Huron Baseline Assessment for Administration & Finance, Fall 2008
During Fall Semester 2008, the Huron Consulting Group was commissioned to conduct a Baseline Assessment of the Division of Administration & Finance (A&F). The study included a series of interviews with A&F leadership, customers, and campus partners. The results of this study are presented below. A full list of ideas for prioritization and action is available here.
Rationale for Review:
In an environment of transition and increased challenge, it is critical for A&F to further develop its organization in order to advance the Institute. An effective and efficient service and support infrastructure is critical to the success of the Institute's strategic plan. Building for the future demands proactive planning and organization design.
Objectives:
Overall, the objective of this study is to further develop A&F's capabilities and performance to enable the Institute's success. The Baseline Assessment project will serve as a foundation step - a snapshot, or "health check" of where we are today. Starting with these efforts, we are renewing our commitment to continuous improvement based on our values of service and learning.
Review Outcomes to Date:
This section includes key points from various perspectives shared in the Baseline Assessment.
From the perspective of Huron Consulting Group:
- Solid and experienced A&F organization
- Highly professional staff, with service focus
- Commitment to innovation and improvement
From A&F Clients:
- Talented and committed staff
- More integration of actions across A&F would be helpful
- Meeting infrastructure challenges (e.g., information technology, research administration) is a concern
- Collaboration and coordination between centralized and decentralized activities need improvement
A&F Leadership and Staff:
- Infrastructure challenges are difficult to surmount
- Professional development and succession planning are also concerns
Major Improvement Themes:
- Partnership - Enrich critical linkages with the customers A&F serves
- Human Assets - Better manage talent for greater effectiveness and value to the Institute
- Infrastructure - Build capabilities to support increasing scale and complexity, and to enable Georgia Tech to execute its strategic plan
- Learning Organization - Design and implement systematic approaches to continuous improvement
Actions Taken:
- Two-day workshop with A&F senior staff
- Idea Groups assigned; charged with developing priorities and action plans
- A&F senior staff and immediate reports "town-hall" meeting
- Presentations to the President and Deans
- Institute-wide "Strategic Resource Deployment Review - Phase 1" project approved; underway January 2009 (Huron Consulting Group)
Additional Near-Term Actions:
- Specific priority actions and implementation steps being identified by Idea Groups
- Progress-tracking updates at regular senior-staff meetings
- Re-examining the A&F organization structure to increase our effectiveness and efficiency