SIS Readiness Assessment Checklist

Introduction: How to Use This Template

Info-Tech has designed the SIS Readiness Assessment Checklist to ensure your organization has completed the
essential tasks prior to proceeding with the student information system (SIS) selection and implementation
project.
Review each task in the checklist and determine if it has been completed. When finished, evaluate your answers.
Allocate efforts towards the tasks not yet completed. Once all tasks are completed, move forward with the project.

Section 1: Checklist
Goals and Objectives
External pressures and drivers for an SIS have been recognized and documented.
An SIS operating model to outline the future state has been developed.
Mega-processes to be supported by the SIS future-state have been identified.
Clear goals and objectives for the future SIS have been defined.
Guiding principles and metrics for mega-processes have been documented.
The scope of the SIS project have been clearly defined.

Project Team
Resourcing capacity for backfilling roles of project team members has been verified.
The project team includes representation from all affected business units (including IT).
A dedicated project manager has been identified.

Current State Understanding

SIS processes have been inventoried.
All applications in the existing SIS portfolio that support the inventoried processes have been inventoried.
A cost analysis of the existing SIS portfolio has been conducted.
The current state of systems and processes has been mapped.

Future State Vision

Opportunities for improvement and remediation tactics have been collected, and are grounded in pain points,
business needs, and future-state aspirations.
The organization has a vision for the future state of the SIS.
Deployment alternatives have been evaluated.

Business Process Improvement

Preliminary business process improvement is complete or determined unnecessary.
Opportunities for business process improvement have been identified for work with the selected vendor(s).

Project Metrics
Measurable performance goals for the SIS strategy have been defined
Key performance indicators for SIS strategy performance metrics have been identified.

Executive Sponsorship
The SIS project has an executive sponsor from the business.
The executive sponsor has approved the SIS strategy put forth by the business.

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 The executive sponsor has assumed accountability for the success of the project.
The executive sponsor has decision-making authority.
The executive sponsor has significant influence within the organization.

Stakeholder Buy-In and Change Management

The organization recognizes the need for change.
The organization recognizes the potential benefits of the SIS project.
The SIS strategy has been socialized with key stakeholders and the wider organization.
There is a change management plan in place to mitigate the risks associated with change and to ensure user
adoption.
A change management communication plan is clearly documented and has a dedicated owner.

SIS Strategy
The organization has an SIS technology enablement strategy.
The SIS strategy includes a decision around deployment options (on-premises vs. SaaS, point vs. integrated
solution, etc.).
The SIS strategy includes a decision around the technology enablement approach (i.e. maintain, augment,
consolidate, transform, or hybrid).

SIS Roadmap
The organization has an SIS technology enablement strategy roadmap.
The SIS strategy roadmap contains prioritized roadmap work initiatives.
The SIS strategy roadmap contains scoped work initiatives (task details, RACI, cost-benefit analysis, risk
mitigation, etc.).
The SIS strategy roadmap has been socialized with key stakeholders.
The SIS strategy roadmap is being kept up to date as the project progresses.

Strategy and Roadmap Governance

There is a governance structure in place to monitor, change, and manage the roadmap throughout the life of
the project.
There is a documented governance plan for the SIS strategy and roadmap.

Risk Management
Project risks have been identified and analyzed for likelihood and impact.
Mitigation tactics have been determined for all risks.

Cost and Budget

The cost of an SIS project is documented and has received approval from the executive sponsor.

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Readiness Remediation Plan
List the incomplete items from the checklist above as they are relevant to your SIS selection and implementation
project. For each, list the barriers to completion (if applicable), and come up with a brief description for a
remediation plan. Lastly, list the date by when the checklist item needs to be completed.

Incomplete Criticality Barriers to Remediation Due Date and

Readiness Item (Y/N) Completion Approach Owner

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