Dr Simon Kerridge RMAS Steering Group. Financial pressures on HEIs Efficiency Agenda Vfm in Research...
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Transcript of Dr Simon Kerridge RMAS Steering Group. Financial pressures on HEIs Efficiency Agenda Vfm in Research...
Dr Simon Kerridge
RMAS Steering Group
• Financial pressures on HEIs
• Efficiency Agenda
• Vfm in Research
• Shared Services
Funding Context
RMAS Feasibility Study 2009Cashable Benefits
• Staff efficiencies: 10-20%
Non-cashable Benefits
• Free research active staff
• Enable growth
• Better management Info
• Data exchange efficiencies
RMAS Benefits Analysis 2012
Productivity gains
• £75k per RMAS module
Qualitative Benefits
• Enable growth
• Improved data quality
• Flexible platform for future developments
Universities Modernisation FundHEFCE approach:• Could have left to the market
• Focusing public funds to:
• share risk
• accelerate timescales and
• tailor to HEIs’ needs • helping address the cultural issues
• £½m benchmarking• £1m shared services• £6m procurement• £2½m Admin applications• £10m data centres and
research applications
Universities Modernisation Fund
UMF Delivery
RMAS:• RMAS product suite
• Data integration and standards
• Pilot HEI efficiencies
• Cloud based delivery model
UMF Programme:• £14.9m efficiencies – Year 1
HEFCE vision
• RMAS is NOT a single, off-the-shelf system
What is RMAS?
But it is:• A procurement framework containing the
‘best-of-breed’ research systems on the market,• plus a set of free integration tools and
methodologies,• being built around a data standard for
research information, CERIF
How does that help you?
How does RMAS help you?
How does that help you?
Then, when adding or upgrading…
What has the RMAS Project Done?
• created a procurement framework containing products that meet your needs – select & buy!• developed a set of free tools and ‘how-to guides’ so you
can integrate your systems and data – no need to re-invent the wheel!• Enhanced CERIF to include more data sets, created CERIF
conversion tools & convinced suppliers to develop their systems to communicate via CERIF.
RMAS Procurement
RMAS Launch Event, July 10th, 2012
• RMAS Feasibility Studies 2008/9• Clear demand• Similar customer requirements• Improve the procurement process for the sector• Create a collaborative environment• Issues of coverage and integration• Lack of clarity on standards
Why Create the RMAS Procurement Framework
• The average OJEU timetable of 6-9 months can be reduced to 4 weeks or less
• There are no full tenders to assess - suppliers can be appointed through mini-competitions
• Pre-agreed Terms and Conditions provide solid contractual safeguards and reduced professional legal costs, while allowing amendments to suit particular projects
Benefits of the Framework
What it Means in £££££
• You can access the Framework for free• Long-term relationships between clients and suppliers
through a framework encourage improvements in service
• Having several suppliers allows flexibility to cater for a range of requirements, and maintains competition
• Frameworks help to maintain security of supply• Capture of knowledge and best practice
Further Benefits of the Framework
• Educational Establishments in England and Wales including Schools, Universities and Colleges
• Scottish Further and Higher Education Bodies • Further and Higher Education in Northern Ireland • Central Government Departments, Executive Agencies
and NDPBs• Welsh Public Bodies National Assembly for Wales, Welsh
Assembly Government and Welsh Local Authorities
Who Can Use the Framework
How to Use the Framework
RMAS Framework Lots
RMAS Framework Suppliers
• On campus• Cloud based• Integration options• Supplier web services where they exist• Create your own adapter• Use the Nexus ESB
Deployment Options
• Moving toward CERIF compliance
• Integration using recognised standards and
processes
• Improvements for customers
Management of the Framework
RMAS Integration
RMAS Launch Event, July 10th, 2012
http://source.rkt.clients.switchsystems.co.uk/intro.php
RMAS Launch Event, July 10th, 2012
The Role of CERIF in RMAS
RMAS Launch Event, July 10th, 2012
What is CERIF?
