VP University Services and Finance reorganization

To achieve the goals of the University of Alberta for Tomorrow initiative, our new model centralizes many services and administrative activities, processes, and functions that are common to faculties and units across the university.

The University Services and Finance (USF) portfolio will house many of the university’s administrative departments, including:

• Finance, Planning and Procurement (FPP)
• Human Resources, Health, Safety and Environment (HRHSE)
• Information Services and Technology (IST)
• Shared Services
• Performance, Analytics and Institutional Research (PAIR)
• Internal Audit and Risk Management

The charts below will help you understand how services will be delivered in each unit and how teams will be organized to deliver the function.

Key features you'll notice

• Each department has Centres of Expertise (previously called Centres of Excellence) with specialists
• Several departments will have a team of Service Partners
• Staff members who complete transactional activities and client services will work together in Shared Services, and we’ve identified functions that will move there over the next few months.
• Most managers or team leads now have six to 10 people reporting to them, and the levels of hierarchy are fewer. By the end of the project, there will be a 25% reduction in the layers of hierarchy and an average 100% increase in spans of control. This will result in a substantial cost reduction. 

In time, employees will contact Shared Services to accomplish transactional tasks. More centralized administrative activities will allow us to streamline processes, and identify and correct inefficiencies. We also have an opportunity to foster a service culture that begins in the centre but is adopted broadly.

What you need to know about the following organizational charts

Legend:

• Blue indicates a new position has been created
• Green indicates existing, filled positions
• Grey boxes indicate positions that will transition to Shared Services, Centres of Expertise, or Service Partner roles in the future
• Lime green indicates positions that are still being planned
• "# FTE" (full-time equivalent) indicates the number of positions
• "Reports: # FTE" indicates the number of positions reporting to the role
• FTE ranges are included where decisions are still being made

Finance, Procurement and Planning (FPP)

Notes:

• Current FTE: 95  |  Future FTE: 102
• Current hierarchy layers: 4  |  Future hierarchy layers: 3
• Average current span of control: 3.8  |  Average future span of control: 6.3
• Service partner allocation based on combination of UniForum data and stakeholder input
• Distribution Service (23 FTEs) moves to Shared Services
• Initial discussion with IST and F&O suggested category procurement specialist will be moved to procurement CoE
• Given proximity to central unit, 1 admin to support AVP is sufficient

 

Human Resources, Health Safety and Environment (HRHSE)

Notes:

• Current FTE: 115  |  Future FTE: 98
• Current hierarchy layers: 4  |  Future hierarchy layers: 3
• Average current span of control: 2.1  |  Average future span of control: 6.1
• Communications officer roles temporary until engagement/ communications functions move
• Redistribute labour relations duties between HRHSE and Faculty Relations
• Admin support includes three administrative assistants and one operations coordinator

 

Information Services and Technology

Notes:

• Current FTE: 278.5  |  Future FTE (exc. Hub): TBC  |  Future FTE (inc. Hub): 336
• Current hierarchy layers: 5  |  Future hierarchy layers: 3
• Average current span of control: 5.7  |  Average future span of control: 8.9

 

Shared Services

Notes:

• Approximate FTE: ~100 (+ project teams)
• Future expected: 200+ staff
• Hierarchy layers: 3
• Approximate average span of control: up to 10

 

Performance, Analytics and Institutional Research (PAIR)

 

Internal Audit and Risk Management

 

 

Reducing or transitioning faculty support and growing the centre

Initially, departments and faculties will be asked to reduce their administrative employees, both to meet budget demands and to reduce duplication of activities that will occur in Shared Services. You will also notice that the number of administrative staff will grow in the USF portfolio, including Shared Services, over the next few months.

Though it may seem counterintuitive to reduce and then increase staff in this way, the final result will be fewer administrative staff at the university overall and reduced administrative costs. Fewer staff cannot continue to manage the same workload, so by restructuring we will make administrative and transactional work more efficient. Despite fewer staff overall, the increased collaboration and reduced hierarchy will allow for quicker decision-making and greater productivity. Faculties and organizational units will receive common, high-quality, professional services from the USF portfolio.