Business Operations Leadership Team (BOLT) Charter Partnership Document Guiding Principles 4/23/2011 [Document includes the BOLT Charter, a statement of the importance of partnering with process owners and structure for accomplishing this, and a set of guiding principles to create a positive cultural change throughout the business operations community.]
BUSINESS OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP TEAM (BOLT) CHARTER BACKGROUND AND HISTORY In April 2007, the Vice President (VP) for Finance and Administration created the Business Operations organization. That action: Established a formal direct reporting relationship between all lead department administrators and the Vice President for Finance and Administration in addition to their reporting relationship with their dean, director or chair Created the position of Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Business Operations Formed the Business Operations Leadership Team (BOLT) The AVP for Business Operations was given responsibility for: Improving the quality of financial and administrative services for faculty, students and staff across all academic and administrative departments, schools and units at Yale University Ensuring that department and central business support staff work as a team, i.e., full partners Identifying common and unique needs and then designing and implementing policies, procedures and tools to meet those needs Assuring that appropriate internal controls are in place Building a community of business professionals at Yale The Business Operations Leadership Team (BOLT) was chartered to: Ensure that consistent high quality financial and administrative support is provided to faculty, students and staff of Yale University at the unit level on behalf of the VP for Finance & Business Operations. Serve as the key point of connection between operating and central financial and administrative units to continually improve services provided in support of the missions of Yale University. In the fall of 2009, Business Operations experienced staffing changes that led to a restructuring of unit responsibilities within the BOLT. These staffing changes and the experience gained over the past three years prompted a review of the original BOLT charter. The revision that follows incorporates what has been learned. 2.
I. Name. The name of the group created by this charter is the Business Operations Leadership Team (BOLT). II. Members. The members of the BOLT are named as follows: a. Associate Dean, Finance and Administration and Chief Administrative Officer, School of Management b. Associate Dean, Finance, School of Medicine c. Assistant Vice President, Business Operations d. Associate Dean, Finance and Administration, School of Law e. Senior Director, Business Operations f. Senior Director, Business Operations, FAS and Academic Services g. Senior Director, Business Operations, Professional Schools and Academic Support h. Senior Operations Manager III. IV. Chair. The BOLT shall be chaired by the Assistant Vice President, Business Operations. Number and Tenure. Membership may be modified at any time at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. V. Purpose. BOLT is organized to support the teaching, research, and clinical missions of Yale by ensuring that all faculty, students, and staff consistently receive high quality financial and administrative support in a manner compliant with Yale University policies and procedures. VI. Accountability. The BOLT shall be accountable for and shall have the authority to deliver results in the following areas: a. Strategy. Strategy and goal-setting for Business Operations including: i. developing annual and multi-year goals to improve the quality of financial and administrative support at the Unit level ii. defining key desired outcomes, diagnostic metrics, and approaches for improving the quality of financial and administrative support b. Business Operations Leadership. Providing leadership for the business operations community including: 3.
i. defining and convening a meeting structure that effectively informs and supports the missions of the business operations community ii. assuming responsibility for communications and acting as the primary voice and the primary sounding board of the business operations community thereby assuring: 1. relevant and timely communication between the business operations community and Yale University leaders 2. sustained alignment with key stakeholders, including Sponsor, central process owners, Provosts, Officers and program Leaders iii. leading initiatives to improve the quality of financial and administrative support including identifying, developing and propagating best practices across all units c. Financial Management. Assuring excellent financial management and strong financial controls including budget preparation, monitoring, and analysis that effectively supports the requirements of the operating units and Yale University as a whole d. Risk Management. Ensuring that a robust internal control environment is in place and provides reasonable assurance of appropriate use of assets and adherence to contracts, agreements and regulatory requirements e. Liaison. Fostering and fortifying the connection between departmental business offices and those who provide services centrally to assure identification and implementation of changes which improve services to the faculty, students and staff i. establish collaborative, joint problem-solving partnerships ii. determine clear service level expectations, decision rights, and escalation mechanisms f. Talent Management. Assuring that there is an adequate supply of financial and administrative talent available to meet the foreseeable needs of Yale University. VII. Operating Philosophy. The BOLT shall demonstrate and foster value-based leadership in Business Operations. The BOLT shall operate in a manner that models the values and approaches expected of the operating units. The BOLT shall: a. Demonstrate honesty, mutual respect, results orientation, and transparency b. Act with courage and integrity as university citizens and aspire to create solutions that are in the best interests of Yale c. Take action based on facts and data d. Think creatively and remain open to all ideas 4.
e. Be mindful of the impact that institutional decisions may have on the unique nature of Yale s programs; acknowledge and honor Yale s mission of teaching, research, and clinical care. VIII. Procedure. The BOLT may adopt its own rules of procedure, which shall be consistent with this Charter. The Sponsor hereby executes this Charter: Dated day of, 20. Finance and Business Operations, Yale University Shauna R. King Vice President for Finance and Business Operations 5.
