edgehill.ac.uk/ls

Alison Mackenzie

Learning Services

Edge Hill University

Revitalizing strategic planning:introducing the balanced scorecard

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

Learning Services

Staff: 123

Divisions: Academic Liaison and Support (including support for student with a SpLD); Customer Services; Information Resources; Media & ICT support; Learning Technology Development.

Distribution: Located in a number of buildings across campus and NW region.

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

2005/6 Changes to organisational structure

New divisional and team structure introduced

SWOT analysis used as a means of critical reflection

Individual performance reviews- demonstrated excellent delivery on objectives

BUT

SWOT analysis lacked criticality

Insufficient external scanning

Lack of performance measurement/ lack of data

Evidence…what evidence?

Background & Context

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

AimsTeams• Improved awareness of competitive impact• Encouragement of greater autonomy and

ownership of priorities• Development of robust evidence base• Target individual/team development using

SMART objectives

Service• Planning informed by a robust evidence base• Challenge status quo – create opportunities for creative problem solving• Stretch individuals to work beyond their comfort zones• Development of higher level transferable skills

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

Drivers for evidence based practice University introduced new strategic plan 2008-11

Learning Services:

To be ahead of the game (or as good as…)

To inform our operations, developments and continuous improvement cycle

To support funding bids/additional resourcing and services

To prove our ‘worth’ – value for money, our importance to the University

To measure our impact on the student experience

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

Local adaptation of the BSC

Customer focus

Internal efficienci

es

Cost effectivene

ss /VFM

Learning &

Innovation

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

Perspective 1

Customer focus

Internal efficiencie

s

internal workflows, procedures, communication within the team and with other teams/individuals across and beyond the service designed to help you maximise the deployment of individual staff skills and expertise

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

Customer

focus

Learning &

innovation

Perspective 2Staff development, review of roles & responsibilities, analysis of skills gaps, pilots of new initiatives, new approaches to existing services

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

Perspective 3

Customer

focus

Cost effectiveness /vfm

Budget, existing contracts, service level agreements, internal consultancy, staff roles & responsibilities

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

Lead perspective

Customer focus

Feedback and assessments, satisfaction ratings, service quality, access and uptake, alignment with stakeholder priorities, relationship building

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

ApproachIntroduction (Managers)Preparatory guidance / examples

Local organisationWhole team approach

SMART objectivesLocal interpretation of the BSC

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

Feedback on process

Initial introductory sessions essential to developing an understanding of the general principles Managers adopted different approaches Varying levels of analysis Successful engagement dependent on understanding of BSC and performance measurement more generally Communication/ acceptance of change variable across teamsCapture of outputs/presentation of objectives open to local interpretation

edgehill.ac.uk/ls

Critical success factorsManagers:

Preparation and planning is key

Need to understand BSC as planning /performance measurement tool

Advance documentation circulated to teams -manage expectations

Use data/evidence to inform decisions

Team participation

Focus on customer

Developments informed by data/evidence

Team members can/do influence how objectives are delivered

Individual responsibilities assigned

Thank you