Group project work for AUDE Summer School Class of 2022

Delegates will be assigned to groups on the first day of the residential, these groups will be the groups delegates will stay in for the duration on the summer school residential programme. 

The Group Project works consists of:

1. Working with colleagues from across the AUDE community
2. Exploring key insights from the Summer School
3. Enabling practical improvements to Institutional performance

Group Project – four territories to explore

1. Best Practices

 Who are the exemplars within Higher Education, and beyond, and how have you engaged with them?

2. Institutional Application

What have you introduced or applied to your HEIs and what has been the impact so far?

3. Personal Learning

 What have you learned from being part of this experience and what are you doing with these insights?

4. AUDE Recommendations

Based on your Group’s work, what are your recommendations and suggested actions for fellow AUDE colleagues?

Group Project Work - Deliverables and Deadlines

• Thursday morning; Brief overview of your Group’s next steps (6-7 mins)
• Friday 16 December 2022 - Summary of your Group’s Summer School highlights; what were your main insights and key takeaways (c.1200 words)
• Friday 3 February 2023 - Outline of your Group Project; scope, impact, learning and further recommendations (c.3000 words plus Presentation at Reconnect)
• February 2023 - Cohort Reconnect and Group Presentations
• The Group considered to have best met the full brief will be invited to present their findings at the 2023 AUDE Annual Conference

This year AUDE are giving the groups a choice from two projects which are detailed below:

PROJECT ONE

Data is the new challenge.  The future of real estate management in Higher Education.

In the world of managing the HE estate, a growing number of decisions rely on data analysis. From assessing future space demands; impacts on space requirements on changes to pedagogy to managing utilities and improving space utilisation.  The use of analytics can lead to smarter decisions about future estates developments and costs.

Considering all the data that the real estate operations and its users generate, it seems likely that big data processing will require the development of an internal expertise within the Estates Team or the contracting in of a specialise provider.

In this project you can explore how the sector is responding to the new challenge of big data and how it is being applied already by seeking out best practice.  Examples may also be found in other real estate sectors.

Potential areas to explore could include:

• Robotics - Between rising payroll and improving automation, robotics is becoming an attractive alternative to labour-intensive services.

• Augmented and virtual reality - Wearables and AR/VR devices are a significant driver of innovation in facilities management – especially when it comes to the mobile workforce.

• Sensor technology - Sensors form the foundation of data-driven real estate services. They’ve become widely available, with prices about half of what they were just five years ago. Sensors can free providers from rigid processes, enabling them to adapt their services on an as-needed basis.
• Internet of Things - The Internet of Things (IoT) is made up of everyday objects embedded with sensors and other technology that allow them to pick up data and pass it on to other objects. For instance, that intelligent climate control system mentioned earlier might also detect debris and deploy housekeeping robots for cleaning.

• Building information modelling - Building information modelling (BIM) uses 3D models to show what a facility looks like and how it functions. This digitized construction offers a way to complete construction projects more efficiently, keeping them within the specified timeframe and budget.

PROJECT TWO

Keys to addressing diversity, equity and inclusion in the UK Higher Education real estate.

As the world continues to grapple with the realities of racism and injustice brought most recently to the spotlight by the murder of George Floyd in the United States, many in the real estate industry are looking inward and acknowledging that there is work to be done to heal and support our own communities, while best representing the industry.  The Higher Education sector in the UK is not immune to these global challenges and should seek to address the issues in a systematic and timely way.

In this project you can explore how the sector is responding the challenges of implementing EDI in our operations and seeking out best practice which is being applied in our own sector but also in other real estate sectors. 

 Areas to explore could include:

• Creating an inclusive environment –Higher education institutions have a legal duty to protect their staff and students from discrimination and harassment and to foster good relations between different groups of people with protected characteristics. How are Estates and Facilities departments contributing to institutional compliance?

• Employment and Careers in Estates and Facilities – Recruitment and selection processes can have a significant impact on how external recruitment and internal career pathways are managed. What best practice policies and practices are in place that removes barriers to progression in Estates and Facilities?

• Terms and Conditions – what best practices are there that don’t discriminate and facilitate an inclusive working environment?

• Data and Evidence – what best practice can be identified where Estates and Facilities departments are using equality data to identified areas for action and to show trended progress?