Integrating user support for eResearch services within institutions. Lessons learned from AeRO Stage 2 User Support Project (abstract)
Hamish Holewa and Loretta Davis
AeRO = Australian eResearch Organisations – cooperative to deliver national services to researchers. Set up a user support project.
User support is often fragmented. Wanted to make a joined-up network. How-to guides, who to go to if there’s an issue, how to support services being designed to provide service to end-users.
Presented a maturity model to ap service providers for increasing maturity. For ap developers at first it’s about getting the ap and running (many have only been released in beta). AeRO user support say they understand this but here are some things you need to think about moving forward.
Outcomes – service maturity model and the “AeRO Tick” for service maturity in practice (self-assessment tool that shows you where you can grow). Incident management and ticket transfer framework. Uni IT Research Support Expert Group formed. Service catalogue definitions – how do you describe these services?
Lessons learned:
- Maturity models work well: non-accusatory, acknowledges efforts already taken, and gives people a clear pathway forward
- Sector-wide progress is gaining momentum: approx 65% of services have level 2 maturity (of 3 levels)
- Value of cross-sector initiatives: wanted a central ticket system but though this sounds like a good idea heaps of work and doesn’t work well, but better to invest in templates, protocols, communication so can transfer tickets to other providers in a standard way.
- Enable representative groups to inform/change project
- eResearch Uni IT Expert Group: informed outputs of the maturity model and ways to integrate into institutions. Pointed out not all institutions work the same or even care.
Future: Possibilities to expand the maturity model, expand services in the service catalogue and further engage institutions.