Discover and share good practice for smarter working universities

Innovation and transformation fund

Developing the next generation of researchers and academics

When developing guidance on good practice to inform staff development, Brunel University asked academic and research leaders to reflect on their own experiences early on in their career. As part of a series of posts by the nine ITF-funded projects, Fiona Denney explains the work.
The Aber-Bangor Strategic Alliance team

People, process and performance – a model for change in HE?

A project to bring the questions of people and performance together with lean methodologies has been developed by the Aber-Bangor Strategic Alliance with funding from the Innovation and Transformation Fund (ITF). The Alliance’s Chris Drew provides the first in a series of posts by the nine ITF-funded projects.

Are students at the heart of our processes?

The University of Leicester has developed an approach to engaging senior leaders with the student experience. In the latest of our blogs from the nine Innovation and Transformation Fund projects, Claire King writes that the university believes it can provide valuable insight for institutions looking to develop similar approaches.

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.

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.

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.
Cover image from the Participative Process Review Toolkit by Oxford Brookes University

How Participative Process Reviews can nurture conversations and deliver efficiencies

After taking part in workshops run by the Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development, teams in Oxford Brookes University have changed their practices to make them less complicated, more streamlined and more cost effective. As part of a series of posts by the nine ITF-funded projects, Ian Whiting explains the aims of the Participative Process Review programme.

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.
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.