The document discusses building change capability in higher education. It notes that the number of students in higher education has declined while funding has also reduced, forcing universities to compete more. The Open University recognized it was falling short in identifying and delivering changes needed. It implemented several initiatives to improve its change capability, including establishing a common understanding of change management roles, implementing a single approval and prioritization process, and developing project management professionals through training and qualifications. As a result, the university saw a shift in its change maturity levels and competency in governing, managing and landing change. Going forward, the key challenges remain managing the volume of change and ensuring consistent understanding of changes across the university.

1. In the thick of it:
Building change capability in Higher
Education
APM Conference 2018

2. 2
(and why on earth am I here!?)
Who am I?

3. 3
What am I talking about
Share some insight to Higher Education
Introduce the Open University
What Change really means (to us)
How we tackled (and continue to tackle) our capability deficit

4. 4
Higher Education 101

5. 5
Higher Education 101
2012
200,000
2016
134,000
33%
CURRENT
33%
Whole
Market
Open
University
2012
59,000
2016
39,000
Number of students starting a part-time
undergraduate course in the UK has declined
Higher Education income has increased but
funding reduced – shift to compete
2009-10
£26.8bn
2015-16
£34.7bn

6. 6
And The Open University?
The Open University exists to challenge conventional thinking and pioneer new
teaching, helping our students achieve their life and career goals, it is essential we
deliver the right change within the university.

7. Our relationship with
Change

8. 8
Turbulent – to say the least
As a University we recognised that we were falling short in both our ability to
identify the right changes and to deliver them well
The outcome was simple: we needed to do less and do it better
We had three areas of focus:
Clear the decks – to free headspace and capacity
Change procedure - Single approach to approval, prioritisation and
assurance
Reinvigorate our change community and approach to capability building

9. 9
Risk based approach
There is a risk that there is too much change affecting some parts of
the organisation for our current level of change capability and capacity.
Change projects might deliver their agreed outputs, yet the intended
outcomes and benefits don’t materialise, or can't be evidenced.
Change initiatives may fail to successfully engage staff groups and
other stakeholders on whom they are reliant to achieve the change.

10. 10
The need to future proof
The sector and University is in a state of unprecedented change and we
didn’t feel we had the capability or capacity to navigate it
The need to change threatens the History of the University, its position as
an academic institution and its vision, to be ‘open to people, places,
methods and ideas’
We didn’t have positive experience of change, both real and perceived

11. Knowing what you’re up
against

12. 12
But what is Change Capability?
People Process

13. 13
APM: 5 dimensions of professionalism
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Body of
Knowledge
Competence
framework
Qualifications
CPD
Membership

14. 14
Change Maturity Assessment
Governing
Change
Managing
Change
Landing
Change
Level 1
Awareness
Level 2
Some
good
practice
Level 3
Defined
and
consistent
Level 4
Managed
and
Quantified
Level 5
Continuous
improvement
2015
2015
2015

15. 15
But what is Change Capability?
People focussed
Tools and
Techniques
Coal Face
Professional
Enable
Parity
Process focussed
Add Value
Increase
success
Transparency

16. So what did we do about
it?

17. 17
Common Understanding
Governing Change
Managing Change
Landing Change
Leading, enabling and
shaping the direction of
change activity, providing
strategic control,
organisation and
accountability for the
outcomes of the project
Coordination and delivery
of the day-to-day change &
project management
activities that move the
organisation from a current
state to a future state.
Ensuring that changes are
sustainable and achieve
desired benefits through
effective design,
stakeholder management
and implementation

18. 18
Single Process
Approval Prioritisation Assurance
Accept or reject proposals
inline with key criteria:
• University Strategy
• Step change in
capability
• Student Focus
• Decide when initiatives
happen in relation to the
wider portfolio and
known dependencies.
• Retain the right to
pause, stop or
reprioritise.
• Provide 2nd line
assurance to all projects
such as health checks
and gate reviews.
• Reporting to University
Committees and
External Bodies

19. 19
The first leap of faith
Commitment to the development of project management professionals
Competency
framework and tools
Development pathway
and Quals
• Based on APM competency
• Guided reflection
• Opportunity to translate
experience into capability
• 1 of 3 pathways
• APM Quals
• Coaching and mentoring

20. 20
Minimum Standards
Provide the university with a baseline level of expectation to support
decision-making and assurance
Develop institutional project and change maturity, to better ensure
successful delivery and enable greater transferral of skills
Allow direct comparison of projects to support our learning, decision-making
and assessment of the portfolio
Capability and
capacity
Activities and
assets
Roles and
responsibilities

21. 21
Single version of the truth

22. 22
Change community
C. 500 members
Action driven, results orientated
Capability focussed – providing CPD to improve competency

23. Bang for Buck?

24. 24

25. 25
Shift in maturity - 2018
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Body of
Knowledge
Competence
framework
Qualifications
CPD
Membership

26. 26
Shift in competency
Governing
Change
Managing
Change
Landing
Change
Level 1
Awareness
Level 2
Some
good
practice
Level 3
Defined
and
consistent
Level 4
Managed
and
Quantified
Level 5
Continuous
improvement
2017
2017
2017
2016
2016
2016
2019
2019
2019

27. What next?

28. 28
Is the problem still the same?
Coordination
Capability
Narrative
• Inconsistent project and programme
capability
• Unsophisticated approaches to project
planning and control
• Multiple portfolios –
‘similar but different’
• Resource
Management ‘at
capacity’
• ‘Emotional baggage’
• Perception of
changes as
conspiracy rather than
benefits realisation.
• Inconsistent
understanding of
change motive

29. 29
Sort of
Coordination
Capability
Narrative
Volume of change is
actively managed –
prioritisation conflicts
remain
OU ‘emotional baggage’
Inconsistent understanding
of changes and their motive
Capability that meets the Chartered
Project Professional
Focus on consistency - no big wins
Stop being so hard on ourselves

30. THANK YOU