The ECOP of THE NORTH

1. The ECOP of THE NORTH Open University Business School Manchester 17th October 2006 necop171006

2. What’s this all about? • Introduction and setting the scene – the ECOP model, Business Excellence in OUBS (John Swanwick) • Just what is Supported Open Learning? (Lin Smith) • What we’ve learnt about BE in OUBS (John Swanwick – again) • The Bolton Experience (Tim Oppenshaw) • Learning points • Now what for NECOP? • Liberal supplies of food and refreshment, argument and debate included throughout! necop171006

3. Where are we? Something about your hosts • OU and OUBS • Manchester and ‘Hubs’ – student services • ‘The centre’ – home of Darth Vader, and other PVCs necop171006

4. Why are we here? • The current situation with ECOP and the original ethos behind it • The thought that we can share, but more locally – the idea of a northern ECOP because many of us are here already • OUBS (and Bolton) volunteers as having something to share, in the spirit of ECOP necop171006

5. So what are the aims of today? • Understand something of how OU(BS) works – not a conventional Uni model either organisationally or pedagogically • Understand what OU(BS) decided to do with BE and what happened. A Bolton perspective. Learning shared • What do we think about ECOP’s future and, within that, the idea of a north ECOP? • Share adventures and scurrilous gossip among friends….. necop171006

6. So, how does OU(BS) work? • John Swanwick – in overview and organisationally • Lin Smith – pedagogically, Supported Open Learning necop171006

7. In Overview (1) • The OU has a central campus of academics writing course materials and delivery, publishing course materials etc, as well as admin units and the commanding officers’ mess… • It has 13 regions providing student support, local presence etc but for OUBS, only 2 main Hubs for support – Manchester and Oxford. ‘Associate Hubs’ also exist • These Hubs are partly OUBS staff and partly OU (mainly student services) looking after students in UK, Continental Europe and world Wide necop171006

8. In Overview (2) • Students study courses that mostly start twice a year. They study on-line and by distance learning (see SOL) in groups looked after by Associate Lecturers, usually practitioners, who also run infrequent face to face sessions….. • ….problems of geography and complexity in organisation structure! Mass production model dating from c.1970. Loyalty, fatigue, rigidity necop171006

9. Overview (3) • Yup! We also have facilities management, HR, Finance and such stuff… • …. But we don’t have students and campuses • We do have loads of Regional Offices carrying out broadly similar processes…. • …..in different ways • Now let’s take a look at SOL…. necop171006

10. Business Excellence and OU(BS)The issues • Organisational structure complex and hierarchical, tasks carried out in multiple ways • Strong sense of commitment and involvement - but more in the deeply human concept of learning for all, less in the idea of control and coordination to maximise the effective delivery of this mission • Strong pedagogy, course materials etc but diffused by variability in the student experience • Enter John Sw et al bearing new ideas from afar…. necop171006

11. We need BE (EFQM FCs and Model) because….. • It would build a climate of involvement in a a more joined up, holistically managed organisation • It is consistent with what we teach (maybe?) so has academic legitimacy • Everybody can do something necop171006

12. But….. • Multiple units in silos run by a procedures bound, risk averse management system • Do we really understand all this Model stuff? • What will it cost – time and money? • We have time slots when we can’t do this - TSA necop171006

13. What we did • Joined EFQM, Dean signs up to 8 FCs • Engage Student Services (SS) through 2 champions • Run 4 3 day EFQM assessors course, modified to OUBS needs and for OUBS and SS staff • Prioritise areas where we could start work - strands necop171006

14. The Strands • The Business Planning process and MSS • Communication • Seeking and sharing good practice through EFQM education and participation • The Model Hub – the idea that we create a specification of an ideal way of working in a hub through the engagement of its occupants. The specification is the EM decoded into a series of prompt questions in ‘office speak’ and scored by simple RADAR necop171006

15. Enablers criteria Qus for key enabler statements – • are we doing this/does this happen? • are we regularly checking and assessing our approach? • Identify any strengths and areas for improvement • Leadership • Planning • People • Partnerships and resources (Information and knowledge mgt) • Processes (Enquiries/res/reg, TSA, Student Support, Exams, Disabilities/Additional Requirements, AL recruitment/mgt/dev) necop171006

16. Learning points • Data exists, but is hard to isolate – focus on what is representative and obtainable • Clear message to invest effort to define appropriate performance measures for key results which can be easily measured • OU culture as important as process • Keep the momentum going – it’s an ongoing process • Longer term – need to move toward local self assessment • Share best practice – can make +ve quick gains necop171006

17. Learning….. • Things have been slow (zzzzzz) • Senior commitment, and co-ordinated across silos • Effort and pace in the face of conflicting priorities – fading memories • To use EFQM terminology or not? • All, fairly well known problems but….. necop171006

18. Interesting additional points • Teaching BE is a whole lot different to doing it – not just neglect and interest, but antipathy. One doesn’t feed the other • Uni’s leaders are disempowered themselves, so maybe the only way into this is by command of the VC? • The desire to be right first time or say nothing (as opposed to an iterative process of learn and correct) necop171006

19. What do you think? • General discussion necop171006

20. The ECOP of the North • Does this idea work and how could it work better? • If so, should we do it again and are there any volunteers? • Frequency, topics etc if we do….. • Any thoughts on our relationships to the rest of UK and wider? necop171006

21. The ECOP of THE NORTH Open University Business School Manchester 17th October 2006 necop171006