Review of the Administrative Officer Position

1. Review of the Administrative Officer Position Administrative Advisory Council II June, 2001 AACII

2. Report Contents • Introduction • Methodology • Findings • Conclusions • Recommendations AACII

3. Introduction AACII

4. In the Fall of 2000, the Provost and Executive Vice President charged AACII with the task of examining the role of the Administrative Officer (AO) at MIT. • The AACII study focused on AOs (and their equivalents) within the DLCs only. • The AACII is to report its findings by the end of the Spring Semester. Introduction AACII

5. AACII’s study objectives included: • Characterizing the current role of the AO, • Identifying any inherent limitations of the AO position, • Determining what changes (if any) can improve an AO’s effectiveness and productivity, • Exploring how to improve the “quality of life” for AOs at MIT. Introduction AACII

6. Methodology AACII

7. We took several approaches to looking at the AO position: • Defined AO tasks, • Created/Defined organizational models, • Differentiated how tasks are done based on organizational models, • Defined competencies for tasks based on organizational models, • Identified barriers to effective performance, • Reviewed prior work on the AO position done in 1989. • Findings, conclusions and recommendations of this report are based on the observations and collective experience of those AOs who serve on AACII, as well as the results of the previous analysis of “hot button” issues developed by AAC(I) and expanded upon by AACII, and review of the report at the School level. Methodology AACII

8. Findings AACII

9. Functionally, AOs are general “business managers” for a DLC. They serve as: • Liaison between faculty and MIT’s administrative systems and processes, • Crisis manager, • Person responsible for DLC complying with MIT’s business rules and processes to withstand internal and external audits, • Communicator, coordinator, the “voice of a DLC,” • Advocate for the DLC (for recognition, resources, influence, space). Findings AACII

10. All AOs are responsible for a wide variety of activities some of which might be……. • We identified eight different areas of responsibility: Findings AACII

11. All AOs are responsible for a wide variety of activities (cont’d)……. Findings AACII

12. But AOs manage these activities differently depending on what type of unit they serve. Findings AACII

13. The three organizational models were developed in recognition of a number of organizational factors. • Complexity factors such as: • Complex academic program, • Multiple research sponsors, • Range of service expected by DLC, • Turnover rate (graduate students, research staff, visitors), • Number and types of laboratories. • Size factors such as: • Number of Faculty, students, employees, and other personnel, • Dollar volume and number of cost objects, • Space. Findings AACII

14. AO tasks are different depending on which type of organization they manage. • Tasks in the small administrative unit are usually done by the AO. These include all the processing functions perhaps with assistance from one or two support staff. • Tasks in the moderate-sized units are mixed. Many activities are done by the AO, but there may be several support and perhaps one or two other administrative staff to share the load • In the large, complex organization, tasks are distributed among many employees. The AO takes on a more coordinating, coaching and planning role. Findings AACII

15. Within these three models, several additional internal factors influence the AO role. • AO’s level of education, experience, interests and competencies, • Management style of Director, Department head and DLC faculty, • Unit mission, • Internal unit business processes and organizational structure, • Position in unit life-cycle: new; old; dying. • Level and type of administrative support expected by "customers" within the DLC. Findings AACII

16. External factors also have an effect on an AO’s ability to do his/her job…… • Complex, unintegrated, non-uniform central technology (and problems of occasional use, etc) such as Nimbus, MITSIS, SAP, Data warehouse, Roles Database, LDS • Poorly designed business rules and processes such as all procedures around appointments, payroll, summer salary, setting up a cost object, SANDIs, DACCAs, • Changes in systems and processes without understanding the impact on DLCs, • An ever-increasing effort to decentralize many previously centralized activities without additional DLC funding such as roles database, on-line purchasing, SAP fund center structure. Findings AACII

17. …..including external factors “beyond the walls” of the Institute: • Changes in state, local and federal laws may impact Environmental Health and Safety practices within the DLC, fiscal reporting and record keeping requirements, HR requirements pertaining to harassment, discrimination and affirmative action, intellectual property and copywrite laws. • Rapid pace of technological change can “raise the bar” on competencies needed to be an effective AO. • Changes in sponsor requirements (e.g., on-line submission of proposals) may impose process changes on the DLC. Findings AACII

18. Some things in the AO job will never change: • Unplanned last minute deadlines, • Overseeing/doing multiple tasks at any one time, • Front-line duty for faculty, staff, student, building, network, mechanical systems crises, • Varying degrees of repetitive, process oriented tasks, • AO’s roles not necessarily understood and/or appreciated by faculty and researchers. Findings AACII

19. Successful AOs have similar characteristics: • Willing and able to get the job done no matter what, • Has perseverance, • Able to prioritize competing needs, • Can manage many small details while not loosing sight of the larger goal, • Has respect and concern for faculty, staff and students, • Able to apply Institute rules to discrete situations in fair manner, • Listens well, • Applies rational and creative decision processes equally effectively to simple or complex situations, • Has built a network of information sources and contacts to facilitate the work, • Able to leap tall building in a single bound (something in here about locomotives and speeding bullets too). Findings AACII

20. Conclusions • The AO position is an extremely diverse position that requires a creative problem solver. • One generic job title and set of requirements is used to describe very different positions. • MIT has the ability to fix some things that would make the AO job more effective, more rewarding and less frustrating. Conclusions AACII

21. Recommendations AACII

22. AOs could be more effective and efficient if the Institute would provide more support • Provide resources for adequate levels of computer support across the Institute, • Assess the impact of new procedures on DLCs before they are implemented, • Perform a cost/benefit analysis of any function that is decentralized to the DLCs, • Continue the efforts to streamline and automate business processes at all levels. Recommendations AACII

23. The Institute, with the assistance of AACII, can develop a training and mentoring program for AOs. • Training programs could include: • The current management principles courses, and Accounting Fundamentals courses, • New courses on enterprise software and business processes, • Most of the existing sponsored programs courses for AOs managing research funds, • “Survey” course on the role of an AO, customized to type of DLC • Series of courses on Human Resource (HR) policies, procedures and methods for dealing with personnel issues • A systematic, institutionalized mentoring program, developed under the auspices of AACII and in conjunction with HR that includes: • A cohort of individuals willing to do mentoring perhaps with coordination through the Assistant Deans in each School, • A formalized orientation and mentoring program, recognizing that much of the mentoring should be done by the prior position holder. Recommendations AACII

24. HR, with the assistance of AACII, could develop new position requirements for AOs. • Form a subcommittee that is empowered to make change to undertake a robust review of the AO position at MIT, • Develop generic role descriptions based on current ranges of duties and responsibilities for clarity in recruiting, • Create job requirements based on specific educational and experience criteria and then stick to them, • Develop a list of competencies and compensatory factors for AOs; interview, hire and compensate accordingly. Recommendations AACII

25. Institutionalize Career Development Opportunities for AOs. • Define a clear career path, within the AO ranks, culminating in an AO position that has sufficient financial incentives and organizational prestige to be recognized as a desirable career path, • Make available funds for opportunities to participate in activities outside the institute such as conferences, seminars, outside training classes, • Provide mentoring for AOs outside the normal AO community, such as individuals from central areas and senior administration. Recommendations AACII