• This is not a current document. It has been repealed and is no longer in force.
• Section 1 - Establishment
• Background
• Purpose
• Section 2 - Glossary
• Section 3 - Membership
• Section 4 - Functions and responsibilities
• Committee responsibilities
• Member responsibilities
• Section 5 - Meetings
• Quorum
• Meetings
• Agendas and minutes
• Conflicts of interest
• Variations

This is not a current document. It has been repealed and is no longer in force.

Section 1 - Establishment

Background

(1) The Technology Governance Committee was initially established as the Initiatives and Strategy Implementation Plan Governance Committee by the Vice-Chancellor. It became the Technology Governance Committee in 2018.

Purpose

(2) The purpose of the Technology Governance Committee is to maintain oversight over the technological landscape at Charles Sturt University and ensure that technological initiatives and operational tasks align with best practice, as well as the University strategy.

(3) The Technology Governance Committee has cross-University representation and is chaired by the Executive Director, Division of Information Technology.
 

Section 2 - Glossary

(4) For the purpose of this document:

1. Backlog maintenance - is defined as managed activity ensuring that dated or legacy environments are upgraded or retired to enable the on-going renewal and development of the ICT environment.
2. Committee - means Technology Governance Committee.
3. Major upgrades are characterised as follows:
   1. the new version is a major release and not merely a revision ('dot' release) or bug fix
   2. may require the provision of new infrastructure or technology platform
   3. the new version delivers additional functionality, or new or changed business processes thereby necessitating the implementation of the change in a controlled and managed fashion
   4. impact of the activity is cross-divisional
   5. activity extends beyond three months
   6. involves a range of different stakeholders
   7. requires a mix of technical resources
   8. need to be undertaken as a project utilising high-level project delivery staff.
4. Technology Initiatives -  is a portfolio of initiatives requiring planned change that transform process, information management and systems. Delivered within a project framework, these initiatives are complex undertakings incorporating a major information and communications technology (ICT) component and with an impact that typically transcends organisational units. A technology initiative may also include 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. Significant web-related projects that introduce enterprise change and require a range of technical skills may also be included on the technology initiative to facilitate prioritisation, resource allocation and scheduling across the breadth of the portfolio.

Section 3 - Membership

(5) The members of the Committee are:

1. Chief Operating Officer
2. Chief Financial Officer
3. Executive Director, Division of Information Technology (Chair)
4. Executive Director, Students or nominee
5. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
6. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
7. Executive Director, People and Culture
8. Executive Director, Strategy, Marketing and Analysis
9. Dean, Learning and Teaching Innovation
10. Director, Risk and Compliance

(6) 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 committee for the specified time and may vote as a regular member.

(7) The Committee will be serviced by the Executive Officer, Division of Information Technology.

(8) Right of audience and debate shall be granted to the:

1. Director, IT Infrastructure and Security, Division of Information Technology
2. Director, Application Services, Division of Information Technology
3. Associate Director, Project Management Office, Division of Information Technology
4. Manager, Policy and Records, Office of Governance and Corporate Affairs
5. Head Enterprise Architect, Division of Information Technology
6. Director, Planning and Analytics, Office of Planning and Analytics

Section 4 - Functions and responsibilities

Committee responsibilities

(9) The Technology Governance Committee has, and may exercise, the following functions for and on behalf of the University:

