JISC

The JOS work programme is arranged around five key strategic themes as described in the JOS Strategic Framework  . This rolling programme of projects aims to deliver benefits to the sector by providing targeted information, advice and support to key areas of concern within the sector.

The recent work of  the programme maps to the five themes of the committee, previous work of the committee is included as an adjunct to the five themes.

The role of technology within the strategic management of institutions

This theme focuses on the development of strategic advice and guidance, and tools that enhance institutional practices, to support the role of technology in enabling the strategic management of an institution.

Current projects include:

• Strategic Management Infokit  A two-year project to investigate and support strategic management and planning within institutions;
• Strategic Management in HE A short study managed in collaboration with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education that aims to identify the issues and development needs relating to awareness, current practice and potential of the integration of technology into institutional strategies in UK higher education. 

e-Framework and architectures

This theme focuses on ways in which the committee can support institutions in their adoption of enterprise architectures and service oriented approaches in support of teaching, learning, research and administration functions (in particular enriching the e-Framework for Education and Research with institutional perspectives on business function and process modelling, and domain mapping).

Recent projects have included:

• High Level Domain Mapping (HiLDA)  - The mapping of the high level domain architectures of educational business functions (of teaching, learning, research, administration, libraries and IT services;
• innovationbase - Joint working with the JISC e-Framework programme to facilitate the development of its ‘InnovationBase’ mapping and modelling of high level domains in the FE and HE sectors.

Changing staff roles, relationships and skills

This theme focuses on the ‘soft issues’ that arise from, and the actions that need to be applied to fully exploit, the investment in technology that institutions make, further understanding new ways of working in challenging, complex and ever-changing environments, and providing support and strategic advice to institutions on the changing relationship between staff roles and the implications for staff skills development.

Current projects include:

• Roles and Competencies - A study following on from the High Level Domain Architecture project and undertaking a landscape study which maps the roles and competencies of staff fulfilling roles as major actors in each of the high level domain areas identified;
• Work-With-IT A project (and case studies) assessing the impact and effect that new ways of technology-enhanced working have had on staff, examining how the adoption of new technologies and practices has brought about changes within institutional workforces and student populations;
• A series of scenario thinking workshops to speculate on the longer term implications of the changes in staff ways of working brought about (directly or indirectly) by new technologies, and reflecting on what type of organisational structure and roles might be required to support new ways of working in the future.

e-Administration

This theme investigates, develops and applies methodologies, and provides support to institutions, both to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of institutional processes (including an investigation of the role that shared services can play), and to reduce the administrative burden placed upon individuals – thereby enabling them to devote more of their time to making a positive contribution to institutional business.

Current projects include:

• Study of Shared Services in UK Further and Higher Education: A prevalence study of Shared Services in the UK FE and HE sectors, investigating to what degree shared services are currently underway, planned or considered and rejected, reviewing the effectiveness and implications of shared service approaches to develop advice and guidance to the sector;
• IRET Twelve-month pilots projects investigating institutional responses to emergent technologies – i.e. some of the approaches taken to achieve benefits for the end user, while maintaining appropriate levels of control for the institution;
• BIILS - A landscape study of the methods and measures used to assess and evaluate change brought about by investment in ICT (both financial and non-financial benefits).

 

Business innovation

This theme explores new technologies and practices that facilitate and support institutions in more efficient, effective, and environmentally responsible ways of delivering their core services (with a growing focus on sustainable developments and ‘green computing’).

Current projects include:

• Managing environmentally sustainable ICT in Further and Higher Education SUSTE-IT - A twelve-month study taking a holistic view of the environmental effects of ICT-related decisions, investigating where synergies in technology and energy efficiency policies can be exploited to further the achievement of ‘green computing’, raising awareness of issues, and developing a tool to help institutions calculate their carbon footprint and hence the financial cost of their energy consumption through ICT;
• Relationship Management - JISC aims to support institutions’ complex interactions both with students - throughout the entire relationship lifecycle from prospective students to alumni - and with external business and community partners, in order to help professionalise the associated relationships and add business value'. This work includes Student Lifecycle Management - A landscape study drawing together the different strands of customer relationship management (CRM) / student lifecycle relationship management type activities and approaches that affect student recruitment, retention and on-going engagement.

Previous Work

 The previous work programme comprised the following:

1. Support for wider sectors
   Additional Support for Specialist Colleges
   Portfolio for ACL Development Officers
   Virtual Training Suite Tutorials for ACL
2. Management development and institutional support
   Risks Associated with e-Learning Investment in FE and HE  
   Total Cost of Ownership  
   Learning Lessons from eBusiness
   Impact of Networked Learning (INLEI)
   Guide to Investment in Open Source Software
   I Continue - ICT Sustainability
   Information Management and Governance Toolkit
   Programme Management and Planning Scoping Study
   Measuring and Understanding the Systems Integration Challenge
   Strategic Management of ICT
   
3. Practitioner / Staff development
   Staff Information Skills Set
   The Learning Journey - RSC Event
4. Information, evaluation and reporting
   JISC's Monitoring and Evaluation Framework