Otago Polytechnic Strategy Refocus: Roadmap for Change
Our strategy: vision, mission, strategic goals
Vision – What we aspire to be.
This refocused strategic platform does not change the vision we have had for several years now:
“We are recognised nationally and internationally as New Zealand’s leading polytechnic”.
We are recognised for:
our innovation in education
the high quality of everything we do
the outstanding capabilities of our graduates
our contributions to organisations and our communities.”
Mission/Purpose
This refocused strategy gives explicit emphasis to our role in providing learning in organisations and
communities, as well as for individuals.
Our core business is learning – for individuals, organisations and communities:
To serve society and our customers by enabling those who desire to learn to connect with the
most relevant learning experiences.
Our programmes and services enable:
individuals to perform in their chosen vocations
- our graduates are capable, future focused, work ready and sustainable practitioners
organisations to perform better
- our graduates can add value and make a difference in their workplaces
- our knowledge and technology transfer activities and applied research improves
productivity, innovation and organisational performance
communities to prosper and advance
- we contribute to the economic and social success of New Zealand and to international
communities
- we lead by example and deploy our resources in the interest of our communities.
Strategic Goals – How we will achieve our vision.
Our four interrelated strategic goals also remain substantively the same:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Achieve educational excellence
Be a resilient organisation
Collaborate with our communities to make a difference, prioritising Kai Tahu
Make a difference to our environment.
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The indicators of success, i.e. how we will know we have achieved these goals are:
Goal 1 Achieve educational excellence
Our learners succeed in their studies
Our learners enjoy an outstanding experience
Our graduates are: capable, future focused and ready for work (self-employment and for
continuing employment)
Our graduates practise sustainably, and make a difference to society.
Goal 2 Be a resilient organisation
We are future focussed and highly adaptable
Our operational processes are sustainable
Our organisation and management is world class
We invest in appropriate innovation and development
We make a consistent annual operating surplus
We have an outstanding work environment
We collaborate effectively.
Goal 3 Collaborate with our communities to make a difference, prioritising Kai Tahu
We engage effectively with industry, community, professions, government, Kai Tahu
We understand the needs of our communities
Our communities tell us they have confidence in us
Our communities are more capable as a consequence of our actions
Our communities benefit from our actions
Goal 4 Make a difference to our environment
Our environmental footprint is minimised
Our leadership encourages others to embrace sustainable practices
Succeeding in the Future: our customer focus.
Otago Polytechnic must operate in the future from the “outside-in”. This means understanding what
different markets need and expect and providing “fit for purpose” services in response. Our challenge is
to be market led, not sales led, i.e. what is important is not what we have to sell but what others want to
buy. This means our success lies in understanding and meeting the changing needs and expectations of
our customers i.e.:
the students who use our services, who learn from our programmes
those who employ graduates and/or use our services
the organisations and communities which help fund us, including government, or which are
affected by the way we perform
We must focus our services on where we can excel and be nationally and internationally competitive. If
we do not then others will, in what is an increasingly competitive international market place for
educational services. This also means being prepared to exit activities where we are not competitive and
to partner with others and to invest in new areas when our communities can be better served by us doing
so.
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Our Services Strategy – what we want to take to market.
This strategy, which acknowledges the forces impacting on our sector, consists of three interrelated pillars
of services intended to meet the needs and expectations of the market segments on which we want to
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focus. Each pillar leverages institutional capabilities which we have already developed, and together
enable us to fulfil our mission. The pillars do not represent silos of activity, but are intended to be the
foundations of our future business. The three pillars are:
Destination programmes
These are learning opportunities where an on-campus context is key to the learning value for the
students.
These programmes will stand out in the market place by virtue of their quality and the experience
and outcomes which learners enjoy – compelling reasons for learners to choose Otago Polytechnic
over other providers
This pillar acknowledges that we have, and can develop more programmes which stand out
nationally and internationally
Open learning programmes and services
These are flexible learning opportunities which enable people to access learning and services which
more specifically meet their needs in relation to what, where, how, and when they learn.
This pillar acknowledges the rapid growth world-wide in on-line learning and the increasing demand
for more learner centred learning opportunities; as well as an emerging preference for people who
are in work to undertake learning in their workplaces.
Knowledge transfer services
These are services which we provide directly to client organisations in response to their perceived
needs to build organisational capability and effectiveness, and to help solve specific problems and
broader systemic issues.
This pillar is our specific response to the changing expectations of government and business that we
be more effective in helping to improve organisational performance and productivity.
These pillars provide greater focus to what we do, recognising that there is not an homogenous market
for education services and an acknowledgement that we cannot do everything for everyone.
Within each of the three pillars our challenge is to be the best – to stand out in terms of quality of inputs
and of outcomes for our customers, whether these be individual learners, organisation or communities.
This means having the best staff as well as the best programmes or services.
Implementing the Refocus: Where we expect to be in 5 and 10 years from now:
Our challenge is to increase significantly the proportion of our revenues not associated with government
funded domestic students, and to grow our open learning initiatives in line with changing learner
expectations and competitive forces.
We will also require a significant increase in international students and learners from outside of Otago, as
well as the successful establishment of our knowledge transfer business. Specifically, the changes we
expect to achieve are:
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Refer to Appendix 1 for a more expansive definition of each of these three pillars.
