Overview
Background
There is a legal requirement for the University to be able to effectively manage and monitor the University’s responses to information requests made under information legislation (the Data Protection Act 1998 until May 2018, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) from May 2018, (Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2005).
Due to an increase in requests the University is currently not managing to respond to a number of requests on time. Given that FOI requests have statutory deadlines that must be met it is critical that this project identifies a solution that introduces efficiencies in managing requests. Additionally, the introduction of GDPR has meant that there are shortened deadlines for most subject access requests (1 month), more complexity in the way we are required to respond and potential requirements to provide responses in specific “portable” formats.
The request handling process has evolved around the initial ColdFusion application developed in late 2004. The present process uses a number of additional tools including spreadsheets, shared drive, Outlook, BI reporting and paper files. This is inefficient, leading to duplication of effort and unnecessary manual calculations resulting in a significant administrative burden on the staff. As a result the University has been subject to a level 1 intervention because of our response rates. The University has formally committed to the replacement of the tool as part of our response to that intervention.
In order to move to a new tool to manage information requests the task was split into 2 projects. Phase 1 was the options appraisal project STU263 Options Appraisal for Replacement of Information Request Planning Monitor Tool which was initiated to investigate a number of options both internal and external to provide Records Management with a suitable replacement tool. The outcome of the options appraisal paper was a recommendation that the most suitable approach was to progress with the procurement of an external solution via the Government Digital Marketplace.
The purpose of this project, Phase 2, is to carry out an evaluation of FOI request management solutions identified from the G-Cloud marketplace during the options appraisal project. This will lead to the procurement and implementation of the preferred solution as software as a service (SaaS).
Scope
The following is in scope for this project:
- Evaluation of FOI management solutions identified from the G-Cloud marketplace during options appraisal.
- Procurement and implementation of preferred FOI management solution via the G-Cloud.
- Analysis of existing request management tool database leading to the migration of historic requests to the new management tool.
- Once the replacement system is signed off, the decommissioning of the historic ColdFusion application and environment.
Out of Scope
- The management and control of users and their access to the system will a manual process controlled by Records Management.
Objectives and Deliverables
The project will deliver a new solution based on the options appraisal completed as part of project STU263.
|
O1 |
To evaluate and procure a replacement FoI Management Tool from the G-cloud. |
Priority |
Owner |
|
D1.1 |
Agreed set of prioritised business requirements to act as evaluation criteria. These will be in the form of a subset of the BRD produced during the options appraisal project STU263 - Options Appraisal for Replacement of Information Request Planning Monitor Tool |
MUST |
Records Management |
|
D1.2 |
To co-ordinate product evaluation process including initial vendor demonstrations of FoI management software solutions. |
MUST |
IS Applications Records Management |
| D1.3 |
Complete the procurement of the preferred solution for the replacement FoI request management system.
|
MUST |
IS Applications Procurement |
|
O2 |
To implement the preferred solution. |
|
|
|
D2.1 |
Build/implement replacement FoI management tool including integration with University SSO and email. |
MUST |
Solution Provider IS Applications |
| D2.2 | Sign off of user acceptance testing. | MUST | Records Management |
| O3 | To migrate agreed historic data to implemented solution and decommission legacy system. | ||
| D3.1 | Identify data to be migrated to replacement system. | MUST | IS Applications
Records Management |
| D3.2 | Historic data migrated to replacement system. | MUST | IS Applications |
| D3.3 | Decommissioning of legacy environment (ColdFusion/Oracle/BI Suite). | MUST | IS Applications |
Benefits
Anticipated project benefits after implementation include:
|
Benefit Category |
Benefit |
|
Productivity Gain |
The new solution will reduce the need for the team to perform manual workarounds resulting in an increase in the number of requests processed by the team. |
|
Process Improvements |
Reduction in time taken to process individual FOI, EIR, SAR and GDPR requests resulting in meeting more deadlines on time. |
|
Process Improvements |
More efficient processes for dealing with requests resulting in less burden on individual departments. |
|
Increased Compliance |
Increased confidence in meeting the new (GDPR instigated) shortened deadlines for Subject Access Requests. |
|
Increased Quality |
Improved management information will be available resulting in the distribution of reports to managers that are useful and accurate. |
|
Increased Quality |
Better identification of information that should be routinely published |
|
Increased Compliance Increased Quality |
Increased confidence in the accuracy of the legally required statistics provided to the OSIC |
|
Contributes to the Organisational Strategy |
Digital transformation – how the University deals with data |
| Increased Compliance | The new solution will allow the University to dispose of applicant personal data once it is no longer necessary to retain it. |
|
Process Improvements |
Reduction in the number of steps needed to manage a request |
Success Criteria
|
Deliverable Reference |
Description |
Measure |
|
D1.1 |
Agreed set of evaluation criteria. |
Documented by Senior User |
| D1.2 | Recorded and filed evaluation process in step with G-Cloud procurement process. | Signed off by Project Sponsor and Senior User |
|
D1.3 |
Procurement of preferred replacement FoI request management tool. |
Contract signed between UoE and preferred supplier |
|
D2.1 |
Replacement system implemented and configured for use by Records Management. |
Signed off by Records Management |
| D2.2 | Integration of replacement system with University single sign on and email. | Signed off by Dev Tech |
|
D2.3 |
User acceptance Testing successfully undertaken. |
Signed off by Senior User |
| D3.1 | Document detailing data to be migrated. The majority will be via the proposed migration process but there may be the need for a small manual process. | Agreed by Senior User and Project Manager |
| D3.2 | Historic data migrated across to replacement FoI request management tool. | Signed off by Records Management |
| D3.3 | Post D3.2 sign off, remaining data from legacy environment securely deleted in-line with retention policy. | Signed off by Production Management |
Project Milestones
Target Date |
Previous Date | Title | Stage | Complete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21-May-2019 | No date available | Go/No Go Budget Approval | Plan | Yes |
| 15-Aug-2019 | No date available | End of Planning | Plan | Yes |
| 26- July-2019 | No date available | Product Evaluation | Analyse | Yes |
| 30-Aug-2019 | No date available | Product Procurement | Procure | No |
| 25-Oct-2019 | No date available | Product Implementation | Build | No |
| 08-Nov-2019 | No date available | User Acceptance | Accept | No |
| 22-Nov-2019 | No date available | Go Live | Deliver | No |
| 06-Dec-2019 | No date available | Migration of Historic Data | Deliver | No |
| 13-Dec-2019 | No date available | Deployment Sign Off | Deliver | No |
| 13-Dec-2019 | No date available | Legacy ColdFusion Decommissioned | Deliver | No |
| 20-Dec-2019 | No date available | Project Closure | Close | No |