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Document SD002 SITS Development\Project Workbook

STEP 3 - Workbook

START-UP

Reporting to Student Data & Information Programme Board

Technology Programme Board

Programme Name SITS (Development) Programme

Programme Sponsor Graham Hill, Director IT Services

Programme Manager Chris Kaushal-Bolland

Version Control

Version Number

Purpose / Change Author Date

0.1 Initial draft Chris Kaushal-Bolland 8/07/13

0.2 Feedback from G.Hill, P.Briggs Chris Kaushal-Bolland 25/07/13

0.3 Feedback from Programme Board Chris Kaushal-Bolland 31/08/13

0.4 Feedback from Senior Advisor Projects and Programmes

Chris Kaushal-Bolland 04/9/13

0.5 Feedback from Programme Sponsor

Graham Hill, Director IT Services 24/09/13

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Introduction This workbook has been designed to provide a standard, easy to use route through which all projects/programme must travel. By working through the sections, answering the questions and completing the templates, the detail of the Programme will be identified in a step-by-step approach, thereby providing a blueprint for the Programme as a whole and ensuring that appropriate aspects are considered from start to finish. Rather than having to complete and maintain several smaller documents, the workbook will mean that all Programme information will be located in one place, avoiding duplication and making it easier to update and apply version control. The workbook will contain all of the primary information of the Programme from the justification of the Programme to how and when it will be delivered, through to what actions have to be completed following closure. The workbook has been split into four stages to reflect the stages outlined in the updated Bradford Method Handbook. They should be completed in order. They are:

STAGE 1: Start-Up STAGE 2: Initiation STAGE 3: Execution STAGE 4: Closure

After completion of every section (other than stage 3), the workbook must be submitted to the Senior Advisor, Projects & Programmes by email in order to obtain authorisation to proceed. This controlled approach ensures that everyone is fully up-to-date and in agreement before the Programme can move on to the next section.

Please note that you do not have to complete every heading within this workbook. Some headings in certain sections may not be applicable to the Programme you are working on (particularly for smaller projects). In this instance you may skip the heading as long as it is clearly marked with N/A to indicate that due consideration has been given.

If the Programme has resource implications for other staff and/or areas within the University, it is strongly recommended that prior to the completion of every section, all of the relevant parties are consulted to ensure that they aware of, and in agreement with, any reference made to them. Your financial manager should also be consulted during completion of the documentation.

If you have any queries regarding any aspect of completing this Workbook, please contact Jo Hills, Projects & Programmes Advisor by emailing [email protected] or ext 5081.

Nomenclature SAINT The current name of the system at Bradford, Student Administration

Information Navigation & Tracking. Also the name of the original implementation project 2003-2006;

SITS The product name from Tribal for its system; SITS:Vision The formal name for the SITS system; e:Vision The web access interface to the student system; Tribal The supplier of the system software and services; SAINT Team Staff involved in supporting the current student system at Bradford;

mailto:[email protected]

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1. Background information & Current situation A Project Board was set up in December 2012 to investigate and make recommendations on the future of the core student system (SAINT). A number of options were presented and the Board recommended a Development Plan for key elements of the existing system. The Project Board received an Options Appraisal in April 2013. The options presented were: 1. Do nothing 2. Develop deficient areas of the existing system a) Complete in-house development b) Purchase Tribal pre-written products & develop in-house c) Complete Tribal consultancy d) In collaboration with other Universities 3. Replace SAINT with a new student record system The work undertaken to complete the appraisal paper demonstrated a lack of alternative student record system suppliers in the market at the current time. A number of other Universities are experiencing similar frustrations where their student record systems are not meeting business needs. Therefore replacing the system was not a realistic option at this time. Similarly, doing nothing was not a realistic option. The Board concluded that a systems development program with a mixture of in-house development and pre-written modules from the supplier was the recommended approach (Option 2b). The proposal has subsequently received full financial approval to deliver the proposed Development Plan (document ref: SR104) which encompasses the overall development objectives and will ensure that the student record system provides a user friendly interface, collects data to a high standard and is a workable solution that is “fit-for-purpose”. A new Programme Board is to be established to deliver the agreed Development Plan. 2. What issue will be addressed by the programme? 2.1 Tactical To adopt a standardised approach and way of working across all Academic Schools’ and Corporate Services with a shared vision for the student record system with underpinning policies and procedures. 2.2 Strategic Deliver a student records system that will allow for the collection of good quality data and subsequently provide good quality information relating to students, programmes, modules and progression & award status. Data integrity within the student record system is paramount to ensure reliable information that is produced by the institution is exploited for the benefit of the institution, used with confidence to support operational & management decision making, to support the performance management of student achievement and to provide an overall better student experience. 3. How have you decided that there is a need for action? As noted above, between December 2012 and May 2013 there was a thorough review of the current use of the student record system. The Project Board received a final project report with recommendations for action. The Project Board approved the recommendations and following presentation to the Senior Management Team was approved by the Academic Strategy and Performance Committee in June 2013 and subsequently received full approval from Council in July 2013.

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4. What are the factors driving the project? The importance of re-implementation is driven by the business need for the University of Bradford to have clear business processes that contribute towards a conducive working environment and ensure the recruitment and retention of excellent students and the effective management of the student journey throughout the student lifecycle. 5. Programme Objectives The detailed programme objectives are included in the appendices. The high level objectives and outputs of the Development Programme are:

To improve and ensure consistent and effective use and ways of working of the

student records system and thereby improving the collection of good quality data in-

line with the “student-lifecycle”;

To improve data integrity within the student records system and build confidence in

the output of reliable information to support decision making, performance

management and student achievement;

To future-proof the student records system and provide student analytics to facilitate effective learning and teaching and provide an excellent student experience;

6. Project Benefits There are a number of efficiency and effectiveness benefits associated with the implementation of the Programme Development Plan as follows:

Improvements in data quality and data integrity;

Effective recording, storage and retrieval of data;

Effective workflows of data throughout the system;

Clear relationships between a Programme of Study and Modules;

Consistent interpretation of the Academic Framework within the SITS system providing a ‘single way of doing things’;

Improve the student experience;

Improvements to the user interface (slick and modern feel);

An increase in the use of ‘self-service (e.g. module selection);

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7. Timeline & project plan The project will commence in September 2013 for a period of 3-years. A detailed project plan is included in Appendix 1. Project start – August 2013

Phase 1 – Updating e:Vision Portals 6 months o e:Vision rebranding o PEP template o e:Vision Mark entry o Pre-enrolment portal o Ceremonies portal o Applicant portal

Phase 2 – Curriculum Data 9 months o Ownership and relationship o Approval and workflow

Phase 3 – Student Data Management 6 months o Course transfer o Associate modules o Withdrawals and suspensions

Phase 4 – Progressions and PIT Codes 3 months o Review and rationalisation o Alternative strategy for notification

Phase 5 – Additional developments 12 months o Based on business need

Project end – August 2016 As an exit strategy, it would be possible to implement phases 1-4 and then review progress, before commencing the additional developmental areas. It is likely that in this period, further new developments and requirements will emerge, which have not been anticipated other than through contingency. Following the transition to business as usual, it is important to note that to maintain and develop the system on a regular basis that investments of £500-600k per annum in the student system would be required. The absence of future ongoing investments would ultimately require further substantial investments in 5 years’ time. A full post project review will be undertaken at the end of stage 5, however lessons learned will be undertaken after each stage to ensure the effective management of the programme throughout the 3-year lifecycle.

