Vermelding onderdeel organisatie

April 19, 2023

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Restructuring Support Services and Administration at Delft University of Technology

A major case of change in internal governance

Humane annual conference Amsterdam

Hans Krul, Secretary General

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Dutch university biotope in the year 2003/ 2004

External developments:

• Restrictions (funding) on duration of study

• Abolition of funding non EU students (system of grants)

• Further retrenchment (fixed rate)

• More programme funding (EU TTI, key areas)

• Fundamental changes in funding of Education and Research

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Consequences for TU Delft

• Entirely new biotope• From: Rivalry (jockeying for position)• Via: Competition (scarcity of funds & talent)• To: Accountability for results i.e.: survival

• (much) more programme funding• permanent pulling power to attract students • broader partnerships (IDEA league, 3TU NL)• rationalise organisation as much as possible

(support accounted for approx. 25% of the budget)

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Benchmark study TU Eindhoven

• Comparison with TU Eindhoven produced 2 important findings:

• 1. Better academic staff/ support staff ratio for TU/e versus TUD, namely 1.5: 1 and 1:1

• 2. nevertheless, higher output per academic FTE, e.g. number of PhD students per professor

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Starting points reorganisation projectStarting position TU Delft is strongly decentralisedGoal Improve (defend) competitive

position of TU Delft through better (optimal) use of scarce resources

Through• More sharing in all functional areas

• Systems• Work processes

• Clear arrangements (management system)• Good information (MIS)• Best practices• Change in attitude

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Project organisation

ICT

Staff

Finance

AccommodationCommunication

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Project Group

Steering Group= driver & team

Task Forces

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New internal governance

• Integrated management dean• Central employer Model:

Support under direction of 1 supervisor:• ‘central’ member of staff• ‘decentralised’ member of staff (seconded)• dean = customer

Role-based governance• functional (how: professional standard, career, HRM)• operational (what and when)

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New internal governance: Elaboration of central employer model

1. Shared service centres2. Seconded staff 3. Expertise centres

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1) Shared service centres• delivery of standardised services to operational units

(incl. departments) based on an agreement on quality, quantity, price

• monitoring via customer platform• centralised or non-centralised / front and back office• move towards 1 help desk for TU Delft• local counter for reception function, keys etc.

New internal governance: Elaboration of central employer model

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2) Seconded employees• hierarchically and functionally under central employer• operational under dean• 3 to 4 years attached to management unit (job rotation)• with several seconded employees, there is 1 coordinator

3) Expertise centres• central policy, project and advisory groups• strategic specialised knowledge for TU Delft• full control at central employer

New internal governance: Elaboration central employer model

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• More transparent support organisation• Faster and more efficient service..• .. based on pre-determined Service Level

Agreements• More standard work• Client/supplier attitude is required

New internal governance: Consequences for academics

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New internal governanceElaboration of decentralised employer model

• In-house staff faculties:• Education & Student Affairs• Administrative and secretarial support• (Technical) support for education and

research processes• Support managers of faculties also active at

university level (‘Bridging the gap’)• Functional control university manager

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Change in control model/new role for departmental directors

• Leading role in TU Delft transformation• Active promotion and communication of

new attitude• Active implementation of new

administrative responsibility (= manager of department)

• ……and: focus on scientific output!

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Checks & balances

Customer - supplier relationship• Each functional area has a dean who represents

the customer role• Sounding board for manager of functional area

in relation to policy and services (quality and quantity)

• All products are described incl. quality parameters and customer groups for feedback

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Results of reorganisation

Old AS : SMS ratio 0.98 : 1

New AS : SMS ratio 1.33 : 1

(increase 250 AS1.48 : 1)

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Reorganisation financial

• Savings: € 20m per year (structural)

• Costs: just over € 40m for social plan (once only)

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Critical success factors

• Strong commitment of highest management (university + faculty)

• Transparency on motives (staff understood why it had to be done)

• Largely an in-house university project (only a few embedded external advisers)

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Is everything running smoothly? No!

• Setting up shared service centres is costing more time than expected (notably standardisation)

• Organisation, notably academics, has problems with customer role

• Support staff in faculties sometimes have trouble with dual control model

• Strong emphasis on ICT, systems not yet entirely available e.g. Document Management System

• Customer feedback processes are developing too slowly

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Evaluation of reorganisation

• Started 1 May 2008; completed 1 November 2008

• Perception survey among staff & customers• Upward pressure on support FTEs expected• More personal attention for customer from

shared service centres • More attention for change in attitude customer

& support staff

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