Towards an Enterprise Architecture for Wits In the context of the new Student Information System programme Prof Derek W. Keats Deputy Vice Chancellor (Knowledge & Information Management) The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg Academic Information Management System

Brief history Mainframe → oracle Financial austerity “Saving the institution” This is NOT about Oracle! Not even Oracle Student System...

Confronting our brutal facts Wits currently has very little governance regarding implementation of IT supported processes, IT projects, or IT acquisition within the various silos of the institution This results in Mismatch between institutional process and IT tools Mismatch between expectations within institutional silos and what we can support Data islands, data amoebae, data corruption 'Projects' that slip through the cracks Operations managed as projects Projects managed as operations Wasting of financial and human resources Repetitive repetition fatigue syndrome! Almost no support for academic computing beyond 'shared-by-all' services

- Introduce Enterprise architecture (EA) - EA simplification for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg - Starting EA with the academic information management system programme

Enterprise architecture defines the nature of what we call the operations (the business) of the institution the information necessary to operate the institution the technologies necessary to support the institution's operations, the change processes necessary for implementing new processes and technologies in response to the changing needs of the institution The textbook view

Traditional enterprise Architecture needs adaptation to higher education

What is the institution? Teaching-and- learning Research Community engagement Management and administration Governance

Reality for many institutions? Teaching-and- learning Research Community engagement Management and administration

Governance Reality for many institutions? Teaching-and- learning Research Community engagement Management and administration

HRResearch Student Administration Finance Silos in the institution (Wits) Academic Advancement Knowledge & Information Management

HRResearch Student Administration Finance Silos in the institution Academic Advancement Knowledge & Information Management e-Learning application

HRResearch Student Administration Finance Silos in the institution Academic Advancement Knowledge & Information Management e-Learning application

HRResearch Student Administration Finance Silos in the institution Academic Advancement Knowledge & Information Management e-Learning

HRResearch Student Administration Finance Silos in the institution Academic Advancement Knowledge & Information Management Research

HRResearch Student Administration Finance Silos in the institution Academic Advancement Knowledge & Information Management Student registration system (AIMS programme)

Centralized Federated Autonomous Central administration Faculty administration Research Federated system

Humanities Engineering & the Built EnvironmentHealth SciencesCommerce, Law and ManagementScience Wits Enterprise Researchers

For the Wits, EA defines Architecture of institutional processes Including their federated & uncertain components Processes and governance mechanisms for integration across silos In line with existing governance mechanisms Aligned to the institution, not the other way around Application architecture aligned to our aspirations as a top higher education institution Including leveraging our own potential for innovation (TIPS) Technology architecture that is aligned to the application architecture Leading edge practice, managed risk

Aligning Knowledge and Information contributing to WITS 2010 and beyond Financial strength Research driven High level & scarce skills Intellectual achievement Strategic partnerships Transformation Engagement Infrastructure & environment Performance Enterprise 21 st Century challenges and opportunities

Aligning Knowledge and Information contributing to WITS 2010 and beyond Financial strength Research driven High level & scarce skills Intellectual achievement Strategic partnerships Transformation Engagement Infrastructure & environment Performance Enterprise 21 st Century challenges and opportunities Skills Knowledge Attitude

Agile EA Agile methodologies

EA as steps or concurrent channels Executive and management buy-in to the concept Development of EA strategy Alignment to institutional vision and strategy Build EA into organization and governance Provide for monitoring mechanisms e.g. Maturity model and scorecard Create and align roles and responsibilities Marketing and communications plan Implementation through programmes and projects Technical infrastructure Academic Information Management System

VCO & SET (Strategic ICT board) DVC:KIM Project office Strategy Capital investment Programme manager Programmes Projects Project manager Application architect Project teams Operations Implementation Operational unit IT infrastructure Application support Service centre Vice Chancellor Council Programme board ICT Reference Senate Institutional ICT Admin Registrar Institutional Process DRAFT

Programme A group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to achieve benefits and control not available by managing them individually Sanghera, P Fundamentals of Effective Program Management: A Process Approach Based on the Global Standard. J. Ross Publishing Inc, 356 pp. A system that manages the life cycle of students within Wits is too big to be treated as a project, there are many projects within it Many of the initiatives that will address academic computing are also programme scale

Institutional Benefits and Objectives Programme Programme manager Project manager Project Project manager Project Project manager Project Project manager Project Programme board

This is just an example

Which approach? Oracle Student System New system Time

Which approach Services layer User interface Oracle SS New system

Alignment of strategy and capability Institution Information Technology Strategy Capability Enterprise Architecture Stakeholder discussions and interviews: gain stakeholder buy-in and understanding; counter strongly held views and positions that can incapacitate initiatives On-going process of communication Building capability in line with strategy Program / Project management Process analysis / design Technical skills Communication

Some legacy challenges affected Data integrity Institutional process & application alignment Agile end user interface design Directionality of IT expenditure Synergy Vendor Lock-in and inflexible processes Long-term (future proofing our IT systems) Support for the core business of Wits!

Key questions How do we develop, support and enable academic and and research computing that fosters agility and innovation and creates synergy among research computing infrastructure? What is a sensible subset of what is possible?

Network Pervasive technologies eLearning Common infrastructure & standards Financing eResearch Core Research funds Faculties & schools Cloud computing Elearning shared Research shared Research specialised Staff computers Student computers Labs Student ownership Configuration WirelessInternet Shared Admin shared Data centre Mobility

Academic & research support Create an academic and research computing section in CNS Manager, project manager, admin support funded centrally Services provided by additional staff based on cost- recovery Technical cost recovery  e.g. shared hosting solutions

Next steps Development of EA strategy Alignment to institutional vision and strategy Mapping of EA roles to institutional roles (e.g. Enterprise Architect → DVC:KIM) Mapping of EA governance to University governance Design technical and application architecture Academic computing opportunities and business model The need for programme management of the academic information management system makes this urgent

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