Shared Services Partnership
Effective and Efficient Foundations for the Future
Project Update Report
For period Jan-March
1. Learning Pathways and VET Registration
Focus Areas across all 5 centres:1. Existing classes and programs
2. Profile of learner groups.
3. Existing overlaps and/or gaps in service provision.
4. Current and future strategies for learning pathways from pre-accredited to accredited
5. VET registration processes
6. Relationships with other service providers, i.e. TAFEs, AMES, RTOs
Outcomes:
Establish the feasibility of:
Outcome / Actions/Findings to Date / Future Actions1.1 Map of courses offered within scope of registration / Not Feasible
This has not been developed as the format of this has not be clarified and it’s purpose not clearly distinguished from the shared courses register / Further discussion is required in the learning pathways group on this outcome.
1.2 Shared Services/ Courses register / Feasible
A rudimentary courses register has been created on Google Docs that allows project partners to view each others scope and see where courses are full to aid in referring between centre’s / Develop this Google Doc into an interactive tool that can be expanded to include other providers in the area and also track enquiries
1.3 Cost savings by reducing duplication in offered courses / Feasible
The learning pathways group is in discussion about how to unite on our scope planning to ensure maximum delivery of courses amongst the cluster and add to the scope in response to student enquiries across the cluster / Development of tools to track community interest either integrated with a SMS or as a separate tool
Formal agreement on consolidated scope planning and a documented process to be developed through strategic planning sessions
2. Workforce Processes:
Focus Areas across all 5 centres:1. Human capital management overview- existing skill-sets and skill shortages
2. Procurement and capital investment (including provision of space)
3. Administration systems
4. Invoicing and purchasing
5. Private and public sector partnerships
6. Best practices and process control
Outcomes:
Establish the feasibility of:
Outcome / Actions/Findings to Date / Future Actions2.1 Centralized HR and payroll system / Not Feasible at this time
HR processes have been mapped across the project partners but this has not been fully investigated as another Shared Services Project is working on this particular area and we would like to see their findings before proceeding further. / Examine actions of other shared services project to see if they can align with the project partners
2.2 Centralized and consolidated administration, purchasing and back office functions / Feasible
The workforce Processes survey has mapped the current processes amongst the project partners and the workforce processes group is currently undertaking mapping a single best practice process in different administration areas. The adoptions of an enterprise level Student Management System would also have a significant impact on these processes.
Several options for bulk purchasing are also being investigated and these will be released in the final report. / The final project report will include examples of best practice process maps in these areas as well as documenting the process undertaken to get to this stage, including training videos on the process mapping software used.
2.3 Skills and shared resources inventory / Not Feasible at this time
The Centre Profiles have established this to some degree but a full Needs Analysis needs to be conducted to establish skills gaps across the project partners. A Needs Analysis is a lengthy process that would need to be conducted beyond the end date of this project. / Templates and a project plan for a detailed Needs Analysis will be provided in the final report.
2.4 Strengthened private and public sector partnerships / Not Feasible at this time
This has note been fully examined as the focus has been on strengthening the partnership between the project partners first and this has been a long process that requires ongoing attention / The final project report will document options for private and public partnerships in the North West region
2.5 Consolidated procurement and capital investment / Not Feasible at this time
This has not been fully explored as the focus has been on mapping current processes first and this has taken much longer than first anticipated / The final project report will document options for consolidating banking and investment with providers tailored towards the community sector
3. Data Collection
Focus Areas across all 5 centres:1. Enrollment systems and procedures
2. Data collection systems and procedures
3. Scope of data collected
4. Existing overlaps and/or gaps in data collection
5. Privacy and confidentiality policies and issues
6. Current and predicted data collection requirements
Outcomes:
Establish the feasibility of:
Outcome / Actions/Findings to Date / Future Actions3.1 Centralized and Consolidated Enrolment System / Consolidated: Feasible
Centralized: Not Feasible
An evaluation of 11 Student Management System, shortlisted to two systems- one that could be independently implemented and one that can be implemented jointly by sharing the maintenance fee and hosting.
Throughout the course of this evaluation it has become evident that getting all of the partnership on one system and sharing training and implementation is feasible but requires a significant shift in processes. However centralizing an enrolment system- that is having it hosted, delivered and administered through one of the partners for the entire partnership requires a significant change in governance and a very strong, long established partnership. / Further investigation into the two shortlisted systems and the feasibility of a form of centralization under a web based provider.