8. Stakeholder Engagement All Academic Schools and Corporate Service departments are likely to use the student record system at some time throughout the student life-cycle. Therefore it must be anticipated that all staff will be affected by the development of the SITS system. Following the conclusion of the SITS (Review) Project, a number of briefing sessions were delivered to Academic Schools and Corporate Service Departments. It is anticipated that quarterly briefing sessions will continue throughout the SITS (Development) Project to ensure all staff are informed of progress. In addition, monthly progress reports will be presented to the Student Data and Information Programme Board and the Technology Programme Board, who in turn will inform the Senior Management Team and ASPC accordingly. Full stakeholder engagement information can be found in the Communication Management Plan1.

1 SC008 SITS Programme, Communication Management Plan 18 September 2013;

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9. Implications of not implementing the project Following the review of the student records system number of user frustrations and ‘pain points’ were identified. It was recognised that these issues are turning users away from using SITS as the exclusive student record system. As a result a proliferation of ‘mini-systems’ is emerging to compensate for the short-comings of the current SITS system. This is leading to fragmentation of data and data integrity issues with SITS and other business critical systems such as Timetabling and Attendance Monitoring. Data collection is patchy and not regarded as ‘high’ quality. Improvements to data quality and integrity will improve the quality of information to support decision making, performance management and student attainment. The re-implementation of the system will resolve the above issues and provide a user-friendly interface allowing end-users to store data within the SITS system associated with the relevant student record. Regular reviews must be undertaken to ensure the project remains within the timeframe and within budget. If the project continues beyond the estimated three-year time frame it is likely that the organisation may lose out to competitor HEIs with regard to the recruitment and retention of students and the attainment of ‘good’ degrees. 10. Strategic Aims Aim 1 To provide all our students with a first-class learning experience and excellent

employment prospects; Aim 4 To invest in the welfare and support of our students and staff by optimising talent,

increasing efficiency, developing potential and supporting well-being for all; Aim 6 To deliver professional and customer-focused services and an appropriate and

supportive infrastructure which communicates, guides and governs effectively; 11. Ecoversity & sustainable development issues The reimplementation of the student records system will provide new technical infrastructure to host the student record system. The vast majority of the technical infrastructure will be hosted on virtual servers with reduction of physical equipment. This will reduce the overall usage of IT electricity use due to the more efficient technology that will be used. A copy of the environmental impact assessment is included in Appendix 2.

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12. Programme Approach/Programme Organisation

Name: Role within Programme: Dept/Organisation:

Graham Hill Programme Sponsor Director of IT Services

Mark Garrett Senior User (Corporate Services)

Director of Marketing (Interim)

Prof. Kevin Barber Senior User (Academic) School of Management

Philip Briggs Senior Supplier (Internal) Head of IT Systems

John Gledhill Senior Supplier (External) Tribal Representative

Juli Pargeter Business Assurance Finance

Prof. Gwendolen Bradshaw User Assurance Academic Quality Unit

Hayley Preston Supplier Assurance Head of SAS

Neil Clarke Technical Assurance Head of Student Data & Information

Approach to be taken: The Programme Board will provide oversight of the deliverable and overall Programme objectives. Each stage of the Programme will be managed on a day-to-day basis by the Programme Manager who will be responsible for the Project Teams, Work Streams and/or Task and Finish Groups. The Programme Manager will provide the interface between the Programme Board, Project Teams and the wider organisation as appropriate.

Chris Kaushal-Bolland Programme Manager LSS, IT Services

13. Scope of the Programme The reimplementation will include the technical developments of the students’ records system as outlined in the Programme Objectives. In addition a number of enablers and pre-requisites will need to be addressed alongside the system developments. This will ensure that the necessary cultural changes and changes to ways of working are addressed as well as the introduction of robust policies to support improvements to data quality. Due consideration needs to be given to the on-going work of the XCRI-CAP project, as this will have a strong inter-dependency on the SITS system. 14. Constraints A major constraint will be undertaking development work on a live system. It is vital that the system remains live throughout the development process. Where possible, Test and Development databases will be used thus ensuring the live database provides a business as usual service. Any identified downtime activity that cannot be avoided will be undertaken at pre-defined ‘IT at risk’ dates. Resource levels within the project investment plan have allowed for work to be completed within the project lifecycle of 3-years. As with any system development there will be times when the system may be unavailable for a short period of time to allow for upgrades to take place. Where possible, any system down time will be undertaken outside of core working hours to minimise the disruption to staff and students.

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It is vital that statutory reporting and lead times for completing returns are taken into consideration. Development of the student record system should not affect any ‘business as usual’ procedures, especially for the collection of data and preparation of information returns. Further information on key dates and the academic year are in Appendix 3. In general terms, organisations are slow to change or can even resist change for many reasons. This must be taken into account. 15. Interfaces A number of key business systems currently interface with the SITS student record system (see Services Overview in Appendix 13). In addition, interfaces with emerging systems, such as the Onyx Student Attendance system, the outcome of ‘Changing Learning Landscapes’ and future VLE’s also need to be considered to ensure the effective and seamless operation and interoperability of systems pan-university. 16. Training needs The SITS (Review) Project recognised the need to ensure SITS Trainers are available to assist end-users with any existing or new functionality as part of the SITS (Development) Programme. The university is already resourced with IT Trainers, however their portfolio does not currently provide SITS training which is undertaken by the SAINT Team on an ad-hoc basis. Additional SITS Trainers are included in the Investment Plan. A more proactive approach needs to be adopted to provide SITS training to existing members of staff and new staff as part of the Induction process for staff new to using SITS at UoB. A SITS Training Programme should be proactively delivered to roll-out alongside the SITS (Development) Programme ensuring that users are fully aware of the SITS system functionality and “ways of working”. 17. Assumptions It is assumed that the restructure of Student Administrative Services (SAS) will provide coherent lines of accountability and reporting between the operational support of the student records’ system, provided by the SAINT Team (who are currently part of the SAS structure) and the development of the student record system, which will be undertaken by IT Services. The support and development functions should complement each other, however it must be recognised that there is a clear separation of duties between support and development. 18. Change Management This programme will almost certainly require a number of policies and procedures to be put in place. This will result in changes to ways of working and new business processes. As a result it is important that staff are provided with adequate training (see section 16). A number of technical developments will require some changes to occur which will ensure standardised and consistent ways of doing things. The non-technical developments have already been identified as part of the SITS (Review) Project and are captured in the Pre-requisites and Enablers Action Plan. The Pre-requisites and Enablers Action Plan should be implemented by a separate work stream which may be considered as a project in its own right and should report to the SITS (Development) Programme Board who will ensure oversight of the overall programme aims and objectives.

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The Programme Manager in conjunction with the Programme Board will be responsible for change management. 19. Alternatives / Feasibility Study A feasibility study was undertaken to review alternative options, (see Section 1). 20. Equalities Impact Assessment The EIA document has been completed separately and is attached in Appendix 4. 21. Programme Risk Summary The Risk Register is attached in Appendix 5. This will develop during the programme. 22. Supporting Evidence Other documents that form part of the appendices include the follow:

Sizing Tool *

Equalities Impact Assessment*

Sustainability Impact Assessment*

Grant Application

Other (please give details)

Notes: The Environmental Impact is included in Appendix 8.