• Common European Research Information Format• An EC-Recommendation to Member States • Development since late 1980s• The responsibility of euroCRIS since 2002
CERIF
EU Working Group on Research DatabasesWorkshop
1987 1991
CERIF 91
PROJECT
Similar IdeasUN/UNESCOOECDCODATA
Acronym: ERGOParticipant: Keith Jeffery, Anne Asser son, many moreOrganisations: Rutherford Appleton, Uni- versity of Bergen, …
2000
CLASSIFICATION
RESULTS EQUIPMENT
PROJECT
OrgUnit PERSON
EXPERTISERoles
CERIF 2000 Model
- Networking of DBs- Exchange of Records
- EC Recommendation to Member States
- Data Model - Multilinguality- Controlled Vocabulary- Roles / Types- User-driven
- EC Recommendation to Member States
ProjectProject OrganisationOrganisation
Service
Funding Programme
Patent
Skills
CV
Product
Event
PersonPerson
Classification(Semantics)
Classification(Semantics)
PublicationEquipment
2ndLevel
Base
LanguageSemantics
Link
CERIF 2006 / 2008 Model
- Data Model- Model Normalization - Robust/Consistent Structure - Extensible Structure - Semantic Layer - XML Exchange Specification
- Elaboration on Publication- CERIF Core Semantics (2008 1.2)
2006 2008 2012
Measurement GEO
Citation
CV
Prize
Qualification
ExpertiseAndSkills
Equipment
Facility
Funding
Service
ElectronicAddresse
PostalAddress
Country
CurrencyLanguage
Event
Metrics
ResultProduct
ResultPublication
ResultPatent ResultProduct
ResultPublicationResultPublication
ResultPatent
Person OrganisationUnit
Project
PersonPerson OrganisationUnitOrganisationUnit
ProjectProject
Indicator Measurement
2ndLevel
Base
CERIF 1.3
Semantics Language
LinkInfrastructure
- Data Model- Infrastructure
- Facility, Equipment, Service- Measurement & Indicator - Entities and Link Tables- Geographic Bounding Box
- CERIF 1.3 Vocabulary - UUIDs - Terms - Schemes
CERIF 1.5 (XML)CERIF 1.5
FOR MA L
SEMANT ICS
+ Linked Data
+ CERIF Ontology
The CERIF Evolution
• A formal Model of the Research Domain• Research Entities• Relationships• (Contexts)
• Enables ContextualVocabularies(i.e. Semantics)
Common European Research Information Format
CERIF
Common European Research Information Format
Research Context: Finance, Funding, Output, HR, Project-MM, Infrast... CERIF
Common European Research Information Format
Research Contexts: Finance, Funding, Output, HR, Project-MM, Infrast .. CERIF
A particular use-case (context)
Person A
Publication X
OrgUnit O
OrgUnit M
OrgUnit N
Project P
member
member
employee
Part of
Part of
owns IPRauthor
Project leader
CERIF
• Human Resources • Projects• Outputs• Finance• Students
OrgUnit A
Output X
Measure Y
Funding X
Project P
Person P
agreement
member
performance
budget
income / expenditure
owns IPR
author
employer
The RMAS use-cases (areas)
peer-reviewedresult
CERIF
CERIF for N use-cases
OrgUnit
Output
Measure
Funding
Project
Person
C
AB
D
EZ
Y
X
FG
• Formal Syntax• Declared Semantics i.e. open to any vocabulary ... A, B, C, D, E, ... X, Y, Z
CERIF
Benefits of employing CERIF
CERIF
Standardisation allows for re-use; saves time, thus costs
Finance
Project
HR
Output
Infrastructure
Learning Funding
• a tangible formal model• for re-use, communication, comparison• to support interoperability, exchange• to support area identification, process modeling,
vocabulary development• it scales; is open for any vocabularies
Benefits of employing CERIF
CERIF
Standardisation allows for re-use; saves time, thus costs
In areas: HR, Project, Output, Finance, Students
(by analysis of existing systems)(comparable to supplier products)
• entity identification and disambiguation• entity relationship identification• vocabulary identification• (quality) vocabulary definition
Benefits of employing CERIF with RMAS
CERIF
CERIF-driven RMAS Vocabularies
• Persons: Title, Qualification, Contact Type, Event Involvement, Employment Type, Professional Relationship, Output Contribution, Degree Level of Study, Person Project Role
• Projects: Activity Type; Subtype, Organisation Project Role, Activity Funding Type, Activity Status, Activity Finance Category, Activity Finance Category Amount
• Outputs: Output Type, Publication Status, Peer-Review, Output Quality Level, Output Output Relationship, Open Science Cost
• Finance: Funder Type, Funding Source Type• Students: -> Person-Person Role, -> Output Type• Overall: Verification Status
Results from euroCRIS/RMAS collaboration
CERIF
Also imported in part vocabularies from CASRAI, CIA project, CERIF itself, HESA
CERIF-driven RMAS Vocabularies
• Will be formalized in latest CERIF XML• A starting point for suppliers• Have been published on www.euroCRIS.org • Will be supported by RMAS SAC*
Results from euroCRIS / RMAS collaboration
CERIF• SAC = Supplier Agnostic Connector
RMAS Pathfinders• University of Kent• Simon Kerridge
• University of Sunderland• Kevin Ginty
• University of Exeter• Steve Trowell
Or contact JISC Advance - Simon Foster
University of Kent
• Research Led• ~£12M, ~600 proposals
University of Kent
Funding Sourcing
Costing & Financial
Outputs & Outcomes
Academic Expertise
Proposal Management
Post Award
HR SIS/PGRFinancial Planning Finance
REF DCS Je-S, eGAP, EPSS..
