Vision, Mission, Values, Stakeholders, Goals & Objectives, Strategies & Performance Measures
Vision
To deliver world class financial information, solutions and services.
Mission
We provide financial services to the university community in pursuit of their goals and objectives utilizing innovative information delivery/collection strategies, available technologies and strategic partnerships while ensuring/enabling compliance with State, Federal and University policies, restrictions, and guidelines as stewards of the financial assets of the University in an environment of respect, integrity, and camaraderie.
Values
- Honesty and Integrity: Act in an accurate, professional, prompt, caring and respectful manner while safeguarding the assets of the State.
- Trust and Respect: Base relationships with co-workers, departments, and vendors on trust and mutual respect.
- Service: Strive to identify and meet the needs of each of our customers and stakeholders with "world class" service.
- Teamwork: Work together to accomplish tasks and deliver prompt, accurate services. Hire for attitude, train for skill.
- Communication: Open communication with all of our customers.
- Creativity and Innovation: Cultivate a workplace that embraces change courageously, while adopting new approaches and technologies.
- Responsibility: Always give first consideration to the objectives, policies, and missions of the University, while striving to maintain the maximum value for each dollar of expenditure.
- Lifelong Learning: Counsel and encourage individuals to embrace change and to enhance their personal and professional growth through individual or class training.
- Accountability and Flexibility: Accept responsibility and adapt to change to enhance efficient "world class" service.
- Continuous Improvement: Be receptive to new approaches and technologies to facilitate change. Embrace life-long learning, and encourage all staff to do so as well.
- Diversity: Recognize everyone’s potential for excellence based on the strengths and diverse wealth each individual.
Customers and Stakeholders
- WSU Students and Parents
- University Faculty and Staff
- WSU Administration and Departments
- Employees of Business Services
- Board of Regents
- Communities and Citizens/Taxpayers of the State of Washington
- Federal, State and Local governments
- State Procurement/General Administration
- Vendors/Contractors
- Financial Institutions
- Strategic Partners
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Goal 1:
Improve communications with our stakeholders
Objective 1.1: Develop open lines of communications by reaching out to our stakeholders to foster good relations and knowledge of our shared responsibilities
Objective 1.2: Enhance our visibility with stakeholders by expanding out-reach and training program to the university community.
Time Line: Continuously.
Performance Indicator:
- Positive image, trust and mutually respectful relationships for the department
- Number of training classes held.
- Number of staff attending training sessions.
- Number of staff providing training sessions.
PLANNING & LEADERSHIP
Goal 2:
Continuous Strategic Process Evaluation Meetings
Objective 2.1: Hold staff meetings to evaluate what goals:
- Have been met,
- Need to be updated,
- Had not previously been recognized and need to be added, and
- What goals, if any, we need to abandon.
Time Line: On-going; no less than semi-annually
Performance Indicators:
- Number of meetings held?
- Percentage of staff involved in the process?
- Number of goals met.
Goal 3:
Continuous Review of Business Services/Controller Service Delivery Functions With Constant Focus on Improving Efficiencies
Objective 3.1: Become a world class face to face Business Services financial and administrative support service which exceed customer and stakeholder expectations.
Objective 3.2: Continuous examination of our processes and structure for bottlenecks and administrative inefficiencies that should be streamlined.
Objective 3.3: Demonstrating flexibility to rise to meet the ever-changing demands and challenges of our department.
Objective 3.4: Evaluate our processes and procedures to maintain what is working well, and eliminate redundancies within our daily workflow pattern within a minimal risk level.
Objective 3.5: Learn, discuss, review, evaluate and implement best business practices of peers, changing the philosophy and focus from control to facilitation.
Objective 3.6: Stay abreast of changing governmental practices and evaluate practices and assess risk based on changing rules, laws, and or regulations.
Time Line: On-going
Performance Indicators:
- Number of evaluations performed.
- Number of efficiencies achieved
- Increased speed that paperwork flows.
- Faster more accurate answers to our stakeholders.
Goal 4:
Balance the growing expectations for our services with our available resources.
Objective 4.1: Tie strategic planning, departmental reporting, budgets, and staff performance together.
Objective 4.2: Have clearly defined job descriptions, performance expectations, and work load indicators.
Objective 4.3: Request additional staffing resources as complexity and volume of workload increases.
Time Line: Continuously
Performance Indicator:
- Percentage of employees who experience the connection between the strategic plan and their day-to-day operations.
- Percentage of employees with clearly defined job descriptions.