23. Additional Comments None 24. Funding Following investigations during the feasibility stage more informed expenditure estimates show a total investment required is £2.3m over 3 years including VAT and contingency. Of this, £503k can be drawn from existing budgets, resulting in a total Investment Plan requirement of £1.8m. These estimates include the phased provision of Admin staff for backfill, SAINT Trainers, Software Developers, SAINT Team Support, SAINT Team Manager and an overall Programme Manager. They do not include the ongoing costs already in the Academic Administration baseline budget for Data Integrity Manager which is part of the on-going restructure of SAS. The University has carried forward £500k from the 2012 Investment Plan and additional investments of a further £1.3m to meet the funding requirement. The funding is required over a 3-year period as follows:

Financial Year Investment Plan (2012)

Additional Investment

Totals Cumulative

Totals

Year 1 - 2013/14 £ 500k £ 112k £612k £612k

Year 2 - 2014/15 £551k £551k £1,163k*

Year 3 - 2015/16 £656k £656k** £1,819k

Totals £ 500k £1,319 £1,819k

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The implementation of the essential elements of the plan (Years 1 and 2) are estimated at £1.163m* over 2 years including VAT and contingency and the Year 3 elements are £656k** as details in the ASPC Business Case2. A detailed breakdown is provided in the three-year financial plan. One off costs total

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16

£337k £212k £293k

Total: £842K

Recurrent – Staff costs

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16

£260k £325k £350k

Total: £935K

Recurrent – Non-staff costs

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16

£14.4k £14.4k £13.2k

Total: £42K

Overall totals: £1,819k

25. Staffing costs All Staffing costs are included in the Financial Plan which is detailed in Appendix 7. 26. Programme Cost All Programme costs are included in the Financial Plan which is detailed in Appendix 7. 27. Financial Control The Programme Board will ensure accountability for the management of Programme expenditure. This process will be supported by the Programme Manager with the assistance of a Finance Manager who will form part of the Programme Board. Monthly financial statements will be presented to the Programme Board as part of a standing agenda item at Programme meetings. To ensure effective management of the Programme finances, funding should be released in stages in line with the SITS Development Plan. 28. Procurement Strategy The nature of the Programme is the upgrade and reimplementation of the SITS student record system which is provided by the Tribal Group. This system has been used at the University of Bradford for approximately 10-years. Due to the nature of the system developments and upgrade process a single source waiver would be employed to negate the need for any OJEU tendering for the following reasons:

Tribal Education Ltd is the sole supplier of the SITS system;

A large proportion of the current system supports UoB business processes and

works as expected. Only some parts of the system require reimplementation.

Specialist expertise from Tribal is necessary to further develop these parts of the

system which will include:

Curriculum Management;

2 ASPC Business Case, SR120 – SITS Review Summary Business Case for ASPC, 5th June 2013;

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Student recruitment & application process;

Marking & Assessment;

Any purchased software will enhance existing components of the overall system;

Alternative suppliers will be incompatible with the existing system with

disproportionate technical differences;

Specific system training or bespoke design consultancy can only be purchased from Tribal Education Limited as the sole supplier;

29. Start Up Costs All Programme costs are identified within Financial Plan. Although specific start-up costs will not be required, it must be recognised that the appointment of key system developers will be required to ensure the objectives the Programme are achieved. An early Programme Board needs to review the allocation of finances to ensure that the recruitment process is authorised accordingly. Equally important is the need to undertake a number of business-process reviews to ensure that the system is developed in a way to support the organisational requirements.


APPENDIX 1 – Timeline / Gantt chart See separate Gantt chart.

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APPENDIX 2 – Ecoversity and Sustainability


APPENDIX 3 – Academic Year, Key Dates DRAFT

Start Date End Date Activity Notes

Programme Approval Dates and Key Admissions/Marketing activity

2012/13 Tues 15/01/2013 Deadline for receipt of applications at UCAS for all UG programmes except those listed with a 15 October 2012 deadline and art and design programmes with 24 March 2013 deadline.

http://www.ucas.com/advisers/importantdates Note that students interested in Clinical Sciences may apply for Medicine and so hit the 15 October deadline.

Fri 25/01/2013 University of Bradford UG Guide signed off to print Guide to be used at HE Fairs and other recruitment events

Fri 15/02/2013 University of Bradford UG prospectus signed off to print UG prospectus for 2014 entry

Fri 15/02/2013 Deadline for submission of Phase 2 documentation for 2013 entry (UG and PG)

AQU to work with Schools to arrange CART

Fri 15/02/2013 Deadline for submission of Phase 1 proposals for 2014 entry (UG and PG)

Submit initial paperwork to AQU who will co-ordinate approval process

Wed 27/02/2013 Thurs 28/02/2013 First UCAS HE Convention (London) https://www.ucasevents.com/ucas/frontend/reg/tOtherPage.csp?pageID=430306&eventID=1002&eventID=1002

Fri 29/03/2013 Deadline for decision/approval of Phase 1 for 2014 entry (UG and PG) AQU inform Schools of outcome. Schools have until August 2014 to prepare documentation for Phase 2 approval.

Mon 29/04/2013 Deadline for decision/approval of Phase 2 submissions for 2013 entry (UG and PG). No CART for phase 2 programme approval after this date.

CART to feedback outcome to programme teams. Programme teams to ensure all CART conditions are met.

Fri 28/06/2013 All Programme Periodic Reviews to be completed

Fri 30/08/2013 Deadline for decision/approval of Phase 2 submissions for 2014 entry (UG and PG).

CART to feedback outcome to programme teams. Programme teams to ensure all CART conditions are met.

Mon 30/10/2013 LTC confirms school level enhancement plans

2013/14 Mon 22/11/2013 Deadline for submission of Phase 1 proposals for 2015 entry (UG and PG)

Submit initial paperwork to AQU for circulation to senior team

Fri 20/12/2013 Deadline for decision/approval of Phase 1 proposals for 2015 entry (UG and PG)

AQU inform Schools of outcome. Schools have till August 2014 to work up to Phase 2.

http://www.ucas.com/advisers/importantdates

https://www.ucasevents.com/ucas/frontend/reg/tOtherPage.csp?pageID=430306&eventID=1002&eventID=1002

https://www.ucasevents.com/ucas/frontend/reg/tOtherPage.csp?pageID=430306&eventID=1002&eventID=1002

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Academic Year 2012/13 from Easter break

Fri 29/03/2013 Deadline for Semester 1 module changes Will reflect feedback from Semester 1 module review process and student evaluation

Fri 29/03/2013 Provisional Semester 1 timetable for returners with all options

Fri 3/05/2013 Fri 17/05/2013 Semester 2 assessment period Bank holiday Monday 6 May 2013 – no examinations Last formal examination to be scheduled for Fri 17/5/2014

2 weeks of assessment This is one week prior to the end of semester. (should this be changed?) Already agreed

Fri 3/05/2013 Mon10/06/13 Marking period This will vary depending on when assessment /exams are undertaken to align to four week feedback rule

Mon 20/05/13 Fri 23/05/2013 Returning students to choose and confirm Semester 1 2013/14 modules

Fri 24/05/2013 End of semester 2/academic year Already agreed

Fri 14/06/2013 Student access provisional semester 2 marks in eVision (including any outstanding semester 1 marks)

4 weeks after last exam held / Continuous feedback on other assessment task will take place in accordance with four week feedback rule. Already agreed

Mon 17/06/2013 Board of Examiners commence (4 weeks since last exam held) Already agreed

Mon 17/06/2013 Wed 23/06/2013 UG Award Boards of Examiners to be held by this date (6 weeks since last exam held) For graduations Pass lists to be with SAS 48 hours after Boards of Examiners held

