Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

Innovation and transformation fund

Data capture sheet

Five enhancements to help universities evidence the benefits of change

Following publication of their guide to evidencing the benefits of business process improvement in higher education, the business improvement team at the University of Strathclyde have responded to users’ feedback with an updated version. Nicola Cairns shares some new insights gained from collaborating with colleagues across the sector.

Balancing the needs of managers and planners in a performance planning framework

When the University of Lincoln considered their current performance management processes through the eyes of their academic managers, it provided valuable insights. Liz Lacey explains how blending two different approaches helped to inform a review of the way performance planning is carried out by academic leads.

Is the diversity of terminology used by HE change practitioners diluting our shared goals?

A sector-wide survey was launched in April by the University of Strathclyde's Business Improvement Team to capture feedback on how its Guide to Evidencing the Benefits of Business Process Improvement in Higher Education has enhanced their delivery of change initiatives and how the guide could be improved. Nicola Cairns shares her insight into some of the survey findings.

LFHE unveils Innovation and Transformation Fund grant winners

The universities of Edinburgh Napier, Northampton and Strathclyde have been selected by the Leadership Foundation to take part in the 2016 Innovation and Transformation Fund (ITF) round. Each ITF project is worth up to £8,000 and will fund initiatives that unlock and share good practice across the sector.

How you can engage people to evidence the benefits of business improvement projects

Following the launch of last year's guide to evidencing business improvement, the University of Strathclyde's business improvement team are now testing out a business exploration map tool. Nicola Cairns' blog explores how people can be engaged to ensure that the potential benefits that they have identified fully demonstrate the impact of their project.

Evidencing the benefits of business process improvement – what do you think?

Following the success of its guide to evidencing the benefits of business process improvement projects in higher education, the University of Strathclyde wants to develop the guide to make it even better. In this blogpost, Dr Nicola Cairns introduces a survey that will help to make the guide a valuable tool for use across the sector.

Schools Planning Framework for Academic Leaders

The Schools Planning Framework project funded by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, seeks to explore the development of a practical application of a performance management tool, aimed at academic units. The report sets out the findings of the project as a case study based at the University of Lincoln.
Heather Lawrence, University of Strathclyde

The cross-cutting themes of the ITF projects

Managers should witness first-hand how processes earmarked for improvement work before agreeing to those changes, Heather Lawrence of the University of Strathclyde's business improvement team writes. Her blogpost, focusing on lessons from the Innovation and Transformation Fund, also advises capturing feedback and communicating findings throughout the projects.

Academic Career Frameworks: making the change

Bournemouth University’s new career frameworks for academics are the subject of a longitudinal study funded by the Innovation and Transformation Fund. In this blogpost Matthew Bennett highlights some of the learning gathered to date.

Academic Career Frameworks: Key to Change?

Bournemouth University’s new career frameworks for academics are the subject of a longitudinal study funded by the Innovation and Transformation Fund. Here is a report from 2015 setting out the findings gathered to date.