Shaping the Future: Plans to Rebuild our Shared System

We are pleased to share news regarding next steps in our plans to design a system that fits your needs for the future.

Our working groups have agreed the first steps of a consultation that will scope our journey towards a rebuild. We are proposing for this to take place throughout academic year 2026/27, consulting with the membership via all working groups, dedicated member discussion and new feedback processes. The System Review Panel (SRP) will lead on content, working closely with the HEAT working groups and the membership.

Design, Scope and Technical Specification

We are confident that between us and the technical consultants, we can propose a system that meets sector need for the coming decade. There is much to consider during the scoping year. Not only designing the system itself but also encompassing identified ancillary aspects.

To ensure this is successful, we are proposing to allocate funds from the technical budget to:

1. Consult with Etch: Our current developers will assist with the assessment of current use, including design, architecture, technical security and efficiency.
2. Hire a Technical Business Analyst: This role will lead this exercise for a year, ensuring that end users are engaged with multiple opportunities to feed into the final design. Ideally, this person will understand evaluation and have experience of our service. It could be a secondment post for an experienced HEAT user/university staff.

The SRP will convene in Spring to begin this journey. By July 2027, we will aim to have finalised a technical specification for the new system. We will then submit our plans for the rebuild to the University of Kent procurement team.