Quality Enhancement Plan

Committed to Excellence: our quality enhancement plan

2005-06

Contents

Introduction

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The EFQM Excellence Model: what we aim to do in 2005-06.

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How to read our plan

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Enhancement priorities: enhancement actions

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Our key business processes: what we aim to do in 2005-06

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Committed to Excellence: our quality enhancement plan Introduction 1

This document contains the Scottish Funding Councils’ quality enhancement plan: it sets out the priorities for developing our staff our most important asset - and for improving the quality of our organisation; and it highlights the specific actions that we intend to take in Academic Year (AY) 2005-06.

Background 2

The Scottish Funding Councils for Further and Higher Education are committed to being an open and transparent organisation that operates to the highest standards of public sector administration and management and achieves best value.

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In our joint corporate plan 2003-06, we gave the following commitment: “By the end of March 2004, we will identify a quality framework for our operations - to include periodic surveys of our stakeholders and our staff - and establish priorities for improvement.”

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We established a small working group - with membership from across the organisation and one external member - to evaluate the various quality frameworks and identify a suitable framework for the Councils. We selected the EFQM Excellence Model.

What is the EFQM Excellence Model? 5

The Excellence Model is a comprehensive framework for assessing the strengths and areas for improvement of an organisation across all of its activities. It is based on the practical experience of public, private and voluntary sector organisations across Europe. The Model is promoted in Europe by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and in Scotland by their national partner organisation: Quality Scotland.

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The Excellence Model consists of nine criteria which are divided into Enablers (the how’s) and Results (the what’s). These are shown on Page 9 of this document. The Enabler criteria are concerned with how an organisation conducts itself, how it manages its staff and resources, how it plans its strategy, and how it reviews and monitors key processes.

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An organisation’s results are what it achieves. These encompass the level of satisfaction among an organisation’s employees and stakeholders, its impact on the wider community and key performance indicators.

Self-evaluation: strengths and weaknesses 8

The starting point for most organisations is to gather evidence relevant to performance against the nine criteria of the Excellence Model. We undertook a staff attitude survey and commissioned a professional survey/research company - Partners in Evaluation - to undertake a survey of our stakeholders and gather evidence.

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We also established an internal group to steer and monitor our work to improve the quality of our operations. The group is broadly representative of the Directorates and grades in our organisation, and also has representation from the trades union.

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The Quality Steering Group undertook an evaluation of the organisation’s strengths and weaknesses, drawing on the evidence from the staff and stakeholder surveys. The self-evaluation was facilitated by the Quality Scotland organisation and involved the completion of a detailed questionnaire-type booklet on the organisation’s performance against the nine criteria of the EFQM Excellence Model.

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The result of the self-assessment was a score for the organisation of between 450 and 500 (out of a total of 1000). This is a relatively high score for an organisation which has only recently decided to implement the EFQM Excellence Model.

Quality enhancement plan 12

The outcomes of the self-evaluation process were used by the Quality Steering Group to develop a quality enhancement action plan. The plan sets out the priorities for the organisation during 2005-06 and the actions that we intend to take to address these priorities. The plan can be found on Page 13 of this document.

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We have also shown how the actions will help to improve the Councils’ ten key business processes. This is shown on Page 21.

How we will monitor the plan 14

We have established an ambitious quality enhancement plan for 200506. Many of the actions that we have identified are being driven by the merger of the funding councils, which will take place in October 2005. Our aim is to achieve over 75 per cent of the actions by the end of the 2005-06 academic year.

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We will monitor progress with our plan at regular meetings of our Quality Steering Group, and at meetings of our Senior Management Team and the Councils’ Joint Co-ordinating Committee (or whatever committee carries out its functions under the new council).

Committed to Excellence 16

Good organisations become excellent organisations by taking account of what others think and by being self-critical. We recognise that we must continue to look at our processes and our aspirations as individuals so that we can identify areas where we can continue to improve and achieve best value.