Mon 17/06/2013 Fri 12/07/2013 All UG Progression Boards of Examiners to be held (5.00pm deadline) and decisions agreed in SAINT and pass lists sent to Student Administration & Support Team

(8 weeks since last exam held) Pass lists to be with SAS 48 hours after Boards of Examiners held Already agreed

Tues/Wed/Thurs 16/17/18 July 2013 Graduation Ceremonies Already agreed

Wed 31/07/2013 Deadline for Sem2 module changes Already agreed

Mon 12/08/2013 Fri 23/08/2013 Supplementary Assessment period Already agreed

Mon 12/08/2013 Mon 26/08/2013 Marking Period

Mon 12/08/2013 Mon 2/09/2013 Student access provisional marks in eVision Date for accessing marks will vary depending on date of assessment

Fri 23/08/2013 Provisional Semester 1 timetable to new students with all options

Mon 2/09/2013 All module marks to be agreed in SAINT for supplementary assessments/exams

Already agreed

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Mon 9/09/2013 Last date for Progression and Award Board of Examiners. All decisions should be agreed in SAINT and Pass Lists sent to Student Administration & Support

Pass lists to be with SAS 48 hours after Boards of Examiners held Already agreed

Academic Year 2013/14

Wed 18/09/2013 Enrolment opens for International students

Mon 23/09/2013 Fri 20/12/2013 Autumn Term (12 or 13 weeks) Decision needed around end date for Autumn Term depending on 11 or 12 week teaching

Mon 23/09/2013

Fri 17/01/2014 Semester One

Mon 23/09/2013 Fri 27/09/2013 Freshers’ week and enrolment - compulsory attendance required

Mon 30/09/2013 Fri 20/12/2012 12 weeks of teaching

Mon 30/09/2013 Fri 13/12/2013 11 weeks of teaching

Mon 7/10/2013 Final module choices for all students

Fri 11/10/2013 Personalised timetable for all students

Wed/Thurs 4/5 Dec 2013 Graduation ceremonies Already agreed

Fri 13/12/2013 or Fri 20/12/2013

Fri 3/1/2014 Christmas Break ( 2 or 3 week break) Depends on 11 or 12 week teaching period

Mon 6/01/2014 Fri 11/04/2014 Spring Term (14 weeks)

Mon 6/01/2014 Fri 17/01/2014 Semester 1 Assessment period

Mon 6/01/2014 Monday 27/01/2014 Marking Period This will vary depending on when assessment /exams are undertaken to align to four week feedback rule

Mon 20/01/2014

Semester2 and start of teaching

Fri 31/01/2014 All Semester 1 marks to be agreed in SAINT Two weeks from final exam. Assessment Committees would need to sit

Fri 14/02/2014 Mon 12/08/2013 4 weeks after last exam held Continuous feedback depending on when other assessment tasks have taken place during the year in line with four week rule

Mon 14/04/2014 Fri 25/04/2014 Easter break (2 weeks)

Mon 28/04/2014 Fri 23/5/2014 Summer Term (4 weeks) & end of academic year

Fri 2/05/2014 Fri 16/05/2014 Semester 2 assessment period

(2 weeks of assessment) Monday 5 May Bank holiday no examinations

Fri 2/05/2014 Mon 16/05/14 Marking period This will vary depending on when assessment /exams are undertaken to align to four week feedback rule

Mon 19/05/2014 Fri 23/05/2014 Returning students to choose and confirm Sem1 2014/15 modules

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Fri 30/05/2014 All Semester 2 and remaining Semester 1 marks in SAINT

Fri 30/05/2014 Student access provisional semester 2 marks in eVision (including any outstanding semester 1 marks)

Mon 2/06/2014 Start of Board of Examiners (2 weeks since last exam) (4 wks -16 June) Pass lists to be with SAS 48 hours after Boards of Examiners held

Mon 2/06/2014 Fri 13/06/2014 UG Award Boards of Examiners (4 weeks since last exam) (6 wks -27 June) Pass lists to be with SAS 48 hours after Boards of Examiners held

Wed 18/06/14 Students notified of results of Board of Examiners eVision

Mon 2/06/2014 Fri 20/06/2014 UG Progression Boards of Examiners (4 weeks since last exam) (8 wks -11 July) Pass lists to be with SAS 48 hours after Boards of Examiners held

Mon 30/06/2014 Fri 04/07/2014 Supplementary assessment period

Fri 11/07/2014 Supplementary marks to be in SAINT

Fri 11/07/2014 Student access provisional marks in eVision

Fri 25/07/2014 All supplementary Board of Examiner to be completed Already agreed by Senate – key date Pass lists to be with SAS 48 hours after Boards of Examiners held

Wed 30/7/14 Students notified of confirmed results of Board of Examiners eVision

Tues/Wed/Thurs 15/16/17 July 2014

Graduation ceremonies Provisional Dates

For information

Wed 3/04/2013 Thurs 4/04/2013 IT at Risk period

Tues 28/05/2013 Wed 29/05/2013 IT at Risk period

Tues 27/08/2013 Wed 28/08/2013 IT at Risk period

Mon 21/10/2013 Tues 22/10/2013 IT at risk period

Mon16/12/2013 Tues 17/12/2013 IT at risk period


APPENDIX 4 – Equalities Impact Assessment

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APPENDIX 5 – PROGRAMME RISK REGISTER It is important to keep a log of all the key risks to the Programme. Risks should be continually monitored and managed and the rating updated at Programme team meetings. A risk owner should be nominated to manage and report on each risk.

Rank Risk No

Description of Risk

Previous month

Mitigating Action

This month

Risk Owner Date Last Reviewed

Status Live /

Cleared I L R I L R

1 14 Pre-requisites and Enablers not implemented; 5 3 15 Early meetings with key staff to ensure ownership of business area and necessary action is taken;

5 3 15

07-Aug-13 Live

2 5 Supplier providing a promised solution that does not and will not deliver what was developed and/or requested

4 3 12

Current supplier has a majority market share with specialised area. Need to ensure reference sites are followed up to provide a high degree of confidence in the suppliers ability to deliver the end product.

4 3 12 01-Aug-13 Live

3 8

Other projects and University activities taking place at the same time e.g. KIS, XCRI-CAP; Attendance Monitoring, Timetabling (Resourcing issues);

4 3 12 Overview group has been established to mitigate this specific risk;

4 3 12 01-Aug-13 Live

4 13 SITS (SAINT) Supplier (Tribal) do not have sufficient resources to resolve any identified issues;

4 3 12

Early meetings with Tribal to ensure they are aware of our expectations and timescales. Including a senior member of Tribal onto the Project Board as a Senior User will ensure effective communications.

4 3 12 01-Aug-13 Live

5 6 Dissolution or divestment of the current system supplier

5 2 10

Request information from supplier for reference sites where similar system reviews and overhauls have been completed - follow up conversations with individual reference sites. Each stage plan of the project need to provide a complete working system with no inter-dependencies on future developments;

5 2 10 01-Aug-13 Live

6 9 Over spending on the project budget 3 3 9 Financial report to be part of standing agenda item. Programme Manager to have agreed monthly meetings with Financial Project Accountant as appropriate.

3 3 9 01-Aug-13 Live

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7 1 Staff don't have time to commit to this stage and future stages of the project (participating in meetings, discussions, training etc)

4 2 8 The identification of Project Teams, Work Streams and Task & Finish Groups with clear objectives and effective management by the Programme Manager.

