The CSO’s IT Strategy and the GSBPM

IT Directors Group19-20 October 2010

Joe Treacy

Central Statistics OfficeIreland

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 2

In this paper

Inputs to the CSO’s IT Strategy 2010-2012

Key features of the strategy

Putting the GSBPM at the heart of the strategy

How we are using the GSBPM to influence corporate strategy and culture

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 3

Inputs to the CSO’s IT Strategy

Users’ concerns and priorities for IT Strategic review of CSO in 2009

Plan for Business and Organisational DevelopmentLessons from DMS project

Generic Data Management System (DMS) Ambitious and far-reaching project

Organisational culture Informal culture Developing a more cohesive approach

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 4

Users’ concerns and priorities for IT

Uncertainties about DMS project Capacity of CSO IT to maintain and develop DMS

Capacity to meet new business requirementsNot enough support for end-users

Technical support for end-user statistical software Policies, standards, training

Demand for upgraded desktop & groupware toolsNeed for better communications by ITDecision making processes (governance) perceived to be difficult

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 5

Plan for Business and Organisational Development

CSO’s potential to deliver on corporate objectives Statistical outputs; response burden; cost Co-ordination of Irish Statistical System Internal co-ordination

Re-organisation Business and household surveys – process model Large Cases Unit – single point of contact Administrative Data Centre – greater use of administrative sources

IT Wide range of IT requirements arising from plan Re-organisation within IT: System User Support Team & Web Development

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 6

Lessons learned from DMS projectData Management System (DMS)

Project began in November 2003 System went live in September 2007 Reviewed in 2009

Outcome of review DMS project has delivered a solid platform for capturing and processing statistical data But: far-reaching project – full ambitions not realised

Input to IT Strategy DMS is a strategic system – support and develop to meet new needs Consolidate our statistical IT applications Implement new developments on a small scale – need faster benefits realisation

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 7

CSO’s organisational culture

Culture and communications in a small organisation

Informal Based on personal networks more than on formal management processes Flexible - “gets things done” But at a cost ... ad-hoc solutions; sub-optimal decisions

Informal management culture not sustainable

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 8

CSO’s IT Strategy 2010-2012- key features

Applications – Support and DevelopmentDMS is core strategic application for data capture and processingConsolidate existing applications architectureMeet new business demands in small projects

Early benefits realisation (ROI)Governance & Communications

Manage the corporate toolsetSimplify governance processesSystem User Support Team (business support)Better support for end-user computing

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 9

CSO’s IT Strategy 2010-2012- explaining the rationale

The strategy explains the rationale for corporate IT policies.

For example:Corporate applications (DMS)Consolidation of corporate toolset (strategic software)Effect on allocation of IT resourcesRationale:

More efficient allocation of IT resources Better response to business requirements Better decision-making

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 10

CSO’s IT Strategy 2010-2012- Communicating the strategy

Main target readership: Our staff and managersWe want them to read the strategy.We want them to understand it.We want their actions to be consistent with it.

Information sessions to “sell” the strategy.

We’re using the GSBPM as a communications tool to explain the rationale of the strategy.

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 11

Putting the GSBPM at the heart of our strategy

GSBPM is referenced throughout the strategyAppendix describes the GSBPM

contribution to IT and corporate managementGSBPM reflected in:

Data Management System (DMS) Plans for further statistical application development

But model is more than a set of production or IT stepsA way of influencing corporate culture

GSBPM and Governance

Production

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 12

Good governance – gives space for proper planning and evaluation– fosters a culture of quality improvement.

Planning

EvaluationQuality lifecycle

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 13

GSBPM and Governance- changing the culture

Acceptance that formal processes are worth the effort: Good documentation Consistency of approach across the organisation Planning Monitoring resources and outputs Quality management processes Evaluation Culture of learning and improvement Repeatability Effective response to: new demands, scarce resources, complex high-level objectives

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 14

GSBPM and Financial Management- changing the culture

Greater visibility of costs and value of IT contribution:

Better cost metrics Map costs to GSBPM Level-1 Map costs to business owner areas Improve budgeting and monitoring of IT spending

Improve awareness of costs, choices and consequences when allocating IT resources.

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 15

The GSBPM is more than an IT framework

GSBPM is often seen as: • Description of production processes• Description of IT processes• “Belonging” to IT

This is a limited view of what the GSBPM can contribute.

“Other uses of the GSBPM” – Section VII of GSBPM document• Contribution to Corporate Strategic Planning, Governance,

Quality Management, Building Organisational Capability, Measuring Costs, Measuring Performance

These “other uses” are a valuable part of the GSBPM framework.

Central Statistics Office, Ireland 16

End of Presentation

Any questions?