Digitalisation is changing many activities in administration. A Lower Saxony-wide Centre of Excellence coordinated by the University of Oldenburg aims to support universities in managing change processes and making employees fit for the new tasks.
From electronic accounting to digital files, from application portals to examination management software: university administrations are becoming increasingly digital. "The process is picking up speed and we have to face the associated challenges," says Dr Carolin Schöbel-Peinemann, Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development (PEOE) in Division 1. For her, one thing is clear: "Digitalisation not only brings technical changes and the associated opportunities, but of course also means major changes for employees."
This is also accompanied by a cultural change, adds her colleague Anja Kruse, deputy head of the PEOE department: "Work is often completely restructured: processes change, tasks are eliminated and responsibilities are redistributed." Such change processes require intensive support, according to the expert: "Digitalisation offers a lot of potential for greater efficiency and greater output. At the same time, it involves change, which naturally isn't always easy for people. That's why you have to take them along and involve them." Transparency and communication are essential for change to succeed.
A Lower Saxony-wide Centre of Excellence under the leadership of Oldenburg will ensure that universities can prepare their administrative staff well for the challenges of digitalisation. Schöbel-Peinemann and Kruse are the project leaders for the project entitled "Personnel Development and Change Management" (PEChange). Since June, it has been funded by the state of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation for a total of six years and equipped with five new positions. The Centre of Excellence is part of the major digitalisation offensive "Hochschule.digital Niedersachsen". Together with the Volkswagen Foundation, the state is providing almost 22 million euros so that all 20 universities in Lower Saxony can coordinate their digitisation projects in the areas of study and teaching, research and administration and develop joint solutions.
Overarching task for the Oldenburg Centre of Excellence
The university administrations have joined forces in the "Digital Transformation Network" for this purpose. The central element is four competence centres at different university locations, three of which are more technically oriented. They are intended to define common standards, standardise processes and pool expertise. The University of Hanover is responsible for human resources and finance, the University of Osnabrück for campus management systems and the TU Braunschweig for document management and digital workflow. The fourth Centre of Excellence, PEChange at the University of Oldenburg, has an overarching task in a way: "We are in close contact with the other Centres of Excellence and work with them to determine what personnel development and further education needs arise," explains Kruse.
Specifically, PEChange is dedicated to four work packages: Firstly, the universities are to be provided with tools from project management in order to be able to manage digitalisation and change projects well. One important point, for example, is a so-called project portfolio management system for the administration, which allows project planning to be prioritised and resources to be planned. "We have already established something like this in Oldenburg for several years, so we can contribute our experience well here," emphasises Schöbel-Peinemann.
The second work package involves describing the skills and competences that will be required for various activities in the future. In addition to technical competences, this also includes higher-level skills, such as being able to solve problems independently, critically reflecting on one's own actions or acquiring new skills. In the third work package, new further education and development programmes are being designed to impart the necessary digital skills and soft skills. Courses and further education are to be offered centrally via the Inter-University Continuing Education Centre (HüW), an institution that has existed since 2001 and in which all universities in Lower Saxony are involved. "HüW is the perfect network to build on," says Schöbel-Peinemann. The project team wants to introduce a learning management system there as quickly as possible in order to be able to provide self-study modules, for example. The plan is to develop standardised modules, such as a "digital driving licence" that can be used to test methodological skills, as well as instructional videos and tutorials. "We will provide a kind of modular system that can be used to acquire basic skills outside of courses," explains Schöbel-Peinemann. Traditional further education programmes on specialist topics will also be set up.
The changes brought about by digitalisation have taken on a new dimension.
Dr Carolin Schöbel-Peinemann, Human Resources and Organisational Development
However, individual training courses are not enough. "The changes brought about by digitalisation have taken on a new dimension, and the developments brought about by AI are also continuing," emphasises the expert. The fourth work package is therefore about supporting these sometimes challenging processes. "This is where managers are particularly in demand," explains Schöbel-Peinemann. For example, they should be trained to promote acceptance and willingness to change among employees or to manage conflicts. Above all, those whose areas are undergoing particularly significant changes as a result of digitalisation should be trained in dealing with change processes, and individual consultations should also be possible.
Everyone involved agrees on one thing: "The topic of digitalisation will occupy us in the long term and will always lead to changes in the working environment," says Anja Kruse. It is therefore all the better that the universities in Lower Saxony are now joining forces and jointly developing strategies to deal with the changes.
