Integrating Integrating Measurable Measurable

Outcomes into the Outcomes into the Work of TeamsWork of Teams

Michael FosmireMichael FosmireLTF 6LTF 6

April 7, 2006April 7, 2006

Map to the talkMap to the talk

Background – issues leading Background – issues leading up to team developmentup to team development

Role of Outcomes in team Role of Outcomes in team managementmanagement

Support for outcomes Support for outcomes developmentdevelopment

Outcomes of outcomesOutcomes of outcomes Audience participationAudience participation

Organizational Organizational ChallengesChallenges

Driver of change: IT-Pub Svcs Driver of change: IT-Pub Svcs integrationintegration

but also:but also: Empowerment of staffEmpowerment of staff Communication across unitsCommunication across units Justification of additional Justification of additional

resources for the libraryresources for the library University-level requirements University-level requirements

for assessment and reportingfor assessment and reporting

BackgroundBackground Problems communicating between Problems communicating between

IT and Public Services unitsIT and Public Services units 1999—Ad Hoc Team for Creating 1999—Ad Hoc Team for Creating

a User Centered Technical a User Centered Technical Environment created to address Environment created to address the challengethe challenge Solution: Team based structures, not Solution: Team based structures, not

only for IT, but also purely Public only for IT, but also purely Public Services functions (Reference, Services functions (Reference, Instruction, Circulation, etc.)Instruction, Circulation, etc.)

Org Chart (Old) Org Chart (Old)

Org Chart (New)Org Chart (New)

EACT unique: provides structure for teams/units—doesn’t ‘do’ anything

Effect on Organizational Effect on Organizational StructureStructure

Decisions can bubble up Decisions can bubble up from teamsfrom teams

Suggestions can ‘bubble Suggestions can ‘bubble down’ from managersdown’ from managers

Provides wider capacity for Provides wider capacity for input from staff across the input from staff across the librarieslibraries

Ok, so what about Ok, so what about outcomes? outcomes?

Major challenges:Major challenges: Instill structure for accountability in Instill structure for accountability in

work of teamswork of teams Help teams prioritize their workHelp teams prioritize their work

Solution: EACT – Developing Solution: EACT – Developing outcome-based planning processoutcome-based planning process (a posteriori realization) (a posteriori realization)

EACT -- developmentEACT -- development

Team started with very little Team started with very little installed knowledge baseinstalled knowledge base

No clear mandate for No clear mandate for assessmentassessment

Charge to Charge to ‘‘Create a culture of assessment’Create a culture of assessment’ Assist in assessments of teams Assist in assessments of teams

and units and units

EvolutionEvolution

Saw need to:Saw need to: Get administrative buy-in that Get administrative buy-in that

assessment was importantassessment was important Integrate assessment planning Integrate assessment planning

into overall planning program into overall planning program of teamsof teams

Why Integrate Why Integrate OutcomesOutcomes

Moves focus from the project Moves focus from the project to the users to the users

Helps staff to understand Helps staff to understand impact of their workimpact of their work

Reporting to the University Reporting to the University levellevel

Planning DocumentPlanning Document

Identify challenges and opportunities facing Identify challenges and opportunities facing the team in the coming year.the team in the coming year.

What are your goals that address the What are your goals that address the challenges/opportunities? challenges/opportunities?

What are your measurable outcomes, i.e., how What are your measurable outcomes, i.e., how will you determine if you met your goals?will you determine if you met your goals?

What resources are needed to achieve goals? What resources are needed to achieve goals? (funding, borrowing personnel, speakers)(funding, borrowing personnel, speakers)

Special considerations–system wide impacts; Special considerations–system wide impacts; coordination with other teams or units; coordination with other teams or units; communication/coordination with userscommunication/coordination with users

Asks the following questions:

Planning Document Planning Document OutcomesOutcomes

Every team includes outcomes in Every team includes outcomes in their planning documenttheir planning document

Includes statement of how they Includes statement of how they will measure their outcomeswill measure their outcomes

Challenge: How do teams get the Challenge: How do teams get the skills to create their outcomes?skills to create their outcomes?

