UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

A VISION AND STRATEGY FOR THE

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FUNCTION
(Revised Position Paper Prepared for UWI’s Strategic Plan 2002-2007)

There can be no question that the tremendous upheaval in governance and structure which the
University of the West Indies experienced over the past decade not only resulted in a changed
institution with a vastly different culture but has demanded a new kind of staff with different
expertise, attitudes and values. The role of the Human Resource function and those who
administer it must necessarily adapt to meet the challenge of attracting, appraising, rewarding,
training and developing this new cadre of personnel .

The Vision Statement and Strategic Objectives of the University in its Strategic Planning
Framework 2002-2007 focus in large part, on the performance output and impact of its staff.
The following institutional values which underpin the goals and strategies outlined in the Plan
have been identified:
 Maintaining a commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence;
 Promoting social awareness;
 Nurturing a keen sense of individual and social responsibility
 Building respect for cultural diversity
 Fostering ethical values, attitudes and approaches; and
 Community service and involvement.
Moreover, the principle outlined in the previous Strategic Plan still holds:

 UWI recognises that its principal asset is its people. Staff costs are also the largest
component of total cost. Both factors converge to require that the management and
development of the academic and non-academic staff must be given high priority in order
to ensure that the staff being trained up to the leading edge of their discipline, are
REVISED – December 2001 2
enabled to deliver high quality service at an economic cost (UWI’s Strategic Plan 1997-
2002, p. 17).

Within this framework of stated commitment to developing its treasured human resources and
putting in place the systems necessary to support the management of its human resources so that
the highest quality of education and other services may be provided to our students, the
following vision and strategic directions for the management of the University’s Human
Resources have been developed.

Vision of the Human Resource (HR) Function

1. A work environment which is conducive to high-performance, job-satisfaction and the
development and well-being of the staff of the University.

2. A more active involvement and leadership role for the human resource/personnel
function within the current environment of change, which includes changes in
governance, in structure, in programmes, in technology and in the external environment.

3. Professional and effective HR services which fully exploit the available technology to
provide quick, accurate and facilitating information and support in the recruitment/
selection, appraisal, reward and development of all staff.

4. A reduction in the current preoccupation with time-consuming, non-value-adding,

transactional administrative activities and increased provision of analytical, proactive,
consultative and facilitating services.

5. Greater specialist development and empowerment of the staff responsible for or involved
in the HR functions.

6. Pro-active participation in and identification with the human resource management

programme by Deans and Heads of Departments/Units/Centres and workers’
representatives.
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Why New Strategic Directions For H. R.?

“HRM assumes strategic importance when the need for employee commitment becomes
central to the implementation of corporate strategy, for example, commitment to strategic
goals concerning efficiency, quality and innovation.” (Starkey & McKinlay, 1993, p.9)

The integration of HRM and strategic management is deemed to be desirable because integration
provides better and wider scope for solving complex organisational problems and ensures that
not only financial and technological resources are taken into consideration in setting goals and
assessing implementation, but that the human resources who must implement policies and plans
are not neglected. Both the Strategic Plan 1997-2002 and the Strategic Planning Framework
document 2002-2007 recognise this. It is now for the HR administrators to be innovative and
rethink their role, articulate the policies which will support the strategic directions enunciated in
the Plan, redesign the HR processes towards greater efficiency, quality and innovation, develop
the requisite skills of management and staff development, manpower planning, succession
planning versus the traditional approaches of personnel administration and industrial relations
activities.

For example, the computerisation of administrative systems, the implementation of multi-mode

delivery of teaching, the re-affirmed commitment to greater provision of distance education and
the increasing use of the Internet - all involving the introduction of advanced technology -
according to some recent case studies1, will be expected to rely heavily on four (4) important
personnel issues: organisation design, work structuring, the recruitment/selection of
appropriate staff and the training and development of staff to work with the new systems.
Some organisational redesign has already taken place at UWI in terms of the new governance
structures and the merged faculties and departments. The implementation of these will depend
largely on a new breed of “line managers” - Deans and Heads of Departments who are both

1Jon Clark (Ed.), Human Resource Management & Technical Change, 1993, pp 215-216
REVISED – December 2001 4
technically proficient at their jobs and “owners” and champions of a human resource
management policy at the faculty/department level.

