assessment and administrative burden: why assessment is important
TRANSCRIPT
ASSESSMENT AND
ADMINIS
TRAT
IVE
BURDEN:
WHY
ASSESSMENT
IS IM
PORT
ANT
WHY
ASSESSMENT
IS IM
PORT
ANT
INTRODUCTIONS
David MineoManaging DirectorDLMineo Consulting, [email protected]
Brigette Pfister, MHRD, CRADirector of Sponsored Programs for Humanities &
SciencesVirginia Commonwealth [email protected]
AGENDA
• What is Administrative Burden?
• What is Assessment?
• Types of Assessment
• Why We Do Assessments
• At the Intersection of Administrative Burden and Assessment
• Case Study: VCU College of Humanities & Sciences
ad·min·is·tra·tive
of or relating to the running of a business, organization, etc.
bur·den
a load, especially a heavy one.
WHAT IS ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN?
“…the baggage that comes with doing business”
Synonyms: load, weight, cargo, freight
ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN
Administrative burdens are “costs” imposed on an organization as a direct result of government regulation. For research universities and other entities receiving federal funds, these costs represent thousands of hours spent on activity that may not directly benefit the institution or the project in question.
NSB ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN REPORT
“There is now consensus that some of these requirements are interfering with the conduct of science out of proportion with the accepted need to ensure accountability, transparency and safety.”
“Principal investigators (PIs) of federally sponsored research projects spend, on average, 42 percent of their time on associated administrative tasks”
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsb1418/nsb1418.pdf
NSB ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN REPORT
“The most frequently reported areas associated with high administrative workload were financial management; the grant proposal process; progress and other outcome reporting; human subjects research (IRB); time and effort reporting; research involving animals (IACUCs); and personnel management. Other areas frequently addressed were subcontracts, financial conflict-of-interest (COI), training, and laboratory safety and security.”
“It is imperative that these issues are addressed so that researchers can refocus their efforts on scientific discovery and translation.”
WHAT IS ASSESSMENT?
as·sess·ment
the evaluation or estimation of the nature, quality, or ability of someone or something.
Synonyms: evaluation, judgment, rating, estimation, appraisal, analysis, opinion
ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT
Organizational assessment is a systematic process for obtaining valid information about the performance of an organization and the factors that affect performance. It is conducted in order to demonstrate areas of competence, areas for improvement, and possible risks, help support investment and restructuring decisions.
http://reflectlearn.org/discover/your-introductory-guide-to-oa
THREE LEVELS OF ASSESSMENT
Organizational Level
Team Level
Individual Level
WHY
DO WE D
O
ASSESSMENTS?
• Mandated from above• To find out what’s
going on• To help decide what
to do• To obtain data on a
known problem
PROS AND CONS OF ASSESSMENT
PROS
Broadens perspective
Pinpoints areas for improvement
Can help streamline processes and eliminate waste
Can help structure teams efficiently
CONS
Data can be misused or improperly interpreted
Can be time consuming and expensive
Can add significantly to administrative burden
AT T
HE INTE
RSECTION O
F
ASSESSMENT AND
ADMINIS
TRAT
IVE
BURDEN…
ASSESSMENT IS A GOOD IDEA WHEN:
• There are clear questions to be answered
• Performance problems exist or improvements are needed
• Leadership is on board
• There are major decisions to be made
• Long-range planning is underway
• Good Return on Investment (ROI) is likely
• There aren’t clear questions to be answered
• The results are unlikely to be useful (low to no ROI)
• Leadership hasn’t bought into the idea
ASSESSMENT IS LESS OF A GOOD IDEA WHEN:
Above all, assessment Above all, assessment must be handled must be handled professionally and professionally and properly in order to be properly in order to be successful!successful!
EXAMPL
E
Virgin
ia C
omm
onwea
lth U
niver
sity
’s
Colle
ge of
Hum
aniti
es &
Sci
ence
s
CONTEXT
VCU’s strategic plan is called the Quest for Distinction, aimed at distinguishing VCU as the nation’s premier public, urban, research university
CHS is VCU’s largest academic unit
CHS strategic planning process was aimed at articulating a candid assessment of the strengths and challenges, and an inspirational vision for the future
Alumni Survey2000 responses
Concept Mapping350 participantsIdentified Priorities and Areas of Largest Impact
Small Group DiscussionsGroups of 8-12 met with the Dean personally
THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS
Most of the "priorities" that emerged from this process represented actions that would improve the VCU work environment and/or faculty and staff productivity
RESULTS: OUR PRIORITIES
A liberal arts and sciences education provides a pathway for students to a deeply meaningful and successful life and career
Transformational impacts cannot be achieved without a full commitment to excellence, but H&S will have to build excellence by building areas of national distinction in some programs while correcting deficiencies in others.
A dynamic and inclusive learning and working environment in which individuals of differing cultural and intellectual perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds are welcomed, valued and supported is critically important
Time is a finite and extraordinarily valuable resource
RESULTS: WHAT WE NEED TO DO
Increased funds, through university allocation, fundraising, and sponsored research
More faculty, and staff to support them
Diversity among our faculty to reflect the diversity of the student body
Integrative opportunities for students, like undergraduate research, international experiences, etc.
Additional office and research space
Resources and incentives to encourage innovation
WHAT WE’VE DONE SO FAR:
Begun communicating our findings to university leadership
Drafted a strategic plan, aligned with VCU’s Quest for Distinction
Hired a Director of the Great Place Initiative for our College
Developed specific action items to further our goals
Set metrics for those actions so that we can evaluate our success later
ASSESSMENT AND
ADMINIS
TRAT
IVE
BURDEN:
WHY
ASSESSMENT
IS IM
PORT
ANT
WHY
ASSESSMENT
IS IM
PORT
ANT