Why is the ROSE project important for the university?

There has been widespread discussion about what we can do together that will ensure that we are truly a great university, and are perceived as such within the university community and beyond. This project is helping drive that aspiration for greatness by identifying opportunities to improve service and ensuring that we are producing the expected values from our activities.

Who is leading the ROSE project?

President David Barnard is the sponsor of this project, and a steering committee, which is co-chaired by Deborah McCallum, Vice-President (Administration), Joanne Keselman, Vice-President (Academic) and John Kearsey, Vice-President (External), provides supervision and oversight for the project. The steering committee itself is comprised of the provost, representatives of the deans, senior administrators and students.

How long will ROSE last?

Based on current projects, the ROSE program is expected to last until the end of 2013. If new projects are initiated under the ROSE program, that end date will be extended to accommodate those new projects.Typically, a large program like ROSE will exist beyond the final project completion date so that overall benefits can be assessed.

What is the Office of Continuous Improvement (OCI)?

The Office of Continuous Improvement is an administrative department reporting to the Vice-President (Administration). The OCI is a newly formed unit within the University of Manitoba and is responsible for supporting the university by:

• Serving as a catalyst and mentor for the delivery of sustainable service, operational and organizational improvement initiatives;

• Energizing and enabling a culture of continuous improvement;

• Collaborating with university and external resources to identify and realize sustainable improvements.

Why is the Office of Continuous Improvement and the university's Learning and Development Services department hiring staff if we are supposed to be saving money through ROSE?

Our consulting partner, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), has been providing specialized skills and expertise to the ROSE program over the last two and a half years. Even though PwC is now in the process of transitioning off the project, those skills and expertise are still required. The people who have been, or are being, hired are bringing those skills and specialized knowledge to the university as permanent resources.

How does the ROSE program handle change?

We have a dedicated team of change management specialists who support the people side of change by assessing what kind of change is happening and how it fits within the context of the university. We then develop and implement plans for involvement, information sharing, and learning for U of M employees and students. We use the Prosci approach and tools, which is an internationally-known change management company. We recognize that change can be challenging for people and appreciate the willingness to make these necessary changes.

Can we handle all the changes coming at us at the same time?

We know that our community is navigating other changes in addition to ROSE. We want to minimize change saturation and change collision by looking changes happening in a variety of areas together and coordinating the supports provided.

Can we expect job cuts through the ROSE project?

To be clear, the ROSE project does not have a mandate to reduce jobs. It does, however, have a mandate to provide service enhancements and improve efficiencies. This has meant examining processes and practices that were deemed outdated or redundant. As a result, more than two dozen initiatives were put into place. These initiatives have led, and will lead, to some reorganizing and restructuring. Some people may be asked to do new tasks or to conduct their work in a different way. Certainly there have been some position reductions over the past two years and there may be some in the future. This has, however, primarily been achieved through attrition and retirements, as well as proper vacancy management.

How can I learn more about ROSE?

The resource optimization website - umanitoba.ca/admin/rose - is the hub of information on the project and its initiatives. The project is also discussed through a standing article in the university's  The Bulletin newspaper, published bi-weekly. Information also goes out through the ROSE Twitter account @ROSEumanitoba and the ROSE blog at blogs.cc.umanitoba.ca/rose/.

About the ROSE project