In order to facilitate the reorientation of the academic administrators towards stronger and more
focused HR management, and to address the high priority which the university has indicated that
it will give to the management and development of the academic and non-academic staff, the
human resource/personnel function must itself be re-defined and strengthened. The
acquisition and implementation of the PeopleSoft Human Resource Management System
(HRMS) now permit us to redesign the HR programme and process in tandem with the
implementation of the HRMS. The National Association of College and University Business
Officers (NACUBO) in its 1994 publication, Business Process Redesign for Higher Education
(p.39) makes the point that:

“In BPR, process improvement does not precede technology identification, nor does
system selection drive process improvement. Rather, an integrated process ensues. BPR
teams search for technological solutions as part of benchmarking and best practice
research before redesigning the process. They also explore the ways that technology can
support or accelerate during visioning. The symbiotic process pulls process and
technology together. This tightly orchestrated interaction between IT and process
improvement is the critical element that causes breakthrough innovation, allowing the
institution to transform the process.”
If we consider the current approach to staff development within the University, we will find that
on any campus we are likely to have three different units organising development activities for
staff with little co-ordination and a resultant inefficient use of the limited resources available.
Unless there are some clear policies and informed co-ordination of the administration of staff
development (not necessarily the implementation of staff development interventions) we run the
risk of diminishing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of such programmes, and certainly of
rendering them almost impossible to monitor and assess their impact. An actual case in point
can illustrate this. The Office of Administration some time ago organised the first in a series of
staff development exercises around the theme of “The New Workplace” on the topic Sexual
Harassment in the Workplace. This was conducted mainly with Academic and Senior
REVISED – December 2001 5
Administrative staff. But this is an issue of interest and value to all levels of staff. It may
indeed be of even greater value to non-academic staff and supervisors, but because of the way
the H.R. programme is split, these sessions now have to be organised by some six different
departments, two per campus, as against being organised by a single co-ordinating office.

In addition therefore to redefining the role and redesigning the programme and processes, as
earlier mentioned, the restructuring and streamlining of the HR function will go a long way
towards realising the vision for HR and achieving its mission.

The Mission of the HRM Function

The mission of the Human Resource Management function is to help the University
achieve its stated goals of academic and professional excellence by developing and
managing the Human Resource processes including the recruitment and selection,
appraisal, reward and development of its staff and by providing crucial information to
help its key officers to make informed decisions.

Goals of the HRM Function

• Build the University’s reputation as a premier employer to recruit, select and
retain highly qualified staff.
• Assist the University to become more competitive by placing more emphasis on
the use of strategic HR information, providing regular, accurate HR Management
reports and by identifying and emphasizing critical areas of need as they emerge.
(Staff training, leadership development, succession planning, innovativeness and
efficiency are some areas which have been identified in recent times).
• Develop a framework for performance management which will provide for more
goal and output orientation and focus on Key Result Areas, benchmarking and
measurement.
• Develop strategies and structures that facilitate the reward and recognition of
competence and superior performance of staff at all levels.
• Provide assistance to Deans, Heads of Departments, other managers and
supervisors in the management of personnel
REVISED – December 2001 6

• Work with management, staff and employee representatives to assure compliance

with legislation, University policies and collective agreements.
• Devise appropriate strategies for the management of change.
• Ensure that the human resource considerations are integral to all strategic and
operational planning in the University.
• Identify and enhance the requisite competencies for the HR management function
which may include providing professional support in the area of industrial
relations.

Policies
The following policies need to be adopted to give effect to the programme of HRM which will
support the above mission:

Integrated HRM Programme/Structure

The programme of Human Resource management shall be integrated, and shall be coordinated
by the Office of Administration and managed at the Campuses by a single department of the
Registry, headed by a human resource manager at the level of Senior Assistant Registrar/Deputy
Campus Registrar (SAR/DCR).

The structure of the Human Resource Department at each Campus shall reflect and facilitate the
integration, interdependence and functionality of the Human Resource Management programme
and shall provide for the delegation to the SAR/DCR - Human Resources, the full responsibility
for the programme and the appropriate accountability for the results.

This policy will ensure a comprehensive approach to HR planning and development and will
allow for more efficient use of resources, particularly if the staff of the HR Division on each
campus are housed in the same building/location. Currently the Appointments Section at Mona
and St. Augustine deals with the personnel functions of recruitment/selection, assessment and
promotions of Academic, Senior Administrative and Professional staff while the Personnel
Office handles the above functions as well as training and industrial relations for the Non-
REVISED – December 2001 7
academic staff. At Cave Hill, the Appointments Section handles personnel matters for all staff.
The Mona Campus has made the commitment and is currently working at restructuring to satisfy
the above policy.

This coordinated structure should facilitate:

i) the development and management of manpower, career and succession planning
functions;
ii) counselling for all levels of staff including pre-retirement counselling;
iii) improved data collection, data sharing and streamlined information management;
iv) coordinated training for all levels of staff, with the understanding that training in
non-academic areas for academics (such as leadership development, time
management, team building, etc.) would be the responsibility of the Training
Section. Training effected by the Instructional Development Units would also be
recorded through this department.

The Campuses should be encouraged to provide the necessary resources to support the training
programme. The Centre should continue to provide a facilitating and support role in organising
and administering training programmes. This is consistent with the recommendations of the
Draper Report, 2001.

HR Policies
HR policies and procedures shall be clear, documented and made available to all staff on
appointment to the University. Every effort must be made to ensure consistent and common
standards across the campuses and centres of the University.

