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Strategic Plan 2003-2007: Appendix I

Information Resources Strategic Plan

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in transportation research. TTI's expertise in transportation research has proven to be a benefit to the State of Texas and the nation. The research work done at TTI translates directly into practical solutions to today's transportation problems and improvements in transportation safety.

TTI's vision is to be the premier university-related state transportation research agency in the nation: creating new concepts and advanced technologies; modeling and designing methods, and operating systems for safe, efficient, durable and environmentally benign movement of people and commodities; developing a diverse talent base throughout Texas and beyond, capable of planning, design, construction, management, operation and maintenance of complex multimodal transportation systems; and influencing the directions and priorities for transportation research and implementation to benefit economic development and enhance the quality of people's lives. Due to the success of TTI and the State in transportation research, the scope of the agency's research has expanded to meet the demands and needs of the State of Texas. TTI has grown past the original arena of highway research to include air, rail, water, pipeline, and urban transportation.

TTI's Network & Information Systems organization strives to maintain information resources that enhances the capabilities of agency's administrators, researcher professionals, and research support staff in performing the varied tasked demanded of professionals engaged in leading edge sponsored research and the associated administrative support activities. To effectively serve the organization in this capacity, the agency's Chief Information Officer and Information Resources Manager, with input from executive management, developed the information resources goals, objectives, and strategies. They are outlined in the table below and related to our agency's anticipated 2004-2005 Legislative Appropriations Request and the state Strategic Plan for Information Resources.

I. Information Resources Goals, Objectives, & Strategies
Item Description
Goal 1

Enhance productivity and improve communication through the innovative use of the information technology.

This goal supports the state's IR goal of "Transformation of Government" and the objective of the state and local government entities working toward integrating and/or sharing data within and among different levels of government. Through innovative IR approaches that enhance productivity and communications, this goal directly supports our agency's ability to reach its goal and associated objective of identifying and solving transportation research problems, and to disseminate the results and enhance the relevance and quality of transportation education in Texas
Objective

To maintain a stable network that fully exploits the sharing and joint use of wide area networks, computing resources, and databases; and to use open architectures that allow for maximum connectivity.
Strategy
  1. Maintain a secure base level of computing and networking resources that provides the framework for developing "state of the art" information systems that support research and associated support activities.
  2. Continue to enhance and expand the computing facilities to keep up with TTI's growth and to continually upgrade computing resources.
Programs Effected

All research related programs, which includes National Centers and Sponsored Research.
Goal 2

Provide ready access to a central repository of agency information for use in decision making, reporting, and tracking.

In direct support of agency's sponsored research goal and associated strategy, the agency has adopted an IR goal of providing ready access to a central repository of agency information (TTI-IS) for use in decision making, reporting, and tracking of research data. In addition, this repository will be a valuable source of information for promoting the goals of the organization internally and at the university system, state, and external sponsor level.

This goal directly supports our agency's sponsored research strategy and supports the state's IR goal, by enhancing our agency's performance and thereby the state's through the appropriate application of information resources.
Objective
  1. Upgrade the agency's web resources to support the increased demand from internal customers (intranet), external customers and sponsored research (internet).
  2. Provide access to the training, tools and techniques to make the Intranet a useful and valuable resource for communicating within TTI.
Strategy
  1. Identify agency information maintained in various organizations for researchers and provide a place on the Intranet for this information.
  2. Develop new modules and review and enhance existing modules of the TTI-IS based on feedback from cross-functional teams and management.
  3. Design, develop and implement new standards for web interface of TTI's Information Systems
Programs Effected

All research related programs including National Centers.
II. Agency Databases & Applications

There are four basic modules developed using our agency's Oracle database.

