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Document Control and Approval

Revision History

Reference Documents

• ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ IT Strategy UL Enable 2022 to 2027

Acronyms

• DGSC – Digital Governance Steering Committee
• ITD – Information Technology Division

1. Purpose and Scope

1.1 The ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Digital Governance Steering Committee is a subcommittee of the UL Executive Committee and reports to Executive Committee via the committee’s Chairperson

1.2 The purpose of the Digital Governance Steering Committee is to support the President and the Executive Committee in ensuring the governance oversight for the approval, planning and management of Digital Business Change and Digital / IT investment on a University-wide basis.

1.3 The scope includes all activities relating to the review and approval of Digital Business Change and Digital / IT investment on a University-wide basis (DGSC funded and non-funded) in line with the UL IT Strategy.

1.4 The Digital Governance Steering Committee also plays a critical role in Cyber Security Governance by overseeing the Universities IT policies. The committee works with the Information Technology Division to review controls to protect the Universities information assets, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and mitigating risks associated with cyber threats.

2. Strategic Direction

2.1 The Committee will assist the Executive Committee in ensuring that all major activities relating to digital assets requiring strategic or capital investment are aligned to the overall University Strategy and the UL IT Strategy, UL Enable (¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ IT Strategy UL Enable 2022 to 2027).

2.2 In this regard, the Committee will:
• Review current and previous Digital/IT strategies in the context of all future digital development projects aligned to the University Strategic Plan.
• Consider whether current use of digital systems is optimised and identify future improvements in digital system optimisation.
• Review and make recommendations to the Executive Committee and Governing Authority, at the request of the Executive Committee, on plans for digital platforms development and optimisation

3. Roles and Responsibilities

3.1 Membership of Digital Governance Steering Committee

• Director ITD (Chair)
• Deputy Director ITD (Deputy Chair)
• Chief Financial and Performance Officer
• Provost and Deputy President
• Chief Commercial Officer
• Vice President Research
• Director HR
• 2 x Executive Deans (for a period of 2 years, nominated by the President) - Dean of Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences and Dean of Kemmy Business School
• Corporate Secretary
• Associate VP Academic Services

3.2 Other stakeholders as requested by the Chair from time to time to attend meetings of the Committee for a specific period/project

4. Communications

4.1 Digital Governance Steering Committee’s aim is to ensure effective communications with all faculties and the university community.

4.2 Awareness is promoted through the Information Technology Division Website, UL Connect and the DGSC Internal SharePoint Site. Additionally, Information Technology Division Business Engagement Partners work with departments and divisions to raise awareness and to develop digital business changes in their areas.

5. Delegated Authority

5.1 The delegated financial authority of the committee derives from its oversight of the digital transformation fund which is provided for in the annual budget of the University. The committee has full governance and oversight of the digital transformation fund and all projects supported from that fund can only be approved by the committee.

6. Procedure for the Meetings

6.1 The chair will prepare an agenda, in advance, for each meeting of the Digital Governance Steering Committee. Each voting member can contribute to the agenda or can ask for items to be added to the agenda.

6.2 If the chair is absent from a scheduled meeting of the DGSC, the role of chair will be delegated to deputy chair.

6.3 The Committee will aim to meet at least 6 times per annum. The schedule of meetings will be agreed in advance by the Committee.

6.4 A quorum for a meeting of the Committee shall be one third of the total number of members, rounded up to the nearest whole number, plus one. The participation of members by tele conferencing and/or video conferencing will be counted for the purposes of a quorum. No meeting will proceed in the absence of a quorum.

6.5 Between meetings of the Committee occasions may arise where an urgent matter requires consideration of the Committee. The Chair may agree in such circumstances to seek a decision of the Committee via email to all members. In the event of such circumstances arising any such decision will be noted in the minutes of the Committee’s next meeting.