The final report will document a process for implementing a new SMS and operations under a shared service model
3.2 Consolidated data Collection / Feasible
Mapping the processes for enrolment and reporting found that Easystats was being used amongst the project partners solely as a reporting system without any use of the administration functions. Knowledge of the reporting process is held exclusively by one person. Systems for data collection vary widely amongst the project partners mostly with a combination of Access databases and paper records. Moving to an enterprise level Student Management System would greatly increase the detail of the data that can be collected and significantly decrease the amount of time spent in administration tasks related to this data- ie timetables, certificates etc / Training session in Easystats so that admin staff can use it as well
Documented process for moving from Easystats to a dedicated Student Management System
Improved System for recording student enquiries and documenting
3.3 Web based databases / Feasible
The system evaluation has looked at a combination of web based and software based systems. Given that the project partners employ IT contractors rather than dedicated IT staff there are significant advantages to operating a web based database that is updated and maintained externally through an annual maintenance fee. Individually the fees associated with this are prohibitive but under a shared services model the project partners can buy a set of licenses and split the maintenance fee between them / The final report will include a SWOT analysis of web based versus software based databases and an interactive tool to aid community organisations in choosing a database
3.4 Best practice in data collection / Feasible
Adoption of an AQTF compliant student management system would bring the project partners up to best practice in data collection / Develop a new process map for enrolment and reporting that aligns with the SMS chosen by the project partners
4. Strategic Business Planning and Financial Accountability
Focus Areas across all 5 centres:1. Reporting systems and processes
2. Governance models
3. Accounting systems
4. Budgetary processes
5. Programming
6. Strategic plans and sustainability
Outcomes:
Establish the feasibility of:
Outcome / Actions/Findings to Date / Future Actions4.1 Consolidated 5 and 10 year strategic plan / Feasible
The strategic planning group has had lengthy discussions and also run sessions on best practice in strategic planning. The experience of the other working groups has highlighted the need for shared strategic planning before any consolidated changes could be implemented / Two half day, professionally facilitated, strategic planning sessions will be held close to the end of the project to establish a shared strategic plan for the project partners that is aligned with all the finding of the working groups. The final report will include all the template and processes leading up to this point
4.2 United vision and mission statement / Feasible
It has taken some time for the project partners to realize that, despite differences in operations and governance, they have a significant amount in common, particularly in back office operations. . This “courtship” phase has been lengthy but an integral part of arriving at a point where shared strategic planning can be formalized. / The strategic planning sessions will also cover the creation of a united vision and mission statement.
The final report will also look at the levels of partnership leading up to and beyond sharing services and the amount of partnership building required before this is feasible.
4.3 Consolidated accounting, reporting, budgeting and programming process and systems / Reporting & Programming: Feasible
Accounting & Budgeting: Not Feasible
The workforce processes group has examined and will map a consolidated approach to reporting using a dedicated enrolment system.
The Learning Pathways group is working on a process for a shared approach to scope planning and course delivery and this will be formalized in the strategic planning sessions.
The project has mapped accounting and budgeting processes amongst the partners but only in relation to collecting fees and enrolment. A lot more work would needs to be done to change and consolidate these processes and this is better focused on in a separate project. / The strategic planning sessions will aim to formalize a process of shared scope planning and changes in reporting processes are dependent on which SMS the project partners choose to adopt.
Best practice in accounting and budgeting processes will be included in the final report but any changes would need to be the subject of another project.
4.4 Alternative governance models / Not Feasible
This is an extremely complicated and diverse area amongst the project partners and other areas of the project have not been developed sufficiently enough to go into great detail in this area / The strategic planning sessions will look at governance models for a partnership and the final report will document examples of alternative governance models for shared services
4.5 Implementation of sustainable best practice business procedures / Feasible
The project has identified areas where the project partners fall short of best practice, but there are significant barriers, particularly in resources, that make shifting to best practice a lengthy and involved process that will need to continue beyond this project as part of each centre’s continuous improvement cycle. / The final project report will outline key areas of best practice and provide tools which community centre’s can use to manage the process of shifting towards them.
5. Information Sharing and IT Infrastructure
Focus Areas across all 5 centres:1. Sustainable, cost effective information sharing systems
2. Documentation and dissemination of Shared Services Model
3. Professional development needs
4. Best practice in shared services systems
5.IT Infrastructure gaps
6. Shared Services model that suits community services centres
Outcomes:
Establish the feasibility of:
Outcome / Actions/Findings to Date / Future Actions5.1 Shared Systems Database / Feasible
This aligns with the actions of a data collection group / The final report will document the actions of the data collection group
5.2 Consolidated Systems / Feasible
Mapping of processes amongst the project partners has identified a significant skill gap in the area of IT planning and development. The common arrangement amongst the project partners is to hire contractors with a focus on fixing IT issues as they arise. The shared services approach for the private sector would be to consolidate under one provider for the cluster. However there a significant barriers to this approach. / The final project report will document the barriers and issues to consolidating providers and present an alternative option of a shared staff member dedicated to IT development and infrastructure with a set of KPI’s aligned to a shared strategic plan.
5.3 Centralized Systems / Not Feasible at this time
Throughout the project it has become evident that any move towards centralization needs to be preceded by a consolidation of systems and the formation and development of a formal and very strong partnership. There are significant issues with centralizing systems between the project partners, particularly in the area of governance, that make centralization significantly more challenging and less feasible for the community sector than for the private sector. / The model presented in the final report will map the process for moving from independent organisations to consolidation and the possible further move to centralization and also the strengths and weaknesses of the two.
5.4 Standardized software / Not Feasible at this time
To some extent there is standardization between the project partners software in that we are all operating off IBM platforms with Microsoft software. However significant standardization of software is unfeasible under an arrangement where each project partner hires a different IT contractor focused on fixing IT problems but no staff member dedicated to IT development / This is aligned with the finding on standardizing systems.
5.5 Consolidated email and service providers / Not Feasible at this time
This is also unfeasible under the common arrangement of different IT contractors. / The option of a shared IT staff member will also include areas of the PD including consolidating service providers and IT infrastructure.
SSP Project Outcomes Update 17/10/2010 / 5