Approved
UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX
PROJECT COORDINATION GROUP
24 January 2013
(14.00 – 16.00)
MINUTES
Chair
Bryn Morris (OBM)
Present
Marc Albano (MA), Jo Andrews (JA), Jo Davies (JD), Emma Griffin (EG), Richard
Harrison (RH), Bernarde Hyde (BH), Zoe Manning (ZM), Richard Murphy (RM), Tracy
Robinson (TR), Richard Stock (RS), Joanne Tallentire (TG) standing in for Vanessa
Potter (VP), Sonia Virdee (SV), Jane Wright (JW)
By invitation
Wendy Clifton-Sprigg (WCS), Kevin Ling (KL)
Secretary
Anda Šadinova (AŠ)
1. Apologies
Nathan Bolton (NB), Maria Fasli (MF), Vanessa Potter (VP)
2. Minutes of the last meeting, 6 December 2012 and matters arising (PCG/13/01)
Agreed
The minutes from the 6 December 2012 were approved as a correct record of the
meeting.
1/13
Noted
Matters Arising:
1. The prioritised list of projects from the CBSS with mapping of available
ISS/MIS resource was on the current meeting’s agenda (item 6a).
2. The issues regarding correct completion of the CBSS project proposals
would be raised in the 28 January 2013 CBSS meeting
3. CBSS had considered expansion of the L4A project, items 6 and 7 on the
agenda.
4. Amended e-Procurement project proposals – item 7 on the agenda.
5. MA would explore the possibility of capping Midlands consultancy fees at
a meeting taking place later this week.
6. Amended iHR project proposal – item 7 on the agenda.
7. Flexible Study project proposal – item 7 on the agenda.
8. Staff Timetable project – oral report RS. Technical solution was currently
under consideration by the Timetable Review group.
9. PCG comments regarding the Admissions related projects were
communicated to JT. Amended projects would be submitted to the 14
march 2013 PCG meeting.
10. Issues regarding Student Support Client Update project – oral report RS.
Issues regarding ISS resources were currently being dealt with. Project
was almost completed.
11. Details regarding the Project Managers Network meeting had been
forwarded to the members of the PCG. Report from the first meeting –
item 10 on the agenda.
12. All amendments to the project templates would be introduced after a
review had taken place, including validity of the original project proposal
and project referencing system.
2/13
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3. Student Services Centre and Lean – Wendy Clifton-Sprigg (PCG/13/02)
Noted
Wendy Clifton-Sprigg reported on the progress of the Student Services Centre
project and the experience of using Lean as the main process review tool for the
project, including Lean Review of Intermission and Lean Review of Arrival, as
well as team-based reviews and mapping exercises.
3/13
WCS reported that the Lean methodology had proved to be very useful and
powerful due to the strong engagement from all stakeholders and customers
involved in a given process (e.g. students). This however meant that the Lean
process review was very resource intensive (staff time required).
4/13
WCS reported that other Professional Services sections of the University had
expressed interest in using Lean (Finance section and Estates Management
section).
The Group was asked to consider how the University would move forward
regarding the adaptation of Lean, and how it would be supported.
5/13
Agreed
It would be useful to engage with other Universities that had used Lean and draw
on their experience. The Strategic Projects and Change team would work with
WCS to draft a scalable University approach to process review.
6/13
Noted
WCS would update the project documentation with detailed planning of the
future phases of the project. A paper regarding IT resource requirements for the
project had been submitted for the next meeting of the CBSS (28 January 2013).
7/13
4. Changes to the PCG Subcommittees – Academic Services Subgroup and Research Subgroup
(PCG/13/03)
Agreed
The proposed changes to the PCG subgroups.
8/13
5. Project Proposals – Academic (PCG/13/04)
Noted
A number of academic projects were brought forward to the PCG for information
and approval.
9/13
Agreed
Essex Lab project – was formally added to the project portfolio with the
understanding that after the initial period of temporary ISS support the project
would have dedicated resource allocated and therefore would not draw on the
existing ISS resources.
10/13
Noted
The following projects were brought forward for approval by the Academic
Services Subgroup: Making Electronic Feedback Effective, Moodle at Heart
of Student Learning, E-portfolio, and Revised Reading lists.
11/13
Agreed
All four projects proposed by the ASSG were approved and would be added to
the project portfolio with the understanding that the ASSG had assured that there
were enough resources to carry them out.
12/13
6. Project Proposals via CBSS – Prioritisation and Resource Allocation (PCG/13/05)
Noted
All projects brought forward had been considered by the CBSS virtually and
submitted to PCG for approval.
13/13
2
Attendance Monitoring project – it was clarified that the previous activity
regarding attendance monitoring should be referred to as a ‘trial’ as opposed to a
‘pilot’.
14/13
It was questioned whether the next steps of the project should be approved by
the USG or the PCG. It was suggested that although next steps dealt with
resource allocation and scheduling and therefore was a PCG issue, changes to
the attendance monitoring also entailed changes to the attendance monitoring
policy, and therefore had to be approved by the USG.
