Degrees of change - the Open University Webinar

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Starting 03 Feb 2016 - 12:00 through to 03 Feb 2016 - 13:00

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Along with the rest of the higher education sector, The Open University is going through a period of significant change. There have been major changes to the way universities are run since 2012, with the most significant being the shift in funding from Government to the end users – in this case to students.

As the UK's largest provider of part-time education, this decline is of particular concern for The Open University. The new Vice-Chancellor, Peter Horrocks, is determined to make part-time higher education a much higher priority for Government, industry and universities – and it makes the university's ability to innovate and adapt more important than ever.

The organisation already had an established project management methodology which set out common project processes and good practice. But, as with many large organisations, delivering change often seemed to take longer - or cost more - than it should, and it wasn't always clear that the change would lead to the desired benefits.

Jess Annison, Head of Portfolio Office said "It's a bit of a cliché, but it really is a journey and we're part way through. It's great to see many of the activities already showing value." During this webinar Jess will outline the progress the organisation has made so far, the challenges they have faced and the lessons they have learned – as well as looking forward to the plans they have for the future.

Based in Milton Keynes, the OU is the largest academic institution in the UK with around 200,000 students of all ages and backgrounds studying in the UK, Europe and worldwide. In 1975, the university became one of the first two corporate members of the Association for Project Management (APM) and its external project management postgraduate module carries APM academic accreditation.

The Enabling Change SIG's mission is to "improve the change capability of organisations, teams and individuals".

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