Center for Information Technology

Project Governance Guide

The purpose of this procedure is to outline the steps for submitting, reviewing, and approving or rejecting CIT technology project requests.

Procedure

The requester should submit the Technology Project Request form when a proposed project requires: 

  • the work of 3 or more people, and
  • 40 hours or more of effort. 

The form should be submitted by the person who can provide key details about the project requirements and who will serve as the primary liaison for the project if the project is approved. 

A notification will be sent to the requester to confirm receipt of the request. 

If additional information is needed, a staff member from the PMO will contact the requester to discuss the project in more detail. 

The PMO and the CIO will meet weekly to review new technology project requests. 

The PMO will notify the requester whether their project was approved or rejected. In the case of rejected projects, the notification will include a justification and possible remediation steps. 

If the project is approved and it requires funding from CIT, the project will move to Step 4: Budget Approval. If the project is approved and it does not require additional funding, the project will move to Step 5: Resource Allocation and Scheduling. 

The CIT Budget Approval Board will meet weekly to review new technology funding requests. 

  • If the project will be paid for by CIT and the request is under $10,000, funding will be reviewed and approved/rejected by the CIO.  
  • If the project will be paid for by CIT and the request is more than $10,000, funding will be reviewed and approved/rejected by the CIO and the Vice President of Finance and Administration. 
  • If the project will be paid for by the requesting department and the request is under $10,000, funding will be reviewed and approved/rejected by the CIO and the head of the requesting department. 
  • If the project will be paid for by the requesting department and the request is more than $10,000, funding will be reviewed and approved/rejected by the CIO, the head of the requesting department, and the Vice President of Finance and Administration. 

The budget approval process may take more than seven days to complete. It is important to consider this timeline when planning your project. 

A notification will be sent to the requester to confirm that funds have been applied to the project and that it has been moved to the CIT Leadership Team’s queue for resource allocation and scheduling. 

The CIT Leadership Team meets bi-weekly and is responsible for prioritizing projects, scheduling projects based on priority, and identifying and allocating the appropriate resources to execute the projects. 

It may be necessary for the PMO and the CIT Leadership Team to conduct additional discovery in coordination with the requester to determine the resources required for the project. 

Projects will be scheduled according to their priority. Once scheduled, the PMO will contact the requester and provide a general timeframe for the project. 

Projects will be scheduled only within the next 12 months. If a project cannot be scheduled within this timeframe, the PMO will contact the requester and inform them that their project will be added to a backlog of projects waiting to be scheduled. The CIT Leadership Team will periodically review the queue of projects and will contact the requester as soon as their project can be scheduled.

Definitions

Project: A project is a group activity designed with a goal to create a unique product, service, or result. A project is a temporary endeavor with a clear beginning and end. A project has a defined scope and resources. A project is in alignment with the college’s institutional goals. A project requires at least 40 business hours and/or the involvement of three or more staff members.

Governance Process Responsibilities

Unit or Title Definition Role in Procedure
Project Management Office (PMO)  A CIT unit. Responsible for project governance, project management, and portfolio management.

In coordination with the requester, conducts discovery to collect key project details. 

In coordination with the CIO, approves or rejects a project’s business case. 

In coordination with the CIT Leadership Team, guides the resource allocation, scheduling, and prioritization of projects. 
CIT Leadership Team Comprised of the Directors of each CIT unit. In coordination with the PMO, provides input to the accurate resource allocation, scheduling, and prioritization of projects. 
CIT Budget Approval Board Comprised of the CIO, the Vice President for Finance and Administration, Head of Divisions, and/or and head of the department requesting the project.  Approves or rejects funding for a project.
Requester Any individual who requires CIT’s assistance in a technology-related project (see Project in definitions section above). 

Submits the technology project request form. Serves as the primary liaison for the project. Provides additional discovery detail required to approve or reject the project.