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Corporate Plan 2016/17
Introduction
Strategy 2020: Building Success Strategy 2020: Building Success sets ambitious goals around our vision of ‘an innovative and enterprising community, renowned internationally with an unrivalled student experience’. Our four strategic objectives, underpinned by enabling strategies and plans, provide focus and prioritisation to support delivery of our strategy. We are now in the third year of implementing our strategy and continue to target our investment and effort on areas of strategic focus in order to make good progress.
Corporate Plan 16/17 - Overview Our Corporate Plan for 2016/17 sets out our key actions for the year ahead, as agreed through the annual planning and budgeting round. Building on our achievements and investments in 15/16, our focus this year will be on growth, efficiency and enhancement. In light of the United Kingdom voting to leave the European Union, we will ensure we develop and implement resilient plans to address the implications of this decision as they emerge and, where we can, exert influence in the University’s best interests, engaging our whole University community in our response. Streamlining our academic portfolio will enhance quality, enable prioritised marketing and student recruitment and also free up staff time to focus on academic leadership and delivery. Our recent investment in International Operations, Research & Innovation Office and supporting systems will support growth in international students (on campus, online and overseas) and research, driven by evidence-based plans for each school. Enhancing teaching quality and student satisfaction through a programme focused approach to assessment and feedback and plans to support staff development and active learning will continue to be at the top of our agenda. We will build on progress made in terms of student engagement and opportunities, and will implement the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) to record co-curricular experience. We will also deliver key improvements to the student experience through eServices for Students and a focus on widening participation. Student enterprise will be prioritised through the Bright Red Triangle and we will drive innovation through our renewed focus on growing commercial income and partnerships. Embedding our professional service standards and delivering Online First for Staff will enhance our focus on customer service while seeking to be more efficient and effective. The introduction of new tools and streamlined policies, designed to transform the recruitment, development, reward and engagement of our people, will be crucial to our success. We will also progress with the first phase of the Estate Strategy and engage colleagues in its development. The Strategic Change Board will continue to drive, champion and monitor the Corporate Plan to ensure we make the progress required to deliver Strategy 2020. To see the detailed version of this plan with identified owners and alignment with key performance indicators (KPIs), please see the Operational Corporate Plan 16/17. 2
Key Deliverables
To grow our academic reputation we will: Strengthen academic leadership by implementing changes to the Subject Group Leader role, to help build a strong external profile for each subject area, while supporting staff development Deliver undergraduate and taught postgraduate student growth targets, by using school recruitment plans to target efforts in line with priorities identified through the portfolio review and associated market assessment, focusing on ‘rest of UK’, online, EU and international markets Support student growth and school priorities, by implementing marketing and recruitment strategies in line with school priorities, underpinned by a new business partner model, content marketing and website development Improve National Student Survey (NSS) and Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey results by using school-specific action plans to address local feedback, adopting the internal satisfaction survey fully and consistently as part of the quality framework and improving assessment and feedback practices across the University Enhance pedagogical learning, teaching skills and curriculum design by implementing a consistent approach to peer review and observation of teaching, expanding ‘Students as Colleagues’ across all schools and rolling out a new model of learning and teaching engagement with schools Improve management, planning, reporting and promotion of research activity by embedding the new research management system and other key policies and processes Grow research by implementing targeted action plans for each school, underpinned by findings from undertaking a mini Research Excellence Framework assessment Improve quality and capacity of supervision for researchers through a range of training programmes across the University Increase number of international postgraduate research students by prioritising a cross-University initiative focused on engagement, attraction and conversion
Academic leadership
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Portfolio for growth
Teaching quality
Research growth
Key Deliverables
