Activity Data Collection is part of Queen's participation in NousCubane's UniForum benchmarking program. Many universities around the world have used this data collection exercise to help inform choices to advance their strategy.
This exercise is designed to capture data on how support services are delivered across the university. The data can help senior leaders start conversations about where and how improvements can be made.
Identified professional services staff across the university with insight into the nature of the multiple roles in their portfolios participate in the UniForum activity data collection.
Collected Queen's data shows:
- Total professional services capacity across the university, including both in-house and outsourced work
- Where in the university each activity/service occurs
- Satisfaction levels with the current service delivery model
The data reports on what and how Queen’s is currently doing. It does not give answers on what Queen’s should do in the future.
Collection timeline
-
2024: Queen's completed 2024 Activity Data Collection in Summer 2024 for work done from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024.
-
Yearly: The Activity Data Collection will subsequently occur once per year, with the next collection happening in summer 2025.
How the data is collected
The UniForum online tool is used to collect data.
This is not a time tracking or monitoring exercise to study daily activity; rather it seeks to identify the main categories of work being done in positions across the university.
During data collection, respondents report on the proportion of time that employees spend across a range of activities based on NousCubane's activity collection dictionary and definitions.
The activity collection definitions are consistent across all UniForum members to enable benchmarking.
Participants (typically managers) receive direct communication with all the information they needed to complete the exercise, including training and support prior to and during the time period they use the UniForum online tool.