uws library skills audit

UWS Library Skills Audit

CAUL ‘Hot Topic’

8 September 2003

Background

UWS amalgamation of 3 autonomous ‘members’, 2001

Perceived challenge of bringing “3 into 1” Reality of 140 staff, spread across 7 geographic

locations across geographic area of 9,000 km2

Loss of expertise across library throughout 2000 – period leading to amalgamation

Library Strategic Planning 2001

Key Result Area: Infrastructure

Goal: To provide appropriate infrastructure and support systems underpinning the successful delivery of library and information services

Critical success factors: Appropriately skilled and motivated staff - Adequate physical facilities, - Robust and reliable technological infrastructure - etc ……

Library Strategic Planning

Objective Strategic Activity KPIs Targets

Attraction, retention and development of knowledgeable informed and skilled staff

Enhance applicant poolsEstablish ongoing and comprehensive Staff Development ProgrammeActively encourage multi-skilling, job enrichment and cross sectional work Actively encourage and support ongoing professional development through formal study and participation in professional activities …..

Quality of applicant poolsCompletion of library staff development and operational planIncreased % of staff undertaking further study and attending and contributing to professional activities

All vacancies filled, 200250% staff undertake at least 1 PD activity p.a.30% staff working across sections, 2002

Operational Planning

Operational planning draws on goals and objectives as articulated in Strategic Plan

Operational planning responsibility vested in Planning and Strategy Team (PST), comprised of 5 cross-sectional senior staff (HEW 9)

PST work underpinned by 2 day ‘whole of library’ hands on workshop (2002)

Operational Planning

KPI TIMING By Who When4.1.1.1 Prepare and adminster Staff

Skills Audit

PST Feb-03

4.1.1.2 Collate, analyse audit

response and prepare a staff

development program

PST Mar-03

2003 + 4.1.2.1 Develop criteria, eligibility

requirements, and guidelines

in support of the program.

PST Apr-03

4.1.2.3 Provide ongoing liaison and

support to participants in

programs, including

reporting and feedback on

participator experience.

PST Jun-03

4.1.2.4 Evaluate and review six

months after implementation.

PST Dec-03

OPERATING PLANENABLING PLANInitiatives Action Required

2003 +

Programme

established with

30% staff uptake

of opportunities

4.1.2

100% staff

undertake at

least 1 P.D.

activity p.a

Develop formal

programme to

facilitate multi-

skilling, job

enrichment and

cross sectional

work over all areas

of the library’s

operations

4.1.2

4.1.1Establish and

support an

ongoing,

comprehensive

staff development

programme

4.1.1

What’s happening elsewhere?

Literature review, early 2002 reveals little of a broad nature, with focus tending towards I.T. skills and small ‘specialist packages;

Discussion with colleagues indicated much staff development activity reactive to individually expressed need in particular areas;

ALIA Competency Standards, whilst useful, considered too general to current institutional need.

What did we need?

Clear information across all areas of library operation on actual skills and shortcomings in those areas essential to ‘do the job’;

Consistency of approach and practice across all 7 libraries – particularly in Client Services areas;

Equally skilled staff providing equally high levels of service regardless of location.

What had been done

I.T. Skills Audit – problematic, with lessons learned, however useful basis for current work;

Resources Management (Tech Services) had developed core competencies listing;

Considerable procedural documentation developed, however across Client Services widespread and varying past practice remained.

Skills checklist

Developed with great difficulty – PST struggled with differentiation between ‘task’ and ‘skill’. Needed to move from becoming bogged down in detail;

Checklist developed, moving down from Skill, defining Tasks required to claim Skill

Cumulative Task/s = Skill

Checklist example:

Ability to supervise staff– Understand role of supervisor, formulate objectives,

make action plans and assign tasks– Understand motivation and effective learning– Set standards and evaluate staff performance– Recognise training needs and organize on the job

training as appropriate– Apply techniques for communicating, managing

conflict and providing guidance

Skills categories

General communication, training and management skills

General I.T. skills Skills specific to areas:

Resources Management (incl Doc Del)Lending ServicesInformation Services (incl Info Literacy)Specialist I.T.

Response options

Skill

– Essential to current position

– Competent

– Refresher training requested

– New area – training required

– Possess but do not use

– Not applicable to current position

Definitions Essential - This skill is an essential requirement of your

current job Competent - You meet all checklist entries for the particular

skill Refresher training required - You meet most or all checklist

entries for the particular skill and request refresher training New area – training required - You meet none of the checklist

entries for the particular skill and require initial training Possess but do not currently use - You possess the particular

skill but it is not essential to your current position N/A - This skill is not applicable to your current position

Pilot questionnaire with 10 staff from cross representational areas and HEW levels administered;

Overview of survey, together with very detailed Checklist and verbal instructions provided;

Pilot participants encouraged to provide feedback. All feedback extremely useful, resulting in re-ordering, re-wording etc.

2 hour exercise . . . . . (130 questions)

Survey administration and response

All staff encouraged to complete questionnaire;

Responses not anonymous – outcomes available to supervisor, PST members and respondent;

Initial concerns that responses might be linked to Performance Appraisal addressed;

100% response rate!

