Report for August 2025
- Report Date
- September 2025
SSP Programme Report - August 2025 for Lisa Dawson (Academic Registrar)
Section one: programme summary, risks and forward look and resource update
Section two: projects in progress with status amber or red
Section three: projects not started
Section four: closed or withdrawn projects
The format of this programme reporting is reporting by exception: each of the projects which are GREEN, i.e. on track to deliver the agreed scope within the agreed milestones and agreed budget are not reported in Section Three. For GREEN projects the recent achievements and next steps can be found from selecting the project on the SSP Programme Home Page and viewing the relevant monthly report (listed on the right hand side of the project view).
The RAG will reflect the changes over the last month as per IS guidance LINK
Section One: Programme Summary
RAG status: the programme is AMBER
- 1 Project reporting RED
- SAC112 - BI Suite - Due to resource challenges
- 3 Projects are reporting AMBER
- SAC105 - Due to stories outstanding and closure milestone missed
- SAC106 - Due to a delay in closure
- SAC109 - Due to funding not being confirmed for 25/26 yet
- There is a current gap in Programme Manager resource which is being covered however we are looking at resolving this challenge asap
- Programme Planning took place and a baseline plan will be shared for review/sign off in the coming weeks
- Path replacement and enhancement (SAC110): Suspended due to ongoing BA resource issue. Senior BA moved on to Teaching Timetabling & Course Selection until the end of July. Project will pick up again in August
- SSP is continuing to support the Strategic Change projects approved by UIPB starting with (1) Curriculum Transformation project (REGCT01): developing PGT requirements for business case and challenge course framework, and(2) Teaching Timetabling/Course Selection.
Red and Amber Programme Risks & Issues
Risks are being monitored fortnightly with programme owner and the SSP management team, and recorded in the Risk Register LINK
| EUGEX refresh take longer impacting users | Amber | Lizzie Beattie |
| Single point of failures for key services | Amber | Lizzie Beattie |
| Conflicting governance for SSP programme | Amber | Lisa Dawson |
| PATH end of life summer 2026 | Amber | Lizzie Beattie |
| Impact of Strikes | Amber | Lisa Dawson |
Section Two: Projects in Progress with status of Red or Amber
To see Green projects, select the project on the SSP Programme Home Page and view the relevant monthly report (listed on the right hand side of the project view).
| Project | Issue or change resulting in AMBER or RED Status |
|
PM Alexandra Mezeul Amber |
Issue (or risk): only 24/25 funding has been confirmed and is secured; the remaining 25/26 and 26/26 funding has been escalated to the Portfolio Manager and Portfolio Owner to secure with senior leaders in ISG. The Risk and Issue have been logged. Currently, the project team can continue its momentum as the PM, Owner, and Sponsor monitor and control the issue. Once funding is secured, we will be able to continue into future years without constraint on budget. If we are unable to secure the remaining necessary funds, then we will be forced to re-scope the project to fit the allocated budget. Next steps is for the PM and Portfolio Manager to present the funding case for the project to budget holders at the end of June and request the money be ear-marked for the project due the benefits expected to be delivered. The project team will also review the sequencing of deliverables to make sure everyone is happy with our executed work given full funding may not be secured. Link to status report - August RAG Status Report | Project Management |
|
BI Suite/EUCLID reporting Discovery PM Ailsa Glass Red |
Issue - SSP do not have Senior BA resource to allocate to the project. The Reporting Manager in the SAIM Team does not have capacity for this work . Impact - The Senior BA and Reporting Manager are the key resources to progress with analysis and the user engagement /planned workshops to understand use of BI for students and Programme data across the university and what options we may have to deliver reporting if we were to decommission BI Suite Action: Funding from ISG to be discussed. Potentially delay project to 25/26 Link to status report - Report for August 2025 | Project Management |
|
Delivering Student Records API PM Richard Bailey Amber |
Issue - The project is now outwith tolerance for closure Next Steps - New PM assigned to take the project to closure Link to status report - Report for August 2025 | Project Management |
|
PM Richard Bailey Amber |
Issue - Stories still outstanding and project is beyond the closure milestone Next Steps - Project is being replanned and implementations will be scheduled following the September change freeze Link to status report - Report for August 2025 | Project Management |
Section Three: Projects Not Started
| Project Info | Programme Manager's Commentary |
| Curriculum Management |
The business case was not approved to start yet by UIPB in Dec 24, due to level of change and costs, more work is required for resubmission in 25/26
|
| CSI work prioritised |
The School bulk upload for course enrolments was withdrawn after benefit/cost evaluation
|
|
BI Reporting discovery analysis SAC112 |
Student Systems BI Suite would be deprecated as part of IS strategy to move away from BI in 2028- 1st step is to establish a strategy doc and plan a roadmap how EUCLID reporting will be managed in 2028 (for review by Information Technology Committee ITC group). The scope will cover functional areas such as:
|
|
End of life and legacy work |
1-ColdFusion end of life 2028:
2- There is a Java version used on the SITS integrator has reached end of support years ago and needs to be upgraded/rewritten, with significant regression testing (medium sized project ~50d to 100d)- Impact of not doing it: (1) risk if it breaks, (2) security- Previous decision to wait for IDM replacement project (status at business case summer 25 then implementation 2-3 years) 3- As per risk reported EUGEX refresh take longer impacting users SSP resources are required to review and possibly rewrite the EUGEX refresh jobs. Impact not doing it: a) inefficiency: impact for users during peak period like Boards. Likely that recalculation will be done in spreadsheets on the day to inform decision at Boards, and then keyed in manually in SITS at a later date, 2) increased support, calls from users |
Section Four: Closed or Withdrawn SSP Projects
| Project | Closure report link |
| SAC100 Data Futures - Embed the HESA Return |
https://secure.projects.ed.ac.uk/project/sac100/closure-report Closed Feb 25 |
| SAC091 Fees Processing Analysis |
https://secure.projects.ed.ac.uk/project/sac091/closure-report Closed Nov 24 |
| SAC103 PATH Upgrade and DRPS Security Enhancement |
https://secure.projects.ed.ac.uk/unpublished/project/sac103/closure-report Closed Aug 24 |
| SAC108 SITS annual double Software Upgrade |
https://secure.projects.ed.ac.uk/project/sac108/closure-report Closed May 25 |
| SAC102 Euclid Technical Legacy - Other |
https://www.projects.ed.ac.uk/project/sac102/closure-report Close Aug 25 |