Following up on your questions
Questions from the November event
This update was shared in the Friday 17 November Staff Briefing.
Career progression for professional services staff
This topic was covered at the In conversation with the President session in October 2023, as well as in the follow up communications for that event. You can view more information on the webpage.
Several divisions have run career development sessions already, and we are exploring running a dedicated Imperial-wide session on career development in the new year.
OPUS (Optimising Process, Unifying Systems) programme
You can find out more information about OPUS on the website.
Staff involvement
The contribution of colleagues from across Imperial is a key principle of how the OPUS programme operates. Almost 100 members of staff have already been involved in the programme and we have already employed 12 members of our Professional Services community, backfilling their time to focus 100% on the programme.
As we progress, we will look to how we can engage many more in the design and development of the programme and be creative with you to minimise the additional burden this may place. There will be more opportunities in 2024 to support OPUS and represent your area when we will refine the requirements. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email the team and we will get back to you.
Measuring success
The OPUS Programme aim is to implement a modern and effective system that transcends HR, finance and research administration silos to deliver streamlined and consistent ways of working across all departments, faculties, and support services, with a consistent user-experience. We will define these benefits and measure our progress towards them to ensure we fulfil this ambition. This will include a wide range of indicators, such as user satisfaction, increasing our response times, reducing errors, better quality management information, shifting resource time from transactional activity to higher level activities.
UniForum
The UniForum Programme is a support services effectiveness and efficiency global benchmark study. We are participating in the programme to gain a deeper understanding of our support services operations. As our workforce data is not currently sufficient to give us an adequate picture of the pressures teams face every day, staff have contributed valuable data describing how we are resourcing our administration and support services, as well as sharing feedback on their experience of using key support services.
The programme will provide us with baseline data on our services’ performance and end-to-end resourcing to help us to better understand what takes up colleagues’ time, as well as gain a lens on service successes and gaps in performance that are the most important to staff. Participation in the study is one such way that we are exploring how we can facilitate better focused collaborative discussion and decision-making between departments, faculties and services to inform prioritisation based on insights into what matters most to staff. This will enable us to target service improvements and investment, and to plan for sustainable change.
Campus facilities and space
Using personal phones for work purposes
Some Imperial processes require the use of a personal smartphone – for example, multifactor authentication for secure access to Imperial services including Office 365. If you do not wish to use your personal device for work purposes, then you can request a hardware token from ICT – further information is available on the website.
Desk availability
We know we have the space for our staff, but we need to make sure we are sharing it effectively and that staff know what is available.
Anchor days for specific teams can be an effective way of making the most of being on campus together. You may need to collaborate with other teams based nearby and make use of the full working week when planning anchor days.
OfficeSpace is our new institutional desk booking system. It is already in use on Sherfield Level 4 and in the Faculty Building. We are keen for all professional services areas to start using OfficeSpace. To get your area set up, please contact Shauna Murphy.
Hybrid meetings
We have started an audit of meeting room spaces and equipment based on Celcat and Planon data. Through this initiative we will aim to agree room/setup standards based on activity needs, as well as clarify roles and responsibilities. If you would like to be part of a group defining the hybrid meeting room standards, please use this form. If you have any issues with meeting rooms in the meantime, please contact the ICT Service Desk.
Student space in Sherfield
Part of level 3 of the Sherfield Building has been redesigned into a collaborative space for students.
The initial design for this space was informed by:
- Consultation, discussion and workshops on informal learning and social spaces with Imperial College Union and student reps over the last 5 years
- Input from CHERS colleagues with expertise in learning spaces and identity development
- Analysis, experience, and observations from recent similar projects, for example the Library GoStudy spaces
- Analysis of relevant existing data, for example SES and NSS surveys
- Feedback from and discussions with academic departments and professional services teams
This initial design was shared with the ICU Officer Trustees who provided substantial feedback which was incorporated into the final design of the space, notably the flexible flat floor “free zone” and the microwave rooms. Additionally, ICU strongly encouraged us to take as sustainable an approach as possible, re-using existing furniture and equipment.
CHERS are leading on a robust evaluation of the new Student Space, involving significant engagement with the students using the space, which will inform future projects and will hopefully be published.
Sports facilities at White City
Students and staff at White City are being offered discounted access to the Westway Sports and Fitness Centre. The Centre is around a 15-minute walk away from the White City Campus and has a 100-station gym and exercise studio, large climbing wall, tennis courts and artificial floodlit football pitches. For students there will be an annual membership fee of £55, which runs from 1 September to 31 August. This covers access to the gym – please speak with staff at Westway Sports Centre if you have questions about other facilities.
Staff will be offered a monthly rate of £20. For more information and how to join please visit the Move Imperial website.
We have heard across multiple consultations how important the development of sport and leisure facilities are to the Imperial experience. The options being explored at White City will provide the space and services needed to support the College community as we grow into the future, and we will continue to consult with the community to ensure we are creating the right opportunities in the right spaces.
Imperial 360
We've established a robust network of communication channels to facilitate the transition to Imperial 360. Please visit Imperial 360 Knowledge Space for a comprehensive overview.
This includes:
- Monthly CRM board meetings, attended by representatives from each faculty, serve as a central hub for collaborative discussions and strategic planning.
More recently, daily updates on the Known Issues page and CRM board teams site have been instrumental in ensuring that central and faculty leads are able to relay crucial information to staff.
Regular email updates continue to be shared with the Vice-Dean Education, Director of Academic Services and the Chief Operating Officer, promoting an open flow of information. - All members of our community are invited to attend monthly demos, showcasing the latest developments. Request an invite for the Imperial 360 Monthly Demo.
- The CRM squad has been hosting online and in-person drop-in clinics, providing hands-on support to address queries and guide staff through navigating Imperial 360. To reserve your spot, complete the Imperial 360 Drop In Clinic Booking Form.