Readiness Survey Results

In April, the Integrated Renewal Program (IRP) conducted a change readiness assessment to measure the university’s overall preparedness for change. The assessment consisted of a readiness survey, sent to all staff and faculty via UBC Broadcast, and focus groups with select staff and faculty.

The survey response rate was 13.8%, and based on the population and sample size, the margin of error was 1.96% at a 95% confidence level.

What did we measure?

Both the survey and focus group measured readiness in four key areas:

1. Awareness and general understanding of the IRP: do people understand why we are doing this and what is being impacted?
2. Individual readiness for the change: do people feel ready for the change and do they understand what they need to do to get ready
3. Effective communication: is the program appropriately engaging and consulting with stakeholders, and are people receiving information about the program
4. Organizational readiness: is UBC as an institution ready for this change? Does it have the ability to be successful for an initiative of this size?

What were the results?

The results reflect varied levels of understanding across UBC. The results, based on the four key areas listed in the previous section, are illustrated graphically below:

This assessment was meant to provide an early baseline understanding against which to measure for future assessments.

The results combined with the qualitative feedback from focus groups is informing how we move ahead with the change management plans.

The following six recommendations were made:

1. Clarify roles and responsibilities of the Transition Network
2. Leverage and engage the Transition Network to increase physical presence in the community
3. Define what is changing for the community
4. Define a clear case for change for each significantly impacted stakeholder group
5. Demystify the timelines and plans for implementation
6. Uplift the current communication strategy and share it

Those six recommendations fall into two very broad categories, the Transition Network and engaging the UBC community.

The Transition Network

Enterprise wide change cannot be managed from the top. It is typical for large scale projects like the IRP to work with a network of individuals at all levels from across the organization to support change. At UBC, we’re calling that network the Transition Network (TN). This is UBC’s team of embedded subject matter experts who will help to translate the changes resulting from the implementation to best meet their department / unit needs.

As a direct result of feedback we received in the CRA, we are expanding representation and engagement with the TN to help support our community through this change. Through October, the IRP will continue meeting with existing TN members from all faculties and units to invite feedback to ensure we provide the tools to be successful.

We will also be working more closely with the network, supporting them to act as local extensions of the IRP program to assist with engagement and communications. See the illustration below to show how the program and network will work together to support UBC faculty and staff.

Engaging the UBC Community

Many of the recommendations relate to how the program engages with and communicates to the UBC community, and we have already started bolstering our communication and engagement approach as a result of the CRA.

Staff and faculty want to see Workday. In addition to monthly detailed Human Resources (HR) and Finance process demos, we provided the first of a series of large-scale Workday demos on July 30. The large-scale demos differ from our monthly deep-dive demos in that they provide overviews of the system and processes that will be used by the majority of staff and faculty.

Two additional demos are planned for October 1 and 30, as well as another demo in the New Year.

For colleagues at UBC Okanagan, we offer bi-weekly Workday Wednesday sessions, in addition to the other demos listed above.

We have started cascading monthly briefing notes to VPs, AVPs, deans, directors and heads, to support them in better understanding the program and equipping them to answer questions their teams may have. We have also started updating the website more regularly, updating Q&A’s and featuring the perspectives of leaders, staff and faculty from across both campuses.

What’s Next?

On October 8, the program will run a second change readiness assessment to determine the impact our current efforts are having. We expect to receive additional insights that will help us further adjust and refine our change management approach to ensure that the whole UBC community feels supported in the coming change.

Watch for additional communication via UBC Broadcast and UBC Today, as well as communication from your leaders encouraging you to complete the assessment. The more people who provide their feedback, the more impactful the results.

What can you do to stay informed?

Watch the IRP website for updates, and consider signing up for our monthly newsletter.

In the coming weeks, we will be posting additional information about training, and you’ll be able to start accessing videos demonstrating Workday functionality.

If you regularly use HRMS or FMS today, consider attending one of the monthly Human Resources or Finance call-ins. Or, if you only occasionally use those systems (e.g., submitting the occasional expense or submitting a time off request), consider attending one of the upcoming demo events.

Questions?

Reach out to us by email at integrated.renewal@ubc.ca.