The University of Queensland has hosted discussions by an international benchmarking group on world best management practices for universities.
The University recently was the venue for the 1998 workshop of the Commonwealth University Management Benchmarking Club, an international club managed by the Commonwealth Higher Education Management Service (CHEMS).
This is the management consultancy service of Commonwealth universities and is based at the offices of the Association of Commonwealth Universities in London. It is the only world-wide consultancy organisation dedicated wholly to helping institutions of higher education and other related groups.
The University of Queensland is a member of the Club, established in 1995/96 to provide a mechanism for members to compare key management processes with those of other institutions for cost effectiveness.
The Club aims to help participants identify areas of strength and weakness within their own universities and provide a mechanism for capturing good management practices as they develop world-wide.
Director of CHEMS John Fielden said benchmarking was not a one-off procedure. It was most effective when it was ongoing as part of the annual review of a university's performance.
"An improvement should be in advance of, or least keep pace with, overall trends," he said. "There is little benefit in improving by five percent if others are improving by 10 percent."
University of Queensland Secretary and Registrar Douglas Porter said benchmarking was a useful exercise to improve institutional performance.
"The University of Queensland has performed particularly well in all of the 13 areas which have so far been considered," he said.
"The University's personnel practices, research management processes, management of teaching and learning and library and information services have proved to be particularly strong in this international forum."
"Participation in the Club has confirmed the value of collaboration between universities and of seeking new partnerships across countries and fields at a time of reduced government funding."
Forty-two delegates from universities in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong attended the workshop at the University of Queensland, which this year focused on benchmarking in university estates and facilities, libraries and information services, student administration and internationalisation
Delegates were from CHEMS; the University of Queensland, Victoria University of Technology, RMIT, Swinburne, UTS, Murdoch and QUT from Australia; Leeds Metropolitan University, University of Liverpool and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) from the UK; University of Calgary, Memorial University and York University from Canada; the University of Hong Kong; and the University of Natal from South Africa.
For further information, contact Mr Porter, telephone 07 3365 1310.
