Expectations for Software Procurements
To be implemented and supported, software purchased for use in SPS must be:
- Consistent with and complementary to SPS curricula (for instructional software);
- For a unique need or purpose not already addressed by existing district-adopted software;
- Compatible with SPS-adopted hardware and infrastructure;
- Compatible with district-adopted software if integration to other software applications is required (for example rostering from PowerSchool);
- Consistent with industry-standards for security and not pose a threat to the SPS network or data; and,
- Compliant with data privacy laws and district policies.
Software Procurement and Implementation Process
Schools and district departments considering a software purchase should follow the below steps.
- Consult with the Academic Department, for instructional software, to determine whether the software is consistent with and complementary to existing SPS curricula.
- Identify the desired software (following all necessary procurement laws and regulations).
- Identify a software owner who will be OITA’s primary point of contact during implementation and will serve as the first point of contact for software issues once implementation is complete.
- Submit a Software Procurement and Implementation Request using the form found on the Service Desk
- Attend a Software Review Committee meeting, ideally with the technical contact from the vendor, to determine whether the software can be implemented and supported. A more detailed technical meeting may be required subsequent to the Software Review Committee.
- Provide necessary documentation to OITA using the list of questions provided below (it will usually be easiest to provide these questions to the vendor and ask them to submit the necessary documents to answer the questions).