Transcript Document
Following the Yellow Brick Road – no map but a destination, a Tin man, a Scarecrow and a Lion All journeys are different – this one is ours. Professor Jane Longmore, Deputy Vice Chancellor & Pam Baker Strategic Development Programme Director 1 Workshop Objectives 2 BACKGROUND TO THE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Context 3 Strategic Development Fund- Adding capacity to achieve the Strategic Plan 2008-2013 4 The programme aimed to create a self- sustaining capability to build close relationships with employers, encourage new types of learners, embed employability into the curriculum and develop flexible learning, all underpinned by robust business systems and a modern organisation. Conceptualised as three “delivery” strands: (as an aid to categorise but in practice totally inter-twined). Engaging with employers, Flexible delivery, New Forms of Progression and three “support” strands: Quality assurance processes, Supporting staff (development), Responsive Business Systems (own-funded) 5 Staff & Organisational Development Support Strands Business Systems Progression partnerships Organisational & Culture Change Quality Assurance Employer Engagement Delivery Strands Flexible Curriculum & Delivery 6 Emerald City??:- Key SDP Achievements All agreed HEFCE targets for employer engagement met or exceeded. Forms of flexible delivery – block or distance- established in all Faculties, Solent Online Learning capacity extended to distance learning Six College Partnership Accords signed ,with full action plans. Sport Solent establishment of innovative Schools & Colleges Partnership Programme. “Real- world” learning is being embedded across the curriculum for the benefit of all students. Solent Creatives has been established with over 600 employer links. 7 Emerald City??:- Key SDP Achievements A framework for future Organisational Development (staff development) has been finalised. QA Processes have been developed to support flexible delivery and employer engagement. Faculty Administrations have re-profiled to provide a better front of house experience for students. Attendance Monitoring system for 11,500 students. Student Record System re-engineered to deal with nonTraditional students. New HR/Payroll system for every employee. 8 The “complex adaptive” change process Complex adaptive systems consist of a number of components, or agents, that interact with each other according to sets of rules that require them to examine and respond to each other’s behaviour in order to improve their behaviour and thus the behaviour of the system they comprise. (Stacey: 1996:10). “Change cannot be controlled in a top down way, rather sponsors create the conditions in which change of a certain sort is more likely to happen than not because individuals are enabled to interpret organisational visions and create the changes that they believe are right.” 9 Why this change methodology? Where do we need to be? Where are we now? What are the gaps? What is our plan to close the gaps? Represents classical OD approach – assumes organisations are in one “state” or another. Assumes one can change an organisation by effective analysis, proper planning and appropriate intervention to guarantee an outcome. •Programme Director - dissatisfaction with lasting results of classical approach. •Vice Chancellor said “he did not want a PRINCE 2 programme”. •HE Environment –pluralistic institutions, personal autonomy and disciplinary tribes. •Solid foundations – Strategic Plan, Vision, Discursive events -“Future Profiles” involving 60 staff (Friends) Broad consensus on soundness of strategic direction Opportunity for formative discussion – what do I/my colleagues think this might be, what I want to do. 10 What did this mean for the Sponsor & Team? Definite targets to be achieved – HEFCE Outputs & Outcomes. No detailed Project Plan to fall back on. No pre set fixed annual budget - money needed to be managed. As little centralisation as possible ; “Your Programme , not the SDP teams” Watchful anticipation: Responsibilities for those receiving funding to engage in “activity” and completion dates –“OK to fail” but learn. Project Sponsor role:- champion, broker, seeing the connections, not missing the moment-impossible to write into a project timeline. Analogy :-Conducting an orchestra, role of midwife? 11 How did it start? •Strategic Plan •Vision • Discursive events -“Future Profiles” involving 60 staff (Friends) Broad consensus on soundness of strategic direction. Opportunity for formative discussion – what do I/my colleagues think this might look like, what I want to do. • Self determined and designed Faculty Projects – start of a journey towards the Vision, funded via SDP • Individual/small group projects, funded via SDP. • Appointment of Project Director. 12 Programme Team roles Change only happens if people engage in activity likely to bring about change In this type of change you are a participant in the process not an observer, helping move to points where change becomes possible. • Building trusting relationships • Sensing the needs and interests of the University • Helping people to prepare bids for SDP funding • Helping academics develop curricula • Helping to overcome institutional obstacles • Challenging • Acting as brokers, opening up channels • Holding fund holders to account INVOLVES MANY CONVERSATIONS 13 Hopes, fears and surprises! Stories from our Lions, Scarecrows and Tin Men. 14 Further reading: JISC Infonet – contrasts Traditional and CAS models of change http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/changemanagement/theoretical-models/complex-adaptive-systems (accessed 20/10/12) Olson, E & Eoyang, G. (2001). Facilitating Organisational Change. San Francisco, CA. Wiley, J. Stacey, R. (2010) Complexity and Organisational Reality, London & New York, Routledge Shaw, P. (2002) Changing Conversations in Organisations, London , Routledge A set of short articles from Richard Seel http://www.new-paradigm.co.uk/articles.htm (accessed 24/10/2012) Allen,P, Maguire,S. McKelvey,W. eds. (2011) The SAGE Handbook of Complexity and Management, Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage - “maps state of art research in the growing field emerging at the intersection of complexity science and management studies” 15