Corporate Governance at the University

The mandate for the IPSC is as follows:

Strategy and Policy:

• Oversee the strategic development of major systems and their integration ensuring there are appropriate oversight, governance, monitoring and reporting mechanisms in place.
• Develop and recommend policies regarding information management and information security to SMG and Court

Ensure that the Committee's membership includes the skills and experience necessary to address its remit effectively.  To this end, the Committee may request that the University Court appoint one or more additional co-opted members to the Committee. The Chair of the Committee will participate in the selection process for a new co-opted member.

Delivery and Operations:

• Pre-approve the annual IT capital spend
• Pre-approve the rolling investment plans for 3- and 10-year cycles and submit as part of the Investment Committee annual planning exercise
• Ensure that the University’s communications and hardware infrastructure are fit to support the University’s current and future ambitions
• Ensure robust business cases for new University-wide IT hardware and software systems are in place before seeking approval from Finance and Investment Committees, SMG and Court for funding and implementation.This includes responsibility for challenging and ensuring that the benefits outlined in business cases are appropriate.
• Annually review the overarching communications strategy for IT developments.
• Ensure value for money is considered for all proposed developments
• Ensure appropriate oversight of key IT related risks including, but not limited to, information and cyber security, technical debt, resilience and modernity of IT equipment, software and systems
• Ensure that IT systems and software are fit to support current and future strategic ambitions

Sub-Committee Oversight

• Digital Experience Board
• Information and Cyber Security Working Group
• Other sub-committees and working groups established to develop and progress key components of the Technology Strategy
• Bring in value for money

The following details the delegated authority for the IPSC and shows how it is placed in the overall University Scheme of Delegation with escalation to Finance Committee, Investment Committee or Court:

This is an executive chaired committee with the following membership:

• Senior Vice Principal and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) (Chair)
• 2 Lay Members of Court (one as Co-Chair for strategy and policy decisions)
• Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary
• Vice Principal (Research)
• Executive Director of Finance
• Executive Director of Information Services
• Director of IT Services
• Students’ Representative Council
• 1 Elected Academic Staff Member
• 2 representatives from College Senior Management
• 2 external members

In attendance:

• Director of Planning and Deputy Secretary (for Data Strategy related items)
• Head of Finance (University Services)
• Chief Information Security Officer

The Committee has final accountability for the production and governance of the annual and 3-year investment plans.  Each Committee member has a fiduciary responsibility to:

• Provide scrutiny and openly and constructively challenge the University Information Technology (IT) Strategy and associated financial and implementation plans, policies and other papers and proposals to meet the committee remit.
• Activity and behaviour should embody the University’s values (click here for details)

The meeting schedule will meet 5 times per year. 

INPUTS

• UofG strategy and plan
• Technology Strategy and Roadmap
• Management information provided by Planning Insights & Analytics
• Current FY and 3-year IT Investment Budgets and 10-year Outlook
• Portfolio Investment breakdown split by financial year
• Investment Health Summary
• Reports from sub committees and working groups
• Investment Business Cases/Proposals/Change Requests to be presented
• Summary of changes made to action log
• Strategic progress reports
• Periodic reports on operational performance, resilience, technical debt

OUTPUTS

• Decision Log
• Action Log
• Minutes (shared with Finance/Investment/Estates Committees)

Substitutions may be made with prior notice given to the clerk.  There must be a minimum of 4 from the core group (excluding clerk) in attendance for decisions or approvals. In the event of a consensus not being reached, the Chair will have the casting decision.

The IPSC will follow the UofG procedure for the management of any conflicts,  The procedure defines declaration of conflicts as a standard agenda item at the start of the meeting, the maintenance of a register of conflicts, and a process for managing all conflicts which are declared.