Below are a number of questions that are commonly asked about the EITG process. This same document is available as a PDF (link).

What is Enterprise IT Governance (EITG)?

Information Technology (IT) governance is about making decisions in an informed manner. The process is about ensuring that IT investments are thoroughly aligned to the SPPS strategic plan. Additionally, we will consider and vet costs, ongoing time commitments, return on investment (ROI) and/or risks. 

What it the goal of EITG?

In todays on-demand world, it is imperative the school districts manage information correctly in order to meet the reporting, evaluation and data needs of their stakeholders. You are one of those important stakeholders.

In order to do meet your needs, Technology Services needs to have all its data systems be able to talk together in the same language, so to speak. That is not always as easy as it sounds, but Technology Services is committed to making that work for SPPS. In order to meet that goal, Technology Services needs to have procedures in place to prioritize and schedule work effectively. That is what EITG was put in place to accomplish.

What types of projects are considered?

The purpose of IT governance is to ensure the effective and efficient management and delivery of goods and services aligned to technology requests. Many of the requests involve the use of data or data storage. Projects that require substantial investments of time and resources should go through the EITG process to ensure they work both with and within existing systems and processes for data use, sharing and security. Technology Services needs to be engaged to make sure everything works together seamlessly to meet your needs. After all, once you have your data, you will most likely want to connect it to other SPPS’ data for reporting or evaluation. 

Why should a request go through the EITG process?

Schools and departments should consider their technology resources and data needs in terms of how they can be supported and accessed. EITG can help you integrate the processes you require into district data/information resources. This will ensure that you will be able to access and share the resources in efficient and ongoing ways. 

What would a request to EITG consist of?

A request is something that should require more than 40 hours of commitment from Technology Services and/or other SPPS Departments. That commitment of time helps us consider the project from multiple perspectives to see how it fits within the workload, cost benefit and strategic plans and needs for the district. EITG requests can be made for either a new process or updating an existing process.

When should we complete an EITG request?

Any time there is a new process or change to something that impacts student, staff or community data needs, you should complete an EITG request form, just to make sure we can accommodate your needs in a timely manner. You may be asked to come to a meeting and make a short presentation or answer questions on your request.

Where do I find an EITG request form?

The EITG request form is available online in two formats. There is a MS Word document that can be used, or there is an online form that can be filled out that will enter the request directly in to our request system. Both are accessible on the EITG website at https://www.spps.org/domain/15824.

When does the EITG Committee meet?

The EITG committee meets monthly. They will review your form and reach out for further questions. Projects will then be scored on a rubric and passed on to the district Senior Leadership Team (SELT) for final approval. The deadline for SELT approval is January 15^thin order to be considered for the next annual budget. 

What is the relationship between EITG and the various mandates we need to consider?

Governmental and/or funder requirements are an important consideration for all of our work together. The EITG request form will allow you to record your requests alignment to the SPPS Strategic Plan as well as other legislation, mandates or requirements that impact your work. EITG allows you to put those requirements into your process and ensure compliance and reporting capabilities with all data that SPPS stores.

What is the typical turnaround time for a project request?

That is a good question. The answer is that it depends. That is because it will be based on two factors. The first is the amount of time required for your project. Some projects can be implemented in a shorter amount of time than others. Others may take longer and/or require work with an outside contractor. These processes require discussion, planning and contracts. The second factor is that other projects may have to be scheduled within the workflow of the Technology Services staff. They may need to dedicate large amounts of time to implement your request and time will need to be allocated. 

We are writing a grant or receiving other funding that requires an evaluation or reporting change. What do we do now?

When you are writing a major grant or receiving outside funding that has unique data needs, Technology Services can help you plan effectively. It is a good idea to consult with TS when writing the grant to make sure we can accommodate your grant process in the timeframe you are specifying. In the event that you have already received funding, it is important that you make a request as soon as possible to make sure your information or reporting needs can be accommodated within your required timeframe.

EITG Framework Structure

Under the direction to the Board of Education and the Superintendent, the EITG Governance Committee is responsible for determining which EITG Projects will move forward in March of each year. The Change Advisory Committee meets monthly to review applications and is comprised of representatives from various different departments across the district. EITG uses the expertise and knowledge of these other team members to understand the data and resource needs across the SPPS enterprise. We feel this helps us understand the educational needs of staff, students and community. 

Further questions

Feel free to send us an email at eitg@spps.org. We look forward to helping you meet your technology needs.