Statement on Importance of Partnership between Business Operations Leadership Team and Central Process Owners Yale University has more than 100 business offices supporting the day to day administration of schools, colleges, academic departments, non-academic offices, libraries, and museums. As the strategic advisor to the leaders of these units, and direct point of contact with faculty and students, the business offices have broad responsibility for the stewardship of unit resources; financial, human, physical, and information. The management of these resources and delivery of the associated administrative services was varied, prompting the creation of direct reporting relationships in 2007 to the Vice President for Finance and Administration. This was done to improve the consistency and compliance of administrative services. The Business Operations Leadership Team (BOLT) was formed to manage this large, diverse group of business offices and serve as the collective voice and leader of the business community. The Collective Voice for Business Offices across Campus At the time BOLT was formed in April, 2007, Shauna King said BOLT is responsible for improving the quality of financial and administrative services for faculty, students, and units at Yale University. In reality, BOLT is just one side of a partnership with the Central Process Owners that works to improve financial and administrative services. The Central Process Owners have valuable knowledge about best practices and compliance issues for their area of expertise and often have access to resources, information, and efficiencies that are impossible to possess at the department level. BOLT, as the collective voice for the business offices across campus, has deep knowledge of Yale s day to day business and provides the connection between each unit s academic and service missions and Yale s resources. Improvements to Yale s administrative services for faculty, students, and staff are best achieved when both groups contribute towards solutions and improvements. Each has unique knowledge to share and a unique role in the management of resources and service delivery process. Therefore, the BOLT/Business Offices and the Central Process Owners are both essential partners in the delivery of quality administrative services. A Bridge between Department Business Offices and Process Owners The BOLT Charter describes BOLT s role as acting as a bridge between the department business offices and central process owners. Over the last three years much of BOLT s effort has gone into defining the reporting and communication structures between BOLT and business offices that enable BOLT to serve as an effective leader of the business community. The next step in this progression will be to strengthen the partnership with the central process owners (CPOs) and define those relationships with the same clarity as the BOLT/Business Office relationships. Partnerships are relatively strong with some CPOs, but undefined and weaker with many others. For BOLT to be most effective in its role as a bridge, stable foundations must be built on the CPO base, as well as the Business Office base. 6.
Bolt proposes the following partnership structure in order to strengthen the relationship of the CPOs and BOLT and improve our alignment in making Yale a leader in the delivery of high quality administrative services to faculty, students, and staff. Structure of the Partnership A list of proposed Partners can be found in the table on the next page. In addition, key partnerships have been identified based on the substantial day to day impact that these BOLT Partners and Business Offices have on each other s work. There may be changes over time, as our work changes. The partnerships will have three connection levels. 1. BOLT Liaisons All Partners will have an identified BOLT member acting as their liaison to BOLT. Liaisons should have routine conversations with Partners to ensure that BOLT and the Central Process Owners are keeping each other informed of each group s activities and potential plans. These partnerships will be developed and defined on an individual basis. This interaction may take the form of one or two phone calls each month, or it may mean regular attendance of the BOLT liaison at a CPO staff meeting. 2. Key Partners should attend BOLT meetings periodically to update BOLT, and for BOLT to update them, on important plans and ideas for improvement. Other Partners should attend BOLT only on an as needed basis. 3. BOLT will host a BOLT Key Partners meeting during the year to provide a forum for hearing and sharing ideas, plans, and initiatives with other offices across campus. All Key Partners will be invited to each meeting. Other Partners will be invited as needed. BOLT will be responsible for setting the agenda in consultation with all of its Partners. 7.
Partnership Responsibilities The administrative environment runs most efficiently, with less controversy and resistance, when information is shared and discussed openly. BOLT and the CPOs have a responsibility to share planning information, consult before acting, with the ultimate goal being to never surprise each other. Both have individual responsibilities as well. BOLT s role and responsibility is to be the collective voice of, and provide leadership of the University business offices. BOLT will provide Partners with timely and accurate advice from the business office community. BOLT will quickly identify representatives from business offices to provide representative advice and feedback on initiatives and policy decisions. BOLT has the authority to make campus-wide business policy and process decisions on behalf of the business offices. BOLT has a responsibility to make these decisions in a timely manner, and once made, to stick to the decision and manage the expectation and outcomes in the University business offices. Partner s role and responsibility is to inform BOLT early of proposed process changes or initiatives that will impact the business community, or require the support of the business community. BOLT Partners The following lists the BOLT Liaison and corresponding partner as of 4/4/2011. Office Partner Bolt Liaison Compensation and Benefits Hugh Penney Jack Beecher Controller s Office Cary Scapillato Brent Dickman Employee Relations and Staffing Donna Cable Julie Grant Financial Planning Steve Murphy Julie Grant Information Technology Phil Long Diane Palmeri Labor Relations Donna Cable Julie Grant Procurement John Mayes TBD Research Administration Andy Rudzynski Carrie Capezzone Student Financial & Admin Services Ernie Huff Brian Rebeschi 8.
BOLT Guiding Principles and Behaviors for a New Culture The Business Operations Leadership Team (BOLT) developed the following guiding principles and behaviors to create a positive change in the culture throughout Business Operations. By working with its partners in these new ways, BOLT models the culture it endorses for all of Business Operations. Its members will: Recognize that BOLT s core purpose is to support the University s mission to advance, disseminate, and preserve knowledge through its teaching, research, and clinical activities. The Business Operations structure exists to improve the ability of our faculty, students, and staff to attain that mission. Exhibit the courage, discipline and commitment to do the right thing in the University s best interest and acknowledge, recognize, and support those who demonstrate this value. Bear full responsibility for its decisions, including those made by groups or individuals authorized on its behalf; BOLT will provide the business rationale for its decisions. Make decisions in a collaborative manner. We seek input from our colleagues in other units and keep them informed about our decisions. BOLT always models the process we prefer our colleagues use when making their decisions. Assume our colleagues have a positive intent and will act in good faith. Build trust by sharing information with our colleagues so they can align their efforts to achieve our organizational goals. Acknowledge and embrace the reality that multiple operating models exist at the University rather than behave as if there was only one. These guiding principles and behaviors are in alignment with leadership principles developed by other groups across the University and promoted through programs, like Managing at Yale. 9.