6.6 At the start of each meeting, the Chair to the Committee will ask members to declare any conflict of interest, perceived or otherwise, in relation to any matters on the agenda. Where
such a conflict is declared, the member will absent him/herself from the meeting during consideration of the agenda item. In addition, any additional documentation will not be made available to the member following the declaration of interest. These matters will be recorded in the minutes.

6.7 Questions arising at any Committee meeting should be decided by consensus. Where reaching a consensus is not possible, then the matter will be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present either in person or by tele conferencing and/or video conferencing. Where there is an equality of votes, the Chair shall have an extra casting vote. Where decisions are unanimous, they shall be recorded as such in the minutes. Dissensions and negative votes shall be summarised in the minutes in terms acceptable to the dissenting person or negative voter.

6.8 The Digital Governance Steering Committee will agree its Programme of Work on an annual and/or longer-term basis and will submit it for noting to Executive Committee.

6.9 The Committee will review its terms of reference on an annual basis and recommend any changes to Executive Committee for approval.

6.10 The Committee will provide its agreed minutes to the Executive Committee as soon as possible for noting and/or discussion as necessary.

7. Procedure for Project Proposals & Reviews

7.1  Any new Digital/IT initiative requires Digital Governance Steering Committee approval, and the data is submitted to the committee using the Digital Project Approval Procedure.

7.2  Prioritisation of projects is completed at least once a year, and the committee agrees to a priority among the project proposals presented to them.

7.3  An annual review of the project pipeline is completed to identify proposals that are no longer deemed required (by the requesting area), this is presented to the committee outlining the reason and the committee can agree to cancel the project proposal if they feel necessary.

7.4  The Digital Governance Steering Committee can make timely and effective decisions to continue, change or discontinue specific initiatives.

7.5  The Committee are presented with a review of in-flight projects which include but are not limited to their progress to plan and budget, issues and challenges, and other current-state metrics. This allows the Committee to review expected results, value, and the continuation (or not) of initiatives that are being executed and take account of any internal and external influences.

8. Terms of Reference

8.1 To support UL Executive Committee on proposals for potential new digital developments and in this regard, the Committee will:

• Review enterprise level Digital/IT and business project initiatives and to prioritise projects accordingly
   
• As individual new Digital Change Projects are approved, new Project Steering Committees will be established as required reporting to the Digital Governance Steering Committee.
   
• Following the establishment of the project steering committee, the steering committee will approve their Terms of Reference, and other activities related to the approval and continuing oversight of the project.
   
• Each Project Steering Committee must submit a report (as per template and the inclusion of an approved Terms of Reference) to the Digital Governance Steering Committee according to the scheduled meetings
   
• Ensure alignment and support of all selected technology-related initiatives with the major goals, strategy, risk profile and overall direction of the university.
   
• As individual Digital Change Projects are implemented and concluded the associated Project Steering Committees for those projects will submit a Project Closure report to the Digital Governance Steering Committee for noting and those individual Project Steering Committees will be disestablished accordingly.
   
• Digital Governance Steering Committee consider recommendations from the steering committee/project group for approval by the Executive Committee and to the Governing Authority at the request of the Executive Committee.

• Review progress on and delivery of all approved projects and report on these to the Executive Committee 

   

8.2 Subject to any general or particular direction that may from time to time be given by the Executive Committee, the Digital Governance Steering Committee is charged by the Executive Committee:

• To advise on matters relating to the on-going management of the digital platforms/systems ecosystem
   
• To provide the IT Governance oversight within the institution as required for governance oversight assurance to internal and external bodies such as the C&AG and Audit and Risk Sub-committee of the UL Governing Authority
   
• To provide direction for the development and enhancement of the University's Computing Policies and Standards
   
• To provide the executive governance oversight for critical issues and risks related to IT & Cyber Security
   
• To provide direction for escalated IT risks when escalated by ITD management
   
• To approve University IT Policies and Codes of Practice
   

8.3 In taking forward its remit, the Committee will support equality, diversity and inclusion and will strive for gender balance. It will seek consistency and common approaches, where these are in the best interests of students and staff