For example, a policy regarding how salary negotiations and other collective bargaining issues
will be handled by the University should be articulated in light of the UGC’s decision to return
full responsibility for this process to the University Administration.

Automated HRMIS with Standardized Data Structure

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The administrative procedures of the HRM shall be streamlined and automated with a single,
university-wide data base, in order to provide quick, accurate, cost-effective and facilitating
information and support to the management and staff of the University.

For the purpose of consistent human resource reports, all three campuses shall have the same
data structure and as far as possible standardised procedures.

The acquisition of the PeopleSoft HRMS and the changes in governance and structures provided
the appropriate context for the redesign of the business processes of the human resource
management function. Business Process Redesign (BPR) essentially involves a managerial
approach that incorporates institutional strategy, work processes, people and technology to create
sustainable competitive advantage by challenging and redesigning the core business processes of
the organisation. BPR is customer-driven, data-intensive and results-oriented. It challenges the
fundamental infrastructure of the organisation and is used when a new way of doing business is
required.

BPR for the University will necessarily seek to ensure that all staff have access to computers, are
encouraged to use e-mail, have direct access on-line to their own accurate and up-to-date
personnel data, and that departments can both access and enter the less sensitive personnel data
such as addresses, telephone numbers, leave data and current position.

HRM Management Reports

Regular Management Reports on the University’s human resources shall be provided as
required. Such reports should include current staffing statistics such as actual staffing by
category and levels, department and discipline/function, age and length of employment, other
exceptional statistic; number, location, etc. of staff recruited during the reporting period;
number and details of staff who separated during the period; staff development activities and
participation details; relevant staff costs; staff/student and staff/staff ratios for different
categories of staff.

Recruitment/Selection of Staff
REVISED – December 2001 9
The administrative policies and procedures shall facilitate the use of modern, innovative
recruitment/selection practices to ensure that bright, energetic, flexible men and women who
care about ideas, research, the spread of culture and learning, creativity and service to the
community are attracted into the University. There is no more important task than selecting
high quality people for positions in the University. By eliminating non-value adding activities
and exploiting the available technology, and by employing a variety of approaches, including
search techniques, and fully involving the Heads and Deans, the cycle time for recruiting staff
should be reduced thus helping to assure that the University attracts the quality staff it has
targeted.

Staff Assessment
The performance of all staff shall be formally assessed annually in accordance with the
Ordinances and Rules and with reference to the agreed criteria for the category and level of the
staff member. The policies and procedures relating to the assessment of different categories of
staff shall be documented and effectively communicated to all staff members and shall be
effectively administered. The assessment programme shall be aimed primarily at providing
information so that excellence may be recognised and areas of deficiency may be corrected
through appropriate staff development programmes.

Recognising and Rewarding Staff

Academic and administrative excellence shall be publicly recognised and rewarded through
such incentive schemes as the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence for all staff. A
programme similar to the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence - the University Registrar’s
Award for Excellence - shall be established to recognise and reward administrative and non-
academic staff for excellence in the various areas of academic, administrative and other support
services provided to the University. This will ensure that no category of staff in the University
will feel that their work will not be recognised and rewarded by the community.

Staff Development
The development of staff at all levels shall be given high priority so as to ensure that staff are
REVISED – December 2001 10
trained up to the leading edge of their discipline and are enabled to deliver high quality service
at an economic cost.

Staff development programmes shall be designed to respond to institutional and individual needs
identified through careful strategic planning, career planning and succession planning
programmes. In particular, programmes should seek to ensure that staff are enabled to apply
technological aids with a view to increasing productivity and efficiency.

Staff development programmes shall be effectively administered and evaluated, and used
effectively in assisting staff members in career planning.

Payroll & Benefits

The payroll and benefits functions which are part of the human resource management function
but which have historically been handled by the Bursary shall be managed as an HR function,
applying the data structure standardised across the three campuses, effective within the HRMS.

The Payroll module of PeopleSoft has now been implemented across the three campuses.

HR Staff
All staff directly involved in the administration of personnel/human resource functions, whether
at the senior administrative level or at the administrative support level shall be encouraged and
provided the opportunity to develop specialist skills not only in personnel administration but in
the areas of training & development, manpower planning, career counselling and planning,
succession planning, human resource information systems, staff benefits, welfare management
and industrial relations, in order to enhance professionalism in the practice and
implementation of the HRM function.

Deans and Heads as HR Managers

Deans and Heads of Departments shall be encouraged and empowered to take ownership of the
HRM policy and programme at the faculty and departmental level. Through management
development programmes and facilitating support from the HR staff, these “line managers”
REVISED – December 2001 11
should be reoriented towards more focused HR management. On-line access to crucial staffing
information shall be made available to the deans and heads and senior managers in order to
facilitate informed decision making and to assure achievement of the University’s strategic and
operational goals.

Office of Administration
December 17, 2001