Business Plan 2006-07
1. Introduction
This material is no longer current and is due to be replaced.
This document summarized the structure and functioning of the Committee (UCISA-NG-Com) of the Networking Group (UCISA-NG) of the Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association (UCISA). It outlined the planned activities for 2006-2007.
2. Purpose and Aims
UCISA-NG-Com is the sub-committee of UCISA responsible for tracking developments in electronic networking and information security and for providing advice to UCISA members on such matters. It is concerned with the monitoring and promotion of all academic and research communications networks and the networking and security services provided over them. UCISA-NG itself consists of the “Network Correspondents” at each member institution, who are typically those with executive responsibility for networking.
The primary roles of UCISA-NG-Com are:
- To provide advice and information to members of UCISA on all aspects of electronic communications including data, voice and video.
- To provide advice and information to members of UCISA on all aspects of network security with due regard for the activities of JANET CERT and relevant JISC committees.
- To act as a forum for the discussion of networking and security matters within the community represented by UCISA.
- To represent the UCISA community on appropriate external bodies and to establish and foster links with related groups such as JCN, for example.
- To act as a liaison between members of UCISA, JANET(UK), and other appropriate bodies. UCISA-NG-Com will supply representatives on these groups who will be charged with responsibility for reporting back to UCISA through UCISA-NG-Com. UCISA-NG-Com also has cross membership with the UK MANs group.
- To establish working parties to investigate specific issues identified by UCISA-NG-Com and the UCISA Executive. Wherever appropriate, these working parties will collaborate with other appropriate bodies.
- To organize workshops within the UCISA framework and timetable for the purposes of communication, education and debate on networking and security related topics. These will be particularly designed to appeal to the UCISA-NG members-at-large.
- To track and advise on developments in new networking areas.
3. Structure and Operation
3.1 Structure
The Networking Group (UCISA-NG) will operate within the constitutional and policy framework of UCISA and the following should be read in that context:
UCISA-NG consists of:
- The Network Correspondents (the members-at-large)
- The Committee (UCISA-NG-Com)
UCISA-NG-Com consists of
- a Chair person
- up to 12 ordinary members
- invited representatives from JANET(UK) and other appropriate organisations
The Chair shall be elected by the membership of UCISA at an Annual General Meeting and will serve for 3 years. The Chair shall represent the interests of the Networking Group as a member of the UCISA Executive.
In the event of the resignation of the elected Chair, the UCISA Executive shall appoint a replacement Chair to serve until the next UCISA Annual General Meeting.
The ordinary members of the Group Committee shall be appointed by the UCISA Executive who will take account of the need to represent the various interests of UCISA members.
Nominations for ordinary members of the Commitee shall be made by its existing members, in consultation with the UCISA-NG membership.
Ordinary members are appointed for a period of three years. Re-appointment of ordinary members is allowed.
A minute secretary will be appointed by UCISA-NG-Com from its ordinary members.
3.2 Operation
UCISA-NG-Com will meet at least 3 times per year and will carry out its functions by:
- Providing a forum for the consideration of views and policies on networking and security.
- Gathering views from the UCISA community and collating feedback to discussions.
- Consulting on, developing and promoting common views with external bodies.
- Disseminating information to UCISA members through workshops and meetings and through the electronic publication of briefing papers by email and web pages.
- Organizing task groups to address specific matters.
- Co-operating with other UCISA Groups and working parties.
- Providing attendees on other bodies to represent the UCISA community in general and the UCISA-NG membership in particular.
4. Committee Members
At February 2006 current membership of UCISA-NG-Com is:
- Christine Cooper, LSE (Chair)
- Brian Omotani, Cambridge (Secretary)
- Rory Kearns, Open University (Web maintainer)
- David Stedham, Bangor
- Diana Dainton, Liverpool
- Geoff Fayers, Brighton
- John Shemilt, Imperial
- Roger Snelling, Plymouth
- Stuart Gardner, Abertay
- Tim Robinson, Manchester
Representatives of external bodies:
- Denis Russell, JANET(UK)
- Shirley Wood (for papers), JANET(UK)
- Nick Smith, SCONUL
5. Plans 2006-2007
5.1 Workshops
The Committee plans to run further workshops following on the success of its previous events. Planning is now at an advanced stage for a workshop on Implementing Voice Over IP to be held in April 2006. It will aim to run at least one further workshop within the coming year on topics which are thought to be current issues of the day. The Committee members will continue to seek to contribute to workshops run by JANET(UK).
