Pathfinder projects

Pathfinder projects are leading the way by identifying the stages that institutions need to go through to support organisational and process change to improve services, flexibility and reduce cost. These projects are working on such things as developing a business case for adoption, identifying current costs (so that cost-savings can be identified), setting up governance structures, exploring approaches such as Enterprise Architecture, employing service-orientated approaches which help integrate isolated systems, and investigating shared services within and across university and college boundaries.

Pilot projects

Pilot projects are delivering technical proof-of-concepts which validate SOA/middleware technologies, or delivering pilots to test the feasibility of flexible and shared service solutions across consortia.

Linking strategy and technology in FE and HE

The STG is a forum for the pathfinder and pilot projects to discuss, exchange and disseminate useful practices, good ideas and common challenges. Some universities and colleges are being funded to participate in the forum as 'explorer members', rather than deliver specific projects. This membership is relevant to those who wish to research, investigate and understand what FSD means for them within their institutional context, and who want to develop a case for adoption.

The forum also provides a community in which to specify, prioritise and carry out collaborative work and develop shared FSD resources to advance practical knowledge on common themes that enable the FSD projects and members to progress towards realising their goals.

The STG meets every two months. The projects and explorer members, in consultation with the programme steering group, set the agenda and workshop theme.

The common themes that are currently of relevance to most projects and members are:

• Making the case for FSD, SOA and EA
• Knowing your baseline costs and modelling your enterprise
• Defining your 'road to value'

Resources will be compiled into an 'FSD Resource Library'.

The JISC Enterprise Architecture Practice Group (EAPG) is a new network for practitioners and managers from higher and further education institutions who are using, adopting or interested in the Enterprise Architecture (EA) approach to support strategic change and improvement. Its aim is to help institutions and their EA champions move more rapidly and successfully in 'doing EA', by sharing knowledge, experience and challenges from real projects.

Further information on the EAPG, and Enterprise Architecture generally, is available in our Enterprise Architecture area.

The Suppliers Forum aims to offer suppliers with:

• Market intelligence: the opportunity to gain much more granular information about the current and future needs, interests and specific technical issues affecting universities & colleges in the UK today.
• Open forum: a neutral venue in which suppliers and institutions can meet to discuss specific technical issues and development opportunities away from the on site pressures of project delivery, and a place where suppliers themselves can work collaboratively towards developing open and common definitions and standards.

The Programme Management Team comprises the JISC FSD Programme Director, the JISC FSD Programme Manager, and the FSD Programme Steering Group.

Craig Wentworth is the FSD Programme Director, and the Senior Responsible Owner for the programme. Craig is the Development Director for Organisation and User Innovation and reports to the JISC Organisational Support Committee (JOS).

Alex Hawker (a.hawker@jisc.ac.uk) is the FSD Programme Manager, responsible for the day-to-day management of the programme.

The FSD Programme Steering Group forms the core strategic component of the programme, and they are the owners of the programme design, aims and vision. The steering group comprises the following members:

• Chris Cobb (Chair) - Pro Vice-Chancellor, Roehampton University, also a JOS Committee member
• John Townsend - Deputy Director (Corporate Information Systems), Liverpool John Moores University, also a JOS Committee member
• Steve Butcher - Head of Procurement and Shared Services, HEFCE
• Peter Tinson - Executive Secretary, UCISA
• Sarah Porter - Head of Innovation, JISC
• Craig Wentworth - FSD Programme Director, JISC
• Alex Hawker - FSD Programme Manager, JISC
• Dr John Wallace - Industry Liaison Manager, JISC
• Paul Walk - Technical Manager, UKOLN
• Adam Cooper - FSD Programme Support and Synthesis Project technical lead, CETIS
• Jon Duke - FSD Programme Specialist and Strategic Support, Duke and Jordan Ltd
• Andy Jordan - FSD Programme Specialist and Strategic Support, Duke and Jordan Ltd

The Group help focus coordination and leadership for the programme; report to and advise the JOS Work Programme Sub Group; provide advice and help to lead and steer the discussions and progress being made amongst the STG members and Suppliers Forum; provide advice to the FSD Support and Synthesis Project; and review new STG Expressions of Interest (EOI) from interested institutions and consortia, and to make a joint decision as to whether to fund as an STG member.