The challenge

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has committed to a long-term transformation of services to maximise use of resources, drive efficiency and improve the overall offer to existing and future students of the University, aligning operating costs and service outputs with its long term aims. This represents a significant programme of change for the University that will impact students, faculties and professional services.   

4OC were engaged to help ARU set out the scope of the transformation programme.

Together, we developed a Vision for the transformed University and agreed a high-level operating model

The response

We worked with the leadership teams across the University to:  

  • Develop an agreed and commonly understood vision for a transformed University  
  • Co-design, gain a common understanding of and gain agreement on a set of Design principles that set the framework for engagement and how the programme would be delivered  
  • Develop, based on 4OC’s transformation and change methodologies, an ARU bespoke transformation approach 

Our financial analysts produced a baseline of the operational financial performance, from which we were measured the impact of subsequent operational change as part of a formalised transformation programme.  

We conducted intensive and structured stakeholder engagement sessions to share and capture ideas for transformational change, tactical operational improvements and financial savings. By creating a safe space for individuals to engage with one another, discuss their own experiences of the organisation and address questions that they may not otherwise have the opportunity to consider, we helped the teams to start to take ownership of the activities and outcomes in the programme. 

The outcome

Using our experience of the HE sector and delivering organisational wide transformation programmes, we developed a narrative that helped the leadership team understand what some of the consequences of moving to a new operating model could be and how those consequences could be managed.   

This project established the framework and tone for the broader transformation programme.  We worked with the Transformation Leadership Team (TLT) to develop a Vision for the transformed University and agree a high-level operating model supporting efficient and student focussed services, setting out the activities required to affect and embed the change that will drive efficiencies and yield sustainable financial benefits.   

We provided and shared a detailed Risk, Assumptions, Issues and Dependency log (RAID), which included mitigation strategies. This helped to solidify confidence in the programme amongst the people who will be affected.  

Finally, during the Handover and Closeout stage we reflected with the client on the process, illuminating lessons learned to build capacity that would inform future projects and change activities as the TLT moves forward with initiating and mobilising the Transformation Programme.