Authorization to Operate

The Information Technology Committee (ITC) is the university shared governance committee responsible for policy and planning for information technology throughout the university, as defined in Faculty Policies & Procedures (FP&P) Chapter 6.42. PAT is a standing subcommittee of the ITC and is accountable to the ITC. 

The ITC authorizes the operation of the PAT, serves as its executive sponsor, approves its charter, and may make temporary or permanent adjustments to the mission, guiding principles, scope, responsibilities, membership and operations of the team.  

Mission of the Policy Planning and Analysis Team (PAT)

The PAT’s mission is to support IT and university governance in ensuring appropriate use of IT assets and resources in carrying out UW–Madison missions. The PAT does this primarily by facilitating and advising on IT policy, procedure, standards and guidelines (hereafter “IT Policy”). Specifically, the PAT:

1. Advises ITC and other IT governance groups on the implications of IT Policy for university stakeholders (e.g., understanding impacts, technical implementations that enable efficient and effective compliance).
2. Collaborates with sponsors of other UW–Madison policies that have significant IT components or implications to support alignment with IT Policy.
3. Develops and carries out processes and activities that govern the full lifecycle of IT policies, procedures, standards and guidelines.

Guiding Principles

The PAT is guided by the following principles:

1. Collaboration: PAT is committed to working collaboratively to ensure that the needs and concerns of relevant stakeholder groups are heard and addressed when developing IT and other related policies.
2. Transparency: In the spirit of academic freedom and openness, PAT operations and policy development processes should be transparent. Guests may attend PAT meetings with the approval of the co-chairs. Documents should be made available to the university community as appropriate. Exceptions may be made when necessary to protect individuals or the institution from harm.
3. Representation and inclusivity: PAT membership should represent a diversity of academic and administrative stakeholders. See Membership section.
4. Consensus: Whenever possible, decisions should be made by consensus. When consensus is not possible, minority opinions should be recorded.

Scope

PAT’s scope is as follows:

1. IT Policies are policies, procedures, standards, guidelines and implementation plans under the oversight of UW–Madison’s Vice Provost for Information Technology (VP-IT). These policies govern:

   1. The development, use, and management of IT services

   2. The use of IT assets and resources. 

The scope of IT Policy  is broad and includes all areas of IT activities, processes and resources as defined by the executive sponsors in consultation with IT governance and other offices that publish policies that apply to UW–Madison. The goals of IT Policy are to:

• • Reduce institutional risk
  • Increase the effectiveness of IT in support of the mission of the institution
  • Help the university in complying with applicable laws, regulations, UW System policies, and other external mandates.

When it is unclear if a particular policy in these or other areas is an IT Policy, then the PAT may make a judgment, subject to override by the VP-IT (CIO) . 

2. Other UW–Madison Policies with Significant IT Components or Implications. The PAT will work with the sponsors of UW–Madison policies that have significant IT components or implications to ensure that these policies are consistent with — and support the effective implementation of — IT policies and processes.

3. Other Topics As Requested by the ITC or VP-IT. Upon request of the ITC or VP-IT, the PAT will provide input on other topics that have significant IT components or implications and coordinate with other campus groups and subject matter experts as necessary.

Responsibilities

Major responsibilities of the Policy Planning and Analysis Team (PAT) include:

1. Identifying needed IT policies, existing IT policies that need revision and IT policies that are no longer needed.
2. Tracking all documents in the IT Policy Portfolio, including procedures, standards, guidelines, and other documents not included in the UW–Madison Policy Library, as well as other UW–Madison policy documents that have implications for the IT Policy Portfolio.
3. Serving as an intake point for IT Policy proposals. 
4. Advising on the relative priority of policies for development and revision.
5. Creating, reviewing, analyzing and commenting upon draft policies or policy-related documents, to facilitate deliberation by IT governance. 
6. Steering IT Policies through all stages of the full policy development lifecycle.
7. Maintaining awareness of policy initiatives throughout UW–Madison and engaging with sponsors of policies that have significant IT components and/or implications to ensure consistency with IT policies and appropriate support for the effective implementation of IT policies and processes.
8. Guiding IT Policy communications and engagement with the UW–Madison community.
9. Maintaining, and iteratively improving, UW-510 IT Policy, which guides IT Policy development, communications and implementation.

Membership

1. Eligibility and Composition

The PAT shall be led by co-chairs, designated as follows:

• • Chair of the ITC (senior PAT co-chair)
  • UW–Madison Chief Information Security Officer or other executive for IT Policy designated by the CIO (PAT co-chair)

General PAT membership is open to all UW–Madison faculty and staff. 

The overall makeup of the PAT membership should reflect the diversity of UW–Madison’s IT environment, with respect to factors such as, but not limited to the following:

• • Subject matter expertise or domain
  • School, college, institute and division
  • Organizational entities responsible for policy implementation

To provide flexibility in composing a suitable membership, the number of PAT members shall remain unfixed and at the discretion of the co-chairs. All members will be voting members.

2. Nomination and Approval

The PAT co-chairs, with input from other university leaders, are responsible for seeking membership nominations that support PAT’s representation of the diversity of UW–Madison’s IT environment. 

All membership nominations are subject to approval by ITC.

3. Term of Office

Except for the co-chairs, each PAT member will serve a term of three (3) years. Upon expiration of a member’s term, the incumbent is eligible to serve additional terms. 

4. Decision-Making

Consistent with Guiding Principle 4, the goal for deciding all matters is to reach consensus among current PAT members. When a clear consensus cannot be reached, the PAT co-chairs may, at their discretion, call for a vote of the membership. Co-chairs may also call a vote to make a timely decision when they have determined that consensus cannot be reached in the time available for discussion.

Operations

1. Leadership:

The Policy Planning and Analysis Team (PAT) will be led by a team of two co-chairs, as described in the Membership section.

In addition to providing general oversight, the co-chairs will:

• • Align the PAT with IT governance priorities
  • Confirm charter is followed
  • Maintain a membership that reflects the diversity of UW–Madison’s IT environment
  • Establish and enforce ground rules for PAT meetings
  • Establish PAT operating procedures
  • Appoint a facilitator to organize, run and document PAT meetings
  • Perform other duties as required by the executive sponsors

2. Subcommittees

The co-chairs may commission standing or ad hoc subcommittees to perform PAT work. These may include traditional subcommittees as well as working groups or drafting teams chartered to carry out work related to individual policy initiatives. All subcommittees are subject to co-chair oversight.

Subcommittee membership and leadership are open to any UW–Madison faculty or staff. Preferably, each subcommittee will be chaired by a PAT member. However, policy working groups and drafting teams may be chaired by non-PAT members if the appropriate subject matter expertise cannot be secured from within the PAT.

As with the overall membership of the PAT, subcommittee membership should reflect the diversity of UW–Madison’s IT environment, as appropriate for the work the subcommittee will carry out.

3. Meetings

The PAT will meet monthly or as needed.

All subcommittees commissioned by PAT will meet ad hoc or on a self-determined schedule. Where applicable and practicable, a group’s meeting cadence and schedule should be specified in its charter.