1. Transition from shared initiatives to services: the case of development co-operation in Finland Pekka Linna CSC – Finnish IT Centre for Science

2. Transition from shared initiatives to services: the case of development co-operation in Finland a.k.a. “How To Support And Get Away With It” Pekka Linna CSC – Finnish IT Centre for Science

3. Outline of the presentation  The Challenge  The Solution  Some conclusions

4. The Challenge

5. Change in the 1980s and 1990s  Funet network was developed as a shared project during the 1980s Starting point was access to the national super-computer Key actors were universities and CSC  During the 1990s the internet changed everything More and more applications and services on-line More and more members of the higher education community on-line Funet became mission-critical  Funet started to ’grow thicker’ Not only the network but also support for the use of it File-server, mailing-lists, www-pages, multimedia-content, video- conferencing CSC had a role in all the development that took place

6. Accountability pressures  The 1990s was a decade of trust  In the early years of 2000s there started to be growing accountability pressures “What do you do with our money!?” “Funet is expensive, the same IP-connectivity is cheaper in the shop!” “Where is that added value?”  Another pressure was that of influence Funet payments had been like a tax: you pay it and the government decides further Now Funet-organisations expressed a will to choose the services they want and to be more in control of the payments

7. Need for action at CSC  A need to better articulate the added value that the Funet-activities bring to the whole community Activities had only been visible to the immediate participants The local partner is not always the one who decides about the money The ministry of education pays a great part of the development and is not a member of the projects  A need to have a portfolio that can be managed With clear goals success can be measured and good work can be supported by the top-management With structure and transparency activities can be prioritised: some can be shut down and others can get more resources

8. The Solution part 1: First attempts

9. Introduction of product portfolios and product management  First the service products were traced down, then identified, then grouped into subgroups A lot of work but relatively easy when dealing with IP- connectivity, a set of basic services and CERT Funet activities around multimedia and user administration far more difficult to grasp  A particular way of tackling the product management of development services was needed First attempts were made with the innovation-testing-piloting- production -model This did not work because the goal in these activities is not to build a new service at CSC but to support a change in a customer organisation

10. Goals of the new product management system  Transparency We know what we are offering Customers and partners know what we are offering Those who pay know what we are offering  Communicativeness We are using language that relates to the horizon of the expected audience We are building the portfolio with the customers  (Managed) customer influence Successful portfolio to meet the needs of the customers, commitment and willingness to pay as a result  Possibility to shut down services in a flexible manner Reallocation of the limited amount of resources in relation to the changing needs of the customers

11. Tools of the new product management system: the customer interface  The organisations that use Funet have a co-operation structure: they form together the Funet-association Funet-association is the customer club of Funet It meets once a year in a general assembly  The general assembly nominates a working committee that meets 4-7 times a year The working committee tackles questions concerning customers wishes, quality of the delivered service etc.  This structure is supposed to mediate between CSC and the community of all customers as a whole

12. The Solution part 2: The System

13. The system for planning and agreeing on the necessary set of services Vision Steps Preconditions Services

14. Levels of the system (1): Vision  What is the added value or final state that is to be reached  This level addresses the rectors, the CIOs and the ministry  Goals set (need to) relate to national strategies  In multimedia production support services: ”Teachers and researchers have the necessary up-to-date multimedia material available easily and cost-efficiently with acceptable quality”

15. Levels of the system (2): Steps  What is the roadmap that the development is expected to follow  The definition of the necessary steps is done with the CIOs and experts  This level addresses also the rectors and the ministry, when once created  In multimedia production support services: 1.CSC produces for the Funet-organisations 2.Funet-organisations produce 3.Funet-organisations partially out-source

16. Levels of the system (3): Pre- conditions  Attempts to define local know-how, equipment and organisational structures that are necessary for an organisation to be successful in a certain step  This level addresses the local experts, and is created and constantly revised together with them  In multimedia production support services: Step 1: Awareness of the possibilities Step 2: Know-how on technologies and production, equipment, internal customer system Step3: Know-how on service purchasing and the available providers, internal customer mediation system

17. Levels of the system (4): Services  Step 1: CSC produces for Funet-organisations Presentations about digital video over IP -Demonstrations -Posters and other printed material -Visits and lectures Full scale production services -Planning -Shooting -Editing Digitalisation of old non-digital multimedia material

18. Levels of the system (5): Services  Step 2: Funet-organisations produce Help in gaining and maintaining the necessary know-how in production -Courses and training -Workshops for exchange of best practices -Technical support for experiments -Co-ordination of experiments Help in making a choice between technologies/products -Testing and reporting -Creating a internationally compatible testing framework -Co-ordination of testing and distribution of reports -Distribution of testing done in other NRENs etc. -Courses -Workshops for exchange of experiences Help in purchasing -Co-ordination, construction of consortiums -Draft contracts -Workshops for exchange of best practices

19. Levels of the system (6): Services  Step 3: Funet-organisations partially out-source Help in buying services from commercial producers -Draft contracts -Workshops for exchange of experiences and best practices -Benchmarking the different producers Help in mediating between the teachers and the producers -Draft contracts -Workshops for exchange of experiences and best practices Help in maintaining the necessary know-how in production -Workshops for exchange of best practices -Technical support for experiments -Co-ordination of experiments Help in making a choice between technologies/products -Co-ordination of testing and distribution of reports -Distribution of testing done in other NRENs etc. -Workshops for exchange of experiences Help in purchasing -Co-ordination, construction of consortiums -Workshops for exchange of best practices

20. Some conclusions

21. Situation now in CSC  Funet customers meeting 2 nd June Presentation of Funet services in a more structured manner - No time nor space to present the model, though Quite much pressure on costs and priorities  Wishes and needs get now expressed, which poses a challenge If CSC is unable to react to these pressures we might lose an amount of customers, especially the ones with smaller bandwidth needs If CSC is able to react we can deliver more accurate services and will gain stronger commitment and a stronger mandate for action

22. Lessons learned  The model is somewhat complex but very generic  It is hard to reach the relevant partners Relevant partners change during the process The different discourses pose a real challenge for successful communication (political, technical, practical)  A change of this size needs mobilising a great amount of people in various parts of the organisation on all levels Commitment of the management is necessary for setting a shared direction and keeping the train running  In order to have a well-functioning communication relation with the customers there needs to be adequate resources available Visits, presentations in seminars, printed material The working committee alone is not enough for creating the commitment

23. Questions or comments?

24. Thank you for your attention! Further questions and comments to: pekka.linna@csc.fi