Technical Services Review. Update to technical services staff, February 2015

Transcription

1 Technical Services Review Update to technical services staff, February 2015

2 Our vision To have a Technical Service that represents a unique strength for Exeter: Providing consistently outstanding service to academics and students that other HEI aspire to Constantly seeking ways to be more resilient, efficient, agile and compliant Leveraging the talent we have to develop the highest levels of professional capability in creative and collaborative ways Offering attractive careers for the next generation of scientific talent to aspire to Delivered by excellent leaders and managers

3 There was a variety of feedback from technical services and academic staff but some key themes emerged The technical services feedback fell into the following categories: How the service is structured: Structure and leadership Capacity and resilience How we deliver the service: Facilities, equipment and process Funding Compliance Excellent and effective management How the service supports us / we support the service: Community / sharing / communication Skills / training / career development Career progression / succession planning / retention Feeling valued Comments about the project itself wide ranging including timescales, parallels with VS Overall comments supported the thoughts of the working group, although there were some concerns: Losing specialisms Maintaining business as usual through the transition Understanding what we have and what we need effectively Joining up with other projects and initiatives Technical services staff feedback was most predominant in: How the service support us / we support the service, with career progression being a clear area of concern Academic staff feedback was most predominant in: Structure and leadership, with keeping delivery local a key concern Some common areas of opportunity came out from both the technical services and academic staff

4 The next phases of transformation Issues raised to consider Project Phase Local delivery and management Establish structure & leadership Clear expectations Future proofing Resilience and efficiency Matrix management Job descriptions Implementing delivery model Improved process for adding technical staff to grants Optimise grant funding Establish clear career progression Opportunities for career development Plan for attracting and retaining staff Career development and progression / reflection renewal

5 Structure and Leadership We have developed a new operating model to demonstrate how a community of technical professionals can operate across the university and fulfil our vision Key features Agreed across all colleges Delivers clear line of sight to academic strategies and performance led Promotes transparency and shared accountability Is matrix-led: from a management and operational standpoint Focussed on local delivery and devolved Enables expertise to be leveraged wherever it exists Embeds peer-to-peer networks and promotes continuous development Designed to be flexible to optimise resources and promote staff development Financially accountable to colleges and SMT

6 HoDs; DoEs Teaching delivery functions Proposed STEMM technical services operating model CEGs & Governance HoDs; DoRs units of activity Research delivery functions

7 research services purchasing services Key responsibilities and interactions Interfacing examples H&S and ethics HoDs; DoRs Unit of activity managers: not discipline specific or geographically fixed, H&S coordinators. Risk management defined according to profiling set out below. units of activity Research delivery functions Lab managers: fixed geographically, team leaders of C and D grade staff, members of the buyers network. Each location risk profiled e.g. radiation, lasers, human tissue etc. Lab assistants/gbps/apprentices: flexible workforce directed strategically by unit of activity manager according to changing operational needs.

8 Proposed cross-cutting delivery functions Including examples of potential facilities Facilities Workshops Clinical research facility Space and logistics (including stores) One Exeter IT Bio-informatics Imaging Analytical chemistry EDS/ FXPlus Graphene centre Mining & minerals

9 Potential Research Units of activity UoA (Research) Discipline College Building Campus Biological Services Unit Multi Multi Multi Multi Biosciences/Medicine Multi Multi Multi Multi Xat Multi Single Single Single VES Group Single Single Single Single Renewables Single Single Multi Single Manager Lab manager Psychology Medical School Biosciences Unit of Activity

10 What does this mean for me? You will likely be aligned to a community of technical services professionals in either: 1. Research delivery 2. Teaching delivery 3. One of the cross cutting delivery functions Head of Service will be responsible for overall service supported by managers and team leaders Managers responsible for teams of staff Roles will be clearly defined and remunerated as appropriate Enhanced opportunities for career progression Grant funded (fixed term) technicians will be embedded / aligned in the structure but remain in the same research groups

11 What are the next steps? Unions briefed Alignment to overall Transformation Programme Institutional signing off proposed operating model and business case Detailed structures job descriptions and roles Recruitment of Head of Service

12 Support for change Information on Technical services website with opportunity to feedback Your line manager or Assistant College Manager Project Sponsor Linda Peka College HR Partners Training Several courses available on the impact of change and how to manage Care First Union representative