Student Lifecycle Project - University College London · What is the Student Lifecycle Project? ... A4 Change of circumstances A4 Academic appeals, ... siness es Academic Hierarchy,

Student Lifecycle ProjectUniversity College LondonMonday 27th February 2017

Tim Westlake, Director for the Student Experience

Introduction

1. Context to the Student Lifecycle Project (SLP)

2. Student Lifecycle Scoping Project3. UOM approach to developing a

Target Operating Model4. Barriers to successful delivery5. Some personal reflections

Context to SLP

1. Establishment of the Directorate for the Student Experience (2011)

2. Appointment of a new Director of ITS (2014)

3. Move from 4 faculties to 3 in summer 20164. Turbulent times in English HE always in the

room e.g. HE Act; TEF; CMA; UKVI; Brexit5. SLP is now part of a broad Programme,

including a Project focused on PSS

Student System Project Aims

1. To provide University staff, students, prospective students and alumni with information and facilities to process information pertinent to their needs in a user friendly, easy to use format.

2. To enable customers to access and process the information they need from a web browser anywhere, anytime, subject to right of access.

Student System Project Aims

3. To develop an information system suitable for a world class University, providing flexibility to adapt to new and changing requirements.

4. To reduce to a minimum manual intervention, re-keying of information and time consuming manipulation of extracted data.

Student System Project Aims

3. To develop an information system suitable for a world class University, providing flexibility to adapt to new and changing requirements.

4. To reduce to a minimum manual intervention, re-keying of information and time consuming manipulation of extracted data.

Source: The University of Manchester & UMIST Student System Project, Statement of Requirements, October 2003

So how did we do with our 2003 Student System Project: KPMG Current State

High Level Findings May 2016

• The University has no single view of a student across thewhole lifecycle

• The University has fragmented systemsarchitecture with limited IT integration

• There is a lack of end-to-end business processownership

• There is variation in the design of a number ofkey student forms and interfaces

• The online user experience for students issub-optimal

• The performance of core systems can be poor at key timesin the student lifecycle

44 current state workshops undertaken with 140 representatives from Schools, Faculties and central PSS.

45 students and recent graduates consulted - UG, PGT and PGR (home and International)

What is the Student Lifecycle Project? A 2nd go at the 2003 Project!

The SLP will improve the experience of our students and staff by providing high quality services that are fit for purpose, flexible, accessible, responsive and cost effective. The SLP is designed to deliver a new set of business processes and an organisational structure which will efficiently and effectively support all our students, from their first contact with the University through to graduation, irrelevant of their mode of

study.

SLP is not an IT project, this is a business-led project supported by IT

Student Lifecycle Scoping Project

Started in Jan 2016, working in conjunction with KPMG and the objective was to build a business case. Three streams were active.

1. Student Lifecycle Scoping Project (full business case to CITP July 2016)Mapping and reviewing current processes and develop the business case for a full Student Lifecycle Programme2. Student Lifecycle Pilot Project (business case to CITP April 2016, but started in Project in Jan 2016!). Develop the business case to pilot the 9.2 version of Campus Solutions for AMBS Worldwide (by Jan 2017)3. eProg Replacement ProjectBringing the existing eProg replacement project into the overall programme of work

3 streams became a single project from July 2016 onwards – lessons to be learnt by the University about linking projects together earlier

Why are we doing this now?Business drivers underpinning the project

• To develop a single view of a student across the whole lifecycle

• To develop end-to-end business process ownership

• To support the University’s standardisation and simplification agenda, realising benefits for students and staff

• To develop an optimal online user experience for students

• Increasingly to deliver efficiencies

Why are we doing this now?IT drivers underpinning the project

• The University has fragmented systems architecture with limited IT integration

• Campus Solutions (CS) has major upgrade and this triggered Student Lifecycle Scoping Project

• To support the lack of consistency in business processes, and early challenges around functionality, CS has c1,000 customisations

• To minimise the number of customisations in CS, as these result in data quality and integrity issues and have high maintenance costs

Where are we up to?

