Activity Data Collection is part of Queen's participation in NousCubane's UniForum benchmarking program.
This exercise is designed to capture data on how support services are delivered across the university.
Identified professional services staff across the university with insight into the nature of the multiple roles in their portfolios will be asked to participate in the UniForum activity data collection.
Collected Queen's data will show:
- 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.
Many universities around the world have used this data collection exercise to help inform choices to advance their strategy. The data can help senior leaders start conversations about where and how improvements can be made.
Collection Timeline
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Part 1: March 2024. Activity data was collected in March for work done from May 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024
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Part 2: Summer 2024. A second activity data collection will happen in June-July to look at services for the balance of the year, from February 1 to April 30, 2024. This is a simpler exercise, because it is a review of the data collected in March, with updates where needed.
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Yearly: The Activity Data Collection will subsequently occur once per year, with the next collection happening in June/July 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) received 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.