Database Application Name Sponsor Research Project Administration (SRPA) Resume HR NIS Service Request Tracking & Inventory
Database Application Description This module stores all phases and history of TTI Research project administration. This module stores all the bio information for TTI researchers This module stores TTI employment information. This module stores Network and Information System Service Request Tracking and Computer related inventory information.
Database System Type Oracle 8i Oracle 8i Oracle 8i Oracle 8i
Estimated Physical Storage Requirement

9 MB/year

Current Storage: 14.4 MB

1 MB/year

Current Storage: 3.6 MB

1 MB/year

Current Storage: 2.1 MB

0.6 MB/year

Current Storage: 4.3 MB
GIS Data Classification No No No No
Sharing Yes. Part of the data is on-line shared between RDO and ITEC. Data with the Business Office via regular data transfers between SPRA and FAMIS. Yes. Most of the data is on-line and shared between organizations with in TTI and our sponsors. Yes. Part of the data is on-line sharing with all programs/ divisions within TTI. No.
Future Database Server Software may upgrade in next two years. Database Server Software may upgrade in next two years. Database Server Software may upgrade in next two years. Database Server Software may upgrade in next two years.
Application Name
  1. Sponsor Research Project Administration (SRPA)
  2. Resume
  3. HR
  4. NIS Service Request Tracking & Inventory
Application Type

Client Server Project Management System
Application Description
  1. This module stores all phases and history of TTI research and project administration.
  2. This module stores all the bio information for TTI Researchers.
  3. This module stores TTI employees' personal information and current employment.
  4. This module stores Network and Information System Service Request Tracking and Computer related Inventory information.
Database System

Oracle
Development Language

PL/SQL
Sharing

See table 2
Future

See table 2
III. Information Resources Management Organizations, Policies and Practices
Priorities

The Office of the Director with input from the agency's Chief Information Officer/IRM and the TTI Leadership Team, sets all IR priorities as a part of overall process of managing the agency.

Planning

The TTI Leadership Team, which is comprised of the agency's division heads and directors, meets on a regular basis. This provides a forum for discussing information resource management and other important issues affecting the agency.

TTI's Network & Information Systems (NIS) organization maintains and supports the agency's network and information resources through its Microcomputer and Network Support and Information Systems Development and Support teams. The director's office at TTI provides administrative and fiscal support for the divisions and programs. Thus, the director does not provide day-to-day direction to the principal investigators, but rather to see that the principal investigators have the resources, space, and are as free of administrative burdens as possible to allow them to concentrate on their research projects. It is with this background that the NIS organization within TTI can be understood. NIS provides the network and computing infrastructure that provides the researchers, research support and business services personnel with the tools necessary to work in this highly networked and technologically dependent environment.

Microcomputer and Network Support - The primary role of the Microcomputer and Network Support team is to plan, set-up and maintain the local and wide area networks that serve the researchers and the agency as a whole. This includes maintaining the servers and associated hardware and software that support the agency's Intranet, Internet, file and print, back-up and database servers.

TTI, in partnership with Texas A&M University's Educational Broadcast Services and Computing & Information Services organizations, maintains a wide area network that provides each urban office a link to TTI's headquarters in College Station and provides all College Station facilities with backbone links to the Internet and other shared resources. TTI has urban offices in Arlington, Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. This reiterates TTI's commitment to shared resources, by supporting this network system along with the other agencies and universities of The Texas A&M University System, for data, imaging and voice. This partnership provides the most cost-effective solution for this complex networking scenario. This approach remains consistent with the State's IR goal of enabling the sharing and interoperability of services through common frameworks and processes. It also supports the objective of having information technology aligned with business processes, irrespective of organizational boundaries and having shared services between agencies through common technological frameworks and processes.

In addition to maintaining the network infrastructure, NIS also provides microcomputer purchasing, setup, core software licensing, and technical support. To better serve customers, all requests for services are centrally tracked in the service-tracking module of TTI's information system (TTI-IS). Formal procedures are outlined that detail how requests are prioritized. These procedures can be found on TTI's Intranet (TTINet). After a service request is completed, e-mail is sent to the customer with a link to a web based survey on our Intranet that allows for immediate customer feedback. By maintaining a reliable network and providing microcomputer hardware and software support for all agency employees, NIS aids employees in achieving agency objectives by providing the necessary tools and services to more effectively perform their duties.

