Submitted questions have been edited for content and clarity. This list is focused on questions that are applicable to a large portion of informatics and IT staff. If you have a specific question about your unique situation you would like to discuss, please reach out directly to your IT lead or Jeff Korab.
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Multiple measures are being taken to address this. Since June 2022, planning has been ongoing for how we can start to work together toward shared goals and preserve our culture. Between now and July 1, a lot is going to occur in further preparation for this. We will have ongoing conversations with department leadership, including IT Directors, Chief Administrative Officers, and Chairs. This includes formal validation meetings where they will help ensure that the services their groups provide the departments today could be covered in a service line as we move forward. We will also be sharing regular updates, getting feedback, and taking questions from informatics and IT staff via an email newsletter and at least one event similar to today’s. There will also be an advisory council or steering committee selected for multiple aspects of this project. Lastly, there will be multiple opportunities for stakeholders to submit feedback.
An application standardization process will take place to pilot and make decisions about bringing new software and applications on board.
Everyone will be on the same team so the new team in the Office of Informatics and IT will provide the localized support.
Informatics and IT staff can expect numerous opportunities to get more information, give feedback, and ask questions. This includes via e-newsletters, online forms, and similar venues to today. Staff can also work with their supervisor to communicate feedback. During the service line process, they can expect thorough and honest conversation.
Our communications plan includes multiple audiences, including informatics and IT staff, department leadership, and the entire school community. They will each receive regular updates with appropriate information relevant to them. There will also be an Informatics and IT Collaborative website that tracks progress and provides more information, as well as how to ask questions and give feedback. Lastly, there will be future Town Halls before major changes.
As the project progresses, steering committees representing multiple stakeholders and audiences, such as researchers, will provide direction and feedback. In addition, there will be assessments done to gather feedback and needs from groups like faculty and staff in the SMPH community.
UW Health IT is aware and supportive of the Informatics and IT Collaborative. We will continue to collaborate and work with them to further our shared missions of research and clinical care.
Yes, future Town Halls or similar venues will be planned for the future and held to provide information and take questions and request feedback before major changes.
On July 1, there will be no change to work locations. In the long term, space will be negotiated as needed. There are many options, including retaining department space, space in HSLC and close by, and hybrid and remote options.
This will be communicated before July 1 and further changes as service lines come on board will also be shared.
The Informatics and IT Collaborative will not impact salaries on July 1, and salaries will not decrease as part of this work. As staff move into services lines — which may come with new responsibilities or for some a leadership role — salaries may be adjusted.
“Centralized services” and “local department services” are not two different things in our future state. The end result of the Informatics and IT Collaborative will be that the teams in the Office of Informatics and IT meet the needs of the school’s departments, centers, and institutes. Effort will need to be extended to set up this infrastructure, but the end result will be that the needs of departments, centers, and institutes are being fully met.
The benefit of bringing everyone together organizationally on July 1 is that we can begin working together on shared priorities and projects that benefit all departments, centers, and institutes. The July 1 change only reflects a shift organizationally, not as much in your day-to-day, until the transition progress. This gradual change is meant to minimize disruption and allow for a thoughtful and measured approach. For example, the in-depth conversations about skills and interests cannot take place until we are recognized as one team.
Since June 2022, planning has been ongoing for how we can start to work together toward shared goals. There was an in-depth discovery phase with a large number of IT Directors. In this group we had in-depth planning and validation discussions about software, hardware, licensing, metrics for success, service line creation, staff, and more. Between now and July 1, a lot is going to occur in further preparation. A thorough formal validation stage with IT Directors and department leadership will take place next, which will include final checks to make sure the services their groups provide the departments today could be covered in some service line as we move forward.
A large amount of work has been done to deeply understand the current state of informatics and IT work in departments. This work was done in collaboration with IT Directors. That was an in-depth discovery phase with a large number of IT Directors. In this group we had in-depth planning and validation discussions about software, hardware, licensing, metrics for success, service line creation, staff, and more. A thorough formal validation stage with IT Directors and department leadership will take place next, which will include final checks to make sure the services their groups provide the departments today could be covered in some service line as we move forward.
Software engineers are in scope for the Informatics and IT Collaborative. Web developers are not. These groups may continue to work together.
Employee wellbeing and workplace culture are extremely important to us and have been considered and will be continually assessed. The future state will have many different opportunities, some general and some specialized. We will work with informatics and IT staff in a good faith effort to understand their skillset and future interests and where they may fit into the service lines. Organization into service lines will take into consideration local support needs, current skills, interest in learning new skills or specializing, ambitions for leadership roles, needs of the team, and more. In addition, the creation of this team will allow us to offer more services and be more helpful to users.
In the Project’s Charter, there is a section titled “What does success look like?” In that section, we specifically state that “The total number of informatics and IT staff will not be reduced.” This means that the total number of individuals going through this change is equal to the number of individuals who will be part of the Office of Informatics and IT team.
The transition will occur gradually (not all at once) for different services lines, teams, and individuals. A full analysis of the skills, interests, and ambitions of all members of the informatics and IT team will be completed, using personal conversations and other means. This will be a good faith conversation to find a position where the employee will feel fulfilled in their work and help meet the needs of the team. Organization into service lines will take into consideration local support needs, current skills, interest in learning new skills or specializing, ambitions for leadership roles, needs of the team, and more.
This will occur differently for different roles. Some positions, such as certain leadership or manager roles, will need to be posted, at least internally. Others will simply transition to a new role. The transition will occur gradually (not all at once) for different services lines, teams, and individuals. A full analysis of the skills, interests, and ambitions of all members of the informatics and IT team will be completed, using personal conversations and other means. Organization into service lines will take into consideration local support needs, current skills, interest in learning new skills or specializing, ambitions for leadership roles, needs of the team, and more.
No, these positions are not in limbo. These positions are not changing.
On July 1, there will be no change to work locations. In the long term, space will be negotiated as needed. There are many options, including retaining department space, space in HSLC and close by, and hybrid and remote options.
We have involved multiple stakeholder groups in the planning and implementation of the Informatics and IT Collaborative. In addition, there will be surveys to assess the needs of faculty and staff in the school community.
Our highest priority now is informing and getting feedback and taking questions from informatics and IT staff. There is a plan to engage all faculty and staff. While it may not be a similar venue like a Town Hall, they will be informed of the changes and how it will impact and ultimately benefit their work.