The Business of EdTech: From Purchasing to PR

Moderator: Nancy Battaglia

The Procurement Process

Diane W. DoerschChief Technology & Information Officer

What works for your district?

Our roles may have evolved from this...

To this. The business of IT.

https://goo.gl/3PXDBe

1. Align with Strategic Directions2. Understand Funding Sources3. Explore Past Purchasing Practices4. Define Your Process - Work backward in timeline5. Build a Strong RFP Template6. Complete your RFP7. Implement the RFP8. Life after an RFP

The Procurement Process (Condensed Version)

The CFO and CTO relationship: There is no “I” in “Team” ● The CFO’s main role is to ensure cost discipline but sometimes that doesn’t match

with the CTO’s strategic activities for the district.

● The lack of understanding of IT issues for the CFO and the lack of understanding in finance processes for the CTO can impact the relationship.

● The unpredictable nature of state funding/budgets (Illinois) impacts the CTO and the CFO attempts to innovate.

● The school organization is asked to provide enterprise network service with a small technology staff. The CFO and CTO at WTHS worked to identify and hire a managed services partner to help support the enterprise network services.

Information and data used can be found in the study CFO-CIO: a growing collaboration or at www.ey.com

An Ernst and Young global survey of 652 CFOs and

Financial leaders found the CFO-CIO relationship is

becoming closer and more collaborative. But there

are two threats to this critical union.

Cost discipline, rather than strategic value, still

defines the IT investment mindset, and lack of

mutual understanding between CFOs and CIOs is

still an all too common problem.

Questions from the Business side of Technology Innovation

-Where is the funding coming from?

-Buying versus leasing and the impact to the organization for both options

-Where will the financial resources come from to sustain, maintain, and upgrade existing infrastructure?

-Resources from E-Rate and/or intergovernmental agreements.

-The importance of a life cycle plan for all hardware in the organization

-Having a long term, conservative plan rather than following the latest “fad”

WTHS Mission Statement: Maximize the growth and achievement of every student through rigor, support and innovation

The bottom line is the fact that the business department and technology department have to work together to support teaching and learning.

Carol L. Rogers, CPA, CSBOAssistant Superintendent of Business Services and OperationsWarren Township High Schoolcrogers@wths.net

Rico D’AmoreDirector of Educational TechnologyWarren Township High Schoolrdamore@wths.net

Share Your Stories by Opening Your Doors

Hank Thiele - SuperintendentCommunity High School District 99

@henrythiele

http://www.csd99.org/departments/Opening-Doors.cfm