innovative thinking for the real world technical services review 2013 james crooks head of technical...

INNOVATIVE THINKINGFOR THE REAL WORLD

Technical Services Review 2013James Crooks Head of Technical Services, UCLan


UCLan• Founded in 1828• The Harris Institute for the Diffusion of

Knowledge• 35,000 students• 3000 staff• 500 undergrad and 200+ postgrad courses• Preston, Burnley, Cumbria, and Cyprus…


Technical Support at UCLan• Centralised Line Management• “Learning & Information Services”• Library and IT merged in 2008• Technical Support joined between 2010 - 2012

• Now around 90 technical staff• Structured into three separate areas


Laboratory Facilities Team22 technical staff

PsychologyChemistry

Biochemistry Pharmaceutics

Tissue culture Molecular Biology

Fire Safety Forensic Sciences

Anthropology Archaeology

Biology


Technical Resources Team31 technical staff

Music Production Fine Art Fashion Engineering

PhotographyGraphic Design Film & Media

Performing ArtsAnimation

Motorsport Architecture Land Surveying Geography

Product Design


Technical Services Team33 technical staff

Computing Electronics Journalism Physics

AV Support & DevelopmentEquipment Stores

Support HubsIT Hardware Support


The Review – Why?• New student expectations/demands• Increased focus on research activities• Growing postgraduate numbers• Greater demand for support• Limited funding for additional staffing• Increasing “digital” needs• Existing staff profile


The Review – How?• Review board formed• Engaged with HEaTED• Feedback, feedback, and more feedback!• Workshops for technical staff• Workshops for academic staff• Workshops for students• Online surveys and questionnaires


The Review – Questions• What is Technical Services? • What value do these activities/services add?• What should we be doing…• …in addition?• …more of?• …less (or none) of?


What is Technical Services?• Equipment maintenance & support• Staff and student support• Stores / Equipment Provision• Technical Development• Preparation• Health & Safety• Administration

• Event Management• Housekeeping• Business Support• Project Management


What should we be doing more?• More involvement in course planning• Better engagement with academic teams• Developing more specialist technical skills• Adopting consistent processes across UCLan• Providing more support for research activity• Streamline reporting lines and customer support• Horizon scanning


What should we be doing less?• Administration• Removals / deliveries / furniture / cleaning• Core IT services in isolation• Event coordination and management• Highly skilled staff regularly doing low skill tasks


How do we move forward?Clarify technical support needs• Mini-reviews of course/subject areas• Identify technical leads for each discipline• Document H&S agreements

Streamline Business Processes• Procurement & purchasing• Event & exhibition management• Review helpdesk hand-offs and support flows


How do we move forward?Focus on “professionalising” the technician role• Develop and improve PDPs• Business continuity and workforce plan• Identify career progression path• Provide clarity on role definitions


How do we move forward?Scoping and planning processes• Lab & workshop timetabling• Build horizon scanning into workloads• Define equipment replacement/ upgrade/

servicing / maintenance schedules and contracts• Develop digital content – induction, user guides• Space review• Health & Safety audits


Observations / comments• Buy-in from Senior Management/Directorate/HR• Tri-angulated feedback• Externality of review board (HEaTED)• External networking


ANY QUESTIONS?

innovative thinking for the real world technical services review 2013 james crooks head of technical...

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