shared services

In this 45-minute recording from the 2006 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, we'll hear from Angela Bridgland and Linda O'Brien in a session entitled Implementing IT Shared Services in a Research-Led University Without Limiting Innovation.  They describe how the University of Melbourne is implementing IT shared services.

Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback on project communication tools!  As
we have been researching tools and recommendations, the institutional needs
for these systems has started growing.  In addition to project management we
are wondering about how collaboration tools can also meet communication
needs within our department:

• as a repository for documentation (how to install...)
• to provide an overview of what is going on in the department (this
• week...this month)
• as a place where all the bits of information can be brought together into
• a big snapshot

I have no expectations that technology will provide us with the sole
solution to improving communication and workflow, but I¹d really like to
hear more ideas and stories about how other institutions are effectively
using collaboration applications.  We narrowed down our list of possible
solutions to four:  mediaWiki, drupal, typepad and Teams.

And since drupal consolidates many kinds of content (wiki, blog, RSS, etc.)
we felt that it was the product most worth looking at.  Yeah...simple,
right? 

For the past two weeks I've been trying to identify and assess web based applications that would meet several needs within the broad umbrella of project communication/management:

• provide a quick overview of what's happening on a given project
• have a component that could be used for documentation
• be multi-layered (a public component available without login; a private component for authenticated users only)
• provide distribution components (RSS...)
• standards based
• has a simple and easy-to-use interface
• hosted externally or internally
• provide multiple views of content (via tagging, grouping...)

I've been surprised at how hard it has been to find an application that meets many of these needs. 

I've been playing with SharePoint for a few months but feel that the learning curve to make it an effective and organic tool is significant.  Basecamp is a bit too simple.  I entertained the idea (suggested by our brilliant Director of Administrative Systems, Ted Simpson) of using Educause Connect (but it lacks the overview and cohesive functions we're looking for).
A straight-up wiki application might be the closest thing I've found; yet something is missing (perhaps the calendar/overview features).  I have the feeling that the solution is much simpler and more obvious than is apparent to me.