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Media Release
$68 million to help our universities become more efficient
5 September 2007
The Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, today announced $68 million in funding to assist universities achieve greater productivity and operational efficiencies.
"The 36 projects funded under the second round of the Workplace Productivity Programme will strengthen the capacity of our universities to manage and implement workplace change," Minister Bishop said.
"Universities that embrace the opportunity for workplace reform and greater efficiency are able to free up resources to help retain and reward our best and brightest academics and researchers."
The successful projects include:
- $4.8 million for the University of Canberra to reform its business processes and improve its budget modelling and financial management;
- $4.5 million for Murdoch University to reform its governance and decision-making structures for increased efficiency in resource allocation for teaching and research;
- $3.7 million for Victoria University to progress workplace reform through more flexible working arrangements and strategic workforce planning;
- $3.2 million for the University of the Sunshine Coast for a major upgrade of administrative systems capacity that will enhance student and staff services;
- $3.3 million for The University of Adelaide to simplify its business processes and relieve the administrative workload on academic staff to improve teaching and research capacity; and
- $1.6 million for Macquarie University to streamline its academic structure and implement a new expense management system.
"The Howard Government is committed to improving the performance of our universities and the $68 million in grants I am announcing today is in addition to the $60 million in funding provided to the sector for productivity reform last year through the Workplace Productivity Programme," Minister Bishop said.
A list of the successful Round Two WPP projects is attached and further information on the programme is available at http://www.dest.gov.au/wpp/
Media Contacts:
Minister Bishop’s Office: Tory Vidler 0414 228 727
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Media Unit 02 6240 7300
Non-media queries 1300 363 079
Workplace Productivity Programme - Round 2
Funding from 2008 to 2010
|
Higher Education Provider |
Project Name & Description |
Funding |
|
Australian Technology Network (through RMIT) |
Alternative Pay and Career Structures for Academic and Professional Staff - develop an alternative pay and career structure for academic and professional staff in universities that provides flexibility and encourages improved individual performance outcomes linked to desired organisational objectives. |
$1,532,225 |
|
Batchelor Institute |
Student Services Reform - centralising the student application, admission and enrolment processes to achieve enhanced functionality and administrative efficiencies. |
$423,164 |
|
Central Queensland University |
HR Systems and Processes Renewal - change the way CQU utilises its HR information systems and significantly re-engineer the associated business processes, targeting areas which involve complex manual procedures and do not leverage available system efficiencies. |
$1,054,939 |
|
Charles Darwin University |
Reforming HR Practices - development of a framework to analyse and articulate future skills and competency needs; implementation of workforce planning activities and associated training; steps to improve strategic recruitment of staff; and implementation of an identity management system so as to make practical the outcomes from workforce planning. |
$2,353,743 |
|
Charles Sturt University |
Unified Session Model - replace CSU's current calendar arrangement of twelve or more overlapping academic sessions with a new unified session calendar which will have three sessions of equal duration applied across all CSU campuses and its partners worldwide, giving the university greater flexibility in the deployment of staff. |
$786,000 |
|
Deakin University |
Improving Productivity Through Workplace Reform - reforming the university's HR practices by removing workplace constraints and providing greater flexibility in the university's operations, leading to optimal organisational structures and improved operational performance. |
$2,532,050 |
|
Edith Cowan University |
Human Capital Planning and Performance Project - develop new HR systems, processes and practices to bring the standards of services and support in line with current international best practice. |
$530,000 |
|
Flinders University |
Enhanced Electronic Data Management - enable the university to improve its workflow processes and data management capacity, and implement an accounts payable invoice scanning and image storing system to support financial reform. |
$442,500 |
|
Griffith University |
Accelerating Workplace Reform - financial and operational reform project encompassing: strategic portfolio management; accrual management and reporting; automated accounts receivable invoicing; international transaction reconciliation; a new logistics service delivery model; and a student load projection model. |
$1,769,810 |
|
La Trobe University |
Business Improvement Programme - realign the university's regional, multi-campus workplace based on a new corporate and financial management framework, enhanced leadership and cultural change, and improved staff accountability and performance. |
$3,705,568 |
|
Macquarie University |
Academic Repositioning Project - streamline the academic structure and provide a more flexible and differentiated set of academic offerings as the basis for directing resources more efficiently towards areas of particular strength, importance and opportunity. |
$1,350,000 |
|
Macquarie University |
Expense Management System - replace an inefficient manual credit card management system with automated reporting of credit card purchases providing better information visibility on employee expenditure. |
$230,000 |
|
Monash University |
Higher Degree Research Admissions Improvements - move admission procedures to an on-line system, and integrate diverse and incompatible inquiry procedures into a streamlined and accessible environment. |
$1,653,800 |
|
Monash University |
Strategic Review of Monash Sport - review the university's sport and recreation services to develop a sustainable longer term structure and business model for the provision of these services across its six Victorian campuses. |
$120,000 |
|
Murdoch University |
Governance and Operational Efficiency Reform Programme - develop a high performance workplace through improved governance and decision-making, increased efficiency in resource allocation for teaching and research, and improved service delivery, cost effectiveness and management of non-academic functions. |
