Abstract

Higher Education Institutions require adaptability to change in order to ensure relevant impact in an ever-changing society. The multiple factors that influence the need for change can create a ‘firefighting response’ as opposed to a managed and meaningful direction of approach. This talk presents a case study of the introduction of a framework for managing change and Organisational transformation across a multi campus university. There is a specific focus on how the framework was successfully applied to support Organisational re-design. The South East Technological University of Ireland (SETU) has championed a design thinking approach to support adaptability to change. A role was created for a Senior Change Management Professional and a specific framework, process and toolkit were developed for implementation. The framework is a human centered, innovationbased approach which prioritizes the experiential knowledge of stakeholders in developing solutions. Navigating change in a University through people, processes and systems is not without pitfalls and the challenges experienced are discussed. Also considered is how small change can bring big wins when individuals are empowered to thrive amidst change. Specific metrics around outputs, outcomes and impacts were devised to measure the success factors of change initiatives. The talk also refers to the adaptation of existing spaces into studio spaces, and how the design led workshops, and training help to embed the people centered approach into the emerging culture. The framework, process and tools are replicable and can be applied to any organisation to unify people, fortify adaptability to change and lead successful transformations.

Speaker: Lynne Whelan

Published in: World Congress on Education (2024)

  • Date of Conference: 26-28 August, 2024
  • DOI: 10.20533/WCE.2024.0003
  • Electronic ISBN: 978-1-913572-71-6
  • Conference Location: Churchill College, Cambridge, UK

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