The final report is below. You can also read the original proposal.
Summary of Activity
During the final months of the project the resources have been put onto a website. Resources include:
- Facilitators’ Materials – both pdf and on-line versions
- Individual Learners’ Materials – both pdf and on-line versions
- Three videos
Evaluation of the Project Against Aims and Objectives
The stated aims of the project were to provide a resource for developers and/or individuals to develop appropriate skills to conduct effective review meetings. The output of the project to be a development package containing specific examples of review meetings taken from the HE sector i.e. academic, research, technical and support roles. Development materials to support the video will be included and be available to HEIs on the internet.
Objectives
1. To produce a high quality video to be used by individuals or as part of a workshop for a group of learners covering all categories of staff.
This objective has been achieved
- Three linked videos have been produced:
- Video 1 – Introduction gives a brief introduction to the subject and shows 5 different scenarios on what can go wrong with reviews;
- Video 2 – Demonstrates key skills associated with effective reviews;
- Video 3 – Refers back to the 5 scenes shown in video 1 and illustrates how using the key skills can make a review more effective.
- The scenes used throughout the videos reflect appropriate scenarios for administrative, technical, manual, academic and research staff.
2. To give guidance through the video and supporting materials on how to use effective skills and strategies to overcome challenging appraisal situations.
This objective has been achieved
- Guidance is provided within videos 2 and 3 and in the supporting documentation for both facilitators and individual learners.
3. To produce training materials which support the video and can be used in an individual or group situation.
This objective has been achieved
- Support materials have been produced for facilitators and individual learners in pdf format and on-line.
4. To offer the resulting video free of charge to other HEIs.
This objective will have been achieved by Mid August
- The resources are on-line and the webpage is undergoing final testing by IT experts at the University of Leicester prior to launch. The testing will be complete by the middle of August. We also anticipate a link from the redesigned Leadership Foundation website.
Benefits of the Project
The resources are specifically targeted at the Higher Education market with scenarios drawn from academic, technical, research, manual and administrative job role. All videos and supporting documentation are provided at no cost to individual universities. The resources can be used by facilitators when running a group workshop, and by individuals learning new skills or refreshing existing skills. Existing commercial resources tend to be expensive and targeted at sales or administrative roles.
Dissemination Activities
The resources were available for delegates to view at the SDF Spring Conference in May. An article has been written for the next issue of Engage. An exhibition stand has been requested at the SDF Conference in November and workshops have been offered to MSDP (Midlands Staff Development Partnership) for their 2011/2012 programme.
Conclusions
Key learning points from the project are that scripting and consultation took far longer than anticipated and putting resources onto a website and linking pages to videos to be viewed on-line was time consuming and involved additional learning. The filming of the video, in comparison to the preparation of the materials, took relatively little time.
The project has been successfully completed and the resources are ready to be used by HE staff at no cost.
Helen Robinson
Learning and Development Adviser
University of Leicester
Project Development
How are you doing? Skills for Effective Staff Reviews
Use the link below to find the resources developed from this project. It is a series of videos that give advice on the skills necessary to conduct an effective review meeting.
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/staff-development/appraisal
This project was featured in the autumn 2011 edition of Engage magazine.