'Bold steps' target service, stewardship

roviding quality business and support services, and serving as stewards of the University's resources--those are the goals of senior managers in central administrative and financial units, who have undertaken a planning effort to improve what they do.

Known by the title of the initiative's centerpiece--the "bold steps"--the planning effort is the first ever by the administration and finance units to develop an integrated strategy for improving service to the University's students, faculty, and staff, says Ronald J. Paprocki, senior vice president for administration and finance.

"What really takes us one step further in providing top-quality service and stewardship is the integration of strategies," Paprocki says. "That allows us to move beyond what individual departments can do on their own."

Paprocki, who also is chief financial officer and treasurer of the University, oversees the units of Audit, Budget, Facilities and Services, Finance, Human Resources, Purchasing and Auxiliary Operations, Research and Project Administration, Risk Management and Environmental Safety, and Treasury Management.

Developed over the past year through the collective efforts of the heads of those units, the plan outlines the units' long-range vision, mission, and action steps. The plan affirms the fact that the University's missions in teaching, research, and patient care are carried out in a decentralized environment--a special challenge for central services.

Specific action steps include, among other items, those involving communication, employee mentoring, review of policies, business process review, integration of information technology strategies, and encouraging more widespread adoption of risk assessment and business case development processes.

In the case of communication, for instance, a Web page for the administration and finance group has been established, with related improvements being made to each department's Web site as well. In addition, plans are being made to foster communication within departments, between departments, and with the University community as a whole.

A new mentoring program is helping administration and finance departments to lay out a plan for mentoring employees. Over time, this model will be made available to other departments and divisions throughout the University.

Each of the specific action items is linked to one of the "Five Bold Steps." Those points "provide a framework within which unit directors can explain their operating philosophy to both employees and to clients," says Richard Pifer, associate vice president for facilities and services. "They give central administration and finance a unified way to approach support at the University, and they define and publicize the critical stewardship role we play at the University."

"The closer we work together, the more we're able to take advantage of each other's strengths," says Holly Crawford, University budget director. "Through teamwork, we will be able to provide better quality services to our customers."

The University community should expect to hear more about the progress and implementation of these plans as the new academic year begins, Paprocki says. For more information about the administration and finance units, visit the Web site www. rochester.edu/adminfinance.

What are the Bold Steps?

Part of a long-range, ongoing initiative to improve the service and stewardship mission of the central administration and finance units, the Five Bold Steps are brief summary statements of how the units plan to achieve their goals:

1. Develop people to maximize talent to build and sustain effective operations in a diverse environment.

2. Develop and maintain communications practices that support management.

3. Improve policies, procedures, and processes.

4. Develop and integrate information technology capabilities that support management.

5. Support decision making through business case development and due diligence awareness.

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