March 15, 2024

Review of Student Complaints Framework

A Top UK University

Objective

The client engaged Alba Partners to assess their current complaints framework and management system including its consistency, efficiency and user experience.

Alba Partners Solution

  • Potential lack of stakeholder buying was overcome by sharing a clear rationale for the project, agreed with senior leaders, that the project was ‘to ensure the complaints framework is fit for the future’ rather than a criticism of the existing work of the Academic Casework and Student Complaints Team

 
  • Stakeholder availability challenges were overcome
    through careful scoping of the project to ensure that it focused on the central team who processed student complaints (who were available and administered the complaints management system) rather than the academic departments who conducted investigations (and were not available)

 
  • Risk of underperforming stakeholder expectations was overcome through iteration of the scope to ensure expectations were aligned and regular stakeholder engagement to ensure project sponsors were appraised of project outputs and that feedback was sought and acted upon early. 

Outcome

  • Successfully identified opportunities to restructure
    the complaints management system, with potential to enable significant improvements in terms of consistency, efficiency and user experience.

     

  • Supported client to make the business case to senior leaders for a restructured complaints management system

     

  • Offered the client the critical path to a Minimum Viable Product for a best-in-class complaints management product

     

     

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