Focus Team
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About the Focus Team
What does the team do?
The Focus Team is UCC's Continuous Improvement and Change Management team. Directly linked with the University's Strategic Enabler of Operational Excellence, we support staff in enhancing processes, fostering innovation, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement across the university. Through collaboration, training, and structured methodologies, we empower individuals and teams to streamline workflows, solve challenges creatively, and adapt to change effectively. By promoting a proactive approach to problem-solving and engagement, we help to shape a more open, collaborative and improvement-centered university environment for staff and students.
We believe that improvement doesn’t have to be daunting—it can be creative, energising, and even fun. By bringing fresh perspectives, structured methodologies, and a touch of innovation, we help teams navigate change with confidence and curiosity.
What methodologies do we use?
The Continuous Improvement and Change Management Team at UCC applies a structured yet flexible approach to driving positive change, using methodologies like Prosci, Lean, and Design Thinking.
- Prosci Change Management focuses on the people side of change, ensuring smooth transitions through structured frameworks like ADKAR to build engagement and adoption.
- Lean helps identify and eliminate inefficiencies, optimizing processes to enhance value and reduce waste.
- Design Thinking encourages a human-centered, iterative approach to problem-solving, fostering creativity and innovative solutions.
Integrating these with coaching methodologies, the team supports sustainable improvements, enabling teams and individuals to adapt and evolve effectively.
Continuous Improvement Action Network
What is the Continuous Improvement (CI) Action Network?
Founded by the Focus Team in February 2024, the CI Action Network (CIAN) at UCC is a collaborative community for staff passionate about making work more efficient, engaging, and impactful. Open to all, it connects colleagues to share ideas, solve challenges, and drive positive change across the university.
Through events, workshops, and peer learning, the network provides practical tools and methodologies to enhance processes and improve experiences for staff and students. Recognising the complexities of higher education, we focus on practical, people-centered solutions that are both effective and sustainable.
More than just process improvement, the CI Action Network fosters creativity, collaboration, and a culture of innovation, making continuous improvement an engaging and rewarding experience. Whether you're new to these concepts or already applying them, the network offers a supportive space to learn, share, and grow together. UCC Staff can visit the Continuous Improvement Action Network Sharepoint Page for more details and an opportunity to join our network of over 280 staff.
What are the guiding principles for the Continuous Improvement Action Network?
As we prepared to start the network, we asked those joining what the main areas of focus for them would be. With over 100 responses, we distilled them down into five key themes, which have become our compass!
- Collaborative Ways of Working for Staff Based in Different Areas with Similar Tasks to be Done
- Making Better Use of What We Already Have
- Supports for Consistent and Efficient Ways of Working
- Moving to Digital - Reducing Paper
- Office Space - Improving Working Environment
Continuous Improvement in Higher Education (CI HE) Ireland Network
What is the CI HE Ireland Network?
The Focus Team is part of Continuous Improvement in Higher Education (CI HE) Ireland, a national network of higher education professionals from 5 Irish Higher Education institutions, committed to fostering a culture of continuous improvement across Irish universities and colleges. CI HE Ireland provides a platform for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and best practices, helping institutions navigate change, enhance efficiency, and improve staff and student experiences. Through this connection, UCC contributes to and benefits from sector-wide learning, ensuring our approach aligns with broader higher education advancements in Ireland.
CI HE Ireland is a member of Lean HE Europe, and Lean HE Global, connecting Irish institutions with colleagues in Europe and beyond.
Focus Team Members and Contact Details
How to Reach Us:
If you'd like to contact us, please email focus@ucc.ie
Image: Back left-right Katie Sandham and Karen Mortell. Front: Michelle Nelson