Minutes
Group Minutes
Working Group on Performance Improvement
Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 23rd September 2010
Present: Louise Jones (Chair), Simon Bevan, Susan Copeland, Claire Creaser, Ann Davies, Elizabeth Malone (Secretary), Ann Rossiter (SCONUL Executive Director)
1. To receive apologies for absence
Apologies had been received from Angela Conyers
Louise welcome Ann to her first meeting of the Group.
2. To receive the minutes of the last meeting (12 May 2010)
The minutes of the meeting held on 12 May 2010 were agreed as a correct record.
3. Matters arising from the minutes
Item 3.1 NSS: Louise and Simon had held an initial teleconference with members of the WGQA. Since then, it had been announced that a review of the NSS would be taking place and so it was thought sensible to wait for that to take place.
Item 3.5 WGQA: Louise will contact the Chair of the Group (Carole Pickaver) to nominate a representative to join WGPI.
Action: LJ
Item 3.6: HELMS on the web: Claire informed the Group that the proposal to load HELMS to the Heidi data service had been ratified by the Sconul Executive and the data was now available. Details on how to login to Heidi will be included in a Sconul Newsletter and also on the Performance Portal. Ann Rossiter will compose some text in conjunction with Claire and Louise.
Action: LJ/CC/AR
Item 3.7 MUDL: No further information from this new group but informal discussions will continue.
Item 6 Sconul Statistics: The intended survey of Directors had not taken place but Ann Rossiter intends to meet with many Directors over the coming months in her new role and will use this opportunity to ask their views.
Item 9 Surveys in HE libraries: Simon has drafted a questionnaire which is ready to be sent out. There is concern over students being ‘over surveyed’ and this impacting on the usefulness of data obtained. Louise and Simon will send out the questionnaire.
Action: LJ/SB
4. Membership of the WGPI
Replacements for Mary Davies and Rupert Wood are being sought with the closing date being Friday 24th September 2010. Louise will circulate applications to the Group for prioritisation and comment. The Board will then need to ratify the chosen appointments.
Action: LJ/ALL
5. Bids to the Executive Board for project funding
Following the unsuccessful bids made to Executive Board earlier in the year, Louise had received feedback from Philip Payne. The Board felt that LibQual now needed to be self-supporting. Louise will ask Stephen Town whether he is remaining the LibQual contact and, if so, whether he is able to provide regular updates to this Group.
Action: LJ
The other bids had been regarded as expensive and needed to be tied more closely to Sconul strategic objectives. A range of follow up bids was discussed including the potential to build on the JUSP work, creating a Phase 2 which could include non-NESLI titles. Simon will contact Lorraine Estelle to see whether this might be a possibility. Louise and Simon will amend the Directors’ Survey to ask for priorities in this area.
Action: LJ/SB
6. To receive reports on the SCONUL statistics
The revised questionnaire had been distributed but no responses had been received to date. The Group discussed whether it was feasible to produce the published statistics and analysis sooner. As this is dependent on prompt responses and obtaining data from other agencies, it is not really possible but data could be published on the website in advanced of paper publication.
In the current climate Sconul may run some spot check surveys eg. on the impact of the Spending Review.
The success of the new e-measure questions will need to be looked at. It was also agreed that the trends report would be added to the website.
7. To receive a report on the Performance Portal
Simon will be taking over as Chair of the Sub-Group. Susan volunteered to join the Group and further new members will be sought from the new membership of WGPI.
Revisions to the website are urgent to enable the Portal to be used effectively. Cranfield will continue to host the Portal until December 2011 if required. New content is being considered including an ‘all libraries’ comparison of NSS data which Louise is pursuing with NSS.
Action: LJ
8. Journal Usage Statistics Portal (paper to be circulated)
Angela had circulated the paper in advance of the meeting and all agreed that this was an extremely worthwhile project. Elizabeth will look at adding this paper to the Group’s web area along with the Minutes. Discussion of next stages had been covered in the earlier item on Bids.
9. The Action Plan 2010
The Action Plan for 2010 was reviewed.
HELMS – Agreed that a commentary was required for Vice Chancellors. Ann Rossiter will consider this as part of her communication strategy.
Action: AR
HESA benchmarking – Ann Rossiter agreed to follow this up and find out how Graham Fice was incorporating Sconul data.
Action: AR
UCISA & SCHOMS – Agreed that contact needed to be made with both organisations. Elizabeth offered to pursue.
Action: EM
With regard to potential actions for 2011, the following were raised as possible objectives:
- Projects – Expanding the e-statistics portal and work around cost/value.
- Evaluation the e-measures changes in the statistics.
- Raise the profile of the Group and communications.
- Exploit the data more, use to lobby.
- Revise statistical analysis and commentary to use more effectively with senior management.
- Publish case studies on using Sconul data.
- Highlight how Sconul data is used eg. benchmarking, KPIs, marketing, planning and resources.
- Produce a PowerPoint that any Group members could use to promote the Group’s activities.
- Produce a paper for the EBLP conference in June 2011.
10. Any other business
Email lists – agreed to create separate lists for the WGPI Steering Group and the individual sub-groups. Elizabeth will arrange.
Action: EM
Website details – Elizabeth will arrange for Group membership and Minutes to be updated on the website.
Action: EM
11. Dates of future meetings
It was agreed to continue holding the Portal subgroup prior to the main meeting and the Statistics subgroup after, assuming each group felt it necessary to meet on that occasion. Dates for meetings were therefore agreed as:
Thursday 13th January 2011
Thursday 19th May 2011
Thursday 22nd September 2011
Meetings will be at Sconul HQ at 12:30pm.