2023-04-06 Meeting notes

Record: Michelle
Alma Enhancements 2023 Rnd 1 Voting

Share announcements

5 min

Note taker: Kevin
Timekeeper: Sarah Sheets

ERES follow-up discussion and take-aways from 3/30 mtg

Questions to spark conversation:

Interest by ERES members in exerting effort to communicate and push ERES roadblocks up through SILS?

Use the work plan to develop decision pages, (blog posts, other reports) to note where in the deliverables our work plan is stalled or finding barriers?

Would your campus be willing to 'donate' staffing time to help CDL with data entry?

Roll back ERES meeting frequency (monthly) until CDL catches up with centralized functionality?

50 min

Michelle Polchow

"Barriers to Progress"

the issue is not "that team is totally failing and why aren't they done yet" but rather "we've all been struggling for three years and we're still not there because the project is just so massive and paradigm shifting that we can't do all the work that's necessary - please help, we're drowning!"

NOTES 3/30:

• TB: trying to get better idea of discussion. Becoming clear that some issues still need resolution. Here to help determine how to guide the discussion.

• JP: best to begin with framing. difficulty with some deliverables, including some in original SILS principles. Lack of guiding principles hinder tech services. Told to determine our own best practices, but that duplicates a lot of work. These are common problems across consortia. Public services noticing issues with discovery, but unsure how to describe issues with technical specificity. Not sure what the role of SILS is - what is responsibility of campuses or CDL? Do we want to harmonize, and if we want to harmonize, how can that be done?

• LG: focus on escalation protocols. SILS principles are just that, not specific work goals. If you’re struggling, process is to go to OT. Every campus is struggling across the board. It impacts what we can get done. LG has pushed back on DOC on new projects, since we lack staffing to achieve current goals. Not thinking how we can make this the best system, but break down into achievable pieces. Come to OT with individual problems, and not necessarily what solution you’re looking for. Going outside that process would result in feedback. CoUL has no budget or authority. Too much work with too few people. Don’t want you to feel you’re an island. We want to assist you, just need to follow the path.

• TB: Some paths for resolving issues outlined in SILS practices doc. one thing hoped was that harmonization would be easier. Issues encompassing multiple functional areas could be brought up in All Chairs. Some items on work plan could be marked as stalled, to help bring up where subteam is stalled and highlight for OT. CDLNZPT report should also help highlight these issues.

• LG: want to empower you to reprioritize items on workplan, and know where to sideline things that can’t be resolved, and focus on other areas

• MP: one hurdle is that migration was paradigm shift to have centralized operation, so not having centralization leaves us rudderless. Another hurdle is that we’re data driven, so not having this process harmonized causes problems.

• TB: Don’t bog down the team with underlying issues, since there will always be more underlying issues.

• LG: harmonization is the exception, not the rule. If it’s viable and we can do it, that’s great. very different model than most consortia, which are often run centrally. Need to have constructive options for resolution of problems.

• CA: need to take a step back, and be o.k. saying we can’t do some things. It’s hard to explain that to higher ups on campus.

• LG: if you get pushback from higher ups at campus, that can also go up to OT. That can potentially go to LG and DOC to remind staff of our current situation

• SL: this has been important for this group to hear. Two comments. Hear a lot that “CDL is not fully operational in Alma,” but that can be nebulous. Second, need to take a step back and reprioritize issues so that we’re focusing on essential issues.

• MP: There is interest at campuses to provide help with impeded work.

• JD: very helpful having Tom and Lynne.

• TB: feel free to send comments up to OT. Probably a need to have another town hall.

• TB: best to highlight how things are keeping the subteam from achieving goals.

• MP: to regroup next week, then have executive mtg. the following week.

Wrap Up

Review actions and decisions

10 min

Parking Lot

Capture important topics for future discussion:

Total

60/60