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i) % of revenue:
Destination programmes
Open learning
Knowledge transfer/applied research
Other
Now (2012)
80%
8%
3%
9%
2017
55%
25%
10%
10%
2022
35%
35%
20%
10%
ii) % of revenue NOT from domestic students (i.e. NOT from
SAC funding and student fees)
12%
20%
40%
iii) % of students NOT from Otago
42%
65%
80%
iv) % of international students
5.2%
10%
15%
5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
v) Operating surplus
vi) Project/pursuits/development funding
1.4% (2013)
Implementing the Refocus: priority actions for 2013
i)
Commission initial market research around new, emerging and underserved market segments –
to inform decisions on which programmes will go open learning vs destination learning, and in
what priority order. Develop a plan for on-going research into new markets and market
segments.
Complete by May 31
st
ii) Review programme and services portfolio
Develop and apply criteria for destination and open learning programmes; and for ongoing continuation of programmes in whatever mode
Evaluate all Level 2 and 3 programmes with a view to lifting to Level 4 where possible, or
consider discontinuing
th
Complete by June 30
iii) Develop a plan for open learning programmes and services, to build revenue to 25% of total
revenue by 2017
Staffing, support services, infrastructure, new products, marketing, annual targets for
programme development and revenues
Complete by August 31
st
iv) Develop a plan for destination programmes, to establish a suite of very strong programmes in
Dunedin, Auckland and Central Otago.
Complete by August 31st
v) Review organisational structure to give best effect to the business streams represented by the
three pillars.
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Business divisions, operating entities, management and leadership roles, support services
Complete by June 30
th
vi) Implement a programme to strengthen our organisational culture in alignment with the revised
strategy. This will include a review of our values and making explicit the key behaviours
associated with each value.
Complete by July 31st
vii) Investigate potential partnerships around Level 2/3 programmes; based on criteria including
Otago Polytechnic’s role in quality assurance, staircasing to Otago Polytechnic and financial
benefit to Otago Polytechnic. Consider Future Skills, Malcam Trust (existing partners) and
current Dunedin PTEs.
Complete by July 31st
viii) Develop a plan for knowledge transfer services, to build revenue to 10% of Otago Polytechnic
total revenue by 2017.
Staffing, support services, infrastructure, marketing, annual targets for revenues
Complete by August 31
st
ix) Take all service areas through a strategic exercise to establish degree of fit for the new business
focus. Consider possibility of new service teams as well as changes within current teams.
Expected outcome is fit for purpose service areas, aligned to and enabling of new business
focus.
Complete by August 31st
x) Revise business model to incorporate knowledge transfer business as a contributing business
activity. This will require decisions on tax rates for KT activity, which in turn impacts on tax rate
for domestic EFTS.
Complete by July 31st
xi) Revise campus plan and capital budget to give effect to strategy changes
More capex on programme development and virtual campus
Complete by July 31
st
xii) Develop a plan to treble revenue from international students, taking into account the
enhancement of destination programmes as well as new open learning products for international
students.
Complete by July 31st
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Appendix 1 – Our Strategic Pillars
Our three strategic pillars will guide our development and investment for the future, enabling us to build
on our current strengths as well as to embrace the new order of educational delivery which is gaining
momentum internationally. These three pillars are built on the developments we have undertaken over
the last several years.
The pillars are not intended to be exclusive nor will everything that we do fit neatly under any particular
pillar. Rather, our “outside-in” focus will see us continue to meet new expectations as they arise, and
also local training needs, whether this be on campus or through open learning or in partnership with
others.
The key elements of each pillar are:
Destination Programmes:
Learners come to our place to learn
An on campus experience: outstanding and compelling, attracting learners nationally and
internationally
An on campus experience is necessary
i.e. the best way to secure the intended outcomes for the learners
An on campus experience is preferred by the customer
campus life and social interaction is important
validated by market research
Characterised by highly interactive and experiential learning
use multi learning modes as appropriate, i.e. face to face, on-line, work place
Open Learning Programmes and Services:
We go to the learner via their laptops/tablets and smart phones, and to their homes and work
places
Learners have flexibility and choice over what, when, at what pace, where and how they learn
Includes Work based Learning (WBL)
WBL is learning at and for work: the work place is the class room and work place issues
and problems the curriculum
Includes on-line learning
“Traditional” full service on-line teaching, which may involve some face to face
engagement
OER learning whereby learners teach themselves
Includes distance learning: the learner does not have to attend sessions in person
Includes programmes that combine on-line and face to face delivery across several regions
Includes recognition of prior learning, both prior experiential learning and prior theoretical learning
Includes personalised learning where the learner determines what is learned and Otago
Polytechnic facilitates, assesses and awards credentials
Note: “open” in this context does not mean “free”, although free or self-service learning options are a
possible element of Otago Polytechnic’s open learning portfolio.
Knowledge Transfer Services:
We go to our clients - helping to solve their problems, applying new technologies or techniques,
researching and developing
Uses our services for improving business and organisational effectiveness and productivity
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Involves experts (our staff) sharing their knowledge and skills with industry and communities and
in return they share their knowledge and skills with us
Includes technology transfer which involves applying technologies in new contexts and
developing new solutions
Includes research and problem solving consultancies, fee for service training, coaching and
mentoring
Will be delivered substantially through our Centres of Research Expertise (COREs)
Will be carried out by staff whose roles, in whole or in part, are dedicated to this activity
Will engage students in experiential work and learning opportunities wherever appropriate and
practicable
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