Professional Services' staff meeting 29 August 2024

KI's University Director Veronika Sundström welcomed everyone to an exciting autumn.

“We are facing several major changes, but we are well equipped, and without any demands for savings at the moment. Later this autumn, the Swedish government will present its budget bill for next year and a new research and innovation bill that we can assume will affect our operations. Regardless of what the bills bring, work is in full swing here at the Professional Services (PS) and KI in general to equip us for the future,” said Veronika Sundström.

External review of the freezer failure in Neo

A current issue is the investigation into the freezer failure in Neo during the Christmas holidays in 2023. An external review was recently presented that supports the conclusions and recommendations reached by KI's internal investigation. An action plan will now be submitted to the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO).

Current results within KI's strategic focus areas

Veronika Sundström presented some current results within the framework of KI's strategic focus areas.

A. Greater dialogue and transparency

• All managers and team leaders within PS have been invited to so called Managers’ Forum on two occasions this autumn. This new and recurring form of meeting is for all heads, unit heads and group/team leaders within PS, the unit Teaching and Learning (TL), the University Library (KIB) and Medical History and Heritage (MHK). The purpose is to share experiences and common tools to manage and lead staff in this time of intense change.
• The university management is continuing to work with lessons learned from the meetings with all KI’s departments in the spring and invite all KI staff to open dialog meetings on 3 and 5 December.
• The Communications and Public Relations Office has been given an assignment linked to the Review of the organisation of PS (focus area F) to investigate how it can promote increased cooperation within the PS and further develop internal communication at KI.

B. Clearer responsibilities and roles within the organisation and management

• On July 1, the President decided to amend the delegation to deans and KI's departmental groups. The deans will now have a clearer delegation for coordination of the departmental group activities and the personnel responsibilities of the constituent heads of department. A formal management group will be created within each departmental group for the development and anchoring of strategy etc.
• Pages on ki.se and the employee portal have been updated to reflect this change and clarify KI's organisation.
• Work within will continue in the autumn, for example in area B2: “Review of councils and committees for increased clarity and transparency”, C: “Strategic and needs-driven skills supply” and D: “Sustainable and future-proof economy”.

C. Strategic and needs-driven skills supply

In June, the President decided on new guidelines for employment after reaching LAS age. The new guidelines clarify the employer responsibility of the head of department and dean in terms of skills supply and skills transfer. The guidelines also clarify that it is primarily affiliation that applies to an employee who has reached the LAS age (e.g. emeritus/emerita for a professor), but that there is also a possibility to be re-employed after reaching the LAS age.

D. Sustainable and future-proofed finances

On 30 August, the President announced her decision to adopt a new model for the allocation of government research grants. The model, which grants a flat-rate allocation to all departments, will come into effect in 2025. The new model will be introduced successively over the coming years, this being the first stage of three. The next stages will involve reviewing the distribution of premises costs and the model used for the payment of performance-based research grants. All in all, the new model means that more funding will be channelled to core activities than previously, in part due to a reduction in the president’s allocation. When the model comes into effect, all departments will receive more resources than they did in 2024.

The issue of resource allocation is a tricky one and there is no model that pleases everyone. However, with this new model, the University Management is confident that KI will be taking important steps towards the increasingly transparent, sustainable distribution of our resources.

E. Optimised use of premises, infrastructure and facilities

The financial conditions are currently being investigated within the project: Modernizing working methods and workplace (in Swedish). After that, the needs inventory will start. A decision on implementation will be made in 2025.

During the autumn, all staff are encouraged to participate in KI's research “Future Work”, which is led by, among others, Helena Tinnerholm Ljungberg at IMM. Please respond to the regular surveys that she sends by e-mail to everyone at PS, TL, KIB and MHK.

F. Coordinated and optimised administration

Collaboration on the organisation of the Professional Services

Subproject I Review of the organisation of PS is in full swing and the proposal for new departments and investigations is collaborated until 16 September in all departments as well as KIB, TL and MHK. The project group offers support, including a template for SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity, threat) analysis in the Padlet tool.

The proposal involves the establishment of three new departments at PS from 1 January, 2025 with the working names:

• Department of Research Support and External Relations
• Department of Planning, Finance and Legal Affairs
• Department of Educational Support 

As a result, six of the PS’ current departments or offices would cease to exist:

• Research Support Office (RSO)
• Finance Office (EA)
• Faculty Office and International Relations (FIR)
• Legal Office (JA)
• Strategic Management Office (STL)
• Education Support Office (UFS)

PS includes as before:

• Property and Facilities Office (FA)
• Human Resources Office (HRA)
• Information Technology Office (ITA)
• Communications and Public Relations Office (KA)

KIB is proposed to be included in PS as of 2026.

From 1 January 2025, it is proposed that the activities of MHK become part of KIB. TL is proposed to remain an activity under the President, but to be included in the PS’ budget and operational planning through coordination with the new Department of Educational Support.

Related investigations

In addition to the reorganisation of the PS, three related investigations are being carried out within the PS during the autumn:

• The mission of the Communications and Public Relations Office is being reviewed to investigate how it can promote increased cooperation within PS and further develop internal communication at KI.
• The Property and Facilities Office is developing a joint function for facility management (FM) at the PS.
• A coordinated security function is established at the PS that can prepare, analyze and proactively assist KI's management in security issues.

Heads of department and operations are responsible for implementing collaboration in a way that suits their respective activities. The analyses will be compiled by the project group, which will then produce a basis for a decision to be made by University Director Veronika Sundström in October. A risk and impact assessment will then be carried out in accordance with the Work Environment Act.

There is a page for questions and answers about the review of the PS that is updated regularly, including questions from the staff meeting.

Upcoming staff meetings 

Two more staff meetings will be held this fall on-line:

• October 10, 9-10 am
• November 27, 13-14 pm

A link will be shared in Outlook. If necessary, additional meetings will be booked. The next physical staff meeting will hopefully be held in Aula Medica in Solna. The date is not yet set. 

As part of the review of PS, these staff meetings have been expanded to include all staff at KIB and TL, MHK has also been invited previously. The increased number of invitees means that the format of the staff meeting is being developed. Feel free to contact Matilda Pearson, communicator with a focus on staff communication and the PS, if you have ideas or comments.

Documentation from the meeting

Presentations from PS’ staff meetings are shared with all heads of department and operations and summarised on the staff portal, accessible by logged-in staff at PS, KIB, TL and MHK. 

Photography took place at the meeting on August 29. The Communications and Public Relations Office will make a selection for KI's media bank in accordance with GDPR. Please contact Matilda Pearson if you have any questions about this.