The next step in KTH's digitalization
KTH’s digitalization strategy for the next five years has been decided by the President and now has to be realised.
“In order to reduce the administrative burden and drive the operation’s development, we must have a smoothly functioning system and strategy for our digitalization over the coming five years – and we now have just that,” says Sigbritt Karlsson, President of KTH.
Along with four strategic goals and associated interim goals, the strategy also includes KTH’s vision for digitalization, which secures creativity, accessibility and benefit in education and research in the long term, as well as the conditions that need to be met to ensure its implementation. The goals are:
- Stronger digital skills among staff and students
- The right digital foundation for operational management, control and monitoring
- Simplified and efficient administration through user-oriented operational support
- Digital infrastructure that ensures data is made available internally and externally, in the right way and at the right time
The goals are also in line with other development processes at KTH, such as standardised support services, future education and portfolio management in IT.
“Everything fits together, and the digital work environment that’s so crucial to everyone who spends a lot of their time working with digital tools in some form, is particularly important,” says Sigbritt Karlsson. She adds:
“The focus and point of departure must be on the people who use the tools, and not on what the tools can do. What do I need to do, how should I do it, and how can the tools support that? As opposed to the current approach, which seems to be governed more by the tools and templates, i.e. it starts from the wrong end.”
Managing the process
Jan Gulliksen, Vice President for Digitalization who has been managing the strategy process in consultation with the University Director and a broader network of other stakeholders, will now introduce the strategy into day-to-day working practice at KTH, in the form of action plans.
How will the strategy be put into practice?
“Concrete activities will be launched to develop everyone’s digital skills, and to initiate and evolve IT and operational development processes,” says Gulliksen. He adds that appropriate conditions will be in place in terms of development-oriented leadership and collaboration, an open-minded learning culture, shared priorities and clearly defined roles, along with enhanced IT security.
What’s the next step?
“We’re currently preparing the three IT portfolios for education, research and administration, regarding which prioritised activities they want to focus on over the next year to help achieve the strategic goals.”
Also, in line with the Operational Plan, there will be a focus on digitalisation for future education and how we can develop it.
The Digitalization strategy (in Swedish) and Jan Gulliksen's post in the Vice Presidents' blog.
Text: Jill Klackenberg
Photo: Mario Romero Vega