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Therefore, we plan to undertake a further self-evaluation of our strengths and weaknesses in 2006 and aim to achieve recognition as an organisation that is Committed to Excellence during Academic Year 200607.

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LEADERSHIP • Develop and implement a Communication strategy for the new council. (Action 1) • Develop an action plan setting out the priority actions for the new council. (Action 4) • Develop appropriate methods of communicating with staff and with stakeholders on the preparations to establish the new council. (Action 3)

POLICY & STRATEGY • •

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PROCESSES •

Develop a new policy for the new council setting out its approach to openness and transparency. (Action 5) Developing a new corporate plan for the new Council. (Action 9)

• • •

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Leadership

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People

4 Partnerships & Resources

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Customer Results

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Society Results

• Implement the actions arising from the staff attitude survey. (Action 13) • Implement the recommendations of the equal opportunities task group established by the Councils. (Action 17) • Develop the appraisal guidance for all staff. (Actions 14 & 15))

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PARTNERSHIP & RESOURCES

Key Performance Results

Results

Enablers are how we achieve our results

PEOPLE

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People Results

Enablers

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CUSTOMER RESULTS

Develop a scheme of delegated authority covering the operations of the organisation as a whole. (Action 16) Enhance team/directorate meetings. (Action 10) Identify the Councils’ key business processes and develop a timetable of review and evaluation. (Actions 18 & 19) Give greater attention to internal business processes. (Action 20)

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Processes

Policy & Strategy

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Results are what we achieve

PEOPLE RESULTS

• Develop an external relations strategy for the new council. (Action 6) • Establish a new web-site for the new council. (Action 2) • Modernise the Councils’ management of information. (Action 7) • Make more management information available to all staff. (Action 8) • Take initiatives to improve crossdirectorate working. (Actions 9, 11 & 12)

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SOCIETY RESULTS

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KEY PERFORMANCE RESULTS

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Committed to Excellence: example of how to read our plan

This box tells you what our enhancement priority is and what action we plan to take to improve the quality of what we do.

Modernising communications with colleges, HEIs and stakeholders: Develop a communications strategy for the new Council. The strategy should set out proposals for modernising our communications in ways that address the outcomes from our stakeholder surveys. (Action 1)

The communications strategy should help to develop awareness of the new council and an understanding of its responsibilities and role; and facilitate direct, effective and relevant channels of communication.

A discussion paper setting out options and ideas for the strategy was considered by the Senior Management Team (SMT) on 27 April. Work is now being taken forward to develop the strategy and its actions.

This box tells you how we think the quality of our organisation will improve as a result of the action that we plan to take. This box tells you what progress we have made towards addressing our enhancement priority and the action.

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Committed to Excellence: enhancement actions Modernising our communications with colleges, HEIs and stakeholders: Develop a communications strategy for the new Council by 30 September 2005. The strategy should set out proposals for modernising our communications in ways that address the outcomes from our stakeholder surveys. The strategy should recognise that all staff have a role to play in the success of the strategy. (Action 1) The communications strategy should help to develop awareness of the new Council and an understanding of its responsibilities and role; and facilitate direct, effective and relevant channels of communication.

A discussion paper setting out options and ideas for the strategy was considered by the Senior Management Team (SMT) on 27 April. Work is now being taken forward to develop the strategy and its actions.

Modernising our communications with colleges, HEIs and stakeholders: Establish a new web-site for the new Council by 3 October 2005. This web-site should address the outcomes from our stakeholder surveys. (Action 2) This should make it easier for stakeholders and the wider public to find information about the new Council.

Work is underway to develop a new site for the Council.

Managing change: Develop appropriate methods of communicating with the Councils’ staff and with colleges, HEIs and stakeholders on the preparations to establish the new council. (Action 3) This will ensure that council staff and other stakeholders are kept informed of the developments.

The Chief Executive’s Group at an awayday on 3 May 2005 considered ideas for communications and these are now being taken forward. Our staff continue to be informed regularly about progress with the preparations to establish a new Council. A circular letter was issued to colleges and universities on 2 September 2005 about the membership of the new Council and its launch. The Chief Executive has also written to our key stakeholder bodies about the launch.

