Professional Services process review - pilot projects

We all recognise that, over time many of our processes have become unduly complex and take up more of our time than they should.  

This is why one important workstream in our Professional Services programme, approved by Council, is to develop the methodology for reviewing our core business processes.

The aim is to make our services both more resilient and more adaptable by reducing complexity, removing unnecessary steps, simplifying working across and between Schools and Functions, and making both time and money savings. 

To do this, we will be running two pilot projects of differing scales, both getting underway in January. The intention is to create an agreed methodology that can then form the basis for a flexible yet structured way for the Heads of Directorates and others to review other processes. 

Exceptional Circumstances and Post-Results Exceptional Circumstances 

The first pilot, to be led by Richard Messer and Paddy Woodman, will be the Exceptional Circumstances and Post-Results Exceptional Circumstances processes.

These are complex University-wide processes, involving staff across Schools and Professional Services, where there is recognised scope for improvement.

The pilot project will seek to balance how we might make both savings in time and money, while managing workloads and ensuring that the process is fit for student experience. 

Stakeholder engagement will be a key element throughout this pilot project. The initial phase of work in January is to understand fully the current processes, with a focus on listening to colleagues across Schools and Functions who are involved to get a sound and detailed understanding.

We are also liaising closely with the Portfolio Review Project team to ensure that our respective work is aligned where possible and to avoid any unnecessary duplication.  

Employment Status Questionnaire 

Given the scale of the Exceptional Circumstances and Post-Results Exceptional Circumstances pilot, Julie Rowe will lead a smaller pilot to review the Employment Status Questionnaire.

This is another area where scope for improvement is already recognised, and it will allow us to test our approach to reviewing a shorter process that is more restricted in its impact.

Again, stakeholder engagement will be core to our approach and these discussions will also get underway in January.