ROSExternal Data
sources (UKRISS)
Reporting
University of Kent
Research Professional
pFACT
EPrints
PSE Cognos Agresso
Funding Sourcing
Costing & Financial
Outputs & Outcomes
Academic Expertise
Proposal Management
Post Award
HR SIS/PGRFinancial Planning Finance
REF DCS Je-S, eGAP, EPSS..
ROSExternal Data
sources (UKRISS)
Reporting
In-house
Microsoft Reporting Services
University of Kent
Funding Sourcing
Costing & Financial
Outputs & Outcomes
Academic Expertise
Proposal Management
Post Award
HR SIS/PGRFinancial Planning Finance
REF DCS Je-S, eGAP, EPSS..
ROSExternal Data
sources (UKRISS)
Communication Bus
Reporting
University of Kent
Challenge: Connect everyone to everyone• Different suppliers• Different technologies• Different data schemas
RMAS CERIF
Proposal-createdProposal-updatedProposal-removedProposal-submittedProposal-approvedProposal-rejected
Start smallRelease oftenBuild a community
University of Sunderland
• Research Active• ~£2M, ~100 proposals
Central Enterprise Service Bus
CRM Workflow Electronic Document
Management
Academic Expertise
Funding Sourcing
Tool
Proposal Management
Costing & Financial
Management
Post Award Management
Outputs & Outcomes
Costing & Financial
Management
Proposal Management Local ESB
RMAS – Sunderland evolution
Pre-award
Costing & Pricing
ESB
RMAS – Sunderland evolution
(Converis)* pFACT
ESBColdFusion
* Alternatively CRM (UNIS)
Top Level Components
UNIS pFACT
CF
Converis
Sunderland – systems integration
• Chris21 (HR)• Oracle Projects (Finance)• SITS (Student records) • EPrints (Institutional repository) [SURE]
Sunderland – Comms Bus
• Exeter Overview• Research intensive ~800 Academics; ~3000 projects• Ambitious growth in research income
• ~ £50m in 2011-12, doubled every 4 years
Exeter Research Systems
Existing System
Publication Management
Publication Storage
Research Data Storage
Outputs Monitoring
Funding Opportunities
Proposal Management
Project Costing
Projects & CRM
Post Award Management
Pre-
Aw
ard
Post
-Aw
ard
Rese
arch
Out
put
HR (Trent)
Finance (APTOS)
PGR (SITS)
Planned for Future
Developed During RMAS
Core Corporate
System
Key
Prior to RMAS
Following RMAS
Publication Management
Publication Storage
Research Data Storage
Outputs Monitoring
Funding Opportunities
Proposal Management
Project Costing
Projects & CRM
Post Award Management
Pre-
Aw
ard
Post
-Aw
ard
Rese
arch
Out
put
HR (Trent)
Finance (APTOS)
PGR (SITS)
• In-house Systems Development: iPAC and ROMe• Rapid system development e.g. iPAC 16 weeks from conception to deployment• ROMe demonstrates mapping from non-CERIF source into CERIF within
integration • Total benefits around £150k per annum in operational productivity gains
• Systems Integration • SQL – methods based on freely available tools, industrial standards• Supplier Agnostic Connector – open source tool, freely available from RMAS
website, designed to facilitate connecting existing systems• Data Standards
• With other Pathfinders, mapped data fields used in research systems to CERIF• With EuroCRIS, developed new vocabularies for HR, Finance, Project, Student
and Publications entities• Framework for Analysis of Benefits - led to a benefits-driven approach
RMAS Developments
iPAC – Project Overview
iPAC – Spend Against Budget Profiles
iPAC – Data Quality Grid
ROMe – Outputs & Outcomes
• Improvements in Data Quality in Source Systems• RMAS integration techniques reliably combine data from disparate sources
enabling verification by those who know the data best• Avoidance of ‘hidden costs’ of poor data quality [duplication, discrepancy
analysis]• RMAS integration facilitates conversion of data into information, adding value
through graphical displays and customer-centric user interfaces• Positive experience of users and increased confidence in data quality makes
user engagement easier to secure aiding future developments
• Agreed data standards [CERIF] are essential for external communications
• Expertise in use of CERIF internally, connecting to non-CERIF source systems
Lessons Learned
• RMAS has been integral to delivery of major advances in our research systems infrastructure during last 12 months
• Gaps remain – plan to use RMAS procurement framework in coming weeks to procure a pre-award solution
• Development of expertise in system integration and rapid system specification, design and implementation
• Benefits-driven approach rippling through entire research system development programme
• Dissemination of learning into other projects e.g. UKRISS and DESCRIBE
Summary
RMAS Supplier Agnostic Connector
What is the RMAS Supplier Agnostic Connector ?
