1. The Role of Champions in Knowledge Transfer
Cate Watson
29th February 2012

2. Overview SITS Usage at Northumbria Access at Implementation
Good Housekeepers
Data Quality Enhancement Project
Role of Data Champions
SITS Newsletter
Concluding Comments & Opportunity for Questions

3. SITS Usage at Northumbria
Went live 2005/6
Approx. 560 active users
455 have some kind of edit access
Approx. 250 School users with edit access
Other users include; Finance, Admissions, Student Services, Security, IT Helpdesk
Lack of log in after 6 months; Client Server access reviewed

4. SITS Usage & Support at Northumbria
Managed & supported by Data Management team within Academic Registry
1/08/ /09/2011 – 1114 queries dealt with by helpdesk
Need to reduce calls

5. Access at Implementation
Initially training in specific areas was restricted to specific individuals
Training delivered by project team, often 2 week period after they themselves had been trained
Responsibility of record maintenance devolved to schools, more users had to be trained
Concept of super user with increased rights was favoured by central team from outset, but school management didn’t see the need

6. Good Housekeepers
Introduced 2006/7, prior to introduction of Data Champions, Good Housekeeper access highest level access available
Role mainly associated with marks entry & progression/awards
Initially intended to be restricted to small number, though for practical reasons Schools needed more to cover all administrative areas
Currently 122 (21 in the biggest school)

7. Good Housekeepers : Main Issues
Initially created to address need for super users
Due to number, can not be considered to be a super user
Access given to meet team requirements not according to skill & knowledge of user
Could not be classed as experts, could potentially be a Good Housekeeper within 6 months, lack experience

8. Data Quality Enhancement Project
6 month project 2008/9 to reduce the amount of rework surrounding resolving data quality issues and review user interface with SITS
Project team; headed by IT Services, with representatives on management team from Schools, Academic Registry & Finance
Involved formal review of previous published reports, visits to other institutions, analysis of survey results as well as discussions with key stakeholders within the institution

9. Recommendations
Each school should have at least one super user with a higher level of system access to reduce burden on helpdesk
Super users would act as local data champions in schools
Issues would be identified and resolved earlier
Project formally paved way to commit to introduction of data champions

10. Data Champions Creation of Data Management Group (DMG) Aug 2010
Meets every 2 weeks
June 2011 creation of Data Champion(DC) task portal on e:Vision
Access given mainly to school representatives on DMG
Access strictly restricted to one person per school (8), temporary access given when nominated DC on leave

11. Data Champions & Knowledge Exchange
Since introduction of DC role, easier & quicker knowledge exchange
Direct communication mid school management who actually use SITS rather than senior management who don’t
DCs often used first point of contact; information cascaded via DMG meetings and
DCs encouraged to add items to agenda for DM group
All helpdesk calls received from school users reminded should have contacted their DC in first instance
DC play vital role in communication link
between Academic Registry & School

12. SITS Newsletter Started production Jan 2008
Circulated to all SITS users via distribution list
Originally every month
Data Quality Survey; 82% staff reported they read it, 78 % found it useful
“particularly good this month” (Head of Admissions)
From March 2009 became bi-monthly
Circulated at the end of the month, Includes key information, monthly tasks, training schedule, staff profile

13. Concluding Comments
Introduction of the Data Champion role has been a significant step towards pro-active activity
Moving away from “fire fighting” approach
Schools have welcomed the role
“increasingly essential to have one person to co-ordinate data management activities across the School”
“has given administrative staff a focal point if they encounter difficulties with a student’s record”
Helpdesk calls have reduced (Aug – Sept calls, Aug –Sept calls)
Scope to develop the role in the future
Recommend others to adopt a Data Champion model,
with consistent approach to access from outset