Leveraging the Central IT Forum for Effective Communication
Effective communication is essential for the success of any organisation, and the Central IT, which includes the OCIO, the ESU, and the CSC, is no exception. To facilitate a dialogue between user departments and Central IT, the first Central IT Forum was conducted in June last year, and quarterly forums have been held since then. These forums allow Departmental Network Administrators (DNA) to meet with Central IT in person or virtually and receive updates on upcoming and ongoing IT initiatives, as well as share their ideas, thoughts, training needs, and concerns.
As appointed contacts for their respective departments, the DNA play a crucial role in maintaining two-way communication between their departments and Central IT. They collect feedback from their colleagues and disseminate crucial IT-related information to their departments. In the absence of DNA, Relief Network Administrators (RNA) are appointed to act on their behalf.
Due to the pandemic, the first three forums were held virtually in June 2022, October 2022, and January 2023, respectively. The fourth forum was held in person in April 2023. Despite the change in format, the forums had a good attendance rate, with approximately 100 participants joining each session. Active participation by DNA/RNA has made the forums highly interactive and productive.
The first Central IT Forum focused on security, and we presented several topics related to safeguarding user accounts and the CityU IT environment, such as SSO, MFA, and VPN. Following the forum, we encouraged all DNA/RNA to participate in the Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) voluntary program as pilot users, and their MFA settings were enabled on 7th July 2022.
During the second forum, we shared various topics aimed at enhancing the user experience, such as improvements in Wi-Fi and ServiceNow, revamping of the CityU Portal and Mobile App, and the launch of New Quizzes in Canvas.
Our third forum focused on delivering supportive and engaging experiences to our users. We shared various initiatives, including the revamped centralised booking system, NCMS migration to ServiceNow, and deployment of microphones in teaching venues. Furthermore, we emphasised our commitment to safeguarding the CityU IT environment and user accounts by sharing our roadmap to enforce MFA in the next few months.
Ensuring IT security is an integral part of Central IT's mission. During the fourth forum, we shared several topics aimed at strengthening the protection of CityU's IT environment, such as raising user awareness about the latest trends in phishing attacks, managing user accounts, and migrating IoT printers. Furthermore, we covered popular topics such as ChatGPT and highlighted the key features and benefits of LinkedIn Learning, one of the leading online learning platforms.
Besides the quarterly forums, Central IT communicates with departments as needed through email/memos. In these communications, they notify DNA/RNA about issues such as changes in IT (e.g. desktop OS upgrades, software patching, anti-virus installation, etc.), the launch of new IT services (e.g. voluntary MFA enrolment, Grammarly subscription, VPN migration, etc.), and annual software license renewal. When needed, Central IT may conduct meetings with DNA via Zoom/MS Teams/face-to-face regarding updates on IT policies, processes and procedures, briefings, demonstrations, and walkthroughs of new systems, as well as IT security awareness training.
As Central IT, we are dedicated to keeping all stakeholders up-to-date with CityU's latest IT news and initiatives through regular forums and on-demand communications. We value your feedback and suggestions on our services and encourage you to contact us at any time. Our aim is to foster open communication and collaboration, strengthen our partnership with user departments, and provide IT and digital solutions catering to CityU's evolving needs.