Reequest for rresearch pro oposals: Thhe state of tthe tertiary education sector: a sttaff perspective e Purposee The Terttiary Education Union Te e Hautū Kahuurangi o Aote earoa is seekking proposa ls from indivvidual research hers or reseaarch organisa ations intereested in contributing to analysis of thee impact of tthe changess that have taaken place in n the tertiaryy education ssector over tthe past decaade. In partiicular, the TEU is interested d in gathering informatioon from stafff working in tthe tertiary eeducation se ector wānanga). Ouur goal in pu ursuing (specificcally universities, institutes of technoology/polytecchnics and w this reseearch projectt is to gatherr more rigoroous data on tthe ‘health’ o of the tertiarry education n sector workforce. Backgro ound The New w Zealand tertiary educattion sector hhas undergon ne major cha anges over thhe past few d decades. The queestion is whether all the rrestructuringg of policy, fu unding, and iinstitutions hhas led to improveements in thee teaching, research, andd education ssupport carrried out in ouur major pub blic tertiary education in nstitutions. Successiive governments have re eleased data showing how w changes to o the tertiaryy education sector have ‘im mproved’ pro oductivity. Th his has includded the release of meta‐‐data showinng the impacct of these ch hanges on staaff and stude ents (such ass student: staaff ratios and d increases i n external re esearch income)). And in mo ore recent years, there haas been rising interest in measuring aand understa anding student satisfaction.. Success and producttivity in the e education seector is contingent upon tthe actions oof its workforce. Howeveer, there is no o systematic research intto how the cchanges to th he governancce, managem ment, and opeeration of thee New Zealan nd tertiary e ducation secctor have impacted uponn staff and th heir ability to o perform th heir jobs. Anecdotal eviddence gatherred by the TE EU indicates tthat the secttor has been plaaced under immense stra ain due to thhe lack of fun nding from government aand an increase in practices commonlyy referred to as ‘managerrialism’ (acco ountability, liine managem ment, productivity drive, an nd so on). The imp pact on TEU m members, an nd their abilitty to perform m their jobs, is wide rangging and inclu udes (but is not limited to o): a. Rising numb bers of students b. Falling numb bers of staff (both acade mic and general) c. Attacks on ccore conditio ons d. Rising workloads 1
e. Casualisation and insecure employment f. Loss of professional autonomy g. Decline in collegial governance International evidence on the higher education workforce indicates that similar trends with regards restructuring of the tertiary education sector overseas has led to increasing stress with regard to work relationships, control, and resources and communication, and significantly lower levels of commitment both from and to their organisation.1 There is also research showing the level of casualisation of the tertiary education workforce and the detrimental effect on staff.2 Added to this, research in Australia and other countries has shown high levels of dissatisfaction with the leadership of universities.3 Scope of proposals We are seeking research proposals to carry out a survey (using both quantitative and open‐ended qualitative questions) of staff working in the New Zealand tertiary education sector. It is envisaged the survey would be wide‐ranging and cover the following broad topics: a. Workloads (hours worked; control over workloads, workload intensification, workload stress, job security) b. Work‐life balance, including flexibility in work place (leave; control over hours worked) c. Bullying, harassment, institutional racism, and discrimination d. The quality of, and faith in, academic leadership and institutional management e. What challenges and opportunities staff face in the daily exercise of their employment f. Workplace democracy (involvement in decision‐making) g. Involvement in, and trust of the TEU Research looking at workplace democracy and staff well‐being in the public services of New Zealand provide an example of the type of project envisaged.4 However, the unique nature of the tertiary education sector requires an additional focus on issues such as academic freedom and the autonomy of staff to make decisions about teaching and learning. TEU is open to working with a research team to refine research of staff well‐being to suit the unique nature of the tertiary education sector. The type of specific detail we envisage include: impacts on academic freedom; the opportunity to comment on professionally specific issues; autonomy – both day‐to‐day autonomy in order to complete one’s job and professional autonomy in terms of research development and direction; as well as teaching and learning issues. In particular, we seek to understand how changes in management and operational rules of tertiary education institutions has impacted upon the roles of academics and other professionals in the 1
(M. Y. Tytherleigh, C. Webb, C. L. Cooper & C. Ricketts, (2005) “Occupational stress in UK higher education institutions: a comparative study of all staff categories.” Higher Education Research & Development, Volume 24, Issue 1, 2005) 2 (Megan Kimber (2003) “The Tenured 'Core' and the Tenuous 'Periphery': The casualisation of academic work in Australian universities.” Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management Volume 25, Issue 1, 2003) 3 (See Hamish Coates, Ian R. Dobson, Leo Goedegebuure & Lynn Meek (2010) “Across the great divide: what do Australian academics think of university leadership? Advice from the CAP survey”, Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, Volume 32, Issue 4, 2010) 4 (Proctor‐Thomson, S. B., Donnelly, N., and Plimmer, G. (2011) Constructing workplace democracy: Women’s voice in the New Zealand public services. Wellington, Public Service Association (PSA) and Industrial Relations Centre Victoria University of Wellington),
