USM Rollout History

USM - Rollout History

 

 

Phase 1

Phase 1 of the USM roll out began in October 2018 and was broken up into three stages. In this phase we worked with the initial 13 College/School Offices, as well as Registry.

Each stage followed the same structure, guided by the USM Building Blocks, and was adjusted with feedback from the previous stage to ensure an effective and efficient rollout of the model.

By the end of Phase 1, 226 staff in programme-level offices and Registry were USM Live. As part of the roll out, each office had a member on the USM Learning Team.

USM Learning Team 

The purpose of the Learning Team was to bring people together to glean their insights, expertise and ideas to inform the rollout of the USM. As an open space for collaboration and co-creation, the members of the Learning Team informed the ongoing rollout process by sharing their experiences of rolling out the USM in their own area or office. 

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the USM roll out ran between April and September 2020, and focused on incorporating the Schools not already engaged with into the USM Community. The project also focused on further embedding the model within the offices from Phase 1. 

This phase encompassed the roll out of the Unified Support Model to schools in the College of Arts & Humanities, the College of Social Sciences & Law and the College of Science. 

The pandemic hit in the middle of Phase 2, necessitating a move to remote delivery of the project. As we adapted to this 'new normal', the model’s goal of driving a unified experience for students and staff was never more relevant. 

By the end of Phase 2 we had welcomed a further 60 staff from 24 schools in 3 colleges into the USM Community. If you’d like to learn more about Phase 2, check out our (opens in a new window)overview of all of the activity during Phase 2. 

USM Remote Working Group

Another important development during this time was the USM Remote Working Group. This group was brought together as a platform for sharing information, ideas, and instilling a sense of community as everyone came to terms with the reality of working remotely. Leading on from experiences gleaned from the Learning Team, this group was launched in March 2020. 

Phase 3

Phase 3 of the USM roll out began on 1 September 2021, with a focus on three distinct activities:

1. Embedding the USM in the offices engaged in earlier phases.
2. Supporting the USM with the ongoing development and improvement of tools and approaches.
3. Extending the USM to include additional student-facing offices across the campus. 

This third phase of the project involved a further development of the USM team’s role in integrating central supports to reduce the need for local offices to integrate their own individual versions of the University’s supports and services. There are multiple strands to this work, including:

a)      Common processes for common services:

The development of common processes for common services is an enabler of the University’s commitment to a high and consistent level of student experience.  This approach also aims to make the most effective use of resources, including central technical resources.  

b) Service Development through metrics

Driving the development of frontline services through establishing, defining and measuring certain Key Performance Indicators such as

•         Connector Conversion Rates (Self Service)
•         NPS/NES Scores (User Experience)

These metrics help identify opportunities for the improvement and enhancement of services. 

c) Controlled evolution of business:

Supporting the need for the continuous controlled evolution of business delivered in the local offices, recognising the challenges faced by the staff carrying out student services and teaching administration in the Schools. The USM supports this by enabling teams to come together, along with central service providers, to design approaches that work for everyone from the outset.

d)      Operations group:

The Operations Group and USM were created to support, in different ways, the delivery of University operations in the student and academic services space.  Both the USM and Operations Group are continuously evolving in response to on the ground activities with the same colleagues in Schools, College Offices, and central units.

The Operations Group and USM have coordinated and shared objectives from the outset. Through their different approaches, common themes emerging from both strands can be effectively identified and pursued collaboratively.

By the end of the third phase, we had engaged with a further 5 offices and approximately 70 more staff. 

Phase 4 and beyond

As the University begins to progress with its Programme for Operations and Services Transformation, the USM is set to play a key role. Phase 4 of the USM project sees the activities of the team transition toward supporting and embedding the USM, as the roll out to new areas nears completion. Further information on how the USM project team is contributing to the POST, and details on some of our other activities are available through the website.