Process

Each administrative/service unit will be asked to prepare a report that includes the following information. The report will be submitted to the individual to whom the supervisor of the unit reports.

Unit reports: Strategic Analysis

  • Provide a chart showing the unit's organizational structure
  • Identify the major function(s) of the unit
  • Under each function
    • Provide a description of the specific services provided
    • Identify the users/recipients of the services provided
    • Provide operational data demonstrating the amount of work involved (see Annual Report)
  • Information about the service
    • Need – how does the unit know how important the service is to the users?
    • Quality – how does the unit know about the quality (effectiveness) of the services being provided (e.g. focus groups, questionnaires, etc.)?
  • Importance of services
    • Rate the importance of the services provided by the unit as
      • Extremely important (undeniably essential)
      • Important
      • Desirable but not critical
      • Could be reduced
      • Should be eliminated
    • Provide an explanation of the rating
  • Quality (effectiveness) of the service
    • Based on the narrative and data, rate the quality of the services provided by the unit as
      • Extremely high quality
      • High quality
      • Satisfactory
      • Low quality
      • Extremely low quality
    • Provide an explanation of the ratings
  • Under each function, estimate current resources
    • FTE – approximately what is the FTE, by employee category, currently being utilized to deliver the specific services?
    • Budget – approximately what dollar value and proportion of the unit's overall budget is involved in providing the services?
  • Efficiency of the service
    • Rate on a five-point scale the efficiency of the services provided by the unit
      • Extremely efficient
      • High efficiency
      • Satisfactory
      • Low efficiency
      • Extremely low efficiency
    • Provide an explanation of the ratings
  • Potential for quality improvements and/or efficiencies
    • What would be needed to improve the quality and/or efficiencies of the services/functions you currently provide? Describe the value such quality improvements and/or efficiencies would offer the university
    • Describe the type and amount of resources that would be needed to provide quality improvements and/or efficiencies, for example:
      • Additional staff
      • Staff training
      • New technology
      • Training in technology
      • Other
  • Additional services/functions
    • What service(s) are not provided by the unit but which you would like to provide?
    • What value would the university receive from offering proposed additional services?
    • What would be needed to deliver this additional service/function?
  • What special skills does your unit possess that might be used to assist other units?
  • Provide a SWOT analysis of the unit (if you prepared one for your unit's FY10 Annual Report, please feel free to use it to fulfill this requirement)

Unit Reports: Implications of Resource Changes

  • Resources changes
    • What would be the specific changes and consequences if your overall budget were reduced by
      • 10 percent?
      • 20 percent?
      • 30 percent?
    • What would be the consequences for the university if your unit were eliminated entirely?
    • What would you do differently if your unit were given a
      • 10 percent increase in your budget?
      • 20 percent increase in your budget?

Subsequent Recommendations (from Provost reports):

After reviewing the reports from subordinate units, the appropriate individuals will prepare their independent evaluation of their units and develop an action plan for potential changes based upon the following assumptions.

What specific changes would you recommend if your overall unit budget (the combined budget of all units that report to you) were to:

  • Remain the same?
  • Be reduced by
    • 10 percent?
    • 20 percent?
  • Be increased by
    • 5 percent?
    • 10 percent?
    • 15 percent?

These plans will then be submitted to the provost.

Division decisions:

Individual unit reports and the recommendations made by provost reports will be submitted to the provost for review and evaluation. The provost will seek advice from staff and the COD to develop a prioritized list of potential changes using categories such as:

  • Implement immediately regardless of budget changes
  • Implement if there were a ____ reduction in division funding*
  • Implement if there were a ____ reduction in division funding*
  • Implement if there were a ____ increase in division funding*
  • Do not consider for implementation
  • Decisions should be left to the discretion of the unit and supervisor

*These budget figures will be determined at a later date.

These potential changes will then be shared with COD members for reactions and feedback before being implemented within the division and before they are submitted to the President.

University decisions:

Divisional decisions will be shared with the President and his cabinet to set priorities for change. Action plans will then be established and pursued.

Annual reports:

The review and evaluation of units and services/functions has much in common with units' annual reports. To the extent possible and where appropriate, units are encouraged to use the same materials to fulfill sections of both reports.