4 2 8 01-Aug-13 Live

8 7

Outputs from other interfacing projects may have an adverse impact upon the future development and/or data structures of the SAINT System;

4 2 8

Overview group has been established to mitigate this specific risk. Keep a watching brief on the progress of other projects and raise concerns with appropriate members of the project team and the Overview group

4 2 8 01-Aug-13 Live

9 10 University not recognising the importance of the SAINT Review Project

4 2 8 UoB ASPC aware of the importance of Student Record System.

4 2 8 01-Aug-13 Live

10 11 Work Streams may feel that regardless of their involvement, they are not listened to and their efforts are not taken seriously;

4 2 8

Project Manager to attend as many Work Stream meetings as possible to re-iterate the importance of the group members and to ensure their contribution is valued.

4 2 8 01-Aug-13 Live

11 12 Greater access to data and information may breach data protection and/or information security regulations

4 2 8

An update of the Data Protection Policy and Information Security Policy should be undertaken at some point throughout the life-cycle of this project - this will ensure that all staff are aware of their DPA and IS responsibilities.

4 2 8 01-Aug-13 Live

12 2

Funding not provided or released from the Investment Plan and/or Development pool to provide necessary funding to complete the project;

4 1 4 Funding fully approved by ASPC and University Council and full oversight of project cost v deliverables is provided in the high-level Heat Map

4 1 4 01-Aug-13 Live

13 4 Lack of understanding as to the importance of the SAINT System and lack of buy-in from SMT and operational staff

4 1 4 Presentation already made to SMT regarding the project and their full commitment is behind the project.

4 1 4 01-Aug-13 Live

Impact Key Probability Key Risk Rating 1. Not significant 1. Unlikely 1-4 Low 2. Small 2. Occasional 5-14 Medium 3. Limited 3. Possible 15-25 High 4. Large 4. Often 5. Serious 5. Likely


APPENDIX 6 – Project Sizing


APPENDIX 7 – Financial Plan


APPENDIX 8 – Environmental Impact Assessment


APPENDIX 9 – PRE-REQUISITES AND ENABLERS ACTION PLAN

Ref No

Summary of Recommendation/Action Required Progress Owner Date

(By when)

PO1

Completion of Business Process Reviews across functional areas in conjunction with front-line staff and development team to ensure functionality support business process, such as submission, e-marking, feedback.

x-ref with PO2 Project Manager All Schools/CS

PO2 Super-Users to be identified across Academic Schools and Corporate Service Departments and provided with the necessary training.

System Manager

PO3 Appointment of SITS System Manager & Data Integrity Manager

x-ref with IF4 Service-level owner

PO4 Role-based Access Levels for staff logging into system with a view to restrict global access to system for most users.

System Manager

PO5 Map and record the Academic year against SITS activities

Project Manager (Task & Finish)

PO6 Redesign and rebranding of portals in eVISION such as pre-enrolment, re-enrolment, registration and ceremonies

IT Systems

SITS Dev Team

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PO7 Pan-University use of SITS Document Manager for storage of data within SITS rather than eFile

IT Systems

SITS Dev Team

PO8 Exploration of interface between SITS-ePay-E5 and streamline activities to fit with the business process

Finance/SAS/IT

PO9 Maintain oversight of Alumni Office investment in systems to ensure strategic 'fit' with SITS in the future

Head of Alumni Office/Services /

IT Services

PO10 Production of system-wide policies and procedures to encourage consistent use of system

x-ref with DQ3 System Manager

PO11

Central oversight of the system is required with a clear 'business owner'. Also business functions require ownership supported by policies and procedures

x-ref with PO11

DQ1

Agree ownership and accountability and lead officers for each part of the of the student records system, and that this information informs Data Quality policies and procedures

Business Owner / System Manager

DQ2

Consideration of related work and recruitment plans when drawing together the map of ownership and accountability to ensure all roles and staffing structures are considered appropriately

DVC - Planning &

Resources

29

DQ3

Develop a Data Quality Policy using the key principles and common components in this report and in doing so: a. Reviews and updates the appropriate sections of the Information Access and Security Policy (informed also by work stream 1 - processes and ownership) b. Considers how the Data Quality Policy fits or integrates with Information Access and Security, or if it is a standalone policy. c. Considers how the Data Quality policy fits or integrates with any wider Management Information Strategy

x-ref with PO11 Strategic Planning

Office

DQ4

Diversity reporting is needed on all reports produced as a matter of course. This is to be able to report on Students with protected Characteristics as part of the General Duty. These reports are also key to monitor recruitment and success of widening participation student groups.

Strategic Planning

Office

DQ5

Reporting interfaces should allow drill down functionality on all student data reports to ensure that the institutional overview is informed from the bottom up and information is aligned at all levels.

Strategic Planning

Office / IT Services / Project Manager

DQ6

Clear information, support and guidance is required to support users of all reports provided for any purpose. These should be presented in a user friendly format supported by data experts who can provide advice on interpretation.

Strategic Planning

Office

DQ7

The student record system and approved reporting interfaces should make it possible to report and track across the student lifecycle, from pre-enrolment enquiry/application up to graduation and beyond.

Project Manager / System Manager

DQ8

Interfaces with other systems should allow and facilitate richer reporting capabilities, such as the combination of student data with module and financial information

This will require a data warehouse model to achieve

Strategic Planning Office / IT Services /

Project Manager

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DQ9 There should be an overall information map which outlines clearly reports available and the level of the data.

x-ref with DQ11 Strategic Planning

Office

DQ10

All data needs to be within one ‘area’ or ‘universe’ to allow for flexibility to access, and the reporting interface should be clear and intuitive, possibly with a dashboard capability.

Strategic Planning


DQ11 Any approved reporting interface should be supported by a clear information map and by appropriate user support

x-ref with DQ9 Strategic Planning


DQ12

Any approved reporting interface provides a set of standards agreed as necessary for effective business and signed off by the lead officer(s) outlined in recommendation DQ1.

Strategic Planning

Office

IF1 Maintain Services Overview Map and distribute to wider organisation

IT Systems

IF2 Ensure IT Strategy reflects strategic use of systems to reduce number of services and increase higher-functionality business systems

IT Services

IF3 Identify a SITS service-level owner

IF4 Appointment of a SITS System Manager x-ref with PO3. Funding as part of project Development Plan proposal.

Service-level owner

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IF5 Produce a SITS Coding Strategy and ensure Impact Analysis is undertaken prior to SITS coding changes

System Manager

IF6 Where possible provide a standard interface format between systems operability.

IT Systems

IF7

Consideration of Data Warehouse and associated reporting tools as the main source of system interconnectivity for the purpose of information reporting.

x-ref DQ8 Project Manager

MS1 Regular scheduled refreshes of databases are organised, with information published to users so that personal test data can be saved.

SAINT Team /

IT Services

MS2 All Web files, Hotfixes and Upgrades are kept in step.