5.2 Information Dissemination
The Group will report to the UCISA community and the Executive, using mailing lists and UCISA Update and will further develop its Web pages through the provision of case studies and guidance documents. The ‘correspondents’ email list, ucisa-ng@jiscmail.ac.uk is open to anybody from the general academic community. The group maintains the list ucisa-ng-com@jiscmail.ac.uk for committee discussions.
In 2006, the group will review information on video and video-conferencing for the benefit of members.
5.3 JANET(UK) Liaison
The Group welcomes the attendance of a JANET(UK) representative at its meetings. The group will also track JANET(UK) developments from an institutional point of view.
5.4 JISC Liaison
The Group will seek to develop a dialogue on networking and security issues with UCISA members who are members of JISC and its committees. The group will also provide input to the JANET SLA.
5.5 UK MAN Managers Liaison
The UK MAN Managers is an informal group that meets quarterly. With the increased focus on MANs it has and continues to be used as reference point by external bodies including JANET(UK) and the JISC. The two groups share membership and this provides adequate liaison.
5.6 Exploiting and Protecting the Network Update
The “Exploiting and Protecting the Network” document has been an extremely valuable resource for UCISA members working in networking. This document is now somewhat dated and in need of extensive revision if it is to remain useful. It is intended to produce a printed copy of the work, in a similar format to the Information Security Toolkit for distribution to members to coincide with the launch of SuperJanet 5.
6. Finance
6.1 General Policy
The Group's activities will be carried out in compliance with the UCISA Financial Guidelines. These require that events will be budgeted on a break-even basis and, although losses or gains may arise on individual events, the objective is a nil balance over the financial year.
The UCISA Executive exercises financial oversight by approving and reviewing the annual Business Plan for UCISA-NG.
6.2 Planned Expenditure
6.2.1 Conferences, Workshops and seminars
Because many networking and security events relevant to the community are run by JANET(UK) and the JISC, UCISA-NG will be responsible for fewer such meetings than other UCISA Groups. The Group expects to be involved in at least one event per year aimed at technical or middle management staff. It will assist the UCISA Executive with joint workshops aimed at Director and Senior Management level. These workshops are normally run jointly with JANET(UK) and no specific budget is required.
6.2.2 Committee expenses
Significant costs do not arise in respect of Group meetings, as hosting venues normally do not charge accommodation fees and members time and their travel costs are provided by their employing institutions. In certain circumstances, approved by the Treasurer of UCISA, travel costs will be paid where the lack of such payment would seriously inhibit participation, where payment would ensure the attendance of invited speakers or where such payments are covered by general UCISA policy.
6.2.3 Working Parties
No separate working parties are currently constituted but, in the event that a particular topic requires special consideration, UCISA-NG working party business will generally be conducted electronically. Where meetings are required, expenses will be limited to essential travel on behalf of the Group as hosting venues normally charge only nominal fees and members provide their time at no cost to UCISA. No such costs are budgeted for year 2006/2007.
6.2.4 Administration
The Group believes that it is not cost-effective to use technical member's time for general administrative tasks and continues to find it increasingly difficult to obtain such services from voluntary effort. Corporate members and UCISA staff have been asked to assist in event planning recently and the effectiveness of this approach will be reviewed at the end of the year. The task of minute secretary is thought to be appropriately carried out by a member of the Group with technical skills and will continue to be provided from within the membership.
6.2.5 Exploiting and Protecting the Network Update
A review of the work involved in updating the Exploiting and Protecting the Network document showed that it was not feasible to do this using volunteer effort from amongst the members. A consultant has therefore been engaged, with the approval of the UCISA Executive, to undertake this work at a cost of approximately £4,500. Expenditure will also be required to produce the printed booklet but this is expected to be modest.
6.3 Income
Income is principally from delegate fees to workshops and seminars.
6.4 Financial Risk
The maximum financial risk incurred is limited to the costs of the administration of the Group and underwriting the costs of workshops, should they not realize their projected income. The fixed cost element of a workshop, if it were to be cancelled, is estimated to be around £1,000 and this represents the maximum uncontrolled financial exposure at any given time.
