ITS Project Management Guidelines, Templates & Examples
Overview: Maximizing the Value of Information Technology through IT Investment Management
Enterprise systems support virtually all of the routine functions of a college or university, spanning the institutional mission. They include core ERP systems such as human resources, finance, and student information, as well as learning management systems, research administration systems, and systems that support development and fundraising. Of the 58 administrative systems assessed by the EDUCAUSE Core Data Service in 2013, the typical institution has 40, many of which must interconnect to exchange data. The result is a complex and resource-intensive matrix of systems. The care and overall investment in these systems is a large part of the Truman IT budget, totaling approximately 65% of our total IT expenditures. (In 2013, a self-reported 53% of higher education institutional IT spending went to support administrative systems and services).
Due to limited resources and time, universities must wisely choose to invest in the projects that further their goals, but there is often a major disconnect between the aspirations of an IT organization to improve productivity of existing services or engage in strategic opportunities and the reality of how we invest capital, talent and other scarce resources.
By utilizing a more structured and objective review process, we can strike a better balance in managing strategic and operational investments.
In building this review process, the following tenets were followed:
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- Investment decisions should be on an “apples to apples” basis. The investment valuation methods and drivers for project investment are quite different than other types of university investments. By adopting simple, universal metrics that distinguish between project, business as usual (operational), and asset investments, project investment becomes more effective.
- Strategic objectives need to be specific enough to make investment meaningful.
- The source of project funding is irrelevant. What matters is whether the investment meets the definition of a project, operational, or asset investment. If it meets the definition of project, the investment must be assessed, managed and executed as a project.
(Read more detail here about Maximizing Value in the selection of strategic projects.)
When to Use the New Structured Review Process
Not all projects need go through the structured review process, called a feasibility study. Projects that need this review include projects over $5,000 or that will require more than 40 hours of effort.
See the prioritization and metrics information for more detail on how all projects are reviewed and prioritized.
Guidelines and Templates
The tools below have been designed to help the university invest in projects to further our mission, as well as better manage our projects. IT Services is available for questions about particular guidelines and templates, so please contact the IT office if you have questions.
The table below includes guidelines, templates, and examples to initiate IT projects.
| Guideline | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
ITSProjectsFeasibilityStudyGuideline |
ITSProjectsFeasibilityStudyTemplate |
ITSProjectsFeasibilityStudyExample |
Project Criteria Guideline |
priority criteria template |
priority criteria example |