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Succession Planning and Building Infrastructure at a PUI March 2013. Lori Messer, Director, Office of Research & Sponsored Programs Wake Forest University Debbie Shaver, Director, Office for Research Services and Sponsored Programs Georgia Southern University. Objectives/Overview.
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Succession Planning and Building Infrastructure at a PUIMarch 2013 Lori Messer, Director, Office of Research & Sponsored Programs Wake Forest University Debbie Shaver, Director, Office for Research Services and Sponsored Programs Georgia Southern University
Objectives/Overview • Steps/ideas related to succession planning and building infrastructure that are: • Immediate • Short-term • Long-term • Done independently • Dependent on others at your institution • Examples
Objectives/Overview • This is YOUR session!! • We want this to be interactive so please share your ideas, concerns, or problems
Introduction • What challenges do PUIs have in common? • What do we mean by succession planning? • Why do it? • How is this related to infrastructure development?
PUI Challenges • Lower-volume research activity • Tight resources • Personnel • Systems • Money • Smaller or no pool of graduate students • Harder to carve out niches • Not as well known in the sponsored arena
What is Succession Planning? • Succession planning is a process through which an organization develops and grooms their employees for recruitment and promotion purposes. The goal is to fill key roles within the company with well-trained employees, often prepared through skills development for the assumption of more challenging duties within the organization. Read more: About Succession Planning | eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/about_5081391_succession-planning.html#ixzz1sEujyide
Why Succession Planning? • Aging workforce • One-off career field • Seamless transition more critical to PUI’s • Mandate for a good leader
Group Exercise • Consider these two questions: • What role does external recruitment play in Succession Planning? What are the pros and cons of external recruitment? • What are the barriers to succession planning? What strategies should we use to overcome and persevere? • Share responses with all participants
What are some steps you can do immediately? • Revise policies and procedures • Identify staff with interest and potential (may not be in your department) • Encourage staff professional development • Arrange for external evaluation • Others?? • What are the barriers/challenges to these?
Short-term solutions? • Purchase electronic systems (could also be long-term) • Encourage staff to attain CRA status • Leadership training for select staff • Peer institution visits/reviews (can trade off) • Evaluate current and future resource needs • Others??? • What are the barriers/challenges to these?
Long-term solutions? • Purchase an electronic system • Set up rotating schedule for policy, process and resource reviews • Internship program • Others??? • What are the barriers/challenges to these?
What can you do yourself? • Most Directors would be able to take immediate steps with limited involvement from others • Does funding make a difference? • What about state supported institutions?
Outside influences? • Who decides when you prepare a strategic plan? • Does your institution required external peer reviews on a regular schedule? Is it worth it to have this type of review? • Agency reviews
Notes about personnel • Training programs • Identify candidates through training programs if offered at your institution • How did you get your first RA position? • Is there a particular kind of experience/background that translates into success at your institution? • Recognize the limitations of your staff • Purchase electronic systems in lieu of hiring? • Others???
FY04 • University created Associate Provost for Research position • We focused on what kept us up at night - IRB • ORSP hired dedicated staff to coordinate human protections program; revised and improved IRB policies and procedures
2007-2008 • WFU began strategic planning • All departments required to prepare a plan • In preparation for our plan we asked Julie Norris to evaluate our office • Julie made specific recommendations on staffing • Associate Director for Compliance • Associate Director ORSP • Director of Post-Award (not in ORSP)
2007-2008 cont. • Received funding to create Associate Director for Faculty Research Compliance & Support the following year • Implemented electronic IRB system • ORSP co-funded Business Manager positions in Health & Exercise Science Department & Physics
Current • Creation of ORSP Associate Director did not come as easily/quickly • Left us without backup personnel for new electronic IRB system and contract negotiation duties • Posted and hired in spring/summer 2010 • Increased indirect cost recovery due to MTDC basis; FY14 proposed rate is higher • Currently evaluating candidates for a new Business Manager position with the Dean’s Office and 3 departments
What changes have occurred? • New president (former VPR at LSU) • New Provost and then another • New University Foundation leadership • Interim Deans and Chairs • New F&A rate • Acquisition of not-for-profit manufacturing company
What changes are in store? • Huge emphasis on external funding • New hires for key positions (chairs, deans) • New faculty hires emphasize potential for external funding
What are we doing to prepare? • Arranged for external review of overall process • Initiated policy review and development • Home grown research admin application • “Selected” for NSF Business Process Review (Twice!) • Meet with faculty candidates • Mandated meeting with new faculty • Judicious use of EOY funds • RA Program • Leadership training for experienced personnel • CRA training and certification
Summary: Things to Consider • Are you and the institution willing to invest in acquiring and/or training people to perform functions? • Do you need to automate to reduce staff or improve capacity? • Are you able to spend some time to get objective evaluation? • Have you considered the risk angles? • Can you collaborate or team with other institutions?
References • Of Course We Have a Succession Plan… Don’t We?SRA International Meeting 2011 Daniel Campbell, University of Idaho; Nancy Shrope, Washington State University; Joann Waite, Gonzaga University • Rothwell, WJ., The Nuts and Bolts of Succession Planning. 2007 • About Succession Planning | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5081391_succession-planning.html#ixzz1sEujyide
Resources • NCURA Peer Review Program http://www.ncura.edu/content/peer_to_peer_review/ • Council on Undergraduate Research consulting services http://www.cur.org/consulting.html • Huron Consulting Group http://www.huronconsultinggroup.com/
Thank you! Contact info: • Lori Messer messerlj@wfu.edu (336) 758-5888 • Debbie Shaver dnshaver@georgiasouthern.edu (912) 478-0580