Transforming the University of Leeds

into a World Class University

Simon Donoghue

Head of the Strategy Project Group

University of Leeds

The University of Leeds Established 105 years ago

Top-10 research intensive major civic university (Russell Group)

‘Traditional’ in its approach

Major student expansion (30,500 students)

£460M total income ; £101M research income

8,800 staff

104th in the THES World League table in Nov 2008

£360M campus development plan

250,000 graduates

£860M economic contribution

Our starting point Significant force in UKHE

Major period of expansion

Mission drift and tensions

Confidence & direction ?

Culture of denial : League tables – just plain wrong

Comforting reinterpretation : RAE – we did well in terms of “research power” (grade × volume) so we must have done OK

Falling in peer group

Some long-lived complex problems

New VC needed to bring sense of “reality check” but “blame free”

Leading Change in HE

“ Universities function adequately enough when everyone is left to their own devices.

Incompetent management seems not to matter, the ship goes on sailing.

The trouble comes when drastic changes is needed”

Lucy Kellaway, FT, 2006

The Strategy Challenge….

“Less than 10% of strategies effectively formulated are effectively executed.”

– Fortune

WHY?

They can’t DESCRIBE their

strategy

They don’t MANAGE their

strategy

They haven’t made strategy execution

a CORE COMPETENCY

“In the majority of cases—we estimate 70 percent—the real problem isn’t bad strategy . . . It’s bad execution.”

– Fortune

Balanced Scorecard Approach

2. TRANSLATE STRATEGY TO OPERATIONAL TERMS

1. MOBILISE CHANGE THROUGH EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

5. GOVERN TO MAKE STRATEGY A CONTINUAL PROCESS

3. ALIGN THE ORGANISATIONTO THE STRATEGY

4. MOTIVATE TO MAKE STRATEGY EVERYONE’S JOB

STRATEGY-FOCUSED

ORGANISATION

BEST PRACTICES

Leadership

“There is a real team ethos with a shared sense of identity, common destiny and intellectual philosophy. The strategy process has provided the structure for us to develop a vision which is built upon the recognition of our unique position, our breadth, quality and depth, and the value we can create from synergies across the boundaries of our distinctive disciplines“

Professor David Cooper,

Dean of the Faculty of Performance, Visual Arts and Communications

The VC’s Conversation

A leading world class University

A global reputation for research and education

An excellent ‘student experience’

In the top echelon of UK universities

Strategy

“The strategy map has given me and the rest of the team great confidence knowing the University has chosen a certain course. “

Dr Adrian Bailey, Head of the School of Geography

Developing the Strategy“This is definitely a best

practice example for other universities that

will help raise your international profile“

Dr David Norton,

Balanced Scorecard Collaborative

Met with 100 opinion formers and key staff – opened up informal channels

Identify 6 key things that need to be changed – identified common themes

Use these to formulate initial ‘draft’ strategy

Keep the vision and values in focus

Informed by external & internal data

Meet staff and students - listen

Alignment

“We have made an incredible transformation to the look and feel of our School, creating a first class environment for our students and a place where people want to work and study. Everyone is working together and supporting each other…there is a great feel about the place.“

Denise Bower, Deputy Head of the School of Civil Engineering

The change agendaCommunicate widely (again)

Ask staff to ‘interpret’ the map to develop understanding and engagement

Then focus on effective implementation

Use the map to develop a ‘balanced scorecard’

Use key measures and risk analysis to formulate and drive clear initiatives

Strategic initiatives

“Transformational” projects

“Must do” projects

Improving “Business as usual”

staying focussed

Communication

“One of the challenges has been engaging and communicating with all of our staff, many of whom work part-time…. I’m really pleased with the response and involvement from the team. We’re all really positive about the future, and are genuinely seeing changes on the ground“

Stewart Ross, Director of Sport

Cultural reactions Early positive response to

ambition and clear goals

Taking control of an uncertain future

Concern about implementation and delivery

Lack of exemplars within our sector

Independent culture values academic freedom

Development of performance culture – the journey ….

Governance

Aug 09 Sept 09 Oct 09 Nov 09 Dec 09 Jan 10 Feb 10 March 10 April 10 May 10 June 10 July 10

Strategy Review

Review and update strategy,

initiatives

and targets

Strategy Management

Monitor and manage progress against

strategy, initiatives

and targets

Strategy Reporting and Governance

Report progress against strategy for discussion and feedback

Review of

Corporate

Services

24/09 19/11 21/01 18/03 20/05 22/07

Strategy Event Calendar 2009/10

08/10 19/11 28/01 25/03 22/07

16-17th

Strategy

Group Retreat

10/11/14/

16/17/21/23/28/3

0

Faculty Review

s

25/11 09/06

Strategy Implementation Group (SIG)

SIG Annual Theme Reviews

VCEG: Strategy Overview Meeting

VCEG Meeting Integrated Planning Exercise (IPE) Review Meetings

Strategy Group Council FMG Senate

15/09 22/12 11/0503/11 02/03

03/06

Heads of School

Strategy Session

Pro Deans

Strategy Session

29/06

19.03.2009

03/09

Staff &

Effectiveness

01/02

Students

01/02

SIG

26/04

International

26/04

SIG

26/10

Finance

27/10

SIG

07/12

Research

&

EKT

29/06

Annual

Strategy

Review

08/07

Annual

Strategy

Review

3/09

Council

Review of

Strategy

Something for the bean counters !

“Research wrecked by “bean counters” …. A senior academic said that “bone-headed bean counters” were threatening the sector’s ability to produce top research stars” – Times Higher Education Supplement June 1st 2007

Outcomes & impact“As the saying goes, it is easier to move a cemetery than a university, yet you are showing that strong, committed leadership can do the seemingly impossible. “ Bob S Kaplan

Student recruitment excellent

Staff retention and recruitment – early effect

Research income; new grants up 69% in 3 years, expenditure up 21% 06-07

Fund raising up 4-fold, 40% more donors 

Capital programme – enormous impact on morale

THES world league table 104th 

Financial sustainability

Investment in communications, environment, wellbeing

Investment in student experience

Changing culture of leadership

Evidence of strategic focus in academic units

Lessons learned Executive sponsorship

Leadership

Extensive and real communication

Time ; the Journey

Measures, benchmarking and gap analysis – positioned correctly

The power of articulating clear values

Alignment

Academic freedom within a defined framework - 'the strategy map'

A limited number of key initiatives

Accelerate at implementation