$4,493,714 |
|
Queensland University of Technology |
Standards for the Professional Practise of HR - develop standards for the professional practice of HR in Australian universities to set the basis for staff quality assessment, performance examination, and international benchmarking. |
$1,361,366 |
|
RMIT |
Improved Strategic Resource Management and Cost Reduction -reduce indirect operating expenditure through elimination of activities that do not contribute to major objectives, and an integrated resource management process which provides robust decision-support capabilities for management. |
$2,000,000 |
|
Southern Cross University |
New Business Model for the Delivery of Student Services - the development of an entirely new business model for the delivery of services across all the university's campuses, in partnership with student bodies, local small business, corporate service providers, community organisations, and academic areas. |
$397,160 |
|
Swinburne University of Technology |
People, Productivity and Performance - increase workforce efficiency and productivity by defining and measuring performance standards, developing a performance-based remuneration strategy, and implementing an on-line performance management system, all underpinned by a comprehensive change management strategy. |
$2,490,500 |
|
Swinburne University of Technology |
Centralising the Application Management System - provide a centralised system for administering applications from both international and domestic students, which will provide efficiencies in reporting and student processing. |
$551,650 |
|
The Australian National University |
Enabling Workplace Flexibility - move from an existing two-semester 26 week academic calendar to one that enables full use of educational infrastructure and academic expertise across the 52-week calendar year, thereby increasing productivity and meeting the needs of students for more flexible education. |
$2,925,000 |
|
The University of Adelaide |
Support Service Excellence Programme - relieve academics of unnecessary administrative burdens by identifying and implementing improved ways of delivering support services, simplifying administrative processes, and standardising business processes with the aid of technology that enhances work-flows. |
$3,287,500 |
|
The University of Queensland |
Financial Transformation Project - reshape the role of the Finance department to better support the university's strategic goals by shifting away from paper-driven, labour intensive processes and delivering a more powerful financial analysis capability and improved corporate governance and compliance. |
$3,400,000 |
|
The University of Sydney |
Performance Aligned Remuneration Programme - re-engineer the university's remuneration practices to ensure that it optimises its salary budget by attracting and retaining high performing employees. |
$2,918,000 |
|
University of Canberra |
Re-Making UC Systems and Processes - implement the new single services regime to streamline administrative staffing, and overhaul systems and reform business processes for student administration, academic decision-making, budget modelling and financial management. |
$4,750,000 |
|
University of Newcastle |
HR Services Management System - deliver a Business Process Management System and methodology which will be applied to HR business strategies to maximise workplace flexibility and performance standards. |
$327,600 |
|
University of NSW |
Centralised Childcare Operating Model - implement a centralised operating model for the four childcare centres at the university that will result in savings realised as more childcare places, and improve the availability of childcare is an enabler of staff and student recruitment and retention. |
$400,000 |
|
University of South Australia |
Efficiency and Governance of Corporate Services - reform the operating environment and provide enhanced governance by re-engineering business processes and corporate performance management across central, divisional and school structures. |
$2,778,118 |
|
University of Southern Queensland |
An Integrated Dashboard for Universities - a collaboration between USQ, ACU, and Swinburne to provide the capacity to source, integrate, utilise and report on human resource, financial, student, research and facilities data from different complex systems to deliver powerful cross-functional business intelligence. |
$2,002,475 |
|
University of Tasmania |
Collaborative Medical School Benchmarking - a collaboration between the medical schools of the University of Tasmania, the University of Newcastle and the University of Adelaide aimed at an enhanced level of co-operation and support between the teaching hospitals and their medical staff and more streamlined back office processes. |
$230,000 |
|
University of Technology Sydney |
Performance Management Framework Blueprint - deliver an integrated performance management capability for the university to support decision making through monitoring key performance indicators and consolidating various business intelligence and planning systems. |
$1,428,324 |
|
University of the Sunshine Coast |
Administrative Productivity Improvement Plan - a major upgrade of administrative capacity that will enhance services for staff, students and linked external organisations, re-engineer business processes and functions, automate current labour-intensive manual tasks, and expand self-service options. |
$3,228,260 |
|
University of Western Australia |
Organisational Renewal and Productivity Programme - business efficiency and productivity reform through aligned activities: course structure review; strategic procurement project; integrated performance management; accommodation efficiency audit; and workforce planning for strategic human capital development. |
$2,324,529 |
|
University of Western Sydney |
UWS - Our People 2015 - a strategic staffing strategy to enable improved productivity, performance and HR management across the university by addressing succession planning and professional capability development, and developing reward, recognition and incentive schemes to retain high performing staff. |
$2,927,200 |
|
University of Wollongong |
Workforce Planning Model - establish a comprehensive planning model to maintain a high quality, versatile and diverse workforce which is continually aligned with the university's strategic priorities. |
$1,515,000 |
|
Victoria University |
Building Workforce Capacity - workplace reform through direct and flexible working relationships, workforce planning and skill development, and performance management to achieve managers and staff with the right skills to implement the Making VU strategy. |
$3,666,124 |
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