ismail Badran	ismail.badran@iat.ac.ae	Fujairah	Site & graphic design
Ismail Fayed	ismail.fayed@iat.ac.ae	Al Ain	Design, Planning, Services, e-learning
Mohamed Almehairbi	mohamed.almehairbi@iat.ac.ae
Abdel Mohammad	abdel.mohammad@iat.ac.ae	Fujairah	Interactive maps, 3D design, e-learning
Murray Grant	murray.grant@iat.ac.ae	Al Ain	e-learning technology & resources

Project Documentation & Blog Publishing

All key project documents published here (planning, requirements, designs, etc) are able to be created, contributed to and edited collaboratively using Google Docs & Spreadsheets. These can be made available in Word doc or PDF form as desired. All other posts are added directly to the blog.

So if you wish to be directly involved in publishing or contributing to the content on this blog, please send us an email.

Phase 1 Project Activities

Summary of Phase 1 Activities

> Conducting a thorough review and analysis of IAT’s current situation with respect to online information, services and operations.

> Scoping IAT’s desired position and determining exactly what it would like to be able to deliver and do online and what is required to support those ambitions.

> A pragmatic, cost-benefit and feasibility analysis of its options and selection of appropriate (i.e. achievable) solutions.

> Full specification of the technological, resource (financial, human, information) and operational (i.e. business process) requirements for the chosen solutions.

> Development of a project execution plan – i.e. a roadmap for getting from the current situation to the intended future position.

> Coordination with staff, partners and stakeholders in order to enable the project to progress (resources, infrastructure, assignment of responsibilities).

> Creation of designs, frameworks, prototypes and concrete examples for the new website, interface, functionality and content.

> Documentation and publication of all of the above activities, decisions and outcomes. These will all be available on this blog. Collaborative documents are edited on Google Docs by relevant project staff and published to this blog.

IAT Website Project Outline

Project Overview

The Institute of Applied Technology (IAT) has initiated a project to develop a new website and associated online services that will provide modern, comprehensive and integrated capability to support all parts of the organisation and key strategic goals.

Project Goals, Rationale & Benefits

> Creation of an online profile and image that reflects the scale, capability, achievements and ambitions of IAT, and positions it within the Middle East as a high quality, first-choice provider of education & training.

> Development of a website that can cover the full scope of IAT's current & future activities in a coherent way - allowing all desired information and services to be made available online by all parts of the organisation.

> Providing an online environment with the capacity to allow IAT to effectively engage with and service students & parents, commercial and government clients, industry, project & service partners and prospective & current staff.

> Embedding online information & services into the relevant activities of IAT's core businesses (teaching & learning, marketing & promotion, student & client services, partner & stakeholder liaison and communication, business development, projects & commercial services, management of corporate knowledge, etc) so that these operate in the most efficacious way.

> Facilitating the growth of quality student recruitment and the development of desirable project opportunities through an attractive online presence with the ability to deliver the necessary information & services.

> Enabling IAT to operate efficiently, even as it continues to expand, through utilisation of its developed online capability.

> Allowing its management and key stakeholders - particularly in the UAE government - to readily assess the full scope and current progress & effectiveness of its activities.

> Providing IAT with the online capability to improve the overall usefulness, flexibility, responsiveness and accessibility of its services - both educational and corporate - and meet the information & service expectations of its stakeholders.

Project Scope

The full scope of this project includes all activities required (from planning & requirement determination to development, implementation & usage) to meet the objectives outlined above. To make this substantial undertaking manageable, the project will likely be split into three distinct phases:

Phase 1: Research, consultation, analysis, scoping, solution recommendation & selection, and creation of necessary plans, documentation and specifications/examples.

Phase 2: Development of the chosen online solutions and integration with relevant business activities and functions.

Phase 3: Implementation and ongoing effective utilization and refinements of the developed solutions.

Project Timeframes & Chief Milestones

*Draft only

	Key Milestones
Phase 1 8th Feb - 5th Mar	- Finalization of requirement consultation (1st Mar) - Finalization of project scope & plan (1st Mar) - Completion of requirement specification (2nd Mar) - Selection of recommended solutions (3rd Mar) - Creation of desired solution examples (5th Mar)
Phase 2 6th Mar - 31st May	- Creation of approved IAT site design & structure (9th Mar) - Development of new IAT prototype site & services (31st Mar) - Completion of all development activities & testing (31st April) - Confirmation of organisation areas & staff with ongoing website-related activities. E.g. content maintenance, online service provision. Training commencement. (15th May) - Completion of operational production site with initial content (31st May)
Phase 3 1st June - Ongoing	- Confirmation of initial go-live content & service requirements (1st June) - Completion of initial staff training & administration/support arrangements - Launch of new site (replacement of existing site) - Post-launch review & assessment of achievement of project goals - Ongoing content addition and refinement

Project Staff

Project Consultant: Adrian Lobo. Dubai Campus (A217). Email: adrian.lobo@iat.ac.ae

Project Manager: Phil Rutherford. Deputy Director Operations. Dubai Campus. Email: phillip.rutherford@iat.ac.ae

Other IAT staff will be involved in various activities and stages of this project. Please see the How to Get Involved post to find out how you can contribute to the project or to see an updated list of those who are.

Project Resources

Sufficient Financial, Human, Physical and Information resources will be needed for the various phases of this project. The availability of personnel with the relevant skills to be assigned to the project in the various phases is likely to be the major factor determining the realisation of the objectives outlined. This is of particular relevance to Phases 2 & 3.

Project Stakeholders

Stakeholders include: IAT Board, Management & Staff (including teachers), IAT students & clients, UAE Government & partners, UAE community.

Project Partners (Necessary & Potential)

Other organisations that may be involved in this project are to be identified and listed here.

Project Methodology

This project is following best practice project management standards and guidelines and all documentation is available upon request. Examples of the type of methodology being followed can be found here

Standards, Guidelines & Compliance

All UAE Government, accreditation or other regulatory standards or guidelines that relate to this project are to be identified and noted here.

Project Execution Plan & Documentation

A more detailed list of project activities will be available for each Phase on this project blog. A list for Phase 1 has been published.

Project Outputs/Deliverables

The main deliverable will be a completely new website with integrated online services that provide IAT with the capability to attain the project goals outlined.

Criteria for Measuring Project Success

This will involve: (a) Assessment of the satisfaction of various stakeholders; (b) Measurement of relevant business objectives (e.g. student enrolments or staff recruitment).

Project Risks & Mitigation Strategies

Any significant risks and strategies for reducing or resolving them are to be listed here as they arise.

Related Projects & Initiatives

Any related IAT or external projects that are identified are to be noted here.