• A tool to integrate data from research management and administration systems• It uses an Extract Transform & Load (ETL) Pattern• Compatible with CERIF• Built on a mature open source platform• Custom built for RMAS• Includes working examples
– HR to supplier specific CSV– Publications to CERIF XML– Publications to CERIF XML for project costings– Key mapping using an ESB with CERIF XML
How Do I Use It ?
1. Access the connector at
www.rmas.ac.uk
2. Download and install the working
demonstrators
3. Use the documentation to
move from demo to real data sources and
targets
RMASWebsite
What is Extract, Transform and Load• An ETL is a three stage system for moving data
Extract Transform
LoadSources Targets
HR
Finance
Publications
Projects
HR
Finance
Publications
Projects
CERIFXML
CERIF Compatibility
• Extract Stages– Reads data sources and converts to CERIF
compatible data model• Transform Stages– Works with a collection of data fields defined
within the CERIF vocabulary• Load Stages– Includes a CDM to CERIF XML export stage
Summary
• A tool kit to enable data integration• Working examples to speed development• Freely available, open source, community
based • CERIF compatible• Available from www.rmas.ac.uk
The future of RMAS
RMAS Launch Event, July 10th, 2012
•Single point of contact•Provide support and signposting for RMAS adopters•Maintain & develop relationships with key stakeholders•Manage transition to Nexus [email protected]
RMAS Coordinator Role (Simon Foster)
•Support for RMAS Adopters•Continuation of RMAS/CERIF development•Moving suppliers toward CERIF/RMAS compliance•Working with suppliers in areas that benefit the sector
Sustainability phase work areas
•Support for RMAS Adopters-RMAS Repository-Web Resource-Technical Support from RMAS Pathfinders-RMAS Community-Support in utilising CERIF
Sustainability phase work areas
RMAS Repository
RMAS Tools
RMAS Web Resource
www.rmas.ac.uk
RMAS FrameworkSuppliers
UK Universities
RMAS Coordinator
CERIF Support National Coordinator
/
Managing Relationships & Strands
• New Commercial Service from JISC Advance
• Open Source Enterprise Service Bus Technology
• Ongoing Management of RMAS
Transition to Nexus
RMAS & JISC Advance Nexus
•Nexus is a new commercial service by not-for-profit service organisation JISC Advance •Nexus enables seamless data transfer within institutions
and to remote services and external agencies. •Connected approach uses Enterprise Service Bus (ESB)
technology to provide secure information exchange between software applications.•Nexus delivers the crucial connections between
academic administration systems, teaching and learning environments, remote services and external agencies.
What is Nexus
• Joining up services
•Cost effective integration options for the sector
The role of Nexus in the sector
• Management of the framework
• Provision of liaison support for early adopters
• Interpretation of the contract
• Dissemination of information
JISC Advance Nexus’s role in RMAS
•Enterprise Service Bus technology
•Deployed centrally or as a Local ESB
•Cloud-based systems routed through the Nexus
ESB
•Remote and Shared services
Where RMAS fits in with Nexus
Where RMAS fits in with Nexus
Where RMAS fits in with NexusThe Nexus Vision
•Towards and evolving standard
• Integration of new & existing systems
•Working collaboratively with suppliers
Where will Nexus take RMAS
VLE
SR
HESA
UK BA
HEFCE UCAS
L A’s
SLC
NHS
TfL
RMAS
DARE
University ESB or Adapter
HR VLE SRID
UniversityUniversity
UniversityUniversities
Nexus
HEDD
Data StandardBodies
ESB Community UniversityUniversityUniversity
SuppliersServices and
Products
Data Standards& Adapters
RMASModules
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔ ✔ ✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
Benefits
• ESBs have been used to– Make processes better faster cheaper– Improve the student experience– Automate information provision – Free up administrator time– Reduce/eliminate provisioning delays– Improve cash flows– Reduce the cost of IT– Improve data quality
What does it cost?
• Not-for-profit• Annual subscription of– £5k for the first endpoint pair– £1K for subsequent endpoint pairs
• Plus very competitive implementation costs– However if an institution asks them to solve a
problem for which there is substantial demand, Nexus may choose to waive to cost of implementation for the first customer.
Want to know more?
• Join the linked in group – JISC Advance Nexus• Email– [email protected]– [email protected]
• Phone– 0203 006 6054