SAINT Team /

IT Services

MS3 All development follows the Development Life Cycle (DEV > TEST > LIVE)

IT Systems

MS4 A more team based approach to development be adopted, with more trained staff, allowing a second person to promote to LIVE

IT Systems

MS5 Use specialist SAINT-CAB for sign-off, with ‘Extraordinary’ non-scheduled CABs being called during pre-defined vulnerable periods

IT Systems

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MS6

Coding/Rule changes should be publicised and agreed in advance of going LIVE by the SAINT community. They should also be double-checked by a different person to the one making the change

System Manager /

IT Systems

MS7 TUPs should be subject to the CAB process, though a specialist SAINT-CAB should be used

System Manager /

IT Systems

MS8 The documentation should supplement proper system procedures and version control

System Manager /

IT Systems

MS9 Reports should be developed which act as post-audit of TUP changes and key coding changes

System Manager /

IT Systems

MS10 Full access rights be retained for developers (see below for restrictions on access rights in general)

IT Systems

MS11 Seek consultancy from Tribal to advise on sector experience of best practice when defining User Profiles

IT Systems

MS12

Using Tribal advice redraw the set of user profiles to provide a clear distinction of purpose between them. Particular attention should be paid to the SUPER USER and PROJECT TEAM profiles

IT Systems

MS13 Audit the access levels of staff currently on SUPER USER and PROJECT TEAM with a view to re-allocating them to a lower access level

IT Systems

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MS14 Investigate creation of Nagios-Legato reporting IT Systems

TA1 Conduct Technical Survey with Tribal to determine system requirements for the following 3 years.

IT Infrastructure

TA2 To install the ActiveMonitor software to allow remote diagnostic information to be viewed by Tribal

IT Infrastructure

Processes & Ownership - To identify the required processes (and ownership) that are required to ensure the effective and efficient use of the student record system in-line with the Data Protection Act: Key Themes - Super-users required who have 'ownership'of the process', SAINT requires a business owner with a System Manager & Data Integrity Manager, Access to the system needs to be based on the 'Users' role, better oversight required of system functionality and usage across the organisation;

Data Quality & Usage - Undertake a broad review of system data, usage and reporting with an emphasis on data quality and efficient ways of working to produce responsive, high quality management information in a consistent and timely manner: Key Themes - Improvements to 'Information Governance' is required to ensure accountability for data processing and information generation, a Business owner should be identified to provide overall direction and leadership on information governance issues, a minimum data set should be agreed for the key business process areas, a clear information map should provide central oversight of information management and statutory reporting;

Interfaces & Functions - To map the current SITS infrastructure model and how it cascades to other external (third-party and interoperability) systems, both internal and external to the organisation: Key Themes - A need for better integration between Learning & Teaching systems and 'student-facing' Administrative systems, future consideration should be given to consolidate the number of services with fewer, higher-functional business systems, where systems need to provide interoperability a standard interface should be utilised, a service-level owner is required for the SITS system, a coding strategy is required to inform coding conventions and to reduce the interfaces from/to SITS a Data Warehouse should be considered to support management information;

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Managing the System - To identify and address any IT Services requirements: a) To produce change management procedures for the SAINT system. b) To consider access-levels for system developers within the ‘live’ environment. c) To review ‘Super User’ access to the SAINT system. d) To develop and maintain evidential procedures to support system backup. Key Themes - Team-based approach is required to ensure robust testing and to manage corporate risk of system failure, technical developments need to be 'joined-up' and aligned with Development Teams, requests for system changes need to be improved and authorised prior to being actioned, system documentation and version control should be maintained and adhered to;

Technical Architecture - To review the technical infrastructure and make recommendations to the Project Board for an improved sustainable IT solution, ensuring maximum system performance and availability: - To assess the underpinning technical architecture of the student record system, to include improved performance, maximum system availability, increased resilience, improved capability (future-proof), simplified architecture, sustainable solution; - To review the complexity of the current technology stack which delivers the student information system; Key Themes - Regular reviews and audits of the SITS technical infrastructure should be undertaken with a view to provide a simplified architecture, increased resilience, improved performance, sustainable solution and maximum system availability, provide remote monitoring solution for Tribal to undertake remote system diagnostics;

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APPENDIX 10 - DEVELOPMENT HEAT MAP


APPENDIX 11 – PROGRAMME ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

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APPENDIX 12 - Detailed Programme Objectives / Deliverables

The SITS (Review) Project identified a number of enablers and pre-requisites that are essential to the sustainable development of the student record system. The actions associated with enablers and pre-requisites were identified by and relate to the following work streams:

Processes and Ownership; Data Quality, Usage & Reporting; Interfaces & Functions; Management of the System; Technical Architectures;

The SITS (Review) Project Board approved the recommendations and requested their implementation as part of the SITS (Development) Programme. An essential and immediate part of the overall SITS (Development) Programme is to ensure that the actions associated with the above work streams are implemented in full. The Action Plan for the enablers and pre-requisites is included in Appendix 9.

To ensure that the project makes best use of the resources it will be necessary to break the project into manageable components or stages. There will be certain times of the year when some developments cannot take place, for example changing the recruitment and admissions process during the admissions cycle would be high-risk. Furthermore and perhaps more fundamentally there is also a natural progression of development activity that needs to be undertaken and as such the proposed development plan should reflect the natural developmental areas and should be undertaking in the following order:

Stage 1 - Revamp of Portals There are some immediate development requirements that must be undertaken to ensure that the enrolment process for 2013/14 intake is as efficient and streamlined as possible. Furthermore, there is an increasing requirement to collect additional statutory information at the point of enrolment. This also provides an opportunity to build-in some data integrity measures which will ensure data is checked for accuracy and validated at the point when it is collected. eVISION Rebranding Many of the current eVISION screens were developed a number of years ago. Whilst some recent developments have provided improved functionality with a new look and feel there are some inconsistent branding issues throughout the system. With developers’ time prioritised,

A. Revamp of Portals

Re-branding

Programme Enhancement Planning Template

Staff eVISION mark entry

Pre-enrolment ' Re-enrolment portal

Ceremonies Portal

Application Portal

B. Curriculum Data Management

Modules & Programmes

Approval & Workflow

C. Student Data Management

ProgrammeTransfers

Associate Modules

Student Withdrawals & Suspensions

D. PIT Codes

Reduce PIT codes

Alternative strategy for notification letters

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there is an opportunity to undertake a revision of the eVISION screens and to rebrand them in-line with the University corporate theme. Programme Enhancement Plan Template At the present time, Programme Enhancement Plans, (PEPs) are completed using a MS Work Template and stored independent of the SITS system. There is an opportunity to explore the way in which PEPs are completed and stored with the potential to use eVISION as the interface and the SITS Document Manager as the storage media ensuring consistency in use, preservation of previous PEPs and the effective management of version control. This will demonstrate a coherent approach for the Programme Enhancement Planning process in-line with the Quality Code for Higher Education. Staff eVISION Mark Entry There is not a consistent way in which Academic Schools enter coursework/examination results into the SITS system. In some cases, marks are entered into SITS purely to satisfy the progression status and requirement of the system before the end of Semester 2 which can be a large burden on administrative resource. This occurs when the Virtual Learning Environment (Blackboard) is used by Academic Schools to provide formative and summative feedback to students following the electronic submission of the coursework into Blackboard. Inevitably this results in duplicate effort and duplicate entry of results (for example, into SITS for progression status and into Blackboard to feedback to students). The School of Health Studies should be considered as a ‘good’ pilot site given their current experience of e-submission, e-marking and e-feedback. At the present time, SITS does not have an interface with the Turnitin plagiarism software although this is likely to change in the future. In the meantime, the process of entering results into SITS should be reviewed to ensure it is as efficient as possible given the above constraints. Pre-enrolment/Re-enrolment Portal The student-facing enrolment portal has been in place since 2007 (the functionality was designed using eVISION and developed jointly by staff within the Student Administration Team and IT Services). The functionality provides a workable solution, allowing students to upload documentation (such as copies of passports and photographs etc, which are stored within the SITS Document Manager). However, when the portal was developed in 2007 the design tools were limited which reflect the current outdated look and feel. More recent design tools that are available can provide a greatly improved user-interface and improve the overall student experience. Ceremonies Portal At the present time, students use the ‘Ceremonies Portal’ to book tickets for their graduation ceremony. However there are a number of improvements that can be made to the current process. This will improve the process for students when booking their places and tickets for their graduation as well as improving the overall efficiencies and administration for staff during the registration process of ceremonies on the day. Furthermore, the SITS system could be used to oversee staff engagement within the ceremonies process. Open Day / Applicant Portals A refresh of the current portals are required to ensure it matches the current business process and provides a positive student experience.