Information Systems (IS) Development & Support - TTI's information system (TTI-IS) which currently consists of the Human Resources, Resume, Sponsored Research Project Administration (SRPA) and Service Tracking modules; has been phased in over the past two-years. In designing each module of this system, subject matter experts from throughout the agency were brought together with IS to form a cross-functional team that clearly defined the requirements for their respective modules.

In an effort to provide better service to customers, the Microcomputer and Network Support team worked with IS team to design the Service Tracking module of TTI-IS. All requests for service are logged along with information on problem resolutions and current status. In addition, the system allows customers to give feedback once service requests are completed. These responses are reviewed and addressed individually where necessary. The information is also collectively analyzed and reported. The CIO uses this information as a planning and management tool for adjusting staffing levels, recommending new training and accessing technical treads within the agency.

Quality Assurance

All critical administrative systems projects follow TTI's "Management & Information Systems Development and Quality Assurance Methodologies for Information Technology Projects". This document defines the methodologies used by the Network & Information Systems (NIS) group to identify agency IT needs and to develop, manage, review and perform risk assessment in the implementation of IT projects.

The Texas Department of Information Resources Quality Assurance Team's Quality Assurance Review Guide for Major Information Resources Projects was used as the benchmark for defining the IT goals set by the State, and identifies and defines very well each step in the process of IT project development and review, and for analyzing and managing risk during the process. As the title suggests, the QA review guide is directed toward major information projects, and therefore outlines the flow of quality assurance (QA) processes and supporting documentation assuming larger personnel resources than is applicable to the size of TTI's NIS team. However, the methodologies developed and implemented by NIS over the last three years, though developed to be useable by a smaller staff, thoroughly meet the state's QA goals for IT development.

In addition, the challenge of meeting the IT needs of an agency of TTI's size, complexity and technologically diverse needs, necessitates the continuous re-evaluation of TTI's QA methodologies in an effort to improve on them.

Personal Computer Replacement Schedule

TTI's Network & Information Systems publishes minimum desktop machine specifications, which are reviewed on a bi-annual basis. The average life cycle of a desktop machine is 3-4 years, when an upgrade "hand down" process is applied. Research professionals generally require higher end desktop and laptops. As their machines are upgraded, their older machines, where feasible based on review by NIS, are passed on to graduate students or used in student shared work areas. Our process extracts the longest possible useful life from the agency's personal computers. We are currently reviewing a leasing program offered by IBM.

Procurement

The Chief Information Officer of TTI reviews all recommendations and requests for agency-wide hardware, software, and telecommunications purchases. Each recommendation/request must include the following:

  • At least two Vendor price and feature comparisons
  • Benefits derived from upgrade/new purchase that outline savings, increased efficiency or vendor support issues.
  • Plan A that addresses proposed installation steps, post installation testing (internal/external quality assurance) and advance communication to customers.
  • Plan B that address back-up plan in the event of major problems with upgrade.
  • If a server upgrade is involved, backup/recovery must be addressed with detailed outline of solution and planned testing.
Disaster Recovery

Our agency's Disaster Recovery plan, which was approved by TTI's administration, addresses bringing up critical network and information systems and business functions in the event of a disaster. The leadership team determines the criticality of existing systems and works with the CIO to also develop the continuity planning in the event of a disaster. Based upon our agency's security risk assessment, it was determined that the computing resources available in our urban offices, along with resources within the Texas A&M University, could adequately support our agency's computing operations in the event of a disaster. Also, given our agency's size and use of small/medium NT servers, it would be more cost effective to utilize our redundant server capabilities.

Data Center Operations

TTI does not manage a centralized data center. In addition to our development servers, TTI has servers at various locations that have the capacity to also serve as back-up machines. Therefore, we have no plans for contracts with WTDROC

Standards

Please see "Planning" section of this plan.

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