Procedure: Organisational arrangements change
Purpose
To outline the approval process for changes in organisational structures and related arrangements.
Procedure
- The organisational structure of the University seeks to support the achievement of University strategic goals by having structures that ensure the alignment of resources to core functions of the University, illustrate functional relationships between organisational units and provide clear lines of communication, accountability and authority.
- The organisational structure refers to the framework or arrangement of organisational units and how roles and lines of authority and communication are arranged. The organisational hierarchy informs various University processes and IT systems, including budgets, delegations and Enterprise IT systems. A common hierarchy is necessary for standard reporting to support decision making.
- The hierarchy of key organisational units for the University is as follows:
- Level 1 - the units reporting to the Vice-Chancellor, including Executive portfolios and Colleges;
- Level 2 - the units reporting to University Executive members and College Deans, including Research Schools and Service Divisions; and
- Level 3 - the units reporting to the heads of Level 2 units, including academic organisational units and groups within Service Divisions.
- For an ANU College, the College organisation structure refers to the overall collection of separate organisational units that comprise the College, including research schools, academic organisation units (departments/schools) (AOUs), administrative units, and approved centres or any other formal budget units. It does not include "virtual centres" or any other units that have not been approved as AOUs or administrative units.
- A budget unit is an academic or administrative unit of the University which receives a budget allocation that is identifiably separate from other budget units with its own budget identity code.
- A change to the formal organisational structure requires the prior approval of the Vice-Chancellor for all academic and administrative units within a College and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor International & Corporate / Chief Operating Officer for all other units. Changes to Colleges or Research Schools may also require Council approval as determined by the Vice-Chancellor.
- Formal changes in organisational structures of an organisational unit include changes in the roles of unit, reporting relationships, title of unit, the budget structure, and staffing establishment. These will all require a range of administrative and support system changes which the owner of the change needs to identify and consider as part of the planning process before seeking approval for any change.
- Where the proposed change is significant, consultation and/or implementation planning must be then undertaken by the initiating area in accordance with the Staff consultation and organisational change policy and Managing change procedure.
- The title of an organisational unit relates directly to the role and purpose of the unit, is as short as possible and does not use titles that might be confused with other units. The use of the title ‘Centre’ is restricted to academic units as specified in the Centres and Institutes policy. Any existing non-academic units with the title ‘Centre’ should be retitled when the area is next reviewed.
- In proposing to change organisational arrangements the senior manager proposing the change, usually a member of the University Senior Executive, College Dean or Service Division Director, outlines the rationale for the change, the costs and benefits of the proposed changes, and what actions need to be taken under the Staff consultation and organisational change policy. The area that initiates a change manages the change process and ensures that relevant process owners are involved and that they agree with any proposed changes before the matter is submitted for approval under clause six of this procedure.
- Where approval is granted, the initiating area ensures that action under the Managing change procedure is undertaken, that the relevant Service Divisions (e.g. Planning and Service Performance, Human Resources, Finance and Business Services) are advised, and that amendments to University system/process changes (including budgets) are actioned.
- Significant changes to organisational arrangements are scheduled to minimise the amount of work to update University systems and processes.
