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Head of Department Administrative Support

Executive summary

In 2007 a working party was established to consider the role of academic Heads of Departments (HODs) in the University. One of the recommendations was that;

• Human Resources (HR) should examine the role of the Departmental Administrator - what they do and what responsibility they have.
• A series of job descriptions to fit a variety of roles should be developed, together with ways of building a career path.

The outcome of the project was a package of resources collectively called "An Administration Best Practice Manual". When used collectively these documents provide a framework for reviewing and establishing the appropriate administration position and structures within an academic department. It also includes some best practice examples and ideas on how to structure and run an administration function. The Best Practice Manual consists of the following;

Administration Task Outline

• A comprehensive list that defines the key administrative tasks for an academic department; the standards of performance for each task; and the key skills required to successfully complete them.
• This is a resource for HODs and administration staff alike to assist with planning and organising work, recruitment and induction processes, administering the Performance & Development Review (PDR) process, training, and career development.
• The task list is particularly useful when considering the Skills & Knowledge PDR competency.
• The tasks are not exhaustive but do provide an overview of key tasks which should cover all levels of the administrative functions.

Structural Models

• A set of 6 structural models provide examples of options for configuration of the administrative function in a department.
• These were based on models that are currently functioning successfully within the University. These models have been profiled and accompanied by the case studies from the respective departments.

Job Descriptions

• These job descriptions are generic and designed to be used in conjunction with the structural models proposed
• They define the roles of Departmental Administrators or Managers (DA & DM)
• They are evaluated at Level 6. This is based on a set of assumptions such as full delegated responsibility for financial management. The evaluation of a particular role will vary depending on the circumstance in each department. (e.g. the size and complexity of the department ; the depth and/or breadth of a role; the allocation of task in the department and the reporting lines - e.g. a Financial Administrator position may hold the Financial delegations or staff reporting to a personal assistant rather than the DA).
• For all JDs regardless of the structural model, it is assumed that some tasks will be delegated to other administrative staff members (e.g. Administrative Assistant). However, the Departmental Administrator/Manager will be responsible for the overall performance within each functional area. The exact make up of the delegated tasks will need to be assessed on a case by case basis,. As a result many of the administrative tasks are in all JDs to allow for flexibility.
• It is important that the Job Descriptions (JDs) are viewed in conjunction with the relevant structural models and tasks. Use of this framework will help to ensure consistency across the University. However it does allow for reasonable adaption to reflect departmental differences.

Departmental Administrator’s Booklet

• An overview of all the material that can be used as a reference and induction tool for administration staff.

Departmental Career Planning Workbook

• To be used as a tool for planning a career path in conjunction with the Performance and Development Review (PDR) process.

It is important to emphasise that the Manual provides a framework which when used collectively, can be adapted to the particular situation of each department. Their use is optional.

Adopting this process requires a commitment from both the Departmental Administrators and their HOD. It is an development process that will be achieved over time. During that period the administrators will require the knowledge, support and independence to run the administrative functions and to support their HOD.

The package of resources will be web-based to allow them to be updated reasonably quickly to reflect the evolution of the roles. Work is continuing to develop and coordinate the developmental resources for staff in these roles.

Support

• Divisional HR Staff – advice on your structure and administrative resources
• HR Promotions & Remuneration staff – documentation, PDR, job evaluation and job descriptions
• HR Recruitment, Development & Equity staff – developmental options.

Dan Wilson (HR Manager, Promotions & Remuneration)

Models and Generic Job Descriptions

Model Two

• For a small to medium size department.
• The scale of these tasks is relatively small and/or frequency is low. (This is the only model that refers to the size of the department due to the limited number of administrative staff involved).
• Some administrative tasks will be performed by academics themselves due to administrative tasks being dispersed in smaller departments. This needs to be taken into account when considering the overall number of administrative tasks contained in the JD.

Job description - Model Two

 

Model Three

• The main role of the Administrator is to oversee administration tasks performed by the programme administrators and to bring the tasks together or finalise.
• A lot of teaching support administrative tasks, as well as some smaller/lower skill level tasks, have been omitted from the generic JD for a DA/DM and are assumed to be part of a programme administrator JD.
• There person specifications for the DA/DM are similar to those in a Model Two department. However, a project management skill is added to the profile and there is a greater emphasis on people management (people management experience is essential in the Model Three JD as there are a number of staff reporting to the role).
• The DA/DM will demonstrate a higher level of “soft” skills, e.g. influencing, negotiating, etc.
  

Job description - Model Three

 

Model Four

• General staff organization can vary based on the size and requirements, i.e. the number and responsibilities of administrative staff reporting to the DA/DM.
• Overall the role is designed to carry more managerial level responsibilities with the performance of most ‘lower level’ tasks delegated to other general staff members.
• The DA/DM role moves from earlier models which support the HoD in managing departmental finances, to taking full responsibility for managing this area,
  Personal assistance to the HoD is provided by another staff member.
• The changes from Model Three in person specifications include increased experience requirements (over 5 years of senior administration work experience).
  

Job description - Model Four

 

Model Five

• Designed to suit the needs of a large size department, leading to the higher intensity, complexity, and volume of administrative tasks.
• The DM will take on a role of a supervisor in relation to most administrative tasks, with the majority of actual work performed by other general staff members.
• The person specifications for this role expressly call for management experience, as well as stipulating the essential requirement for good influencing and negotiation skills to reflect the scope of the position.
  

Job description - Model Five

 

Models Six and Seven

The DA/DM roles differ from the previously described roles as they are designed to suit the needs of a more ‘technical’ and/or very research active department, most commonly seen at the Sciences and Health Sciences Divisions. It is assumed that for these departments the technical and/or financial aspects of the DA/DM role are carried out by other general staff members.

 

Model Six

• The DA/DM Job Description can be adapted to suit different sized departments with necessary changes made to reflect any change in scale.
• As in previous examples, the actual performance of some of the tasks will be delegated to other administrative staff members (e.g. Administrative Assistant),
  The DA/DM will be responsible for overall performance within each functional area.
• The DA/DM will not normally take on responsibility for the compliance administration and may share facilities management responsibility with the Head Technician.
• The person specification is comparable with those in Models Two and Four. The differences are dependent on the scale of the position and the number of staff reporting to the role.
  

Job description - Model Six

 

Model Seven

• There is a further reduction in the number of administrative functions that are part of the role of the DA/DM in a Model Seven department.
• The Departmental Administrator/Manager within a department does not take on responsibility for the compliance and financial administration, and shares facilities management responsibility with the Head Technician.
• As per the Model Six, the DA/DM Job Description can be adapted to suit departments of different size with necessary changes to be made to reflect the change in scale.
• The person specification is also in line with the Models Two and Four, subject to some scale-related adjustments.
  

Job description - Model Seven