Scoping project finished in July 2016 with PRC approving £25 million of funding

Timeframe: Sept 2016 – Sept 2019

3 Work Streams:

1) Process Improvements

2) Student (Customer) Journeys

3) Delivering Quality Services

Student Lifecycle Project Objectives

The Student Lifecycle Project has three key objectives:

• Improve the Student Experience 40%

• Improve the Staff Experience 30%

• Improve efficiency and effectiveness 30%

SLP – Mobilisation and Critical Path

Student Information SystemCampus Solutions 9.0

New Student Information Systems

CS first adopter AMBSW

CS further adopters?

Core Student Information System (SIS) –moving forward

Sep 2016 Sep 2019

What has already been delivered?

• Campus Solution 9.2 version 1.1 launched on 12th September 2016

• Campus Solution 9.2 version 1.2 launched on 21st November 2016

• c500 student applications submitted• £4.1 million already spent by February 2017• Expected expenditure by April 2017 is £5.1

millionManaging the £25million budget carefully will be crucial to the success of the Project

Systems to Support Business Delivery

Pre-enrolment and Student

Communication

Student Financials

Academic Support Services

Campus life

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Campus Solutions 9.2

CRM Syllabus PlusORACLE

Financials

Digital Platform for Staff and Students

Other systems

Academic Hierarchy, Compliance Obligations and Policy Review

Blackboard

A1 Arrival, welcome and student induction

A1 Registration and ID card issue

A2 Programme management and course unit information, including approval, amendment and annual review in relation to

A2 Consumer Marketing Authority (CMA) and Key Information Sets (KIS)

A3 Timetabling and teaching and learning workload allocation

A3 Exam scheduling and management (including eAssessment)

A3 Assessments and progression, including exam boards and re-sits

A3 External examiners

A4 Mitigating circumstances

A4 Change of circumstances

A4 Academic appeals, complaints, fitness to study and / or practise (eg. DBS checks)

A5 Graduation, including production of relevant certificates

A5 Higher Education Achievement Report, including transcript and Manchester Leadership Award

A6 Student records management and maintenance

A6 Student engagement and attendance monitoring

A6 External reporting (e.g. HESA, HESES, DLHE, UKVI)

A6 Sharing of data with third parties (e.g. Manchester City Council)

Business Delivery

Pre-enrolment and Student

Communication

Student Financials

Academic support services

Campus life

P1 Student communications

P2 Application & admissions

A8 DL & blended

A6 Records mgmt. & reporting

A7 Student Mobility

A2 Prog. Management

A5 Graduation

A3 Timetabling & Assessments

A1 Start of year

A4 Change to circumstances

C1 Extra curriculum activities (e.g. volunteering)

C1 Advice and guidance

C1 Residence

C1 Careers

C1 Occupational Health

C1 Counselling

C1 DASS

C1 Sport

SF1 Payments to students, including bursaries,

scholarships, third party payments and stipends

SF1 Collection of student fees (e.g. tuition,

accommodation), including fee management and

maintenance

SF1 Collection from individuals and third parties (e.g.

international and research sponsors)

P1 Student marketing and recruitment (enabled

through CRM)

P1 Student communications (enabled through a

digital platform)

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esAcademic Hierarchy, Compliance Obligations and Policy Review

Process Improvements

How will process improvements be delivered:• Top 12 processes are already mapped and approved

as part of KPMG work and business case• That is just the start, in the discovery and design

phase we need to challenge the detail within the context of agreed business outcomes

• I anticipate 10 -14 work streams from May 2017 with representation from across the University to agree a single approach to key processes

• In partnership with IT Services, but led by the business

This stage of the Project is likely to put pressure on our business as usual

Process Improvements

Several of the proposed process improvements do not require systems changes but will be delivered through:

• Reviews of University policy• Stricter enforcement of existing policy• Transfer of responsibility and accountability

for tasks between teams

Student Journeys

The aim is to identify improvements to the student experience bylooking at student journeys and service delivery. Activity so far:• Mapping the existing student experience into visual student

journeys for UG, PGT, PGR, Blended/Distance Learning, Medicineand Global MBA Students

• Understanding demand upon the University in terms of studentgroups or segments, the channels used, the services they utiliseand by volume

• Considering what the student is doing, thinking and feelingthroughout the journey

6 workshops in total throughout Jan / Feb including DSE, Faculty, Library and University Language Centre staff

Next Steps: Validating outputs with students, PSS staff and academic staff.

