What’s on the School Board Agenda – Digital Strategy
For the back-office function in an Independent School the student break can be one to look forward to. Often, it’s not because of the opportunity to down tools and rest, but to focus on the project and “maintenance” work that may have taken the back-seat during term time.
School Boards may have seen their respective School’s Digital Strategy (or a Transformation Plan) which for a school can include new student learning tools, increased connectivity plans, School marketing/branding, business continuity planning, ISP, payment gateways, IT audits and of course, cybersecurity. Each of these is a significant project and the list is endless.
I note these projects, as much to indicate the diversity in content and skill requirement in the IT space, as well as the risks that is often inherent to successfully deliver and change manage.
There is a need for prioritising, planning and regular review and monitoring – it should be an intentional Digital Strategy – where the benefits can be clearly articulated and ideally measured in some manner or form – with clear goals stated.
Like any good strategy, a Digital Strategy should, over time, adapt and change with the market and with emerging technologies.
A Digital Strategy will cover a longer period than the School’s Annual Budget – possibly 3 years – therefore to monitor alongside the long-term forecasting is crucial.
I recently attended a School ICT Summit and a comment I frequently heard from other attendees who were IT specialists is the need and importance of ensuring consolidation of the ICT tools and platforms, this can be both in the learning and back-office functions.
Effective and well-managed School resources are aided by a well-communicated set of standards and a robust IT compliance framework.
I would suggest that if a School Board hasn’t recently engaged in the Digital Strategy or IT Transformation Plan this might be a timely and worthwhile exercise.
For the back-office function in an Independent School the student break can be one to look forward to. Often, it’s not because of the opportunity to down tools and rest, but to focus on the project and “maintenance” work that may have taken the back-seat during term time.
School Boards may have seen their respective School’s Digital Strategy (or a Transformation Plan) which for a school can include new student learning tools, increased connectivity plans, School marketing/branding, business continuity planning, ISP, payment gateways, IT audits and of course, cybersecurity. Each of these is a significant project and the list is endless.
I note these projects, as much to indicate the diversity in content and skill requirement in the IT space, as well as the risks that is often inherent to successfully deliver and change manage.
There is a need for prioritising, planning and regular review and monitoring – it should be an intentional Digital Strategy – where the benefits can be clearly articulated and ideally measured in some manner or form – with clear goals stated.
Like any good strategy, a Digital Strategy should, over time, adapt and change with the market and with emerging technologies.
A Digital Strategy will cover a longer period than the School’s Annual Budget – possibly 3 years – therefore to monitor alongside the long-term forecasting is crucial.
I recently attended a School ICT Summit and a comment I frequently heard from other attendees who were IT specialists is the need and importance of ensuring consolidation of the ICT tools and platforms, this can be both in the learning and back-office functions.
Effective and well-managed School resources are aided by a well-communicated set of standards and a robust IT compliance framework.
I would suggest that if a School Board hasn’t recently engaged in the Digital Strategy or IT Transformation Plan this might be a timely and worthwhile exercise.
If this posting resonates with you, please feel free to reach out to me.
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