Information Technology (IT) Service Models used in Ontario's Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAATs)

Abstract

The effectiveness of IT services is mission-critical to the Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. The purpose of this research study was to explore and describe the IT service models used across the participating 18 of 22 English language colleges, and to identify the characteristics of best practices and most effective leadership and service delivery model(s) for current and anticipated future needs. The survey data indicate that a lack of baseline information is hindering the participating colleges’ ability to reliably asses the efficacy and effectiveness of the IT services, and their alignment with the colleges’ missions and visions. The majority of the colleges have processes in place to review and prioritize IT projects. However, these are often bypassed by other influencing factors, making the processes less reliable and diminishing stakeholder trust in the process. There is generally no broad engagement or participation across all levels of the college’ communities for determining IT priorities and decision-making. However, there is a genuine desire to provide the IT services that empower the stakeholders to achieve their goals and objectives. This presents an opportunity for IT services leaders to demonstrate a Servant Leadership role by enabling all members of the college to achieve their highest performance potential.