Working differently at McMaster – UniForum data collection 2019 underway
An example of working differently to great effect. It's a metaphor. Don't ride your bike like this.
This is the third year McMaster is participating in UniForum – essentially a data collection process to code, understand and compare the administrative work done here to other research-intensive universities worldwide.
University staff are asked to consider the following questions:
- What are the tasks you wish you could get off your desk faster?
- What kind of strategic project work is on your list that you really want to do but just can’t get to?
- How can the university administrative teams change the way we work to be more nimble, efficient and effective?
For staff with roles in finance, human resources, IT or facilities, or even a taste of all of the above, the university is collecting data to help answer these questions and find new ways to work.
“The overall goal is to use the university’s collective resources to support the academic mission the best way possible. That’s staff’s role in creating a Brighter World,” says Roger Couldrey, Vice-President Administration.
Each year that McMaster participates in UniForum, the university gains a deeper understanding of the opportunities in each area. Data from the first two years has been shared with department leaders across campus. Several projects are already underway that are based in part on information and business intelligence gleaned from previous years’ data.
The university uses data from UniForum in conjunction with other methods analysis, such as the recent IT review, the current HR review as well as staff and service satisfaction surveys. Together, these supply the data building blocks that teams can use to decide what processes to tackle with automation, simplification and other appropriate process change.
More information will be sent to the leaders and managers across campus who are involved in coding data during the summer collection period, which begins June 3.
UniForum is an annual program that allows McMaster to collect information and data about the non-academic services and activities that support teaching and research. There are 46 participating post-secondary institutions worldwide – 23 universities in Australia and New Zealand, 18 in the United Kingdom and now 4 others in Canada.