15/13
Agreed
Issues regarding policy changes instigated by the Attendance Monitoring project
should be submitted to the USG for agreement, and if agreed should come to
PCG for resource allocation and scheduling.
16/13
Noted
Automated Returning Intermitters Letter – the projects had emerged from the
Student Services Centre project as a result of the Lean review of the
Intermission process.
17/13
Languages for All Programme enhancement - L4A programme enrolment
would be processed through the eNROL system from 2014. This project was
connected with some strands of the Flexible Learning project.
18/13
External Examiners project – would result in efficiency gains.
19/13
Invigilator Timetables project – would result in improved management of
invigilators, from manual to electronic process.
20/13
Agreed
Projects that directly impacted on students would be recognised as priority 1
projects. Therefore, Languages for All Programme enhancement, Automated
Returning Intermitters Letter and Attendance Monitoring projects were priority 1
projects.
External Examiners and Invigilator Timetable projects impacted on students
indirectly – priority 2 projects.
21/13
Noted
Questions were raised regarding the resources availability to carry out the CBSS
proposed projects regardless of the priority given.
22/13
Agreed
Languages for All Programme Enhancement project was approved and would be
added to the project portfolio due to the urgency of the solution needed. The
other 4 projects proposed by the CBSS, although deemed worthy by the group,
were referred back to the subgroup. PCG needed assurance from CBSS
regarding resource availability to carry out all approved projects.
23/13
RH and the Strategic Projects and Change team would review the current
project approval processes and, taking into account CBSS suggestions in paper
6a, would bring a paper to the next PCG meeting outlining possible ways
forward.
24/13
7. Revised Project Proposals (PCG/13/06)
Noted
The following project revisions and updates had been requested in light of
comments made at the 6 December 2012 PCG meeting.
25/13
3
Agreed
e-Procurement and iHR Phase 2 projects were approved and would be added
to the project portfolio in light of changes made to the project proposals.
26/13
Flexible Study project was approved and would be added to the project
portfolio due to the fundamental nature of the project; however, it needed to be
ensured that the project can be resourced against the timetable proposed. CBSS
should advise the PCG how commitment to the Flexible Study project affected
the work scheduled on other CBSS approved projects at the next PCG meeting,
14 March 2013.
27/13
8. Project Reports (PCG/13/07)
Noted
The progress reports from the STARS and Exam Preparation Projects.
28/13
The STARS project was behind schedule but would be coming to a close, with a
further proposal for stage 2 implementation and roll-out of reporting.
9. Smartsheets – Kevin Ling (PCG/13/08)
Noted
Kevin Ling presented Smartsheets to the group as the possible software solution
for University wide project management. It was suggested that the tool would
present an opportunity for a high-level overview of the project activity across the
University.
29/13
Agreed
Smartsheets would be adopted for a trail period of 1 year. Access to the
Smartsheets would be managed by the Strategic Projects and Change Team;
however care had to be taken in order not to create a bottleneck.
30/13
10. Project Managers Network (PCG/13/09)
Noted
The first meeting of the Network had been successful and future meetings had
been scheduled on a monthly basis. A video link to Southend campus would be
enabled for future PMN meetings.
31/13
11. Project Portfolio RAG Summary (PCG/13/10)
Noted
The update on project portfolio RAG status.
32/13
Agreed
That a short narrative would be added to future updates in order to highlight
positive and negative developments over the period of time reported on.
33/13
12. Next Steps
Noted
The next meeting of the PCG would take place on the 14 March 2013
34/13
13. Any Other Business
Noted
There was no other business.
35/13
Actions
1. Strategic Projects and Change team - to work with WCS to draft a scalable
University approach to process review.
4
2. AS - Four projects proposed by the ASSG to be added to the project portfolio
ASAP
3. Project Sponsor - Issues regarding policy changes instigated by the Attendance
Monitoring project to be submitted to the USG for agreement, if agreed to come to
PCG for resource allocation and scheduling.
4. AS - Languages for All Programme Enhancement project to be added to the
project portfolio
ASAP
5. CBSS to provide paper to PCG regarding the resource availability to carry out all
approved projects.
By 05.03.13
6. RH; Strategic Projects and Change team to review the current project approval
processes and bring a paper to the next PCG meeting outlining possible ways
forward.
By 05.03.13
7. AS - e-Procurement and iHR Phase 2 projects to be added to the project portfolio.
ASAP
8. AS - Flexible Study project to be added to the project portfolio.
ASAP
9. CBSS to advise the PCG how commitment to the Flexible Study project affected
the work scheduled on other CBSS approved projects.
By 05.03.13
10. AS - A short narrative to be added to future project portfolio RAG updates in order
to highlight positive and negative developments over the period of time reported
on.
By 05.03.13
Anda Šadinova
Strategic Planning and Change Section
29 January 2013
5