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Overview

Educating 14,000 students and employing over 2,700 staff, the University of Exeter is one of the top 15 universities in the UK. Combining world-leading research with very high levels of student satisfaction, this popular, successful university has campuses in Devon and Cornwall.

What were the organisation’s needs?

Following its attainment of the Investors in People (IiP) standard, the University had just three months to design, deploy and promote a new personal development review process for its professional services and academic staff.

Aligned with its vision of “helping to shape the future by extending the boundaries of knowledge”, the University required an innovative solution to integrate its competency framework whilst also offering training and support throughout the new personal development review process. The University also wanted to offer a more flexible learning environment in comparison to traditional training methods, to ensure the successful accomplishment of Personal Development Plans (PDP) and, in return, increase employees’ job satisfaction.

The University needed a partner that could respond to its needs efficiently and design a bespoke solution which would both support and facilitate its new review process. The solution would be available to all staff, and therefore needed to both engage and empower a wide user base with differentiating needs and skill sets.

What toolkit was provided?

GoodPractice worked in collaboration with the University of Exeter to devise a unique online PDP Support Centre. The dedicated solution was based on GoodPractice’s award-winning Toolkit for Managers, encompassing a range of resources to empower staff to achieve their goals and objectives.

In essence, the fit for purpose toolkit is a one-stop-shop solution, providing resources to guide and develop staff whilst also including all the University’s documentation to support its review process.

Why GoodPractice?

GoodPractice offered the University advice and guidance throughout the design and deployment of the PDP Support Centre, which was delivered within extremely tight deadlines. Furthermore, to ensure this dynamic resource remains relevant, GoodPractice continuously revises and updates its content.

All this, supported by unprecedented client service from the GoodPractice team, enabled the University to successfully launch, promote and utilise the toolkit.

What were the outcomes?

Through the PDP Support Centre, the University has provided staff with guidance and support on its new review process. By directly relating the content and documentation to the IiP standard, the GoodPractice solution not only ensures the relevance of the toolkit to staff but also guarantees that the content is easy to understand.

Empowering staff to take a proactive approach to, and responsibility for, their own self-development and learning needs, the PDP Support Centre has enabled staff across the University to better meet the outcomes and objectives set within their PDPs.

The University has acknowledged that the PDP Support Centre has added real value to its employees’ learning and development experience, and in turn has received a return on its investment.

Furthermore, in recognition of this innovative approach to supporting and developing its staff, Exeter University won the Excellence in Organisational Development category at the prestigious Universities Personnel Association HR Awards 2007.

Client testimony

“We need to do all we can to create a culture of staff taking responsibility for their own development. But this has to be in line with our competences and consistent with our stated mission, aims and values. The PDP Support Centre (created and hosted by GoodPractice) is an invaluable tool to help us to achieve this.”

Matt Levi, Learning and Development Adviser, University of Exeter