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sector as outlined in the Education Act 1989. The Act sets out clearly that the sector (by implication including staff) has a: a. Critic and conscience function; b. Role in creating good ‘citizens’; c. Requirement to contribute to broad social, environmental and economic development goals (Education Act 1989, Sec 159AAA (1) (d) & (e)). International literature and anecdotal evidence would suggest that the fundamental organisational traits necessary to advance these objectives (including autonomy, collegial governance, and permanence/tenure) have been undercut by successive rounds of government policy and institutional responses to these. Technical requirements Our preference is for a survey which reaches both members of the TEU and non‐members of our union, in order to understand if there are differences in the workplace experiences of TEU members and those who choose not to join our union. In developing the survey, we would also like the option of repeating it in the future (possibly in three years). It is envisaged that the research data will be used in developing policy for the TEU; making representations to employers and the government; in campaigns (particularly around workloads and casualisation); and, in on‐going public submissions from the TEU as need arises. Any survey will need to allow for disaggregation of results based on: • Place of work • Job title/level • Main tasks • Permanent/fixed term/casual • Full time/part time • Time employed in the sector/at current TEI • Gender • Ethnicity/nationality • Age • Qualifications (highest level) • Income • Student loan • Care giving responsibilities (children, elder care, other) • TEU member/other union member/individual employment agreement
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Deliverables and timeframes A preliminary timeframe is outlined in the table below. Confirmation is required that you can begin the research on 20th May 2013 and deliver the project report by 14th March 2014. If accepted, the proposed dates will translate into formal project milestones. If your proposed timeframe differs from that in the proposal, please provide recommended alternative dates and a rationale for these. Proposal submitted by 3rd May 2013 Researcher appointed by 17th May 2013 Research design finalised by 12th July 2013 Literature review presented 16th August 2013 Presentation to TEU conference presentation 11th/12th November 2013 Interim Report completed by 13th December 2013 Final Report presented by 14th March 2014 Contact details for proposals Jo Scott Policy Analyst Tertiary Education Union Te Hautū Kahurangi o Aotearoa Email: jo.scott@teu.ac.nz Phone: 04‐801‐4796
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Appendix 1: RFP Requirements The ranking of proposals will be based on: the overall quality of proposal; responsiveness to the RFP; apparent understanding of the project and the tertiary education sector, as well as in relation to the individual points shown below. The budget allocated for the project is $40,000.00 (ex gst) Requirements Your Proposal Response Research design and methodology
Conducting the research – project plan
Research Team
Data collection, analysis and reporting Māori and Pacific people expertise Relationship management
Project management and quality assurance Risk management Ethics and confidentiality
Referees Costing
Provide a detailed description of your proposed design and methodology indicating any proposed variations from the approach described in this RFP. This should fully and plausibly address the scope of the project described above. Provide a detailed project plan that includes a schedule of research milestones that meets our timeframe requirements. Confirm that you can begin fieldwork by 20th May 2013 and your capacity to meet the timeframe. Where your time frame differs from those in the proposal, please provide recommended alternative dates and a rationale for these. Detail your research team’s experience and capability to work on a project of this nature. Detail the background, qualifications and experience and the project roles and responsibilities of the researchers who will undertake the research. Highlight any research experience in public sector work force or tertiary education. Include a short, relevant biography of each team member. Detail relevant data collection, analysis and reporting experience and capability in the proposed methodology, in particular describe your experience in the synthesis of quantitative and qualitative data. Detail specific involvement of Māori and Pacific people researchers/experts in the project. Detail the experience you have working in a collaborative way and include a description of the organisational arrangements that will facilitate this collaborative working arrangement, including where staff is located. Outline your practices and structure for management of this project. Outline the quality control procedures you will use. Outline the major risks you anticipate with the project and how they will be mitigated. Outline your usual procedures for maintaining ethical practice and confidentiality, including data security practices. Please include the procedures you will undertake to obtain ethics review for this research Provide the name and contact details of three independent relevant referees. Provide a cost breakdown by the following components: 1 Development activity 2 Fieldwork interviews 3 Travel and accommodation 4 Analysis and report writing 5 Presentation of findings
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