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Managing change: Develop processes and action plans setting out: •

the preparations needed to establish the new Council; and

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the priority actions for the new council in its first year. To be agreed by the new Council at its first meeting.

(Action 4) The action plans should ensure that the change and transition to the new Council is managed in a way that is visible and achieves continuity and stability, where appropriate, as well as demonstrating how progress will be made.

An action plan setting out the timetable and preparations needed to establish the new council has been developed and is now reviewed at all meetings of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and shared with all staff. An action plan setting out proposed priority actions for the new council in its first year has also been developed and was considered by the Chief Executive’s Group at its awayday on 3 May 2005. The new Council will be invited to agree to the action plan at its meeting on 10 November 2005.

Our commitment to openness and transparency: Develop a new policy for the new Council setting out its approach to openness and transparency. To be published by 3 October 2005. (Action 5) This should demonstrate the Councils’ commitment to openness and transparency and increase confidence in the organisation and its policies and decisions.

Initial proposals for a revised policy were considered by the Quality Steering Group at its meeting on 6 June 2005 and by the Senior Management Team on 30 August 2005.

Strengthening our relations with stakeholders and partners: Develop an external relations strategy for the new council. To be agreed by the new Council by the end of December 2005. (Action 6) This should help us to develop our relationships with key stakeholder bodies and thereby improve the effectiveness of our organisation in carrying out our functions and achieving best value.

A discussion paper setting out options and ideas for the strategy was considered by the Senior Management Team (SMT) on 28 February 2005. Work is now being taken forward to develop the strategy.

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Improving the management of information: Modernise the Council’s management of information - including the sharing of information within the organisation - by developing a corporate file plan and introducing an electronic document and records management system (EDRM system), based around our intranet. The roll-out of the EDRM system across the organisation to begin in 2005-06. (Action 7) This should help to improve the potential for crossdirectorate working by making information more accessible within the organisation and should allow us to demonstrate good practice in records management.

A new corporate file plan has been developed and approved by SMT. An electronic document and records management system is currently being piloted in the Councils’ Learning and Teaching branch, before it is implemented across the rest of the organization. A series of briefings for staff on the EDRM system will be held during September 2005. The roll-out of the EDRM system will commence in January 2006.

Better internal communication: Further opportunities should be explored for making more management information, which is disclosable, available on InSite to all staff. To be undertaken by 31 December 2005. (Action 8) This should increase understanding and knowledge across the organisation and improve effectiveness of staff.

The Senior Management Team has agreed that most of its papers should be made available to all staff on InSite. We will look for further opportunities for making more management information available to all staff.

Better team-working: Directors should take collective responsibility for the successful achievement of all the targets in the corporate plan, and not just those on which their directorates are in the lead. This should be undertaken immediately. (Action 9) This will help to avoid a situation in which directorates appear to be operating in ‘silos’ and should aid cross-directorate working to improve our policy development and decision-making.

We will review the process of developing, monitoring and reporting on targets in advance of the preparations to develop a new corporate plan for the new Council.

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Better team-working: Team/directorate meetings could be enhanced by ensuring that staff from other directorates are invited to participate, where this will add value. (Action 10) This should help to develop understanding across the organisation and improve cross-directorate working, thereby increasing organisational effectiveness.

This is a new action that we will address in 2005-06.

Better team-working: Project managers within the organisation should be encouraged, where appropriate, to include staff from outside their own directorate in their projects, where this could add value - such as through membership of internal project steering groups or working groups. Such 'external' participation should be expected when projects are being reviewed or evaluated. (Action 11) This should help to develop understanding across the organisation and improve cross-directorate working, thereby increasing organisational effectiveness.

This is a new action that we will address in 2005-06.

Better team-working: The forward job plan process should be used creatively by all line managers to ensure that staff have the opportunity, where appropriate, to participate in projects or activities outside of their own directorate. (Action 12) This should help to develop understanding across the organisation and improve cross-directorate working, thereby increasing organisational effectiveness. It should also increase job satisfaction by providing more varied work for staff.