To deliver an excellent personalised student experience we will: Continue to engage students as partners by focusing efforts on closing the feedback loop and working with Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association to deliver the current Student Partnership Agreement, while developing a strengthened agreement for future Improve and sustain the coherence and quality of student learning, by rationalising, consolidating and simplifying our academic portfolio at a programme and module level in line with performance and viability, while embedding the portfolio review within the planning process to ensure a culture of continuous portfolio evaluation Increase student satisfaction in relation to assessment and feedback by aligning and improving: guidance; staff development; regulations; and processes through the ‘Programme Focused Approach to Assessment and Feedback’ project Enhance engagement with, and expertise in, active learning by establishing a range of teaching spaces enabled by innovative technology Increase access to accredited work-related learning experiences and provide students with a record of their curricular/co-curricular experience, by using detailed scoping information to expand opportunities and implementing HEAR Deliver individualised timetables, online coursework submission and receipting, and payment process enhancements through ‘eServices for Students’, as well as making prioritised improvements to support the research postgraduate journey Enhance student support and information services by developing and adopting a new model for academic and pastoral support, and transforming our student hub function Progress achievement of our MD20/MD40 targets and gender equality commitments by finalising a new Widening Participation Strategy and beginning its implementation
Coherence & quality
Opportunities & engagement
Enhanced services
Widening participation
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Key Deliverables
To build innovation, enterprise and citizenship we will: Maximise success by aligning our approach under a new Innovation, Enterprise and Citizenship Strategy Increase student start-ups and grow engagement in business incubators, projects, events and consultancy by providing on-campus Bright Red Triangle services across the University and developing spaces to support incubation and collaborative innovation and enterprise activities Support our graduates to develop enterprising and innovative mind-sets by launching a new ‘StandOUT’ Opportunities Platform to promote the co-curricular, employability, global mobility and skills development opportunities available to our students Increase Knowledge Exchange (KE) partnerships and commercial growth by enhancing our approach to business engagement and support for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Generate increased commercial income by promoting our academic expertise and implementing plans to improve the commercial use of our estate Support efficient, effective and customer-focused service delivery by embedding the new Professional Service Standards and implementing a framework to develop a culture of collaborative continuous improvement Improve our efficiency and effectiveness by streamlining responsibilities for admissions, student placements, global mobility and campus services, fully implementing online boards and improving key administrative processes Enable collaborative working on budgets, implement a new e-expenses system and improve our academic and student records management by progressing the delivery of ‘Online First for Staff’
Strategic approach 6
Enterprise & attributes
Knowledge exchange & CPD
Customer service & efficiency
Key Deliverables
To internationalise our work we will: Grow the number of students studying with us off-campus and improve their satisfaction through implementation of our new Online and Transnational Education (TNE) Strategy, enabled through school specific plans Increase the number of international students studying on-campus, by delivering targeted plans underpinned by robust market intelligence, recruitment and new pathway programmes Provide enhanced support services for international students by implementing new in-country pre-sessional programmes, adapting induction materials and establishing an International & EU Crisis Fund Support internationalisation of the curriculum by producing a best practice guide and supporting resources for use in the development of new programmes and transition of existing programmes based on an exercise mapping our current portfolio against key internationalisation criteria Maintain our positioning as an international university, by developing and implementing plans to address the implications of the European referendum result
Online & TNE strategy
On-campus recruitment
Enhanced services
Internationalised curriculum
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Enabling Actions
In support of our strategic goals we will: Category Establish a high performance culture by embedding the new online ‘My Contribution’ tool with a focus on improving completion, quality and ‘line of sight’ in objectives, while supporting the delivery of workforce plans Recruit and develop talented professionals by developing our brand as an employer of choice, improving the recruitment process and candidate experience, and implementing a new online development planning tool People
Make progress towards achieving transparency, clarity, and consistency around all types of salary and non-salary-related rewards by developing a flexible Total Reward framework Enhance employee engagement and relations by supporting the Employee Engagement Action Group to drive and facilitate staff-led improvements and developing new guidelines and tool kits based on a review of all policies, procedures and contracts Grow staff engagement and pride by implementing a proactive approach to internal communications Maintain our position as one of the ‘greenest’ institutions in the UK through embedding environmental risk and impact
Estate
Facilitate student population growth and enhance the student experience by working with schools and services to address the acute needs at Merchiston and deliver improvements such as researcher spaces at all campuses Make specific progress in considering the requirements for the major capital investment projects within the Estate Strategy supported by the newly established Estate Strategy Oversight Board
Technology
Facilitate new ways of working and provide great places to work, by implementing technological and service advances Drive income growth through effective business development, underpinned by robust business cases
Finance
Partners & Friends Processes