EACT Support for EACT Support for PlanningPlanning

Team Leader/Member Team Leader/Member training at beginning of training at beginning of ‘team year’. (staff bring ‘team year’. (staff bring goals from the team) goals from the team)

Training for all staff as part Training for all staff as part of Performance Management of Performance Management systemsystem

Individual consultations Individual consultations during planning processduring planning process

Audience: who is your service designed for?Behavior: what performance or action is expected by the user?

Condition: Terms under which assessment takes place

Simplified Outcomes Simplified Outcomes WorksheetWorksheet

Goal: Goal: Libraries Strategic Direction(s) Libraries Strategic Direction(s)

Addressed: Addressed: Activities that support your Goal:Activities that support your Goal: Outcome Outcome

Indicator Target Indicator Target AccomplishmentAccomplishment

Outcome Outcome

Indicator Target Indicator Target AccomplishmentAccomplishment

Focus on Outcomes vs Outputs

Use ABC Method

(Modified from IMLS Outcomes Training)

Success?Success?

Outcomes of the planning Outcomes of the planning process:process: 8 teams had measurable 8 teams had measurable

outcomesoutcomes 3 teams had outputs (2 had no 3 teams had outputs (2 had no

training)training) Consultations with EACT on Consultations with EACT on

assessment increased (about assessment increased (about 50%)50%)

Examples of Examples of AssessmentsAssessments

Circulation/ReservesCirculation/Reserves ““Secret Patron” assessment of Secret Patron” assessment of

student worker performancestudent worker performance Results provide feedback into their Results provide feedback into their

student worker training programstudent worker training program C/R team devised questions, C/R team devised questions,

process, timelineprocess, timeline EACT consulted and recruited EACT consulted and recruited

‘secret patrons’ , submitted raw ‘secret patrons’ , submitted raw data C/R team for scoringdata C/R team for scoring

Reference Services Team thinking of Reference Services Team thinking of using methodusing method

Serials/Binding (2)Serials/Binding (2)

Tours of all the Libraries serials Tours of all the Libraries serials operations:operations: Led to changes in display, processing Led to changes in display, processing

of serialsof serials Best practices shared across the Best practices shared across the

librarieslibraries Assessed with survey of Assessed with survey of

‘‘what changes did you make?’what changes did you make?’ ‘‘how has it affected your workflow?’ how has it affected your workflow?’ ‘‘what has been the effect of your what has been the effect of your

changes?’changes?’

ResultsResults

Teams can articulate outcomesTeams can articulate outcomes Teams are conducting assessmentsTeams are conducting assessments Staff comfort level with concepts, Staff comfort level with concepts,

vocabulary has increasedvocabulary has increased ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Functional teams have embraced Functional teams have embraced

assessment more than mixed teamsassessment more than mixed teams Still tendency to wait until project is Still tendency to wait until project is

over to devise assessmentover to devise assessment Lots of surveysLots of surveys

Strengths of Team Strengths of Team Approach to Assessment Approach to Assessment

AssistanceAssistance More depth of experience More depth of experience

(more people involved)(more people involved) Revolving composition Revolving composition

means dispersal of expertise means dispersal of expertise across systemacross system

Team does own assessment Team does own assessment plan, so stays groundedplan, so stays grounded

Challenges of Team Challenges of Team Approach to Assessment Approach to Assessment

AssistanceAssistance No direct accountability for No direct accountability for

assessment (consequence of not assessment (consequence of not planning?)planning?)

Synchronizing administrative Synchronizing administrative needs/perspectives with team needs/perspectives with team trainingtraining

Assessing the assessments—Assessing the assessments—managers have different levels of managers have different levels of expertise, experienceexpertise, experience

Team members do this part timeTeam members do this part time

Audience ParticipationAudience Participation

What expectations do you What expectations do you have for your teams to do have for your teams to do assessments?assessments?

What have been the biggest What have been the biggest challenges for teams to challenges for teams to assess their outcomes?assess their outcomes?

How have you addressed How have you addressed those challenges those challenges organizationally?organizationally?

Thank you for your Thank you for your attentionattention

Michael FosmireMichael Fosmirefosmire@purdue.edufosmire@purdue.edu