Student Journeys

How will the student journeys be delivered:• Our student portal (MyManchester) is not

stable, this requires a new digital platform for the whole University

• Must be able to continually improve the portal, as student expectations are changing quickly

• Building up the expertise in the University to deliver a digital platform

• Agree with students their preferred communication channels

Manchester 2020 Enabling Goal 6: Delivering Quality Services

• Provide high-quality services that are fit for purpose, flexible, accessible, responsive and cost effective

• Provide effective and efficient services that are customer-focused and represent value for money

• Support University’s wider standardisation and simplification agenda, realising benefits for students and staff

• Informed by Cubane UniForum Benchmarking data to examine cost effectiveness of current and alternative models

Manchester 2020 Enabling Goal 6: Delivering Quality Services

• Need to establish a new Target Operating Model (TOM)

• The idea of a new TOM can feel like a threat to PSS and does mean change, but the University has committed to deliver quality services and the Scoping Project demonstrated inefficiencies

• The TOM needs to provide clarity on accountability and responsibility (governance and control)

• The TOM needs to develop an organisational structure to deliver the new business processes; preferred student journeys; and agreed efficiencies

What should be our approach to coordination and governance?

Student Systems Review recommendations were approved by SLTin July 2015 and align the organisation to a high level Business Operating Model, but what does this mean in reality?

What does the BOM mean for Centre, Faculties and Schools in relation to SLP key business activities, namely:• Pre-enrolment and Student Communications• Student Financials• Academic Support Services• Campus LifeDo the Management Groups work?

How can the Cubane Data be utilised to support the TOM?

• The Cubane data is complex and the natural instinct it is to challenge it – but mangers across the University have signed it off!

• It is absolutely crucial to provide confidence in the Cubane data

• The Cubane data does not provide the answers, but it does inform the discussion

• So far 3 SLP workshops have been held to agree methodology to utilise the data – SLP data methodology now being used by other parts of PSS

• Crucial to have the data assured

SLP Data Assurance Exercise

1. Established categories2. Identified Interdependencies3. Centrally assured the data4. Assured the data with the Faculties

We have not cleansed the data, but have made assumptions regarding data exclusions

SLP Opportunity Grid Produced at the First Workshop

Category Opportunity Order for Delivery

Pre-enrolment and student communications (Student Marketing and Recruitment, Applications and Admissions, Student

Communication)

1 ?

Academic support services key to the student journey(Teaching and Learning Administration, Student Mobility and Programme

Design and Development)

2 ?

Campus life - support outside of the curriculum(Student support)

3 ?

Student Financials 4 ?

Graduation and Alumni 5 ?

External Reporting 6 ?

Agreed Data Exclusions

From the final data we have excluded:• Any staff not related to students• All Research Institute staff not involved in PGR• All casual staff (invigilators, student ambassadors,

graduation stewards)• Alumni and Development staff• Library staff• Estates staff, other than those involved in

timetabling• Randstadt staff• All external agencies/providers • Professional and bought in services

Macro Level Data Complexities

• Access Agreement• Erasmus• Faculty Merger Resource• NHS• Access Summit

• AMBS Academic• ULC• Distance Learning

Overall Student Lifecycle – Distribution of budget responsibility by function – Post data assurance (FTE)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Academic support services

Campus life

Pre enrolment and student communications

Overall

Distribution of Faculty and School Activities by Faculty

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Academic support services

Campus life

Pre enrolment and student communications

Overall

SLP Opportunity Grid Produced at the Third Workshop

Category Opportunity Order for Delivery

Pre-enrolment and student communications (Student Marketing and Recruitment, Applications and Admissions, Student

Communication)

1 3

Academic support services key to the student journey(Teaching and Learning Administration, Student Mobility and Programme

Design and Development)

2 4

Campus life - support outside of the curriculum(Student support)

