Project management
A project is characterised by delineation in time, money, people and by a specific order formulation with SMART formulated end goals. This might seem simple and obvious, but Senz Interim’s experience suggests otherwise. In the complex world of education, many aspects are interrelated. Educational institutions are, after all, large, with various departments and functions. Consequently, there is a risk that essential links in the educational logistics chain will be neglected, which poses a risk to the success of a project. The consultants at Senz Interim know better than most that preparation is one of the most important drivers for the success of a project. We work closely with you to determine what the project must deliver and the steps that need to be taken to achieve the formulated goals. In addition, Senz Interim consultants know who should be involved in which phase and for which part of the project.
Senz Interim has up-to-date insight into what the market currently has to offer in terms of planning and scheduling software and can translate these insights into practice within your educational institution.
A Senz Interim consultant will support the educational institution with the roll-out of new planning and scheduling software. He or she will provide the knowledge needed for your roll-out and that is currently lacking within your institution. In addition to technical support, we can also help with the organisation and steering of your project. The roll-out of your new application needs to support your educational logistics process in such a way that it is accessible to all users and that processes are configured to match the application used.
Senz Interim consultants will work closely with those involved, including users, at your institution so as to achieve the ideal result.
If your roll-out is complete but you still feel that you need support, please get in touch. Together, we can look at the knowledge level of your employees and put together a training programme. We do not offer standard programmes, but high-quality bespoke solutions.
Processes are the connecting link between different aspects within an organisation. A process includes agreements, descriptions, roles and responsibilities along a whole chain, such as the planning and scheduling process.
Processes that are running unsatisfactorily are not, by definition, incorrect, but can certainly be improved. Senz Interim consultants can work with your educational logistics process analysts to identify specific areas for improvement. We then suggest an action plan that consists of analysing, modelling and carrying out improvements. We analyse your process by looking at the current process flow and point out areas where improvements could be made.
We model our recommendations by translating them into concrete solutions that are consistent with your educational institution so that they can subsequently be put into practice. Our consultants not only look at the process, but consider human factors as well. Are current employees in the right roles? What is the best way to support them and what do they need so that they are on board with the changes? A talent analysis may form part of this process.
If the improvement process points to a full redesign of the process, Senz Interim can play a role by taking care of all support and/or implementation. Senz Interim does not offer standard programmes, but high-quality bespoke solutions.
An organisational change is a change process that can affect the core of an entire educational institution. It’s about more than just changing and adapting processes, but affects the culture of an organisation as well. Senz Interim consultants can support your educational institution with this change. Our approach includes thorough research, advice and practical support tailored to your institution. The key is to choose an approach that is appropriate to the situation, to your organisation and to the people who work there. Quality and attention are at the heart of our recommendations. We bring balance to substance and process-related change.
We don’t believe in one approach or one method as every situation needs a unique approach. We work with you to determine the approach that best suits your organisation. We can provide support for either the process as a whole, or individual components. Does your team need coaching, an assessment or talent analysis? We can help you. Please get in touch if you need support in your change process. With our wide-ranging expertise, we can provide bespoke support for your educational institution.
With the advent of e-learning and distance learning, smarter investment in facilities is becoming increasingly important. Where once the number of student enrolments would quickly determine the facilities needed, things are now somewhat more complex. And it’s not just e-learning and distance learning that are driving this shift, but the ever-changing form that education takes as well. This includes smaller classes, greater access to individual learning and different forms of education.
Demand for facilities is partly dictated by scheduling, which in turn is often determined by the availability of teachers. Their availability is dependent on the financial resources that are available. All of this emphasises the strong relationship between facilities and educational logistics. The following issues, which are highly familiar to schedulers, can be highly valuable when it comes to determining facilities requirements in the short term and long term:
- What is the demand for different types of rooms during a given time period?
- What capacity is required? For example: how many rooms are needed with capacity for 20 students?
- How full are the rooms and what do the students think of their occupancy?
- Is demand for certain rooms the same in all periods or over a week? Or can we be more flexible in how we configure rooms so that a room can be configured differently according to demand?
- Are we getting the maximum return from the current assignment of rooms? What do students think of the current use of space? Can they find/reserve somewhere to work without difficulty?
An important component within the educational logistics process is test logistics. This involves multiple parties with divergent interests. The test organisation will want to determine everything as promptly as possible within the process, while teachers prefer to implement changes at the very last moment. Consequently, it’s important to look for a uniform work process that is feasible for all parties involved. Senz Interim consultants can provide support by taking a helicopter view of the process and linking their observations to the principles of the test logistics process within the educational institution. With their communications skills, they are able to clearly justify potential choices and to make decisions based on this justification. This will ensure that the impact on the institution’s employees is not overlooked.
Would you like to know more about how Senz Interim can help? Please get in touch.
