1. Do less. Do it better.
The Open University

2. You cant be everyone's cup of
tea. If you were, you’d be a mug’

3. Impact, Influence and Inspire

4. Our Mountain
In Autumn 2016, we put the brakes on the volume of change we were trying
to achieve as a University
We were falling short in both our ability to identify the right changes and to
deliver them well

5. 8 Large Projects
Definition of Large and
Medium projects: those which
have a significant (L) or
moderate (M) impact on 2+
OU units
35 Medium Projects
135 Small Projects

6. The outcome was simple: we needed to do less
and do it better
We had three areas of focus:
Clear the decks – to free headspace and capacity
Change procedure - Single approach to approval, prioritisation and assurance
Reinvigorate our community and capability activity

7. Should we do it?
Canwedoit?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
12345678910
Projects in this zone
are unlikely o be
sensible to progress
at all.
Projects in this zone
may have some
value, but they may
not be sensible to
progress now
Projects in this zone
are likely to be
sensible to progress
now
Clear the decks

8. Should we do it?
Canwedoit?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
12345678910
Projects in this zone
are unlikely o be
sensible to progress
at all.
Projects in this zone
may have some
value, but they may
not be sensible to
progress now
Projects in this zone
are likely to be
sensible to progress
now
Rationalised Portfolio

9. Single approach to approval, prioritisation and
assurance
APPROVAL
PRIORITISATION
ASSURANCE
Accept or reject proposals
inline with key criteria:
• University Strategy
• Step change in capability
• Student Focus • Decide when initiatives
happen in relation to the
wider portfolio and known
dependencies.
• Retain the right to pause,
stop or reprioritise.
• Provide 2nd line assurance
to all projects such as
healthchecks and gate
reviews.
• Reporting to University
Committees and External
Bodies

10. Impact on students
Investment needImpact on staff IT Resource
Doing the right thing

11. Doing it right
Better scrutiny and challenge of change and investment cases
Embedding an assurance framework
Minimum standards for all project delivery
Improved understanding of project methodologies and business readiness
Institutional wide improvement in our ability to challenge and prioritise change initiatives

12. Reinvigorate our community and capability
activity

13. Improve our approaches to investment appraisal
Be more confident making decisions rooted in uncertainty
Prioritisation requires further refinement especially where resource demands are high
Still learning

14. In groups you will take two decisions, that match those taken by MCB in the recent
months.
You’ll have a snap shot if the information that MCB are provided and the approval
criteria that is used to make decisions. You’ll have about 5 minutes to take a cabinet
decision
There are three outcomes that you can use
You’ll need one reason to support your response
14
CAN YOU MAKE BETTER DECISIONS?
Approve Reject Differ

15. June MCB – SLC Stabilisation
Sponsor: Finance Director Business Lead: Finance lead Overall aim: Stabilisation of the student loan system and processes to support
existing and planned student finance products
Funding
request
IT Cost: £1,395 (17/18, 18/19,
including £445k contingency)
Staffing Cost: £576k (17/18, 18/19,
including £192k contingency)
Impact on
Student
Low Difficulty High Staff impact Low
Funding
request
validated
Yes IT requirement
(BRM)
IT Governance process completed
Activity prioritised to provide resources Mid –
End July to work alongside our offshore
providers.
Strategic alignment No. Risk Mitigation
Objective/s (solution): Challenges & Risks: Benefits and success measures:
Objectives
1. To stabilise the components of the Post Liability
Programme
2. To provide tuition fee liability and tuition fee loan
information at the student level
3. To update and strengthen our ability to process new loan
products
4. To reconcile the fee and loan income and cash receipts via
a cashbook and sub-ledger
Through the delivery of a student loan management system with
a fully integrated sub-ledger to reconcile those accounts,
delivered through integrating an off-the-shelf package with OU
In-house development
• Work with Supplier A to deliver exploratory activity is underway
but not due to deliver until end of July. The working assumption
is that our current supplier can deliver the preferred option.
• Substantial resource requirements from business areas already
handling high volumes of change (Academic Service and IT)
• Technical risks from interfacing with legacy systems and
unknown 3rd party product,
• Activity prioritised by IT to provide resource mid-end July. This is
dependant on the delivery of the tactical activity, which remains
the institutions priority for IT resource.
• Should MCB not approve the case in full, this outcome should be
shared with the institutional risk register for visibility
• Estimated financial benefits £1,535 by 19/20 (assumes
stable student numbers)
• Broad institutional benefits due to removal and
mitigation of financial and reputational risk
Milestones
1 Automated interface to SLC system 02/03/2018 5 Cashbook and sub-ledger system 31/10/2018
2 SLC Attendance and COC system 02/03/2018 6 Data migration 31/10/2018
3 Student Loans management system 31/10/2018 7 Management information 31/10/2018
4 Integrated Track and Chase functionality (including deregistration) 31/10/2018 7 Benefits realisation to be tracked and reported 31/10/2018
Should we? 6.6 Could we? 7.5Tier 2

