Towards an Agile Enterprise Architecture for Wits In the context of the new Academic Information Management System (AIMS) programme Prof Derek W. Keats Deputy Vice Chancellor (Knowledge & Information Management) The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

Brief history Mainframe → oracle Financial austerity “Saving the institution” This is NOT about Oracle! Not even Oracle Student System...

Confronting our brutal facts Wits currently has very little governance regarding implementation of IT supported processes, IT projects, or IT acquisition within the various silos of the institution This results in Mismatch between institutional process and IT tools Mismatch between expectations within institutional silos and what we can support Data islands, data amoebae, data corruption 'Projects' that slip through the cracks Operations managed as projects Projects managed as operations Wasting of financial and human resources Many things being done repeatedly Almost no support for academic computing beyond 'shared-by-all' services

- Introduce Enterprise architecture (EA) - EA simplification for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg - Starting EA with the academic information management system programme

Traditional enterprise Architecture needs adaptation to higher education

What is the institution? Teaching-and- learning Research Community engagement Management and administration Governance

Reality for many institutions? Teaching-and- learning Research Community engagement Management and administration

Our fundamental energy?

We are a complex system!

HRResearch Student Administration Finance Silos in the institution (Wits) Academic Advancement Knowledge & Information Management

HRResearch Student Administration Finance Silos in the institution Academic Advancement Knowledge & Information Management e-Learning

HRResearch Student Administration Finance Silos in the institution Academic Advancement Knowledge & Information Management e-Learning application

HRResearch Student Administration Finance Silos in the institution Academic Advancement Knowledge & Information Management e-Learning application

Centralized Federated Autonomous Central administration Faculties Research Federated system Federated Schools

Vice Chancellor Humanities Engineering & the Built EnvironmentHealth SciencesCommerce, Law and ManagementScience Wits Enterprise Students School Researchers

Agile EA Agile methodologies Loosely coupled systems Sustained capability Complexity suggests...

For the Wits, EA includes Architecture of institutional processes Including their federated, autonomous & uncertain components Processes and governance mechanisms for integration across silos, taking our complexity into consideration In line with existing governance mechanisms Aligned to the institution, not the other way around Application architecture aligned to our aspirations as a top higher education institution (2010 strategy) Including leveraging our own potential for innovation (TIPS) Technology architecture that is aligned to the application architecture Leading edge practice, managed risk

EA as steps or concurrent channels Executive and management buy-in to the concept (done) Development of EA strategy (in progress) Build EA into organization and governance (design done, testing with two programmes) Provide for monitoring mechanisms (to do) e.g. Maturity model and scorecard Create and align roles and responsibilities (programme / project basis) Marketing and communications plan (to do) Implementation through programmes and projects (started)

Institutional Benefits and Objectives Programme Programme manager Project manager Project Project manager Project Project manager Project Project manager Project Programme board

VCO & SET (Strategic ICT board) DVC:KIM Project office Strategy Capital investment Programme manager Programmes Projects Project manager Application architect Project teams Operations Implementation Operational unit IT infrastructure Application support Service centre Vice Chancellor Council Programme board ICT Reference Senate Institutional ICT Admin DVC or equivalent Institutional Process DRAFT

Programmes & projects Academic information system (successor to current student information system) [programme] Institutional process and data quality improvement [programme] Wits portal [project]

This is just an example

Which approach? Oracle Student System New system Time

Which approach Services layer User interface Oracle SS New system

This is just an example

Network Pervasive technologies eLearning Common infrastructure & standards Financing eResearch Core Research funds Faculties & schools Cloud computing Elearning shared Research shared Research specialised Staff computers Student computers Labs Student ownership Configuration WirelessInternet Shared Admin shared Data centre Mobility

Academic & research support Create an academic and research computing section in CNS Manager, project manager, admin support funded centrally Services provided by additional staff based on cost- recovery Technical cost recovery  e.g. shared hosting solutions

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