UCL Staff Survey 2011: update

Following this the Provost's Senior Management Team (SMT) undertook to develop an institution-wide corporate action plan that addresses the cross cutting organisational issues highlighted.

In addition, each Dean, Vice-Provost and Head of Corporate Support Services Division was provided with results for their Faculty or Division. It was also agreed that each Faculty and Division will identify three areas to celebrate, three areas to improve and three to investigate further and will define clear local action plans with improvement outcomes and measures. On the basis of this analysis Deans and Vice-Provosts will report back to the Provost's SMT every six months on progress with implementation. The first set of reports were provided to the SMT earlier this month.

The institution-wide corporate action plan identifies the following areas for action:

• Building and consolidating the direction and leadership within UCL
• Tackling poor performance
• Building leadership and managerial competency
• Improving upwards communication
• Improving understanding and perceptions of Reward
• Enabling all staff to feel equally engaged and valued

Ongoing work to address these areas to date includes:

• Reviewing leadership and management development courses, including an enhanced programme for new Heads of Department
• Developing a competencies framework to clarify standards and behaviours within Corporate Support Services initially, with a view to role out more widely within UCL
• Developing greater in-house capacity for coaching and mentoring
• Introducing new employment benefits through the Wider Wallet scheme
• Reviewing the links between performance and reward
• Developing an agreed set of values for professional services staff

There is much work still to do and we will provide six monthly updates on progress on these, and other initiatives yet to be commenced.

Deans, Vice-Provosts and Heads of Corporate Support Services have been working with staff in their areas to develop action plans to tackle issues that were highlighted locally as being of importance. Detailed plans have been developed and discussed at the last Provost's SMT meeting. Details of these local action plans will be circulated through local communication channels.

For more information about local plans or how to become involved in helping create the desired solutions, please contact your Dean / Faculty Manager, Vice-Provost or Head of Corporate Support Service.

Nigel Waugh, Director of Human Resources, Human Resources Division