This is a new action that we will address in 2005-06.

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Developing our staff: Implement the actions arising from the staff attitude survey by 31 March 2006. (Action 13) This action will ensure that there is clarity for all staff on our HR procedures and will demonstrate that management are acting on the views of staff. This should reinforce the Councils’ commitment to good employment practice and make SFC an attractive place to work.

There are various actions now underway. These include: •

a review of procedures for future salary determination in consultation with the trade union;

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clarification and dissemination of key HR procedures for example, equal pay audit, equal opportunities monitoring, flexible working, maternity and adoption leave, absence reporting; and

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the Staff Benefits Working Group (SBAG) established by the CEO to identify non-pay benefits for staff – staff survey conducted, report from Group considered by CEO and the outcomes reported to staff.

Developing our staff: Line managers should use the appraisal process and forward job plans to agree with staff the scope of their responsibilities. The level of responsibility should always be commensurate with the post. This action may require further development of the appraisal guidance issued by HR, by 31 December 2005. (Action 14) This will give all staff a clearer understanding of the scope of their responsibilities (the range of work for which an individual is personally responsible) and the level of authority that they have in relation to the work that they undertake.

This is a new action that we will address in 2005-06.

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Developing our staff: The guidance on appraisals for line managers should be revised for 2006-07 to encourage more consistent development of staff within the organisation, which develops individuals' potential and creativity; and the guidance should highlight examples of good practice in this regard. The appraisal guidance should also be revised to encourage line managers to reflect on their own performance in managing their staff. Revised guidance will be issued before 31 March 2006. (Action 15) This will ensure that, wherever appropriate, staff will be given specific tasks that will develop their potential, encourage creativity and provide better job satisfaction.

This is a new action that we will address in 2005-06.

Developing our staff: A scheme of delegated authority should be developed covering the Council through the Chief Executive to directorates and the operations of the organisation as a whole. This should be developed by 31 October 2005. (Action 16) This will give all staff a clearer understanding of the level of authority that they have in relation to the work that they undertake.

This is a new action that we will address in 2005-06.

Promoting equal opportunities: Implement the recommendations of the equal opportunities task group established by the Councils. Implementation timescales for each of the recommendations are contained in the report. (Action 17) This will demonstrate in practice the Councils’ commitment to equal opportunities and should make SFC an attractive place to work for people of all backgrounds.

The report was considered by the Senior Management Team on 21 December 2004, which agreed a process for taking forward each of the recommendations. The report was endorsed formally by SFEFC and SHEFC at their meetings on 10 February and 25 February 2005. The recommendations are now being taken forward.

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Strengthening our key business processes: The executive should identify the Councils’ key business processes; and ensure that all staff are aware of these processes. This should be done by 31 March 2006. (Action 18) This will ensure that there is a clear understanding of the core processes that are essential to the effective functioning of the organisation and the achievement of its objectives.

This is a new action that we will address in 2005-06.

Strengthening our key business processes: A timetable of review and evaluation should be developed for all the Councils' key business processes. Such reviews will be different in purpose from internal audits in that they will consider whether the processes remain 'fit-for-purpose'; and the reviews should be built into the Councils' corporate and operational planning cycles. Every review should normally include an 'external' perspective, which may be provided by a stakeholder or from expertise in other directorates within the organisation. The timetable should be developed by 31 March 2006. (Action 19) This will ensure that the Councils’ key business processes remain effective and ‘fit-for-purpose’.

This is a new action that we will address in 2005-06.

Strengthening our key business processes: The organisation should give greater priority to the successful operation of its key internal business processes. (Action 20) A greater focus on the operation of our key internal business processes will help to ensure the effectiveness of our external business processes. For example, a greater focus on training and development will ensure that staff have the appropriate skills to undertake their jobs.

This is a new action that we will address in 2005-06.

