Strategic Stakeholder Management Process

UHI is an institution of Higher Education which incorporates thirteen partner FE colleges within a network geographically spread from Perth to Stornoway. The partner colleges provide facilities and academic input to support courses offered by UHI at undergraduate and post graduate levels.
In 2008, UHI needed to complete a process to consider and decide on priorities for European Funding Support. Over the last three years senior stakeholder groups at UHI have been supported by FRMC in establishing their priorities across a range of investment and curriculum choices. For this reason UHI were keen to extend the use of multi criteria decision analysis [MCDA] approaches to integrate differing ranges of priorities across estates and infrastructure, academic development and research areas development. This integrated process - in which all stakeholder groups must have confidence - would identify priorities for European funding support over the coming six years. The objective for the process was to establish a robust, transparent and auditable way of establishing priorities for investment. The process required to engage and involve academic stakeholders in a structured way that was consistent both in its approach and its methodology across all academic disciplines and areas of investment.

In a series of facilitated workshops, a four staged process was completed.

Stage 1      Senior stakeholders agreed a range of criteria that reflected the strategic objectives of the institution.

Stage 2     Relevant committees identified the best value bids - against the agreed criteria - to go forward to a UHI wide consideration.

Stage 3     Successful bids were vetted for compliance with European Funding requirements.

Stage 4     A final workshop involving the Partner College Principal’s group, UHI senior management and the UHI Board of Governors agreed a prioritised list across all the
activity areas.

This final agreed list of projects - reflecting the needs across the institution - will be developed into full business cases in preparation for a formal application for the European Funding.

Key advantaged of the approach developed and facilitated by FRMC have been:

• Managed engagements of stakeholder groups representing the many competing interested within the organisation.
• Expeditious process delivering a robust outcome in a minimum time scale.
• Auditable, transparent process aiding scrutiny by internal and external auditors.
• Ownership across the stakeholder groups of the final package of proposals avoiding internal conflict and counter productive ‘politics’.

The CIRAS ( a working title ) will be the first and spectacular phase of the Estate development strategy for the University developed by Mr Jim McConnell Director of Estates and now adopted by the University. It will be part of the ‘gateway’ development to the Science Campus proposed to be developed on and adjacent to the former Western Infirmary site.

The approach to strategic briefing of this key element of the strategy required by the Director of Estate is somewhat different to the traditional understanding / expectation of design teams. A series of statements about the vision and values underpinning the project will brief the design team and give them a head start in developing the design brief with client user groups. The onus remains on the design team to work with the users to brief the project but within much more defined strategic parameters. In addition a set of value based criteria has been developed which will be used by the University to help evaluate on an ongoing basis the performance of the project against the University’s strategic objectives for the project. These criteria will also help to make and expedite key client decisions – project team members selection, design choices, stage approvals, contract routing, contractor selection etc. – in a transparent and auditable process.

Once again FRMC have supported University Campus Suffolk in selecting a contractor for the Phase II of their on going
Capital Programme ( September 2008 ). In a transparent, auditable and timely decision UCS have - with FRMC support - demonstrated the power of decision conferencing to deliver a robust decision.

In its 14 years of existence FRMC has developed a reputation for solving problems for clients across a range of issues closely related to the performance and effectiveness of client organisations, allowing them to achieve their missions in ways that also enhance existing levels of governance and demonstrate social responsibility. Our services relate to four key client areas and can be summarised as follows:

Strategic Planning
Decision process design and implementation, options appraisal and stakeholder involvement management.

Change Management
Business Planning for improved strategic and operational performance.

Community Consultation
Facilitation of community consultation processes related to major developments.

Building Asset Performance
Strategic Briefing, Post Occupancy Evaluation

This interactive website is a source of information about ways in which we at FRMC have made our contributions over this time. We hope that you will explore the case material and then contacts us to discuss how we can help you too.

If you would like to talk about the kind of things we are doing for our clients and which you believe might help you, please contact us now:

Malcolm Piggot
FRMC Decision Support
Windyridge House
15 Upper Bourtree Drive
Burnside
Rutherglen
Glasgow
G73 4EJ

Telephone: 0141 631 3624
Fax : 0141 630 0119
e-mail : malcolm@frmc.co.uk