Revitalizing strategic planning:
introducing the balanced scorecard
Alison Mackenzie
Learning Services
Edge Hill University
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Learning Services
Staff: 123
Divisions: Academic Liaison and Support
(including support for student with a SpLD);
Customer Services; Information Resources;
Media & ICT support; Learning Technology
Development.
Distribution: Located in a number of
buildings across campus and NW region.
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Background & Context
2005/6 Changes to organisational structure
New divisional and team structure introduced
SWOT analysis used as a means of critical reflection
Individual performance reviews- demonstrated excellent delivery on
objectives
BUT
SWOT analysis lacked criticality
Insufficient external scanning
Lack of performance measurement/ lack of data
Evidence…what evidence?
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Aims
Teams
•Improved awareness of competitive impact
•Encouragement of greater autonomy and
ownership of priorities
•Development of robust evidence base
•Target individual/team development using
SMART objectives
Service
•Planning informed by a robust evidence base
•Challenge status quo – create opportunities for creative problem solving
•Stretch individuals to work beyond their comfort zones
•Development of higher level transferable skills
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Drivers for evidence based practice
University introduced new strategic plan 2008-11
Learning Services:
To be ahead of the game (or as good as…)
To inform our operations, developments and
continuous improvement cycle
To support funding bids/additional resourcing and
services
To prove our ‘worth’ – value for money, our
importance to the University
To measure our impact on the student experience
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Local adaptation of the BSC
Cost
effectiveness
/VFM
Internal
efficiencies
Learning &
Innovation
Customer
focus
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Perspective 1
internal workflows, procedures,
communication within the team and with
other teams/individuals across and beyond
the service designed to help you maximise
the deployment of individual staff skills and
expertise
Internal
efficiencies
Customer
focus
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Perspective 2
Staff development, review of roles &
responsibilities, analysis of skills
gaps, pilots of new initiatives, new
approaches to existing services
Learning &
innovation
Customer
focus
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Perspective 3
Budget, existing contracts, service level
agreements, internal consultancy, staff
roles & responsibilities
Cost
effectiveness
/vfm
Customer
focus
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Lead perspective
Feedback and assessments,
satisfaction ratings, service quality,
access and uptake, alignment with
stakeholder priorities, relationship
building
Customer
focus
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Approach
Introduction (Managers)
Preparatory guidance /
examples
Local organisation
Whole team approach
SMART objectives
Local interpretation of
the BSC
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Feedback on process
 Initial introductory sessions essential to
developing an understanding of the general
principles
 Managers adopted different approaches
 Varying levels of analysis
 Successful engagement dependent on
understanding of BSC and performance
measurement more generally
 Communication/ acceptance of change
variable across teams
Capture of outputs/presentation of objectives
open to local interpretation
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Critical success factors
Managers:
Preparation and planning is key
Need to understand BSC as planning
/performance measurement tool
Advance documentation circulated to teams manage expectations
Use data/evidence to inform decisions
Team participation
Focus on customer
Developments informed by data/evidence
Team members can/do influence how objectives
are delivered
Individual responsibilities assigned
edgehill.ac.uk/ls
Thank you