In a rapidly evolving academic landscape, the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative staff have become increasingly critical to the success of Higher Education Institutions. With this in mind, the GoodStaff Research Project, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, was launched to identify, assess, and develop the key competencies required by university administrative personnel. The project is a collaborative effort involving four partner institutions from Poland, Cyprus, and Greece, all committed to enhancing administrative excellence in universities.
The project began with a comprehensive investigation into what senior university managers perceive as the most important competencies administrative staff should possess. To gather these insights, each partner conducted semi-structured interviews with senior leaders at ulocated at their respective countries. This phase laid the groundwork for the development of a practical and innovative solution aimed at bridging gaps in administrative performance and supporting human resource management and development of administrative staff working in Higher Education.
At the heart of the GoodStaff project is the development of a digital IT tool designed to support three core functions. Initially, the tool would enable university senior managers to assess the competencies of candidates applying for administrative roles. This would in turn ensure that recruitment is aligned with institutional needs and that newly hired staff would possess the foundational skills to contribute effectively to a university’s administrative priorities and overall agenda.
More substantively, the tool would serve as a self-assessment resource for currently employed administrative staff. Employees would evaluate their proficiency in key areas, identify competencies where there is room for improvement, and initiate a constructive dialogue with their line manager to develop targeted action plans for professional growth.
At the same time, the tool would support managers during the annual appraisal process, offering a structured framework to assess their team’s skills. Its purpose would be to assist managers in jointly designing with their appraisees training and personal development plans, thereby promoting a culture of continuous improvement within administrative departments.
To ensure the tool’s relevance and effectiveness across diverse academic environments, the project partners conducted a pilot phase to test its validity, reliability, and usability. Feedback collected during this stage helped refine the tool, ensuring that it can operate efficiently across varied university contexts and administrative cultures.
Following the successful piloting phase, the consortium produced a comprehensive implementation guide for the IT tool that is translated in all partner countries’ languages. This guide provides clear instructions for integrating the tool into existing HR and administrative structures and includes recommendations on best practices for its use in both recruitment and staff development settings.
The project concludes with a series of dissemination activities aimed at raising awareness about its mission and outcomes, promoting at the same time the adoption of its deliverables. These activities included workshops, conferences, publications, and online engagement campaigns targeting university leaders, HR professionals, and administrative staff across Europe.
Ultimately, the GoodStaff project represents a significant step forward in professionalising university administration. By defining, assessing, and developing core competencies through a research-based and practical approach, the project not only enhances individual performance but also strengthens the overall operational capacity of Higher Education Institutions. It stands as a model for future initiatives focused on aligning human capital development with institutional goals. Further information on the GoodStaff project, can be found here.
Source: UCLan Cyprus | Discover | Happenings | Highlights (https://tinyurl.com/33x6v46r)