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Stage 2 - Curriculum Data In-line with the revised Curriculum Framework there is a need to examine and revise the data structures and module coding conventions within SITS. Alongside this is the need to deal with duplicate student records which currently exist on the SITS system. Duplicate records were intentionally created, in the main to cater for enrolled students who subsequently enrolled to undertake a ‘zero-credit’ module within the School of Lifelong Education & Development (SLED). Although SLED is now closed, the University continues to provide additional modules which may or may not contribute towards the final award classification, nonetheless, duplicate records will result in duplicate transcripts and could easily lead to confusion. Whatever the case, duplicate student records creates a number of data integrity issues and is now considered poor-practice. The change to any module codes needs to be agreed and standardised across all Academic Schools. This should be in line with the FHEQ levels of study to represent the band of qualification/attainment3, as well as based on the subject code, rather than prefixed with a School code, for example MAN for School of Management. Furthermore, revision of the curriculum data within SITS will provide an opportunity to linkup the outputs of the XCRi-CAP project and ensure the ‘Module’ and ‘Programme’ data is sufficiently robust ensuring any future system developments can rely upon good quality data. Oversight and ownership of modules and relationship with Programmes It is important to recognise that revision of the curriculum data within SITS is fundamental to any subsequent SITS Developments and as a result it is an area that needs to be tackled first and will provide the overall configuration for other process areas later in the development cycle. This work will include the creation of Programmes’ within SITS and will encompass the relationship between ‘Programmes’ and ‘Modules’. This will provide Academic Schools with greater visibility and oversight of current, live modules, their relationship with programmes and the meta-data associated with each. Furthermore, ‘Programmes’ and ‘Modules’ which are being developed (i.e. within the approval process) can be captured within the SITS system and activated as a ‘Live’ programme/module at the appropriate time. 6.2.2 Programme & Module approval and workflow Building on the above work, will see the development of ‘Programme’ and ‘Module’ approval and workflow processes. This will allow the Programme Specification, module descriptor and other associated meta-data to be work flowed throughout the system from the point of inception to final approval by the Academic Quality Unit. At any time throughout the approval process, full visibility should be provided to enable those involved to see where the ‘Programme‘ or ’Module’ is within the approval process. Once Programme Specifications and modules are approved, via the workflow process, the use of Institutional Published Programmes (IPP) should be used to allow the ‘Live-Active’ Programme Specifications and modules to point to the public-facing website for prospective students. This information should also include the module descriptor information and used to support the information on the Transcripts.

3 The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education – The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, August 2008.

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Stage 3 - Student Data Management

Student Programme Transfer It is inevitable that some students will change their minds on the programme of study that they wish to undertake. It is also important that when students do change that the transfer process is seamless, consistent across all Academic Schools and removes any unnecessary administrative duties. At the present time Schools’ undertake the transfer process in various inconsistent ways and often leave modules ‘open’ and associated with the student. This creates an issues for Examination Boards when Pass Sheets contain students who have transferred to another programme but for some reason a new SPI record has not been created to record the appropriate Chairs Action. The design of eVISION screens and the use of the systems automation features will greatly improve the transfer process and ensure that everything is undertaken correctly and in a consistent manner. Associate Modules If there is a continuation of ‘Associate Modules’ an improved process needs to be identified to cater for the recording, storage and retrieval of this information using the SITS system. As outlined above the current working practice is to create a second student record for any ‘associated modules’. This is not good practice and creates a number of data integrity issues. Any modules undertaken by a student should be recorded as part of their student record within the SITS system. As well as defining and developing a new process to enable this to happen, there may also be some work required to improve and tidy-up the existing data on the SITS system. Student Withdrawals & Suspensions Students who withdraw or suspend studies (and may return at a later date) are suspended on the system and as a result disappear off the tutors 'radar'. An eVISION screen is required to manage the withdrawals and suspensions process but also to be able to track, manage, monitor and report on students who have temporarily withdrawn or suspended studies. This will provide tutors with the ability to be able to provide a level of pastoral support to students and encourage them to return and complete their studies at a point in the future. Stage 4 - Progression of Students & PIT Codes Bradford currently has over 650 PIT codes (ie ways to progress from year to year on the system until graduation). This is due to the way in which the system is currently used to display the text that appears in student letter to inform them of the progression outcome which appears to be tailored to each specific programme of study. Whilst it is clear that there is not 650 ways of progressing, the PIT code strategy needs to be simplified and shared across all Academic Schools’. Future stages Once the essential elements are developed a review of the business needs should be undertaken to ensure that the system in developed in accordance with the strategic direction of the business. The essential elements will ensure that the underlying data infrastructure is robust and it will be possible to consider the optional developments. There is no predefined order in which the following developments have to be undertaken, however careful consideration should be given to the time of the year versus the academic/student lifecycle. The medium-term developments may need to commence in conjunction with earlier work to ensure that business-critical systems are delivered within a realistic timeframe.

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Graduate Opportunities HEAR Transcripts It is only a matter of time before the production4, storage and retrieval5 of HEAR transcripts becomes a mandatory requirement. Although the University is producing a transcript at the present time, it does not include all of the suggested recommendations as outlined by Universities UK and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The production of the HEAR relies upon the collection of high quality data. Presently the transcripts produced at Bradford contain details of the programme of study, the module taken and results gained. The collection of additional information should be undertaken within SITS using an eVISION user interface. This additional information could include non-academic awards, recognised voluntary activities, or University awarded prizes and awards where no recognition is provided in terms of academic credit. The supplier market at the present time is still emerging and a number of potential options will soon come to market. Careful consideration needs to be given to ensure that a robust solution is used to provide the safe storage and retrieval of digital transcripts in the future. On-line Applications & Student Accounting Newer functionality with SITS can now provide functionality for a full on-line paperless application process. This can be linked from the University website ‘Published Programmes’ with a seamless link to the application process. The use of tasking can allow staff to view the on-line applications and provide the applicant with an offer. Applicants will receive an email advising them of the offer and can also track the progress of their application throughout the full application process. Applicants will be able to accept the offer on-line and the SITS system will be updated accordingly. At the present time, the University uses an ‘Application Portal’ which allows applicants to submit an application form electronically but does not include the tracking, offer and acceptance process. The Student Accounting Module (SAMs) is a large and complex development to undertake and should be carefully planned. There are no known SITS pre-requisites to the implementation of SAMs however there will be a dependency on the E5 finance system and the timing of such developments needs to be carefully considered. At the time of writing this Project Mandate, it is understood that a major upgrade to the E5 Finance system will take place in the Autumn of 2014. This time should be considered as increased level of risk for this project and SAMs developments avoided until the upgraded system is in place.

