By McGill Reporter Staff
McGill’s Strategic Reframing Initiative (SRI) is being wound down now that it has embedded innovation and improved practices in the University’s administrative culture, says Pierre Moreau, Senior Advisor to the Principal and Executive Director of Planning and Institutional Analysis.
Launched in 2010 as a disciplined process to examine and improve key areas in many of the University’s practices, the SRI had one goal in mind – that of maintaining McGill’s status, into the future, as one of the world’s top universities.
“We are now able to formally wind down the SRI because the best practices developed from it have become firmly embedded in the McGill culture and will continue to bring benefit to the University in the years to come,” Moreau said. “I and others involved with the SRI would like to formally thank all members of the McGill community for making the SRI a success.”
Principal Heather Munroe-Blum had put the SRI into place, focusing on five areas: cost efficiencies, enrolment mix, performance enhancement, philanthropy, and transformative research and innovation.
After months of fact-finding, brainstorming and reflection, various final project recommendations categorized under these five major themes were presented by SRI Working Groups – which were composed of deans, faculty and senior administrators – to the Steering Committee and given the green light to move forward.
Each SRI project fell under the responsibility of an Executive Sponsor and was managed by a Project Leader, who, depending on the size and nature of the project, had others working with him or her. Each project had specific objectives, a timeline, and measurements for success. Together, these projects have been of benefit to McGill and its community in different ways.
“The SRI has generated significant returns to McGill, making an improvement in the University’s over-all financial situation by more than $25 million on the basis of a $3.5 million in investments,” Moreau said. “SRI projects have also contributed to increases in the University’s substantial philanthropic income and supported the development of new research revenues,” he added.
“But the SRI’s achievements are not only measured in dollars,” Moreau said. “The Initiative has helped shift the University’s culture toward one of greater innovation in planning and delivery and in changing the way we work.
“We are working smarter, we are more efficient, thanks in part to the SRI.”