Ensure the University remains financially sustainable and achieves value for money by improving the use of financial KPIs to align support with the achievement of targets Support research and commercial growth and increase opportunities for students by implementing our external engagement strategy with particular plans for maximising relationships with individuals, businesses, the community and alumni Increase our level of philanthropic support by developing and promoting key projects aligned with our priority areas Improve support for planning and accelerate the effective delivery of change by developing and embedding business intelligence solutions, for financial, workforce and academic performance reporting and adopting a portfolio approach to change
Cultural transformation 8
Values Professional Innovative Ambitious Inclusive
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KPIs
Key Performance Indicator target trajectories: Actual
Forecast
Milestone
2020 Target
KPI Title 13/14
14/15
15/16
16/17
17/18
18/19
19/20
18,436
19,507
19,275
20,278
21,427
22,588
22,600
1.2 Proportion of academic staff active in externally funded research
16%
15%
16%
19%
24%
31%
40%
1.3 Number of research active staff (REF 2.5 standard)
107
1.4 Income from research grants and contracts (£000s)
4,513
4,654
4,454
5,356
6,300
7,512
9,100
1.5 Taught postgraduate students (headcount); total population
3,050
3,784
3,350
3,494
3,757
3,986
3,900
1.6 Research postgraduate students (headcount); total population
208
238
260
270
280
290
300
1.7 Student satisfaction: NSS
85%
84%
84%*
87%
88%
89%
>90%
2.1 Graduate employability
95%
95%
95%*
≥95%
≥95%
≥95%
≥95%
2.2 Entrants to programmes with work-related experience element
69%
74%
79%
84%
90%
95%
100%
GROW OUR ACADEMIC REPUTATION 1.1 All students (headcount)
137
169
200
DELIVER AN EXCELLENT PERSONALISED STUDENT EXPERIENCE
2.3 Student participation in co-curricular activities BUILD INNOVATION, ENTERPRISE AND CITIZENSHIP 3.1 Total revenue from CPD and KE for businesses and the community 3.2 Reduction in carbon emissions INTERNATIONALISE OUR WORK 4.1 Total international (non-EU) students (FTE) 4.2 International study opportunities and outward mobility ENABLERS E.1 Overall employee engagement
Baseline will be established in 2016/17 with performance tracked thereon
2,202
2,408
2,600
2,700
2,800
2,900
3,000
30%
28%
>35%
>35%
>35%
>35%
>35%
4,506
5,264
5,200
5,720
6,230
6,990
7,800
Baseline will be established in 2016/17 with performance tracked thereon 73%
80%*
80%*
80%
E.2 University total income
£113M
£119M
£117M
£121M
£126M
£133M
£141M
E.3 Financial surplus
£4.4M
£4.6M
£2.3M
£2.7M
£2.6M
£4.7M
£7.2M
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*confirmed figures for 15/16
Budget
2016/17 Budget and Investment Plans: Our Budget
Our budget for 2016/17 has been developed through our internal planning process and is aligned with school and service targets. It is designed to keep us on track with our Strategy 2020 ambitions, in particular our commitment to delivering the growth and surplus required to ensure financial sustainability and underpin essential investment. However, we recognise significant challenges against each of our key income streams. The challenges include a 3.3% reduction in our Scottish Funding Council grant (an income stream that accounted for 45% of our budgeted income in 15/16). Performance in 15/16 that was behind income targets in international activity and research means the growth planned for 16/17 will be especially stretching. People are the University’s biggest asset and inflationary pressure on the University’s pay is around 5% (including increased employer national insurance and pension contributions) hence the 16/17 budget seeks significant efficiency savings. As in previous years we have included some contingency as well as an Opportunity and Projects Fund to facilitate investment in strategic change and emerging opportunities.
£’000
2016/17
Income
121.3
Pay
(75.1)
Non-pay
(42.0)
Surplus
2.7
Surplus as % income
2.2 %
Pay as % income
62.8 %
Income growth
3.8%
Pay as % growth
3.2 %
Our Investment Plans We recognise that to be successful we must continue to prioritise appropriate investment while delivering on earlier investment commitments in areas including International Operations, Research & Innovation, PhD students and new academic staff. Up to £11m capital has been budgeted for 16/17, subject to full business case scrutiny, to support investment within academic schools such as the improvement of facilities in Engineering & the Built Environment as well as investment in information systems infrastructure and other estate improvements.
Delivering on our Budget Our plan is reliant on us achieving challenging income growth targets in line with our investment plans. We aim to grow our international on-campus fee income by £2.9m (30% growth), TNE and online fee income by £500,000 (6.3%), commercial income by £1.4m (35%) and research income by £1m (22%). We have examined the risks associated with all key income streams so that we may mitigate any issues that could impact growth. The success of our plan is also reliant on our ability to make ongoing efficiencies. The agreed 16/17 pay budget represents a real terms efficiency of around 6.5% in the context of 5% pay inflation. A recruitment chill, turnover savings and non-replacement of support posts as opportunities arise is helping to manage costs.
Beyond 16/17 Over the next three years our approach will continue to be focused on growing our income in line with Strategy 2020. We remain committed to achieving income of £140m by 2020 with a 5% surplus. Alongside growth this will require close management of costs, in particular restricting pay costs to around 60 per cent of turnover and navigating a number of significant external challenges including a highly competitive international market, HE policy divergence across the UK, changing UK immigration policy and the implications of the UK’s decision to leave the EU.
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Edinburgh Napier University is a registered Scottish charity. Reg. No. SC018373. ERC ref. 2937 Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com
