What Is Discovery?
Discovery is the process of understanding the technology services, people, funding, and risk profile that affect UCLA’s mission and community today. It ensures decisions made throughout One IT are informed, collaborative, and rooted in data.
What Discovery Includes
Focus
Analyze the composition of UCLA’s IT workforce, including roles, skills, and resourcing levels that sustain current services.
Outcomes
- Comprehensive workforce inventory and role mapping
- Identification of talent gaps and areas for training
- Clear understanding of how staff support services across units
Focus
Inventory the systems, tools, and services currently deployed across the campus community.
Outcomes
- Comprehensive catalog of products and services
- Identification of redundant or ready-to-scale systems
- Baseline for future service model design
Focus
Evaluate risk posture, audit findings, and compliance requirements to strengthen campus security and ensure alignment with campus, systemwide, and state/federal policy and regulation.
Outcomes
- Clear view of institutional cyber security posture
- Identification of gaps and remediation priorities
- Unified approach to compliance and cyber risk management across campus
Focus
Understand how funding supports technology operations, including budgets, recharge models, assets and spaces across schools and divisions.
Outcomes
- Transparent view of technology-related spending
- Insight into cost drivers and funding dependencies
- Data to inform equitable and efficient investment decisions
Who Is Working on Discovery?
Facilitated by Digital & Technology Solutions (DTS) with IT Unit Leads.
How Discovery Is Validated
Conducted By
IT Unit Leads (ITULs)
Purpose
Ensure that collected data accurately reflects each unit’s workforce, systems, and services.
Activities
- Validate local data submissions (people, products/services, and security/risks).
- Identify missing or inconsistent information.
- Provide clarifications or supporting documentation to the Discovery Team.
Conducted By
Campus CIO and Division-Level IT Leadership
Purpose
Review validated ITUL submissions for alignment with UCLA’s enterprise IT framework.
Activities
- Confirm consistency across campus units.
- Elevate significant findings, gaps, or risks to the One IT Program Team and Governance groups for input and guidance.
Participation
Unit Leaders / Deans / Administrative Directors
Purpose
Provide final review and endorsement of each unit’s Discovery data and confirm readiness for submission to governance.
Activities
- Review finalized summaries and key findings.
- Validate data against operational context and resource priorities.
- Approve information for inclusion in campuswide discovery reporting.
Outcome & Goals
- Establish a shared inventory of IT assets, services and people.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen services.
- Provide insight for future-state design.
- Build transparency and trust across campus.
