TO:Bob Lael

Robert Crouch

Elyne Cole

Jami Painter

Eric Smith

Katie Ross

Dr. Avijit Ghosh

FROM:Maureen Parks

DATE:November 17, 2011

Background

The University of Illinois is one of the premier employers in Illinois offering a wide variety of employment opportunities in Urbana/Champaign, Chicago, Springfield, and across the state in our extension offices. The University of Illinois is the state’s largest educator and a world leader in research with world renowned faculty, outstanding staff and students. The majority of the university’s budget is allocated to employee salaries and benefits. “The size, cost and criticality of the human capital of the university requires the management of our human resources to be a high priority. Employees fuel the academic, research and service enterprise.”[1]

Ten recommendations came from the June 8, 2010, Administrative Review and Restructuring Human Resources Management (ARR-HR) Subcommittee. They were grouped into two categories: improve performance and regulatory relief (internal and external). Table 1 lists all of the recommendations.

Table 1

Improve Performance
Create a university human capital strategy.
Establish shared service centers for HR work.
Develop a human capital strategy for academic professionals.
Recommend employee benefits changes.
Regulatory Relief
Internal / Simplify all UI statutes and internal policies related to HR work to make more efficient.
Streamline the EEO/hiring process.
Utilize an electronic I-9 system for completing I-9’s to feed E-Verify.
External / Modernize the State University Civil Service System processes and procedures.
Make modifications to the SOEAA to modify the annual training process for UI employees.
Eliminate positive time reporting for all university employees, or in absence of “all” eliminate the requirement for faculty.

The new university human resource leadership team reviewed the ten recommendations in their deliberation for establishing strategic directions and goals for FY12. This team combined five of the recommendations into three projects to be kicked off in FY 12 (Table 2). This charter establishes an ARR-HR project steering team to oversee the three projects created.

Table 2

ARR-HR Recommendation / UHR Projects in Support of ARR-HR
Establish Shared Service Centers for HR work
Simplify all UI statutes and Internal Policies Related to HR Work to Make More Efficient / Streamline and simplify UI statutes and internal policies and implement through the establishment of shared service centers throughout the three campuses
Create a University Human Capital Strategy
Develop a Human Capital Strategy for Academic Professionals / Develop a University Human Capital Strategy for AP and CS employees with initial recommendations focusing on AP's.
Streamline the EEO/Hiring Process / Improve service delivery in the new hire process by streamlining the EEO component.

Purpose

The purpose of the steering team is to ensure that the projects meet their objectives and that the ARR-HR Subcommittee’s recommendations are implemented. The benefits expected from all of the ten recommendations have been described as cost savings through efficiencies, but with more focus on improved service delivery, speed of execution, and improved performance.

Governance

Each of the projects will be led by a project director from University Human Resources, facilitating project teams with members from all three campuses and university administration. Advisory teams and focus groups will be utilized at the appropriate time and in the appropriate phases of the projects. The project directors will report regularly to the steering team.

Expectations

The steering team will have expectations of the project directors/teams and they will have expectations of the steering team. Mutual expectations include candid dialogue and sharing of information. The steering team should expect the project directors to:

  1. Accurately reflect the work of the project and the health of the project team.
  2. Provide regular updates and information upon request.
  3. Provide draft documents before they are finalized.
  4. Provide good stewardship of the resources provided for the project.
  5. Develop scope and project plans.
  6. Nurture the project team.
  7. Establish timelines.

The project director/team should expect the steering team to:

  1. Break down barriers.
  2. Minimize political agendas so that the work can get done in a timely manner.
  3. Assist in providing resources to get the project completed.
  4. Provide input into the formulation of documents.
  5. Provide counsel and advice.
  6. Champion the projects and assist with communications at the senior management level.

Roles and Responsibilities

The steering team chair is the Executive Director and Associate Vice President for University Human Resources. The chair takes on the role of spearheading support for the project and alignment with the university executives for their support. The responsibilities include:

  1. Identification of project director.
  2. Identification of and released time for project team members to work on the project.
  3. Remove project barriers.
  4. Provide appropriate support for the team to complete its objective(s).
  5. Collaborate with project director on meeting agendas.
  6. Facilitating meetings.
  7. All responsibilities listed as a team member below.

The steering team represents the head of the three campus HR offices and HR for the administration. The Special Assistant to the President of the University serves as ex officio member. The Assistant Vice President for EEO and Human Resources and the Director of Human Resource Administration complete the steering team. Like the steering team chair, they also spearhead support for the project and alignment with the university executives for their support. The responsibilities include:

  1. Assist with the identification of people and financial resources.
  2. Break down barriers.
  3. Review draft outputs from project team.
  4. Make suggestions and recommendations.
  5. Review and approve final outputs from the project team.
  6. Champion the project team publically, as a group and individually.
  7. Assist with the prioritization of implementation plans.
  8. Assist with the communication of the project progress, deliverables and final products.
  9. Liaison with the ARR Steering Committee (Ex Officio member).

Maureen Parks

Executive Director and Associate Vice President for Human Resources

[1] Administrative Review and Restructuring, Human Resources Management Subcommittee Final Report, June 8, 2010, p. 3.