The University of Sheffield
Corporate Information and Computing Services

Liaison

Description of Service

Liaison service for departments, enabling a dialogue on all IT matters.

Client Groups/Eligibility for Services

All University departments and related groups.

Provider Responsibility

  1. In general - to act as a two-way channel for strategic and other information about computing between the department and CiCS, so that the department is made aware of general IT strategies and policies and of relevant activities in CiCS, and that departmental strategies, plans and requirements are passed back to CiCS.
  2. To encourage each department to nominate one or more liaison contacts who will maintain contact with CiCS and communicate fully within their department on IT matters.
  3. To provide a number of liaison officers within CiCS, each of whom will maintain contact with the liaison contacts in a group of departments and will be properly informed of the current IT-related plans and strategies of CiCS and the University.
  4. To ensure that each departmental contact knows his/her liaison officer in CiCS, and that the liaison officers in CiCS know all of their computer liaison contacts in departments.
  5. To offer a meeting with a representative from each department at least once a semester.
  6. To work through the computer liaison contact in each department regarding any significant computing issues in that department.
  7. To work with and advise departments in planning their computing strategy, helping them to relate to more general University policies.
  8. To advise departments on computing purchasing and the relevant CiCS policies and financial guidelines.
  9. To pass major news items by email to liaison contacts in departments as well as to HoDs.
  10. To give each department special support e.g. for subject reviews, when it is required and agreed.
  11. To ensure that specific departmental needs and problems are understood by those developing plans and strategies in CiCS and the University.

User Responsibilty

  1. To ensure that each department has a named computer liaison contact and that CiCS knows who s/he is.
  2. To work with the department's liaison officer in CiCS over all relevant departmental computing issues.
  3. To take note of the advice given by CiCS.
  4. For each departmental liaison contact to act as an effective two-way channel between the CiCS liaison officer and the rest of the contact's department.
  5. To work with liaison staff in CiCS in order to develop an IT strategy for the department.

Availability of Service

During core service hours.

Service Statistics/Outputs

Liaison database of interactions.
Numbers of liaison interactions.

Service Measures

Liaison meetings will be offered to departments at least twice a year.
100% of departments will be provided with a liaison officer in CiCS.

Dependencies

100% of departments will be provided with a liaison officer in CiCS.

Feedback and Monitoring

CiCS will keep records of all significant liaison meetings between CiCS and departmental staff.
Any member of staff may comment at any time to the Head of Customer Service and Communication or other senior staff in CiCS on these liaison arrangements.
CiCS User Group.

Benchmarking

None currently.

Exclusions

Specific practical assistance is normally provided by the IT Support team, but may be requested via liaison contacts.

Location of Service

Failure Response

Problems with the primary communications described may be referred to the Head of Customer Service and Communication or other senior staff in CiCS, who will take steps to remedy the matter as appropriate.