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Using the FE Advocacy Framework: A Working Example
The document discusses how a library and information manager at Belfast Metropolitan College plans to use the FE Advocacy Framework to better promote and develop their library services. It provides background on the college and current reporting methods. The manager intends to use the framework to create an organizational development plan by assessing each impact statement and evidencing current services. This will help capture usage, improve collaborations, and gain recognition of the library's value from senior management. The desired outcomes include service improvements, better links between library interventions and student outcomes, and further developments from CILIP.
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Using the FE Advocacy Framework: A Working Example
- 1. Using the FEAdvocacy Framework: A Working Example 20/04/2018 1 Ross McDonald, Library & Information Services Manager
- 2. ............................................................................................................... Background • My positionand recent career • CILIP • New to my current post (appointed Jan 2017) • Necessity to promote Library service and benchmark against other providers • Legacy issues and non-Librarian senior managers 20/04/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 2
- 3. ............................................................................................................... Belfast Metropolitan College • Largestfurther and Higher Education College in Northern Ireland and one of the largest in the UK • Difficulties in tracking such a wide variety of courses and student groups • Methodology for collating evidence 20/04/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 3
- 4. ............................................................................................................... Current reporting • Basicstatistics – usage, hits, visits etc. • Surveys – twice yearly College survey which includes 3 Library questions and occasional in-house surveys • Direct feedback • Anecdotal evidence not being recorded 20/04/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 4
- 5. ............................................................................................................... • Limited! • Todate very little requested or actively used to improve services • Possibly caused by a healthy budget and recent service improvements through new campuses and refurbishment projects • Need to improve this and capture as much as possible Current Measurable Impact 20/04/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 5
- 6. ............................................................................................................... • “It isrecommended that this draft framework be worked up into a document that will help FE librarians advocate the role of FE library services to their institutions.” • The draft framework itself is a very useful document, as is the “Learning Journeys” template: Using the FE Framework 20/04/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 6
- 7. 20/04/2018 Library &Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 7
- 8. ............................................................................................................... Using the frameworkto develop a service • Excellent planning tool for manager meetings • Ideas for improving service delivery and capturing usage • Highlights ideas and quotes from other FE Colleges • Is not a “how to” guide or best practice but encompasses a wide spectrum of research that would be otherwise unavailable 20/04/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 8
- 9. ............................................................................................................... Using the frameworkto develop a service • Simple plan using each impact statement and evidencing our own service. Organisational development plan will follow based on each strand. • Use examples to highlight things we do well but also be critical of those we don’t – for example, the framework makes many references to literacy, something we almost completely ignore currently • Develop better evidencing 20/04/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 9
- 10. Exampledeveloping framework 12/02/2018 Library &Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 10 Impact Existing Evidence Further Evidence Digital Literacy Skills - Programme of student e-learning sessions - Basic usage stats - Student feedback - Linking training to results - Staff feedback - Targeted surveys Improved Literacy - Almost none - Increase 6 book challenge participation - Links with teaching departments - Links with Student Support for struggling students
- 11. ............................................................................................................... Desired Outcome • Serviceimprovements • Direct links with interventions from Library staff and improved grades / retention • Better collaborations with teaching staff • Improved external links with other FE Colleges locally and nationally • Recognition of the value of Librarians with senior management 20/04/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 11
- 12. ............................................................................................................... Further developments from CILIP? •Hopefully an advocacy document • Follow-up research needed • Further links with FE Librarians – for example there is little locally • Promote the valuable work of FE Librarians 20/04/2018 Library & Information Service, Belfast Metropolitan College 12
Editor's Notes
- #3 Ross McDonald – brief summary of career to date Relationship with CILIP – initially a member then left; rejoined when it was clear that CILIP was moving in a new direction New post – Library & Information Services Manager, Belfast Met, Jan 2017: new to FE Immediately tasked with promoting the success of the Library service to date and also developing it for the future. Tasked with acquiring useful meaningful, statistics, data, evidence, feedback etc. Need to benchmark this against other similar Colleges Legacy issues – restructuring of FE Colleges in N.Ireland / internal restructuring and many experienced staff leaving / new senior management / previous failure to attain COLRiC award but pressure to try for this again Supportive management but some naivety in how we can attain statistics (run a report from the LMS….) so the need to look across the sector for information
- #4 Largest further and Higher Education College in Northern Ireland and one of the largest in the UK – 30,000 students over 4 campuses;1,000 staff; hundreds of different courses from Level 1 up to Level 7 (basic skills to post-graduate). Note the HE inclusion – although relating to the FE Policy Enquiry I’m adapting to suit my own organisation as we don’t have a separate FE & HE Library Service Methodology – difficulties in capturing such a wide body of evidence - for things that we are already doing well as well as things we don’t
- #5 Current reporting and use of statistics patchy. Regular collation of baseline statistics is very good but frequently not used or acted upon to drive the service Surveys – bi-annual student survey has to be completed as per Dept. of Education request but uptake is low (compared to other FE Colleges) and only scope for 3 general Library related questions. Other in-house surveys irregular. Little formal surveying of staff. Direct feedback good but was not being recorded efficiently (Limited) anecdotal evidence not being recorded formally
- #6 Biggest issue Library Services faces is that we don’t effectively measure the impact of our services. This is a major worry as failing to do this leads to a risk where the service is not properly appreciated for the work to date nor given the opportunity to develop further. Example – senior staff know that it is important to have a number of qualified Librarian posts but not why it is important (arguably a positive and negative) Perhaps with Belfast Met not much has been queried recently due to generally high levels of satisfaction and recent investments Long term this is unlikely to be sustainable and needs to change. The FE Framework has been an excellent tool to begin this planning process
- #7 Adapting the FE Framework to suit my own needs and using the research and information in Belfast Met Not a completed framework but still very useful
- #8 Excellent infogram and planning tool (discuss)
- #9 The value, to me, in the framework is that is has sought and then collated research from a number of different FE institutions, evidence that would not be otherwise easily obtainable.
- #10 Discussion of how Belfast Met is adapting the framework to develop the service
- #11 Simplistic version of evidencing and planning: Taking strands from the Framework Assessing what we are doing already as compared to other institutions and assessing how well we are doing these Highlighting other things that we are either missing completely or not close to in comparison with others Need to define evidence gathering at each stage Work the overall document into a long term development plan that will tie-in with our existing departmental and organisational development plans. Evidence value of qualified Librarians in making this happen!!
- #12 Desired outcomes - discuss