McMaster’s IT Guiding Principles are a foundational tool for strategic IT project decision-making and prioritization.

These principles were developed with input from senior leadership, IT Governance committee members, and the broader McMaster IT community, and endorsed by the IT Executive Committee in June 2024. They serve as a complementary tool and reference guide for conceptualizing and prioritizing strategic IT initiatives. 

1) People first
The initiative will deliver the best IT experiences and effectively support the institutional vision and aspirations of our constituencies.

2) Institutional value
The initiative provides measurable benefits to McMaster, while optimizing costs and resources and minimizing risks.

3) Simplicity
The initiative is the simplest IT solution to implement, support and maintain, while still meeting requirements, thereby reducing complexity and contributing to operational excellence.

4) Community collaboration
The initiative fosters a culture of collaboration and shared purpose emphasizing inclusivity, accessibility, equity, coordination, and efficiency.

5) Sustainable innovation:
The initiative seizes innovation opportunities to meet unique needs and challenges, while being mindful of longer-term considerations.

6) Resource optimization: The initiative adopts a resource optimization approach emphasizing the use of existing technological assets before considering procurement or custom solutions, to maximize efficiency and minimize waste.

7) IT Security and Risk Management: The initiative adheres to strong security and risk management measures to safeguard the university’s digital assets and infrastructure while ensuring preparedness for emerging risks.

8) Data Governance and Privacy: The initiative upholds rigorous data governance and privacy standards, managing available data ethically from collection to disposal, and ensures the protection of personal information in accordance with McMaster data governance processes.

9) Digital and AI literacy and readiness: The initiative considers and enhances digital literacy and competency university-wide, preparing the McMaster community for the future of work and research.