Tim Westlake, Chief Operating Officer
To get a better understanding of the quality of our professional services, all staff across the university were asked to take part in our first Professional Service Quality Survey (PSQS).
The survey opened in May and closed in June and invited staff to give feedback about the professional services they use.
Tim Westlake, Chief Operating Officer (COO), said: “I’d like to thank all staff who took the time to fill out the survey.
“We had some really positive comments about a number of our services and it has highlighted some areas where we need to work hard to improve and support the effectiveness of the professional services we provide.
“As this is the first year we carried out a survey like this we can’t compare it to previous performance - but it is really valuable as it provides us with feedback on our current service provision and also provides a benchmark for future years.”
Although there were mixed response levels, overall there were 4,340 responses (not respondents) which provides a baseline for future years.
This feedback, as well as the comments colleagues made, will now provide PS Divisional Directors with the opportunity to work on continuous improvement plans/other initiatives with their teams. Individual Directors will work with the COO to decide on the most effective use of the data in their areas of responsibility.
All Directors also have access to benchmark data from other universities to see how divisions compare to others in the sector including: De Montfort, Essex, Goldsmiths, Manchester Metropolitan, Nottingham, and York.
Tim added: “This provides a great opportunity for PS Directors who can now respond to that feedback with their teams and work towards making us deliver a better professional service.”
The results of PSQS will help to progress the aims of One Professional Service, a key project in the first phase of the delivery of Sussex 2025: Build on Strengths, which will help ensure Professional Services can support the university to run in the most efficient and effective way.