Process Management

1. Process Management Presented by LibQUAL+™

2. Presentation Goal • Identify key elements that contribute to a successful survey implementation

3. ARL New Measures Initiative • Collaboration among member leaders with strong interest in measurement • Specific projects developed with different models for exploration • Intent to make resulting tools and methodologies available to full membership and wider community

4. LibQUAL+™ Description LibQUAL+™ is a suite of services that libraries use to solicit, track, understand, and act upon users’ opinions of service quality. These services are offered to the library community by ARL. The program’s centerpiece is a rigorously tested Web-based survey bundled with training that helps libraries assess and improve library services, change organizational culture and market the library

5. LibQUAL+TM Project Goals • Foster a culture of excellence in providing library service • Help libraries better understand user perceptions of library service quality • Collect and interpret library user feedback systematically over time

6. LibQUAL+TM Project Goals • Provide libraries with comparable assessment information from peer institutions • Identify best practices in library service • Enhance library staff members’ analytical skills for interpreting and acting on data

7. LibQUAL+™ Growth

8. LibQUAL+TM Process as Project A Project is defined as: • Non-routine series of tasks • Directed toward a goal • Of finite duration • A way of addressing customer expectations

9. Project Management (PM) “...supplies project teams with a process that helps them coordinate their efforts so they may create the right product (or service, process or plan), at the right time, for the right customer, within the resource limits established by the organization.” (Martin, P. & Tate, K., 1997, p. 2)

10. Managing the Survey Process

11. Project Management Stages LibQUAL+™ Process Definition Stage Determine needs for survey Planning Stage Select liaison/gather data Implementation Stage Launch Survey Follow-up Evaluate performance/ follow-up OLMS Project Management Institute, ARL Office of Leadership and Management Services

12. LibQUAL+TM Stages What are the budgetary requirements? Who are your sample groups? What is the survey timeframe? Is it doable? What are the needs: people supplies, technology? What skills do survey liaisons or survey team members need? Definition Stage

13. Survey Liaisons • Prepare for survey administration • Communicate with LibQUAL+TM team • Respond to user feedback • Work with local IT/academic computing contacts and LibQUAL+TM team to resolve any local technical issues

14. Process Timeline June/July • Gather information about LibQUAL+TM survey • Determine if have appropriate resources • Identify budgetary requirements if any • Identify key people to act as survey liaisons/survey committee members.

15. LibQUAL+TM Stages What are the project specifications? Success criteria? What resources are in place? What needs to be acquired? What are the tasks, the specific activities? What is the survey schedule? Ending Date? Planning Stage

16. Process Timeline August September October – December • Register for Spring survey • Subscribe to ARL-QUALITY • listserv • Designate survey liaison/ • committee/project team • Register for LibQUAL+TM • related workshops • Identify and initiate steps • to obtain human subjects • research approval from IRB • Identify sample groups • Identify best data source to • obtain valid e-mail addresses • for sample groups • Meet with person(s) who will • be drawing e-mail addresses • to determine process • feasibility • Register for LibQUAL+TM • related workshops

17. LibQUAL+TM Stages What is your implementation plan/schedule? How will you monitor, control, obtain feedback? What is your communications plan? How will stakeholders find out about project progress? What is your contingency plan? What are possible developments and how will you handle them? Implementation Stage

18. Process Timeline January February February-March-April May • Need to have IRB approval by mid-January • Orientation session for participating libraries held during ALA Midwinter, Philadelphia, PA Attendance by first time participants required! • Complete online demographics questionnaire & Survey preferences • Survey open • Draw final e-mail address samples • Participants launch • survey on their • campuses • Survey closed to public

19. LibQUAL+TM Stages What are the desired outcomes and success criteria you identified during the definition and planning stages? How well did the project succeed when evaluated against this criteria? Are there areas for improvement and enhancement? What did you learn that you can apply in subsequent LibQUAL+TM survey runs? Follow-up

20. Process Timeline June July • Participants complete online post hoc survey • Survey liaison/contacts complete evaluation questionnaire • Survey results distributed • Results meeting at ALA Annual • Conference

21. Process Timeline June/July August September October – December • Gather information about LibQUAL+TM survey • Determine if have appropriate resources • Identify budgetary requirements if any • Register for Spring 2003 survey • Subscribe to ARL-QUALITY listserv • Designate survey liaison/committee/project team • Register for LibQUAL+TM related workshops • Identify and initiate steps to obtain human subjects research approval from IRB • Identify sample groups • Identify best data source to obtain valid e-mail addresses for sample groups • Meet with person(s) who will be drawing e-mail addresses to determine process feasibility • Register for LibQUAL+TM related workshops

22. Process Timeline January February February -March-April May June July • Need to have IRB approval by mid-January • Orientation session for participating libraries held during ALA Midwinter, Phildelphia, PA Attendance by first time participants is required! • Complete online demographics questionnaire & survey preferences • Survey open • Draw final e-mail address samples • Participants launch • survey on their • campuses • Survey closed to public • Survey results distributed • Results meeting at ALA Annual • Conference • Participants complete online post hoc survey • Survey liaison/contacts complete evaluation questionnaire

23. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!

24. References Cook, C. Heath, F., & Thompson, R.L. (2000). A meta-analysis of response rates in Web- or Internet-based surveys. Educational and psychological Measurement, 60, no.6, 821-836. Cook, C. & Thompson, B. (2002). “Response Rates,” Introduction to the LibQUAL+TM Spring 2002 Aggregate Results. Washington, D.C.: Association of Research Libraries. Frame, J. D. (1987). Managing projects in organization: How to make use of time, techniques, and people. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Martin, P. and Tate, K. (1997). Project Management Memory Jogger. Methuen, MA: GOAL/QPC. Project Management Institute. Project management: A proven process for success. http://www.pmi.org. Accessed May 1, 2002. Smith, A. The fix is in. Projects@Work. http://www.projectsatwork.com/march2002/psa.htm.Accessed May 1, 2002.

25. LibQUAL+™ Resources • LibQUAL+Web Site http://www. libqual.org • LibQUAL+Bibliography http://www.coe.tamu.edu/~bthompson/servqbib • Survey Participants Policies and Procedures Manual http://www.libqual.org/documents/admin/procedures3.8.pdf