• Section 1 - Establishment
• Background
• Purpose
• Section 2 - Glossary
• Section 3 - Membership
• Section 4 - Functions and responsibilities
• Board responsibilities
• Member responsibilities
• Section 5 - Meetings
• Quorum
• Meetings
• Agendas and Minutes
• Conflicts of interest
• Variations

Section 1 - Establishment

Background

(1) The Project Review Board is established by the Chief Information and Digital Officer.

Purpose

(2) The purpose of the Project Review Board is to assess, endorse and monitor information technology (IT) projects at Charles Sturt University. It ensures projects are aligned with best practice governance and executed in line with the University strategy.

(3) The Project Review Board is chaired by the Chief Information and Digital Officer.

(4) The Project Review Board is a sub-committee of the Technology Governance Committee.

Section 2 - Glossary

(5) For the purpose of this document:

1. Projects/Initiatives and Projects – is a portfolio of initiatives requiring planned change that transform process, information management and/or systems. Delivered within a project framework, these initiatives can include:
   1. complex changes to introduce or alter a major information and communications technology (ICT) component with an impact that typically transcends organisational units
   2. pre-project investigation activities undertaken to establish greater detail (business value, resourcing, cost, feasibility etc.) for those potential initiatives that are larger and more complex, and
   3. significant web-related projects that introduce enterprise change and require a range of technical skills may also be included on the Initiatives and Projects to facilitate prioritisation, resource allocation and scheduling across the breadth of the portfolio.
2. Stage gates - A stage gate process is a project management technique in which an initiative or project is divided into distinct stages or phases, separated by decision points. At each gate, continuation is decided by a manager, steering committee, or governance board. The stage gates used by the Project Review Board include:
   1. initiate - initial evaluation to assess size and complexity. As well as to determine that that project is in Division of Information Technology's scope of work and is achievable and feasible. This is undertaken by the IT Project Management Office
   2. discovery – further refinement and scoring of the technology initiative. Small projects can be approved at this stage by the Project Review Board, otherwise they are endorsed to the next stage
   3. business case – development of a business case for the Technology Governance Committee to approve
   4. implementation preparation – project moves to the backlog and resourcing is finalised
   5. implementation – project commences. Project can be stopped and redirected by the Project Review Board at this stage, and
   6. transition – project is handed over to the business.

Section 3 - Membership

(6) The members of the Project Review Board are:

1. Chief Information and Digital Officer (Chair)
2. Director, IT Infrastructure and Security, Division of Information Technology
3. Director, Application Services, Division of Information Technology
4. Head Enterprise Architect, Division of Information Technology
5. Associate Director, DIT Project Management Office, Division of Information Technology, and
6. Director, Risk and Compliance(or nominee)

(7) A regular member may appoint another person to attend a meeting or meetings on their behalf, or to act on their behalf for a specified timeframe. A person so appointed will be deemed to be a regular member of the Project Review Board for the specified time and may vote as a regular member. The chair can appoint another person to act as chair on their behalf.

(8) Outcomes will be documented by the Associate Director, IT Project Management Office.

Section 4 - Functions and responsibilities

Board responsibilities

(9) The Project Review Board has, and may exercise, the following functions for and on behalf of the University:

1. Prioritise new initiatives based on set criteria for small initiatives, and make recommendations around priority for initiatives of medium size or larger.
2. Make decisions for projects classified as small in size or defined as an investigation.
3. Move projects through the stage gate process.
4. Approve funding of projects from the Technological Initiatives fund (for small projects) or recommend funding for medium or larger projects.
5. Recommend and endorse projects to the Technology Governance Committee, including recommendations around prioritisation.
6. Authorise the initiation of a scheduled project.
7. Approve prioritised maintenance and upgrade schedule projects for small projects.
8. Monitor and as appropriate, review, approved projects to ensure the health of the IT Project Management Office project portfolio and that expected project outcomes maintain their value contribution.
9. Authorise the launch of projects at the critical point in a project where infrastructure, timeline, downstream and other estimates are deemed to have been satisfactorily refined to provide a "go/no go" decision point i.e. at Project Definition.
10. Approve closure and mainstreaming of small projects through a project closure report.
11. Place projects on hold where it is deemed to be appropriate.

(10) Excluded from the portfolio of Initiatives and Projects are minor system maintenance upgrades and work requests.

(11) Prior to the Project Review Board meeting, the Head Enterprise Architect will be responsible for identifying the capability area(s) associated with a project and liaising with the stakeholders to seek their endorsement of the project.

(12) Projects considered by the Project Review Board may include ICT-related initiatives that are not funded by Initiatives and Projects. Examples include:

1. those funded by the student services and amenities fee (SSAF) or capital management plan
2. funded activities enabling or related to the delivery of the strategic plan, or
3. ICT-related projects placed on the Initiatives and Projects as determined by the Executive Leadership Team.

Member responsibilities

(13) Nominees appointed by the respective senior executive lead are expected to represent the full portfolio and are responsible to ensure communication and support of the respective portfolio.

Section 5 - Meetings

Quorum

(14) A quorum shall be half of the entire membership, plus one member of the Project Review Board.

Meetings

(15) Approximately twelve meetings will be held annually. These will be from one to three hours in duration depending on need.

(16) All projects may be considered by the Project Review Board at all meetings under the advice of the Chief Information and Digital Officer.

(17) Where critical or urgent approvals are required between meetings, approval may be sought from the Chief Information and Digital Officer to have such issues and decisions addressed by the Project Review Board via a ‘flying minute'.

Agendas and Minutes

(18) Agendas will be prepared by the Associate Director, IT Project Portfolio.

Conflicts of interest

(19) Where a member has a perceived or material conflict of interest, they must declare this to the Chair and at the Project Review Board meeting prior to discussion to the item of business. They may be asked to withhold on voting on related items.

Variations

(20) Variations to the terms of reference and/or membership must be approved by the Chief Information and Digital Officer.