What does Process Improvement do for UAF’s organizational culture?

Breaking down barriers: “The process improvement efforts have provided clarity, transparency and most importantly improvements on both sides.”

Empowering staff: “It’s ongoing now – the process bleeds over to daily aspects of my job and within my department, allowing me to think outside the box when it comes to finding solutions.”

Supporting change: “Change is being promoted from daily users not just from the top down, creating a feeling of partnership with administration.”

Improving customer service: “Customers love that they don't have to come down here or walk a paper around for signatures.”

Encouraging open communication: “Our communications, project management, and customer satisfaction has improved tremendously. This would not have happened without the help of our facilitators walking us through this process.”

PIT Crew: Process Improvement & Training Crew

UAF made efforts in FY12 to institutionalize campus-wide process improvement (PI) efforts by creating the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is the "home" to UAF PI.  However, improvement is best driven by the process owners and those that are experts in the work or understand the business needs. 

OMB has adopted a facilitator model that integrates process workflow mapping with implementation planning.  Fifteen staff members have gone through extensive training to become qualified process improvement facilitators and are guiding these project teams, with more efforts on the horizon.

The facilitators utilize a Dynamic Planning™ framework developed by Professional Growth Systems (PGS).  For more information regarding this PGS methodology: http://www.professionalgrowthsystems.com/index.html. 

The PIT Crew Facilitators are:

• Mike Cox, Facilities Services
• Libby Eddy, Registrar
• Faye Gallant, Office of Management & Budget (OMB)
• Margo Griffith, Human Resources
• Jennifer Harris, School of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences
• Pamm Zierfuss-Hubbard, Auxiliary & Contract Services
• Ashley Munro, Financial Aid
• Julie Queen, OMB
• Kris Racina, AVC Student Services
• Dave Read, Geophysical Institute
• Lillian Anderson-Misel, Geophysical Institute
• Mike Earnest, Office of Admissions and the Registrar
• Gabrielle Russell, College of Rural and Community Development
• Briana Walters, OMB
• Sylvan Robb, OMB/PAIR

To reach the PIT Crew, email: UAF-pitcrew-committee@alaska.edu.