THIS POLICY WAS RESCINDED ON JANUARY 24, 2022
Original Issuance Date: March 30, 1975
Last Revision Date: November 20, 2017
1. Policy Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to authorize UW System institutions to make information technology acquisitions and provide for review by the UW System Chief Information Officer where such an acquisition would be classified as a large or high-risk information technology project under Regent Policy Document 25-4, Strategic Planning and Large or High Risk Projects.
2. Responsible UW System Officer
UW System Chief Information Officer
3. Scope
This policy applies to all UW System institutions, including UW System Administration.
This is not a purchasing delegation or approval process. Contact your institutional purchasing office for information on appropriate procurement methods.
4. Background
The State of Wisconsin has delegated information technology acquisition authority to the UW System.
Separately, under s. 36.59, Wis. Stats., the UW System Administration is responsible for reporting semi-annually on all large or high-risk information technology projects to the legislature’s Joint Committee on Information Technology. Regent Policy Document 25-4, Strategic Planning and High Risk Projects, outlines the requirements institutions must follow when managing and overseeing projects that are reportable as large or high-risk.
This policy delegates authority to institutions for information technology acquisitions that are not reportable as large or high-risk under Regent Policy Document 25-4. For projects that are categorized as large or high-risk, prior review by the UW System Chief Information Officer is required. This is to ensure that appropriate system-level oversight and monitoring of such projects is maintained.
5. Definitions
Information Technology: Any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment that is used in the acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, transmission, or reception of data or information by the UW System, including at an individual institution or across multiple institutions.
Large or High Risk Information Technology Project: Per Regent Policy Document 25-4, Strategic Planning and Large or High Risk Projects, an information technology project that:
a. Exceeds or is projected to exceed $1,000,000. (GPR-funded staff reassigned to a project are not considered part of a project’s cost. Any staff hired to backfill for GPR funded staff assigned to a project are considered part of a project’s cost); or
b. Is or is projected to be vital to the functions of the System or a UW institution. A project shall be deemed “vital” if failure to complete the project on time or on budget would prevent the System or any institution within the System from running any of its enterprise-wide systems or fulfilling any of its essential missions of instruction, research, extended training or public service for ten days or more.
6. Policy Statement
A. Delegation to UW System Institutions
The authority to acquire information technology is delegated to UW System institutions for academic acquisitions and administrative systems not reportable as large or high-risk information technology
projects.
In acquiring information technology under this section, UW System institutions shall comply with applicable state and federal laws, as well as Regent Policy Document 13-1, Contract Approval, Signature Authority, and Reporting. Questions about the appropriate purchasing process to be used when procuring information technology under this delegation should be directed to the UW System institution’s purchasing office.
Any applicable institutional approval processes must also be followed.
Delegated acquisitions should be part of the institution’s Information Technology strategic plan required under s. 36.50 (1), Wis. Stats.
B. Large or High Risk Information Technology Projects
Large or high-risk information technology projects shall be reviewed by the UW System Chief Information Officer prior to the commencement of a procurement process or formal negotiations with a supplier. The institutional Chief Information Officer shall designate a project as large or high-risk and submit the Large or High Risk Information Technology Project Review Form and other associated materials required by the UW System Chief Information Officer for review. The UW System Chief Information Officer shall review such requests within fourteen (14) calendar days and provide a recommendation to the institutional Chief Information Officer on whether the project should proceed.
7. Related Documents
Section 36.59, Wis. Stats., Information Technology
Regent Policy Document 13-1, Contract Approval, Signature Authority, and Reporting
Regent Policy Document 25-4, Strategic Planning and Large or High Risk Projects
Large or High Risk Information Technology Project Review Form
8. Policy History
Revision 8: December 9, 2019
Revision 7: November 20, 2017
Revision 6: October 23, 1997
Revision 5: August 24, 1990
Revision 4: February 7, 1990
Revision 3: August 4, 1982
Revision 2: September 28, 1981
Revision 1: August 12, 1980
First approved: March 30, 1975
9. Scheduled Review
November 2022