Enrolment

Student Enrolment, Re-enrolment & Module Selection At the present time, students do not select their modules on the SITS system – this is a process that is administered within Academic Schools. At the point of enrolment or re-enrolment for continuing students the appropriate modules should be allocated to the respective students based on the selected programme of study. Where students undertake elective modules an eVISION user-interface should be developed to provide the functionality to pre-select their choice of modules for both Semesters 1 and 2. The process of selecting modules should be created as part of the re-enrolment portal and should be completed by students prior to leaving at the end of Semester 2 in preparation for the following academic year. This can be achieved regardless of the outcome of the students’ academic progression status.

4 Universities UK, Bringing it all together, Introducing the HEAR. The final report of the Burgess Implementation Steering Group. 5 UK DARE, Digital Academic Records Exchange supported by HEFCE and JISC

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The selection of elective modules should be free of pre-requisites and available across the University, especially for stage 2 & 3 in line with the Curriculum Framework6. Enrolment for Collaborative Provision The enrolment process for collaborative provision should be developed using eVISION. This will ensure that all collaborative provision students are registered and enrolled following the correct procedures.

Assessment

Module Mark Entry Redevelopment of the module mark entry screen within staff:eVISION is required to make it more user friendly. The student:eVISION should also be redeveloped to provide a modern look and feel with ease of access to module marks. E-Marking The full e-marking functionality within SITS will not be available until late 2014. When this is available, it is anticipated that links with Turnitin will also be enabled by Tribal. At this stage the University should adopt the use of SITS to oversee the full process including student handin, online marking, formative and summative feedback and present the results back to the students via eVISION within 20 working days. In the meantime work can be undertaken to encourage Academic staff to engage with the Blackboard e-marking process. However, it must be recognised that student summative marks will also need to be entered into the SITS system as this process is not automated. It must also be recognised that, for some, the introduction of e-marking may be a big cultural change and training and support should be provided where required. Breaches & Module Capping The process of managing breaches across the University varies from School to School. In most cases, information concerning breaches is recorded outside of SITS. The staff:eVISION interface should include the functionality of Student Module Results (SMM) to provide a simple solution to mark the student record with an appropriate flag and enter textual notes regarding details of the breach. Module Flags & Award Predictor Many of the assessment flags on the system are repeated and they need to be reviewed. An agreed strategy needs to be put in place to ensure that the correct flags are used in future. Admissions & Recruitment

Student Enquiries & Recruitment Most enquiries are received via an unstructured email from prospective students. These are directed from links on the relevant School website. The unstructured email is processed manually and as the enquirer does not always provide the necessary information it is necessary to send a reply and wait for the enquirer to provide further information – quite often the enquirer does not follow up the request and this must be considered as a lost contact and a potential loss of business. Currently, use of the QED screen is made but any subsequent follow up with the relevant School is undertaken in email outside of SITS - no tracker information is therefore available

6 University of Bradford Undergraduate Curriculum Framework, August 2012.

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and it is often difficult to identify which enquirer actually submitted an application and became a Bradford Student. The use of a SITS integrated CRM system via e:VISION with Azorus can facilitate student recruitment and retention and consideration should be given to the implementation to improve the recruitment process. In the meantime, there is an opportunity to consider the use of email forms on each School website. This will ensure that the required information is collected at source which can improve the data that is collected and ease the process of follow up calls with initial enquirers. Whilst this facility will not meet the functionality of a full CRM it may go a long way to help the recruitment process within a relatively short timescale. Institutional Published Programmes The current SITS implementation does not utilise the functionally (IPP & IPO) to publish on the website the ‘Programmes’ and ‘Modules’ that the University offers. Instead, alternative systems (ModCat and the Module Catalogue) are used, supported by MS Word document which provide the detail required of Module Descriptors. There is also a risk of poor version control to ensure that the most recent Module is published on the website. Following the work and lessons learnt from the XCRI-CAP project, it is possible to incorporate the next steps into the SITS (Development) project. This will provide a facility to publish ‘Programme’ information with their associated ‘Modules’ and include within the online application process. The ‘Programme’ and ‘Module’ meta-data will be stored within the SITS Document Manager and can also be used to feed the relevant sections of the HEAR transcripts. CPD Module Applications The School of Health Studies have a requirement to allow staff working with the Healthcare sector to apply and enrol for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes. These are essentially single modules which form part of a wider programme of study within the University but for the purpose of CPD are considered as module applications. An on-line application is required to be developed within eVISION, however it is essential that this development can be used across other School if required and is not designed specifically for one School. Data Warehousing At the present time SITS is used to ‘feed’ numerous other systems across the University at varying frequency, daily, weekly, monthly, after each graduation, annually. The complexities of the various processes could be considered an over-burden on the SITS system itself and could affect the overall system performance. The implementation of a dedicated SITS data warehouse with associated reporting tools could prove beneficial to administrative, academic and management staff. A data warehouse would hold data from numerous systems including SITS, Finance system, Virtual Learning Environment, Library system and Attendance Monitoring using the student ID as the unique identifier to link the information together. This rich source of data will provide student analytics to support the management of information for decision making and performance management. This will ensure that a cohesive and robust Reporting Repository can be achieved. Research Management The management of MPhil and PhD students across the University is exactly the same as UG and PG students. Use of the SITS system is used regardless of level of entry, e.g. Undergraduate, Postgraduate studies or Research activities. However, there may be

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additional attributes that need to be collected for research students, such as published papers, events, conferences, research letters and correspondence as well as keeping track of their academic teaching undertakings. At Bradford much of this information is currently not collected within SITS. Any information on the research topic area is captured within SITS as plain text which makes it impossible to undertake searches to assess the pan-university research base. The Research module exists within SITS but it is not used. Training will be required to ensure the appropriate staff are provided with the necessary knowledge. However, it must be recognised that the ‘SITS Research Module’ does not provide the level of functionality of a ‘Research Information System’ which will provide oversight of grant applications, research income, projects, research outputs, research staff, organisational units or external collaborations.


APPENDIX 13 – SERVICES OVERVIEW


WOORKBOOK APPROVAL FORM

PROGRAMME NAME SITS (Development) Programme

INVESTMENT THEME/PROGRAMME UNDER WHICH THIS PROGRAMME RESIDES

DOCUMENT ORIGINATED BY

Chris Kaushal-Bolland

Supporting documents verified (initials of Officer)

Sizing Tool

EIA SIA Grant application

Other

SIGNED OFF TO PROCEED TO NEXT STAGE

1) Head of Planning Unit Print name & sign below Job/role title

Signature: Date:

2) Programme Sponsor (if different to HoPU above)

Print name & sign below Job/role title

Signature: Date:

3) Director of Finance

Print name & sign below

Signature: Date:

If approval for startup/design costs is also required and/or the Programme has a large projected budget, the Chair of the appropriate Strategic Committee/s must also sign as below

Strategic Committee to approve ALL requests for startup/design costs. In addition, the following apply:-

Start up costs <£50k, DoF/DVC to sign

Overall budget >£50k but <£500k, Chair of ASPC to sign as well as DoF, DVC

Overall budget >£500k, Chair of Council to sign as well as Chair of ASPC, DoF, DVC

Chair of Strategic Committee

Print name & sign below Name of Committee

Signature: Date:

Head of Finance

Signature: Date:

Deputy Vice Chancellor

Signature: Date:

Chair of ASPC

Signature: Date:

Chair of Council

Signature: Date:

Please ensure that the original of the fully signed Programme Workbook is sent to Jo Hills, Senior Advisor, Projects & Programmes, in the Strategic Planning Office.

step 3 - workbook start-up - university of bradford · sits development\project workbook step 3 -...

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