16. June MCB – SLC Stabilisation
Sponsor: Finance Director Business Lead: Finance lead Overall aim: Stabilisation of the student loan system and processes to support
existing and planned student finance products
Funding
request
IT Cost: £1,395 (17/18, 18/19,
including £445k contingency)
Staffing Cost: £576k (17/18, 18/19,
including £192k contingency)
Impact on
Student
Low Difficulty High Staff impact Low
Funding
request
validated
Yes IT requirement
(BRM)
IT Governance process completed
Activity prioritised to provide resources Mid –
End July to work alongside our offshore
providers.
Strategic alignment No. Risk Mitigation
Objective/s (solution): Challenges & Risks: Benefits and success measures:
Objectives
1. To stabilise the components of the Post Liability
Programme
2. To provide tuition fee liability and tuition fee loan
information at the student level
3. To update and strengthen our ability to process new loan
products
4. To reconcile the fee and loan income and cash receipts via
a cashbook and sub-ledger
Through the delivery of a student loan management system with
a fully integrated sub-ledger to reconcile those accounts,
delivered through integrating an off-the-shelf package with OU
In-house development
• Work with Supplier A to deliver exploratory activity is underway
but not due to deliver until end of July. The working assumption
is that our current supplier can deliver the preferred option.
• Substantial resource requirements from business areas already
handling high volumes of change (Academic Service and IT)
• Technical risks from interfacing with legacy systems and
unknown 3rd party product,
• Activity prioritised by IT to provide resource mid-end July. This is
dependant on the delivery of the tactical activity, which remains
the institutions priority for IT resource.
• Should MCB not approve the case in full, this outcome should be
shared with the institutional risk register for visibility
• Estimated financial benefits £1,535 by 19/20 (assumes
stable student numbers)
• Broad institutional benefits due to removal and
mitigation of financial and reputational risk
Milestones
1 Automated interface to SLC system 02/03/2018 5 Cashbook and sub-ledger system 31/10/2018
2 SLC Attendance and COC system 02/03/2018 6 Data migration 31/10/2018
3 Student Loans management system 31/10/2018 7 Management information 31/10/2018
4 Integrated Track and Chase functionality (including deregistration) 31/10/2018 7 Benefits realisation to be tracked and reported 31/10/2018
Should we? 6.6 Could we? 7.5Tier 2

17. June MCB – Teaching Pathway
Sponsor: Exec Dean Business Lead: Academic Lead Overall aim: Investment to support the delivery of the Academic Strategy
Funding
request
£1,401k (17/18, 18/19, 19/20) Impact on
Student
Medium (faculty
specific)
Difficulty Medium Staff impact Medium (faculty
specific)
Funding
request
validated
Yes IT requirement
(BRM)
No requirement. Strategic alignment Direct contribution toward Academic
Excellence
Objective/s (solution): Challenges & Risks: Benefits and success measures:
• Appointment of permanent teaching-focused academic
posts to accelerate achievement of the OU’s Academic
Strategy around Academic Excellence
• Development of new teaching excellence and
infrastructure to increase capability and leadership in the
University's subject area Y
• Some risk that we draw students away from existing
curriculum by the creation of a specialist Subject Y degree
• Inability to attract candidates with appropriate skills and
experience to deliver the intended benefits
• Failure to capitalise on identified opportunities in a high
demand area (Subject Y) by not investing in the teaching
capability
• Curriculum offer subject to standard university process, mat
not be approved
• Increased staff motivation to pursue teaching-
focused promotion pathways and realized academic
strategy
• Enhanced OU reputation for teaching excellence in
Subject Y
• Attracting equivalent matched funds
• Secondary benefits via the development of new
curriculum
Milestones
1 Appointment of professor to lead initiative as demonstrable commitment
to teaching focussed career paths aligned to the Academic Strategy
Q4 2017 4 New curriculum products From 1.5 years
after D1 & D2
2 Appointment of other academics Q4 2017 5 External engagement instruments (e.g. MOOCs, KTPs) aimed at
increasing industry collaborations by supporting CPD and
research consultancy.
From 3 years
after D1 & D2
3 Appointment of other academics Q2 2018 6 New assessment model for skills-led curriculum 2 years after D1
& D2
Should we? 5.7 Could we? 6.7Tier 2

18. June MCB – Teaching Pathway
Sponsor: Exec Dean Business Lead: Academic Lead Overall aim: Investment to support the delivery of the Academic Strategy
Funding
request
£1,401k (17/18, 18/19, 19/20) Impact on
Student
Medium (faculty
specific)
Difficulty Medium Staff impact Medium (faculty
specific)
Funding
request
validated
Yes IT requirement
(BRM)
No requirement. Strategic alignment Direct contribution toward Academic
Excellence
Objective/s (solution): Challenges & Risks: Benefits and success measures:
• Appointment of permanent teaching-focused academic
posts to accelerate achievement of the OU’s Academic
Strategy around Academic Excellence
• Development of new teaching excellence and
infrastructure to increase capability and leadership in the
University's subject area Y
• Some risk that we draw students away from existing
curriculum by the creation of a specialist Subject Y degree
• Inability to attract candidates with appropriate skills and
experience to deliver the intended benefits
• Failure to capitalise on identified opportunities in a high
demand area (Subject Y) by not investing in the teaching
capability
• Curriculum offer subject to standard university process, mat
not be approved
• Increased staff motivation to pursue teaching-
focused promotion pathways and realized academic
strategy
• Enhanced OU reputation for teaching excellence in
Subject Y
• Attracting equivalent matched funds
• Secondary benefits via the development of new
curriculum
Milestones
1 Appointment of professor to lead initiative as demonstrable commitment
to teaching focussed career paths aligned to the Academic Strategy
Q4 2017 4 New curriculum products From 1.5 years
after D1 & D2
2 Appointment of other academics Q4 2017 5 External engagement instruments (e.g. MOOCs, KTPs) aimed at
increasing industry collaborations by supporting CPD and
research consultancy.
From 3 years
after D1 & D2
3 Appointment of other academics Q2 2018 6 New assessment model for skills-led curriculum 2 years after D1
& D2
Should we? 5.7 Could we? 6.7Tier 2

20. Thank you
susan.palmer-trew@open.ac.uk