Summary of Responses

Essential to Current Position

CompetentRefresherTraining

Requested

New AreaTraining

Requested

Possess but not

Currently used

N/A

001 Identify and set work priorities 131 130 3 0 0 1

002 Work as a team member to achieve results 132 127 3 0 0 0003 Work independently to achieve results 128 130 0 1 0 0

004 Lead a team to achieve results 34 40 7 1 30 75

005 Ability to supervise staff 28 31 7 0 29 83

006 Monitor expenditure against allocated funds 31 23 13 4 10 86

007 Plan and prepare budgets 8 6 5 3 13 110008 Train and develop library staff individually 44 42 6 4 11 76

009 Train and develop library staff in groups 42 42 6 2 9 81

010 Effectively communicate with appropriate University staff/units 116 117 6 2 1 6

011 Public Speaking and Presentation Skills 66 58 21 2 12 54

012 Develop and produce promotional material within University and Library guidelines 38 35 7 3 8 86

013 Effective written communication 98 96 9 1 2 23014 Effective interpersonal communication 131 126 7 0 0 0

015 Ability to effectively network 111 113 5 4 1 8

016 Plan in order to achieve identified objectives 112 108 7 1 3 11

017 Identify and apply appropriate problem solving strategies 119 112 9 3 3 5

018 Apply University and Library policies and procedures 119 115 13 3 1 3

019 Mentoring skills 58 58 15 1 15 55020 Negotiation skills 90 80 25 4 6 25

021 Stress Management skills 101 107 16 4 1 4

Question

General Communication, Training and Management Skills

Essential to Current Position

CompetentRefresherTraining

Requested

New AreaTraining

Requested

Possess but not

Currently used

N/A

022 Operate a computer to access and retrieve information 131 131 0 0 0 0

023 Open files using appropriate software 129 119 11 1 0 0024 Retrieve and print data 128 130 1 0 0 1

025 Produce basic documents correctly using MS Office software 120 116 12 2 1 3

026 Edit information in documents 120 119 7 1 1 2

027 Templates are developed or used as required 87 75 24 8 3 29

028 Produce advanced documents correctly using MS Office software 73 60 23 11 4 40

029 Identify and select appropriate printer 119 118 9 2 1 2

030 Undertake basic printer maintenance 115 109 22 2 0 2031 Close down programme/machine 127 130 0 1 0 2

032 Source and use appropriate assistance 121 122 11 0 0 1

033 Maintain files on local and network drives 106 90 29 2 1 13

034 Undertake virus check as required 103 100 16 5 1 11

035 Access files on Library Intranet 114 115 10 2 1 3

036 Understand the difference between Intranet and Internet 119 121 7 1 0 2037 Basic Internet browser use 123 120 12 0 0 0

038 Advanced browser knowledge 66 34 37 22 3 38

039 Send and receive email 127 121 9 2 0 0

040 Send and receive email attachments 123 110 16 4 0 1

041 Use shared email boxes 101 89 16 10 7 14

042 Appropriate use of University email lists 105 80 33 10 0 10

043 Manage email 120 100 26 6 0 3044 Use scanning equipment to create electronic versions of print documents 63 55 13 13 12 49

045 Pre-order bibliographic checking 52 41 13 8 16 67

046 Create orders using Voyager 33 23 7 7 10 91

Question

General IT Skills

Initial outcomes

1 staff member does not need to identify and set work priorities!

4 staff do not need to know the difference between the internet and the intranet!

5 staff do not need to know how to send and receive email!

6 staff do not need to know how to effectively communicate with other staff/units!

Initial outcomes

GeneralLead team/supervise staff (n=32) 24% request

new/refresher trainingMonitor expenditure … (n=31) 55%Train and develop staff (n=44) 23%Public speaking & presentation (n=66) 35% Produce promotional material (n=38) 21%Mentoring skills (n=58) 27%Negotiation skills (n=90) 32%Stress management skills (n=101) 20%

Initial outcomes (cont’d)

General I.T. Skills

Edit information in documents (n=120) 31%Undertake basic printer maintenance (n=115) 27%Produce documents using MS applications (n=73) 47%Undertake virus check as required (n=103) 29%Maintain files on local & networked drives (n=106) 29%Advanced browser knowledge (n=66) 89%Use shared email boxes (n=101) 26%Manage email (n=120) 27%Use scanning equipment ….. (n=63) 41%


Resources Management (incl Doc Del)

Pre order bibliographic checking (n=52) 40%

Copy cataloguing non serial hardcopy (n=31) 32%

Use of Kinetica Web (n=42) 47%

Processing Kinetica DD mail (n=30) 57%

Processing DD requests from UWS patrons (n=31) 81%

Patron registration for DD (n=38) 71%


Information Services

Provide access to appropriate info resources (n=85) 30%

Prepare and present I.L. sessions (n=45) 20%

Promotion of library services and resources (n=53) 30%

Respond to Off Campus Access queries (n=91) 20%

Respond to database access queries (n=85) 42%


Lending Services

Run lists/reports from ILMS/Access (n=66) 30%

Process e-items for reserve (n=36) 69%

Process hard copy items for reserve (n=39) 41%

3 day loan processing (n=40) 41%

Processing DD requests at campus level (n=53) 41%

Use Ariel to receive despatch DD requests (n=50) 22%

Conclusions (tentative!)

Too many staff lack clarity on their particular position responsibilities, OR, Pre-test group was not representative!

Majority of staff “competent” in areas of responsibility, with refresher training requests predominating;

Much talent currently under-utilised (“possess but do not use”)

Detailed granular analysis will yield rich data for staff development and training purposes;

Questions?

Thank You!With acknowledgement of the contribution of UWS

Library Planning and Strategy Team

uws library skills audit

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