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## Yearly IT Work Planning and Preparation Cycle 

Document code: Security level: Effective date: ICT Governance 

PRO-0027.06 Internal 15/01/2019 

## The Main Governing and Planning Document: The IT Master Plan for Year N+1 

The Information Systems Directorate works in close collaboration with the business Directorates to produce the IT objectives and outputs for the SPD and the related resource estimates; given the relevance of the IT expenditure in the Agency’s resource plans, an in depth yearly IT Master Plan supplements the SPD . 

The Information Systems Directorate is in charge of the preparation of the annual IT Master Plan. The IT Master Plan includes all Programme Plans and the work plans for the IT Horizontal Functions as relevant. The Programme Plans describe the work planned for each Programme in alignment with the SPD for the following year (N+1), plus an outlook on the two years after. 

The IT Master Plan provides the financial and human resource planning too. 

The IT Master Plan for year N+1 is normally presented in October / November of year N to the IT DPB for discussion, further direction, prioritisation and approval. 

The IT Master Plan for year N+1 is approved in the December Management Board meeting of ECHA as one of the annexes to the SPD covering years from N+1 to N+3. 

## Programme Plan Development and IT DPB Approval for Year N+1 

Regarding work planning and resource allocation, Programmes are synchronised with the planning cycle of the Agency. Accordingly, Programme planning  for year N+1 and road mapping for years N+2 and N+3 take place mostly during Q1-Q2 of year N . The first discussion / approval round in the IT DPB is typically in June, synchronised with the budget cycle, and minor refinement  rounds for the budget take place as necessary in Q3-Q4 of year N  before final SPD and budget approval for year N+1. 

The Programme Plans are a key input for the IT Master Plan and the Unit Level Plans (ULPs), which are normally prepared between October and November of year N for year N+1. 

The IT Master Plan is also the driver for the planning of IT procurements for year N+1. 

The following table summarises the key timings as they typically occur during the year. As each phase is an additional step in the overall planning, taking input from the previous phase and providing further input for the next, in practice this sequence reflects a rolling plan approach . 

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