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History [top]

  • Business Practice Number: BP.00.005
  • Version: 3
  • Drafted By: Peter Mosinskis
  • Approved By: Michael Berman
  • Approval Date: 08/05/2011
  • Latest Revision Date: 8/19/2019

Purpose [top]

Provide for a uniform process for the intake of ITS projects at CSU Channel Islands.

Background [top]

ITS is required to complete projects in order to support the University mission. To be efficient and effective at planning and managing project activities using the limited resources that are available, ITS must adopt standard practices to guide projects and keep them on target.

The life-cycle of ITS projects is as follows:

  • Phase 1 - Intake
  • Phase 2 - Planning
  • Phase 3 - Execution & Monitoring
  • Phase 4 - Closure & Hand-Off

Business Practice [top]

Accountability [top]

The AVP for Information Technology Services and ITS managers.

Applicability [top]

All ITS employees

Definition(s) [top]

(1)Operations. Steady-state ITS activities used to support existing products and services. They are repetitive, with the same outcomes, and are ongoing, with no start or end dates.

(2)Project. A temporary endeavor undertaken to create or update a unique product, service, or result that requires 30 or more hours of total ITS staff time to complete. In particular, a project in ITS is undertaken to create a new service that has not existed before. A project has a definitive beginning and end, and measurable outcomes and results. Projects are further defined by their size and scope.

(3)Supervising Manager. The ITS manager who is ultimately responsible for the project, and has ownership of the project charter.

(4)Project Lead. The ITS manager or staff member responsible for performing project management tasks for the duration of the project. Depending on the scope and size of the project, the Supervising Manager or Project Management Office staff may serve as project lead and assume day-to-day project management responsibilities.

(5)Project Management Office (PMO). The ITS team responsible for the coordination, support and guidance of ITS projects. This team is led by the Director of IT Strategy.

(6)Project Review Board. A group of ITS employees, designated by the AVP for Information Technology Services, that review projects and makes recommendations to the AVP for Information Technology Services.

Text [top]

Project Attributes

In general, projects are—

  • Specific. A project has a specific purpose, set of requirements, and scope of work defined.
  • Measurable. A project’s success can be quantified; both ITS governance and clients can tell when specific milestones or requirements have been met.
  • Approved. A project shall receive the approval of ITS governance and affected stakeholders so that resources are made available to execute the project. Changes to project timelines or scope shall receive approval from ITS governance and be communicated to affected stakeholders as necessary.
  • Realistic. Projects can be completed with resources that are, or will be made available. Resources include time, funding, goodwill and knowledge.
  • Time-bound. Projects are temporary, and have definitive start and end dates.

In contrast, operations are everyday business processes. They are repetitive, with the same outcomes, and are ongoing, with no start or end dates. Operations support activities typically are completed in 30 hours or less. It is the responsibility of the ITS manager to determine if a set of activities constitutes a project or not.

Project Classes

ITS projects shall be classified as major or minor projects in accordance with BP.00.011 Business Practice for IT Project and Procurement Governance. In addition, projects may further be classified according to business impact/value, organizational effort, and urgency. 

Project Intake Lead Time

All new project requests submitted to ITS must include sufficient lead time to complete the project intake and approval process. Actual lead time required depends on the size and complexity of project, as well as the availability of resources to complete project intake activities. Minimum lead time for all major projects is 4 weeks (6 weeks recommended). There is no minimum lead time for minor projects, although 4 weeks is recommended.

Phase 1 - Intake

The ITS project management process begins with the Intake Phase. Project intake consists of the following steps: 

  1. A request for a new project is received by ITS either through formal, semi-formal or informal means.
  2. An ITS manager is assigned as Supervising Manager to the project request by the AVP for Information Technology Services or designee.
  3. The Supervising Manager (or AVP for Information Technology Services) selects the Project Lead. The Project Lead may be the Supervising Manager, or a designee.
  4. The Supervising Manager reviews the initial request, meets with the project’s client, and determines whether to proceed, postpone, or cancel the request.
  5. The Supervising Manager (or Project Lead) gathers information necessary to complete the Project Charter, completes the Project Charter form, and submits it to the Project Management Office. The submission of a Project Charter implies the Supervising Manager’s approval for the project to proceed as described in the charter.
  6. The PMO adds the project charter to the ITS Project Repository and project calendar.
  7. The PMO reviews the Project Charter and may refer the Charter back to the Supervising Manager for additional information.
  8. Supervising Manager completes required project management and approval tasks.
    1. Minor projects need no further approval; the approval of the submitting Supervising Manager is all that is required to proceed.
    2. Major projects must be reviewed by the Project Review Board and approved by the AVP for Information Technology Services. In addition, major projects may require additional review and approval outside of ITS, at the discretion of the AVP for Information Technology Services.
  9. The PMO shall meet regularly with the AVP for Information Technology Services to review submitted projects and their approval status.
  10. The PMO shall note the approval in Project Repository and the project may proceed to the next phase.
    1. Minor projects may proceed directly to Phase 3 (Execution & Monitoring); however, completing Phase 2 (Planning) activities is recommended to ensure project success.
    2. Major projects must complete all Phase 2 planning activities required for projects of their scope.

Exhibit(s) [top]

Project Intake Flowcharts: https://www.csuci.edu/its/projects/it-project-process.htm
Project Repository: https://www.csuci.edu/its/projects/current-projects.htm

The following documents are incorporated by reference.Please visit www.csuci.edu/its/projects/ for the latest versions.

Related Resources

Assessment History [top]

DescriptionFrequencyRole Assigned
Report on number of new projects added. AnnualDirector of IT Strategy
Review of business practice.AnnualDirector of IT Strategy
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