Communication Plan & Protocols

II. COMMUNICATION PLAN:

1. Purpose: To keep university users, vendors, and other external stakeholders informed about NOC services, incidents, and planned maintenance.
2. Methods:
3. University Website: Provide information on NOC services, contact information, and service status updates on the University website.
4. Email: Used to communicate planned maintenance, service disruptions, and other important information to university users. Segmentation of the mailing list is important to ensure efficient distribution and prevent information overload.
5. IT Service Management (ITSM) System: Utilize a centralized ITSM system (like ServiceNow) for tracking, managing, and resolving user-reported incidents. This provides a central repository for all IT-related issues and provides updates to users.
6. Social Media (if appropriate): Use social media channels (e.g., Twitter, Facebook) to disseminate information to a wider audience.
7. Newsletters/Announcements: Periodic newsletters or announcements can keep users informed of significant changes or upgrades to NOC services.
8. Vendor Communication Channels: Establish clear communication channels with vendors for reporting issues, requesting support, and managing contracts. Use SLAs (Service Level Agreements) to clearly define response times and expectations.

III. Communication Protocols:

1. Incident Management: A clear escalation path and communication protocol should be established for handling incidents. This should include defined roles and responsibilities, escalation procedures, and communication methods (e.g., phone, email, instant messaging).
2. Change Management: A similar protocol should be in place for communicating planned changes to the network infrastructure. This should include notification to users about potential service disruptions and mitigation strategies.

• Scheduled Maintenance: Users should be notified in advance about scheduled maintenance activities, including the expected duration and potential impacts.

• Emergency Response: Define clear communication protocols for emergency situations such as major outages.
• Formal Communication: For official communication regarding security breaches or critical incidents, establish formal channels involving appropriate stakeholders (e.g., university administration, legal counsel, law enforcement).

INTERFACING WITH OTHER COMSIT UNITS

I. Incident Management Process:

1. User Reports Incident: (User) → Reports incident via phone, email, or ITSM system.
2. Help Desk (NOC) Receives Incident: (Help Desk) → Logs incident in ITSM, determines priority.
3. Incident Classification: (Help Desk) → Is the incident network-related?
   1. Yes: Proceed to step 4.
   1. No: Escalate to appropriate COMSIT unit (Software Development, Software & Hardware Inst., etc.).
4. Network Issue Identification: (NOC – Network Infrastructure Management) → Identifies root cause of network-related incident.
5. Incident Resolution: (Relevant NOC Sub-unit) → Resolves incident (Network Infrastructure, Security, etc.).
6. Incident Closure: (Help Desk) → Closes incident in ITSM; updates user.
7. Post-Incident Review: (NOC Management & relevant COMSIT units) → Reviews incident, identifies improvements needed.

II. Change Management Process:

1. Change Request: (Any COMSIT unit or user) → Submits change request via established process.
2. Change Request Review: (NOC Management) → Reviews change request, assesses impact on network.
3. Impact Assessment: (NOC Management, relevant COMSIT units) → Determines potential impact on other COMSIT units; collaborates as needed (e.g., Web Services for website changes).
4. Change Approval: (Head of NOC, relevant COMSIT managers) → Approves or rejects change request based on impact assessment.
5. Change Implementation: (Relevant NOC sub-unit) → Implements change.
6. Testing and Verification: (Relevant NOC sub-unit, other COMSIT units as needed) → Tests the implemented change.
7. Change Closure: (NOC Management) → Closes change request; updates stakeholders.
8. Post-Implementation Review: (NOC Management & relevant COMSIT units) → Reviews change implementation, identifies improvements.

III. Preventive Maintenance Process:

1. Maintenance Schedule Development: (NOC Management, Power & Cooling Admin) → Creates a preventative maintenance schedule for network devices and infrastructure, including power and cooling systems.
2. Schedule Approval: (Head of NOC) → Approves maintenance schedule.
3. Maintenance Execution: (Relevant NOC sub-units, Software & Hardware Inst. & Repair) → Performs scheduled maintenance.
4. Documentation: (Relevant NOC sub-units) → Records all maintenance activities.

IV. Capacity Planning Process:

1. Capacity Needs Assessment: (NOC Management, Software Development, other COMSIT units) → Assesses future capacity needs for network, servers, and storage.
2. Capacity Planning: (NOC Management) → Develops a capacity plan.
3. Resource Allocation: (COMSIT Administration & Operations) → Allocates resources based on the capacity plan.
4. Implementation: (Relevant NOC sub-units) → Implements capacity expansion.

V. Security Management Process:

1. Security Policy Development: (NOC Security & Monitoring, Cybersecurity) → Develops and maintains network security policies and procedures.
2. Policy Implementation: (NOC Security & Monitoring, other COMSIT units) → Implements security policies and procedures across all COMSIT units.
3. Security Audits: (NOC Security & Monitoring, Cybersecurity) → Conducts regular security audits.
4. Vulnerability Management: (NOC Security & Monitoring, Cybersecurity) → Identifies and remediates network vulnerabilities.
5. Security Awareness Training: (Cybersecurity, NOC, Help Desk) → Provides security awareness training to all COMSIT staff and users.

CONCLUSION

The blueprint for the NOC at the University of Ilorin not only outlines a clear operational framework but also sets ambitious goals for achieving technological excellence. By leveraging its strengths, addressing weaknesses, seizing opportunities, and mitigating threats, the NOC is well-positioned to enhance the university’s digital infrastructure. This strategic initiative will ultimately contribute to a more connected, secure, and efficient campus environment that supports academic success and innovation. The commitment to aligning with global best practices ensures that the University of Ilorin remains competitive in an increasingly digital world.