RAKETTI project supporting structural development in higher education institutions through information management

01.09.2008

The Ministry of Education launched a joint project for universities in June, entitled RAKETTI. The project consists of three sub-projects whose topics are an Enterprise Architecture model adapted to the needs of higher education institutions, to build a common basic system for study administration for all higher education institutions, and concept model and data warehouse. CSC, The Finnish IT Center for Science, is engaged in the project as a member of the steering group and coordinator of the sub-projects.

The purpose of the RAKETTI project is to promote, at the national level, the quality, interoperability and availability of information in higher education institutions and of the IT solutions in use. By combining already completed surveys, services in production, and development projects being planned or in progress, a set goal and solution is generated for implementing a cost-effective system that addresses needs common to all higher education institutions. At the same time, a coherent method is created for producing the necessary information base and tools for management through knowledge and for reporting to authorities.

Effectiveness through interoperable systems

Developing the operational quality and effectiveness of higher education institutions calls for a broad, coherent information base and tools for processing it. Uniform reporting and trend information on the operation of higher education institutions is required in order to support steering and internal management and to monitor effectiveness.

The Ministry of Education and the heads and information management of higher education institutions are required to pursue even closer cooperation in order to ensure that the objectives of the Government Program, the Education and Research Development Plan, and the Action Program for the Structural Development of Higher Education Institutions can be reached. More active cooperation and student mobility increasingly call for the transfer of uniform information between higher education institutions.

Higher education institutions have done excellent work both jointly and separately. However, there are still numerous partly non-interoperable information systems taking care of the same or similar basic processes. Some of the systems will become obsolete in the near future, while several new, similar projects are being launched in higher education institutions. The situation cannot continue as it is in view of the practicable use of resources.

RAKETTI consists of three sub-projects

The RAKETTI project consists of three sub-projects whose topics are an Enterprise Architecture model adapted to the needs of higher education institutions, to build a common basic system for study administration for all higher education institutions, and concept model and data warehouse.

RAKETTI-KOKOA (Enterprise Architecture Model Adapted to the Needs of Higher Education Institution)

The sub-project produces a model for describing the services of the entire higher education system and individual higher education institutions and for utilizing their data resources.

The model combines information management and the objectives of higher education institutions to provide an overall picture so new services can be designed according to strategic requirements, cost-effectively and by avoiding overlaps. The project also supports work on developing a separate overall architecture model for higher education institutions.

RAKETTI-OPI (Common Basic System for Study Administration for Higher Education Institutions)

The sub-project generates a service supporting study administration processes in higher education institutions. The service can be based on an existing or new information system.

The process descriptions of the sub-project utilize the results of the ProAMK project of universities of applied sciences and those of the University of Kuopio’s survey of the present state of the study administration information systems in use in higher education institutions. The sub-project provides an overall picture of the future needs and challenges of study administration in universities and of the joint processes that can be supported through information management. Stage I will be devoted to the role of joint support systems in managing student and study information. Attention will also be paid to extending the focus to planning aids.

RAKETTI-XDW (Concept Definition, Concept Model and Data Warehouse)

The sub-project implements a data warehouse solution for the needs of higher education institutions and the Ministry of Education on the basis of a YDW concept model (university concepts). The model is tested with test universities and extended to also cover the concepts of universities of applied sciences.

The aim is to produce a terminologically harmonized concept model and a method for maintaining it. The joint data warehouse is used to ensure that the steering of the higher education system is based on reliable, comparable information and that official reporting can be simplified. In addition, trend information is obtained on the development of the higher education system for use in internal steering in each higher education institution and in the steering of the entire higher education system.

Chaired by Manager Hannu Siren from the Ministry of Education, the steering group of the RAKETTI project scheme consists of the representatives of university management, Ministry of Education, and the Finnish IT Center for Science CSC. The project is financed jointly by the Ministry of Education and higher education institutions.

Further information:

Marja Kylämä, Ministry of Education
Tuija Raaska (tuija.raaska(a)csc.fi, tel. +358-9-457 2713) and Pekka Linna (pekka.linna(a)csc.fi, tel. +358-9-457 2713), Project Secretariat, CSC

http://www.csc.fi/hallinto/raketti

CSC, the Finnish IT center for science, is administered by the Ministry of Education. CSC is a non-profit company providing IT support and resources for academia and research institutes: modeling, computing and information services. CSC provides Finland's widest selection of scientific software and databases and Finland's most powerful supercomputers that researchers can use via the Funet network.