- Percentage increase in workload measured against funded staffing needs.
Constraints: For twenty years we have not realized a budgetary increase for our increased operating expenses. Inflationary factors continue to drive up the cost of goods produced; i.e. – forms, postage, and general supplies expenses. Continued failure to recognize these expenses results in continued erosion of our staffing since we fund inflationary increases by cutting positions.
LEVERAGE
Goal 5:
Effectively Utilize Existing Human and Physical Resources Within Department
Objective 5.1: Utilize cross-training and cross-organizational responsibilities whenever possible within job classifications to provide department depth, reduce stress and provide a cooperative work atmosphere for enhanced job performance.
Objective 5.2: Continuous training and information exchange between staff and managers enhancing communication, training, education, and effective use of resources.
Time Line: Continuously
Performance Indicator:
- Arrive at a balance between resources and workload.
- Staff are able to take scheduled vacations
- Staff do not loose leave because of inability to be absent.
Constraints:
PERSONNEL RESOURCES
Goal 6:
Retain, Develop, and Recruit a High Quality Staff, Placing a Premium on Encouraging Teamwork and Customer Service.
Objective 6.1: Ensure that every position’s responsibilities are clearly understood by the incumbent, that each employee is appropriately classified and the service mission of our organization is specifically defined.
Objective 6.2: Provide adequate opportunity to staff to receive University training opportunities, professional development and continuing education programs beyond the scope of their specific duties so that share in the vision and mission of the University.
Objective 6.3: Obtain resources to hire a cost accountant to continually evaluate the rules embedded in our Facilities and Administrative Proposal to determine the best business practice for F&A reimbursable based on A-21, A-133, cost accounting standards, etc.
Objective 6.4: Implement an Employee Recognition Program for the Business Affairs area based on unbiased qualities of job performance.
Time Line:
- Continuously(6.1)
- At time of hiring, and at each evaluation period (6.2)
- Prior to 6/30/2002(6.3)
- Semi-annually or quarterly (6.4)
Performance Indicator:
- (6.1) Number of training sessions attended
- (6.2) Percentage of employees having a copy of their job description, evaluation criteria, and the Business Services/Controller strategic plan
- (6.2) Frequency that the above is reviewed, evaluated, discussed and/or revised with the employee.
- (6.3) Preparation of new F&A proposal by 6/30/2004
- (6.4) Program implemented and successive awards given
Constraints:
- Human Resource Services must be able to provide qualified candidates in an applicant pool.
- Human Resource Services must provide applicants in a timely manner.
CULTURE
Goal 7:
Promote a Work Environment Where People Want to Work
Objective 7.1: Create an office atmosphere where employees find coming to work a learning experience and enjoyable.
Objective 7.2: Focus on teamwork, evidenced in a unified management team, by encouraging two-way communications, acknowledging accomplishments and outlining priorities.
Time Line: Continuously
Performance Indicator:
- Readily fill vacant positions and increase longevity of employees.
- A cohesive working team will form.
EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Goal 8:
Develop and Maintain Technologies Necessary to Efficiently and Effectively Meet the Growing Demands Placed on Business Services/Controller
Objective 8.1: Efficient and cost effective utilization of computing and information systems for the gathering and delivery of data, funds, and authorizations in a manner that is secure, accurate, and simple.
Objective 8.2: Develop standards for introducing new technology while improving standardization and developing consistent approaches to meeting needs that improve efficiency.
Objective 8.3: Develop a funding plan prioritized for short and long term computer equipment and software upgrades and replacement.
Objective 8.4: Development of data storages that provide users the ability to access financial information utilizing modern business tools
Objective 8.5: WEB enabled systems which empower and transform the user to author electronic transactions for fulfillment of their obligations and business requirements: i.e. -
- Electronic checks for payments
- Electronic shipping system
- Procurement card system
- Electronic journal vouchers
- Electronic W-9,W4,I9, etc
Time Line:
- Ongoing, continual.
- Evaluate on a semi-annual basis department needs and update annual funding request.
- Financial data warehouse available by 1/1/2002.
Performance Indicator:
- Systems will keep pace with the needs of the department, as new innovations become our daily reality.
- Monitoring WEB enabled deployment from system to user controlled.
Constraints: There is no equipment replacement budget. Failure to recognize depreciation expense and the resultant equipment replace budget further erodes available resources when positions are abolished to fund equipment needs. Current computing equipment has a useful life of three to four years. This life cycle means that Business Services should be allocated an on-going equipment replacement budget of $50,000 per year.