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Our key business processes: what we aim to do in 2005-06 Key business processes

Enhancement actions

Allocating and distributing funding to colleges and HEIs. (1) Developing policies and guidelines. (2)

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Develop a new policy for the new council setting out its approach to openness and transparency. To be published by 3 October 2005. (Action 5)

Implementing policies and guidelines. (3)

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Directors should take collective responsibility for the successful achievement of all the targets in the corporate plan, and not just those on which their directorates are in the lead. This should be undertaken immediately. (Action 9)

•

A timetable of review and evaluation should be developed for all the Councils' key business processes. Such reviews will be different in purpose from internal audits in that they will consider whether the processes remain 'fit-for-purpose'; and the reviews should be built into the Councils' corporate and operational planning cycles. Every review should normally include an 'external' perspective, which may be provided by a stakeholder or from expertise in other directorates within the organisation. The timetable should be developed by 31 March 2006. (Action 19)

Monitoring and regulation. (4) Obtaining information using best available evidence. (5)

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Providing information and advice to Ministers and to stakeholders. (6) •

Develop a communications strategy for the new council by 30 September 2005. The strategy should set out proposals for modernising our communications in ways that address the outcomes from our stakeholder surveys. (Action 1)

•

Establish a new web-site for the new council by 3 October 2005. This web-site should address the outcomes from our stakeholder surveys. (Action 2)

•

Develop appropriate methods of communicating with the Councils’ staff and with colleges, HEIs and stakeholders on the preparations to establish the new council. (Action 3)

•

Further opportunities should be explored for making more management information which is disclosable available on InSite to all staff. To be undertaken by 31 December 2005. (Action 8)

Working with partners and stakeholders. (8)

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Develop an external relations strategy for the new council. To be agreed by the new council by the end of December 2005. (Action 6)

Managing organisational resources to achieve goals. (9)

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Develop processes and action plans setting out:

Communicating information. (7)

− the preparations needed to establish the new council; and − the priority actions for the new council in its first year. To be agreed by the new council at its meeting in November 2005. (Action 4)

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Modernise the Council’s management of information - including the sharing of information within the organisation - by developing a corporate file plan and introducing an electronic document and records management system, based around our intranet. The roll-out of the EDRM system across the organisation to begin in 2005-06. (Action 7)

•

Team/directorate meetings could be enhanced by ensuring that, where appropriate, staff from other directorates are invited to participate, where this will add value. (Action 10)

•

Project managers within the organisation should be encouraged, where appropriate, to include staff from outside their own directorate in their projects, where this could add value - such as through membership of internal project steering groups or working groups. Such 'external' participation should be expected when projects are being reviewed or evaluated. (Action 11)

•

The forward job plan process should be used creatively by all line managers to ensure that staff have the opportunity, where appropriate, to participate in projects or activities outside of their own directorate. (Action 12)

•

Implement the actions arising from the staff attitude survey by 31 March 2006. (Action 13)

•

Line managers should always use the appraisal process and forward job plans to agree with staff the scope of their responsibilities. The level of responsibility should always be commensurate with the post. This action may require further development of the appraisal guidance issued by HR, by 31 December 2005. (Action 14)

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The guidance on appraisals for line managers should be revised for 2006-07 to encourage more consistent development of staff within the organisation, which develops individuals' potential and creativity; and the guidance should highlight examples of good practice in this regard. The appraisal guidance should also be revised to encourage line managers to reflect on their own performance in managing their staff. Revised guidance will be issued before 31 March 2006. (Action 15)

•

A scheme of delegated authority should be developed covering the Council through the Chief Executive to directorates and the operations of the organisation as a whole. This should be developed by 30 September 2005. (Action 16)

•

Implement the recommendations of the equal opportunities task group established by the Councils. Implementation timescales for each of the recommendations are contained in the report. (Action 17)

•

The executive should identify the Councils’ key business processes; and ensure that all staff are aware of these processes. This action should be done by 31 March 2006. (Action 18)

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The organisation should give greater priority to the successful operation of its key internal business processes. (Action 20)

Procurement or purchasing of services from third-parties. (10)

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