Transcript:

Alistair Finlay:

As part of the steps we are taking to ensure financial sustainability in a difficult operating environment, we have implemented a Voluntary Severance Scheme in February of this year.

The departures that follow the scheme are made entirely by choice and will contribute towards our efforts to return to a break-even position. On behalf of the leadership team, I would like to thank those colleagues who are leaving for their contribution they have made to the University in their time with us. 

We recognise that there will be a period of transition as the changes implemented following the VS scheme take effect and are outworked.

The University Management Board and I would like to update you on our plans to support a smooth Post-Voluntary Severance transition and collectively answer some of the key queries we’ve been receiving from colleagues.

Professor Judy Williams:

A key focus will be on the reduction of administrative burden to help protect our workload, and we plan to leverage digital solutions, including AI, to enable this. AI continues to evolve, and so too must our strategies for governance, policy and service delivery.

At Queen’s, we take pride in being at the forefront of both AI research and its application, and we are confident that we can successfully seize this moment of change to push forward with digital transformation.

This will allow us to focus on the quality of our work rather than the quantity.

Alistair Finlay:

Organisational design principles have been developed to provide a transparent and equitable framework for implementing the structural change required to best enable the post-VSS transition. An Oversight Group, responsible for approving Organisational Design and recruitment is meeting bi-weekly; as are Job Evaluation Panels, and the Organisation Working Group, which includes the Trade Unions, to progress this important work. We also are meeting with the Staff Forum on the same basis, listening and responding to your feedback through your representatives there. 

Interim arrangements for Job Evaluation and Recruitment have been approved by UMB to support the timely implementation of any changes.

For Job Evaluation, the usual requirement for posts to be operating at a higher level for 12 months before re-grading will be waived during this period. To ensure consistency and transparency, standardised job titles and short-form job descriptions will be used.

In the recruitment space, we are seeking to promote internal mobility in order to make best use of existing talent.

Therefore, I am pleased to update you that unless there is a clear objective justification to do otherwise, roles will only be advertised internally. External recruitment will now occur only when:

• no suitable internal candidates,
• where there are skills gaps,
• or where equality considerations apply.

Most internal advertisements should now be issued university-wide to ensure transparency and equal opportunity. However, in certain cases, it may be appropriate to conduct a more limited trawl at School, Directorate, or Department level.

In such instances, the rationale and proposed approach must be clearly documented and agreed in advance with the relevant HR Business Partner.

The redeployment and reserve lists for internal candidates will be reviewed and considered before placing an internal or external advertisement.

Professor Ian Bruce:

As Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellors, we want to take this opportunity to reassure researchers, academic staff and technicians that the University is committed to supporting you and the work that you do.

Professor Nola Hewitt-Dundas:

In particular, we will continue to implement the Simitive Academic Work Planning System for academic workload management. The system is a significant investment by the University, and it provides data to support work planning, operational decision-making, and evidence-based approaches to continuous improvement.

Professor Geert Duwulf:

All academic colleagues are encouraged to engage with the system, as maximising usage will help us to build a comprehensive dataset to inform workload management.

Alistair Finlay:

And, similarly, I would also like to reassure Professional Services colleagues that they too will be fully supported through any changes. In terms of the structure of Professional Services, we plan to optimise the effectiveness of the delivery of services to the three Faculties by making higher-level changes to how their support and administration teams work together in pursuit of Strategy 2030 objectives in order to:

• protect and preserve academic focus,
• Strengthen collaboration,
• enhance resilience,
• Increase integration,
• and ensure long-term sustainability.

A review and refresh of the business partnering model is also planned to ensure that all directorates are best placed to provide connected and agile support to Faculties and Schools and give clarity on roles of delivery at the appropriate level.

Indeed, supporting all of our staff - across all categories - in adapting to the, mainly local, changes that will follow VSS departures will be a key institutional priority. We know that when managers feel confident and able to prioritise honest conversations, teams feel heard, valued and empowered to navigate change together.

To help with this, we have launched a bespoke Change Toolkit, to support all staff with people management responsibilities in leading, communicating and delivering change.

We understand that change can sometimes be unsettling, and we encourage colleagues to speak with their line manager about any concerns and to please avail of the wide range of support we have in place to support staff wellbeing if needed.

We are also launching a new Staff Health and Wellbeing Action Plan to ensure that wellbeing remains a key institutional priority as we work towards our strategic goals.

Professor Richard Miles:

In conclusion, we are taking a supportive and comprehensive approach to the current period of change, ensuring manageable workloads; delivering transparent and effective processes for change management, recruitment, internal mobility and career progression; and propelling our digital transformation to streamline administrative processes.

And all of this while continuing to deliver for our students and address the pressing grand societal challenges we, as a University community, tackle collectively through our research and operations.

It is vital that we continue to prioritise our return to a break-even position in order to maintain our effectiveness in safeguarding jobs and sustaining the exceptional student experience that we offer at Queen’s.

We will be back in touch tomorrow with a further update for you on the progress we are making on financial sustainability.