3 1

Student Financials 4 2

Graduation and Alumni 5 6

External Reporting 6 5

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Sum of wFTE

Sum of Cost

Directorate for theStudent Experience

Humanities

Medical & HumanSciences

Engineering & PhysicalSciences

Compliance & Risk Office

Life Sciences

Campus Life Overall Distribution of FTE

Campus Life Resources by School

School of Chem Eng & Analytical Sci

School of Chemistry

School of Computer Science

School of Earth Atmospheric & Env Sci

School of Electrical & Electronic Eng

School of Materials

School of Mathematics

School of Mechanical, Aero & Civil Eng

School of Physics & Astronomy

Manchester Business School

School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

School of Environ, Education & Developmt

School of Law

School of Social Sciences

Life Sciences

Manchester Medical School

Manchester Pharmacy School

School of Dentistry

School of Nursing, Midwifery & Soc Work

School of Psychological Sciences

Campus Life TOM

Campus Life becomes the pilot in developing amethodology to deliver a new TOM for 4 SLP keyworkstreams:• Working with Manchester 2020 Programme Office to

develop a set of design principles for all PSS changeprojects

• Need to hear the student voice before developing theTOM

• Limited resources need to be focused on deliveringservices to students not on administrative costs

Next stages need to be agreed, but all students shouldreceive a consistent level of support

SLP Governance Structure

Lifecycle Project Board

Lifecycle Executive GroupClive AgnewTim WestlakeMalcolm Whitehouse

Lifecycle IT Project Board(Sponsor Malcolm Whitehouse)

Lifecycle Business Project Delivery(Sponsor Tim Westlake )

Student Experience Management Group (SEMG) (Chair Tim Westlake)

Executive Project Board(Chair Malcolm Whitehouse)

Barriers to Successful Delivery of SLP

Costs• Funding is split £21.5 million on IT and £3.5

million on the Business• Nearly 25% of IT costs will have been spent

by April 2017• Ideally 20% would be invested into the

business to map and deliver change• It is going to be exceptionally difficult to

control the costs because of complexity and change requests

Barriers to Successful Delivery of SLP

Costs; Future Proofing

• MBSW rightly want the finished product now, but we are only delivering the minimum viable product (minimum for who!)

• MBSW do not follow standard University process – they are not alone!

• I am trying to hold the dam, but it would be a lot easier to let the water through!

Barriers to Successful Delivery of SLP

Costs; Future Proofing; Stakeholder Engagement

• Communication is challenging• PGR colleagues want EPROG replacement by

June 2017• New D/L programmes want to be in Sept 2017• CPD want to join the party• Never mind the 32,000 F/T UGs and PGTs!

Barriers to Successful Delivery to SLP

• Costs• Future Proofing• Stakeholder Engagement• Delivering Business as Usual • Single Team Working

SLP – Institutional Barriers to Success

• We need to maintain the momentum• The Project is unlikely to be completed before

September 2019 • This is not an IT project, this is a business-led project

supported by IT• The Project is likely to bring changes to everyone

who has a role in the student experience• Standardisation and simplification will be at the

heart of the Project • For the Project to be a success we all need to be

open to change and work as a single team!

SLP – Some Personal Reflections

• When it comes to change it is easy for individuals to talk the talk, but walking the walk is much more challenging

• Difficult to manage the noise and the blockers e.g. playing people off against other; do not want to be accountable; reality sets in!

• This is not an IT project, this is a business-led project – but does not always feel like it

• Need absolute clarity of who the business is• Communication and stakeholder engagement is crucial • Insisting on academic leadership and SLT ownership was

important • Leadership, accountability, resilience, you can only do your

best and the University can expect no more!

SLP – Some Personal Reflections

• Excellent support, at short notice, from across the University

• Working with external consultants was a very positive experience – but the pace they work at is challenging

• Doing such a complex project as part of the day job is probably not the best way

• As ever, expect the unexpected e.g. 3 ITS Directors• The project will improve the student experience, but not

necessarily their satisfaction• There is consensus for change, the challenge will be

delivering it• The easy bit (has not felt like it) is over• To this point, this is the hardest thing I have done in my

career!

Thank you and questions?