1. To be informed by the Division of Information Technology and other members, of technology developments within the sector to ensure insight and to take a holistic and organisation-wide view to technology decisions affecting the University.
2. Receive project recommendations from Project Review Board and assess project initiatives and make strategic decisions on projects based on their value contribution and in the overall context of the portfolio of activities to be undertaken through:
   1. maintaining alignment with the scope of the Initiatives and Projects
   2. improving initiative handling proposals, and
   3. improving governance processes related to the committee.
3. Authorise the initiation of a scheduled project, on agreement of scope, timeline, budget and expected outcomes.
4. Approve the prioritised backlog maintenance upgrade schedule and funding.
5. Monitor and as appropriate, review, approved projects to ensure the health of the Technology Initiatives project portfolio and that expected project outcomes maintain their value contribution.
6. 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, that is, at project definition.
7. Approve or reject project requests (requests for change) to proceed if the project experiences material change(s) in spend, scope, quality, resources, strategy, timeline/schedule, key risks and issues, business/support readiness, etc.
8. The Technology Governance Committee authorises the Executive Director, Division of Information Technology to review and approve or reject requests for change if the impact to the portfolio is minimal. The following criteria can be used as a guide to help inform the Executive Director, Division of Information Technology as to how to treat the request for change, although approval remains at their discretion:
   1. any additional funds required are no more than 10% of total annual Technology Initiatives funding and funds required are available
   2. the project has not submitted more than two requests for change previously or one in the previous six months
   3. approving the change does not significantly impact the progress, or delay the commencement, of any Critical or High Priority, and
   4. any timeframe extension does not exceed six months.
9. Approve closure and mainstreaming of projects through a project closure report submitted to the Technology Governance Committee which has been signed off by the project sponsor and project manager.
10. Strategic review and guidance of the University Applications Portfolio
11. Strategic review, oversight and direction of the Data Security and Governance Committee (formerly the Data Governance Committee).
12. Make recommendations to the Executive Leadership Team as required.
13. Place projects on hold where it is deemed to be appropriate.
14. Promote and support the rationale and objectives of the Technology Governance Committee, and excellence in the application of information and communications technology (ICT), within the University community.

(10) Excluded from the portfolio of Technology Initiatives are minor system maintenance upgrades, licensing, support and associated costs in the implementation of ICT infrastructure or equivalent internet-based virtual services.

(11) System upgrades are not normally resourced or prioritised as part of the Technology Initiatives (refer to clause 10), but major upgrades may be considered at the discretion of the Technology Governance Committee where an upgrade requires significant resourcing or presents significant business change that could not reasonably be undertaken by a systems custodian as a business as usual activity. In consultation with the Division of Information Technology, system custodians should maintain an upgrade plan that is funded, sustainable and executed in alignment with the recommendations of the vendor. Ongoing, regular updates will require planning as part of the activities and resourcing of the relevant section.

(12) Backlog maintenance activity may be undertaken as part of the Technology Initiatives, subject to approval by the Technology Governance Committee. A proportion of annual Technology Initiatives funding can be set aside to fund backlog maintenance activities.  This funding may be up to 20% of Technology Initiatives funding and is approved on an annual basis at the discretion of the Technology Governance Committee.

(13) Technology initiatives may include ICT-related initiatives that are not funded by Technology Initiatives. Examples include those funded by the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) or Capital Management Plan; funded activities enabling or related to the delivery of the Strategic Plan or ICT-related projects placed on the Initiatives and Projects as determined by the Executive Leadership Team.

Member responsibilities

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

Section 5 - Meetings

Quorum

(15) A quorum shall be half of the entire membership, plus one member of the Technology Governance Committee.

Meetings

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

(17) New initiatives may be considered by the committee at all meetings under the advice of the Executive Director, Division of Information Technology

(18) Where critical or urgent approvals are required between meetings, and they cannot be addressed by the Executive Director, Division of Information Technology (refer to clause 9h.), approval may be sought from the Executive Director, Division of Information Technology to have such issues and decisions addressed by the committee via a flying minute.

Agendas and minutes

(19) Agendas and minutes will be prepared by the Executive Officer for the Executive Director, Division of Information Technology.

Conflicts of interest

(20) Where a member has a perceived or material conflict of interest, they must declare this to the chair and at the committee meeting prior to discussion to the item of business.

Variations

(21) Variations to the terms of reference and/or membership of the committee must be approved by the Chief Operating Officer.