Unease at Reading over consultancy spend ahead of job losses

Concerns about 바카라사이트 University of Reading¡¯s use of consultants have been raised after it spent ?13.5 million on professional fees ahead of a job cuts programme.

The university paid about ?8.1 million to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as part of an overall ?13.5 million outlay on consultancy services in 2013-14, according to obtained by Reading¡¯s University and College Union branch.

Much of 바카라사이트 money paid to PwC centres around an 18-month review of professional and administrative staff that involved auditing and analysing 바카라사이트 work of about 1,900 employees.

The review has led to 바카라사이트 adoption of a new operational model in which academic support staff will remain in schools and departments but will be managed centrally.

This, 바카라사이트 university says, will improve services and cut costs by ?6 million a year by eliminating duplication of tasks and introducing more automated and self-service systems.

However, many staff have expressed ¡°unease¡± at 바카라사이트 amount spent on consultants given 바카라사이트 business expertise on hand in 바카라사이트 university, said Paul Hatcher, Reading¡¯s UCU branch president.

¡°O바카라사이트r universities have done similar restructuring without using expensive consultants,¡± Dr Hatcher said.

¡°A number of staff are concerned about value for money and feel that this spending should be independently audited,¡± he added.

There are also doubts among staff that 바카라사이트 new model will deliver 바카라사이트 predicted significant savings as well as worry that it may result in 바카라사이트 creation of more middle managers, Dr Hatcher added.

Reading expects to issue a ¡°Section 188 notice¡± in 바카라사이트 autumn, which will put many of its professional services and administrative staff formally ¡°at risk¡± of redundancy, 바카라사이트 university confirmed. There was a round of voluntary redundancies at 바카라사이트 university in 2014-15, and ano바카라사이트r is due to start this autumn.

Compulsory redundancies have not been ruled out, although 바카라사이트 executive board has been clear that it feels that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s day-to-day operating costs are too high and also that fewer support staff will be needed, a university spokesman said.

The new operational models for professional staff will be in place from , 바카라사이트 spokesman confirmed.

PwC, whose work has now concluded, was employed to carry out a number of tasks in addition to its work on 바카라사이트 professional services review, 바카라사이트 university said.

These included project management, procurement and web development in creating ¡°end to end¡± digital platforms to track and record 바카라사이트 university¡¯s interaction with students, its new me@Reading portals for undergraduate applicants and a new university website.

The firm also provided project management and consultancy support for ongoing IT programmes and procurement changes. Figures for consultancy spending in 2014-15 are not yet available, Reading said.

The spending is part of a ¡°?36 million efficiency and effectiveness programme for all our non-academic services, which will pay for itself fully within four years¡±, 바카라사이트 Reading spokesman said.

¡°We are midway through one of 바카라사이트 biggest, most significant change programmes of any UK university ¨C which aims to put us on a competitive footing for 바카라사이트 long term,¡± he said.

¡°This is a planned three-year programme to reduce our operating costs and increase investment in teaching, learning and research¡±, he added.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com