CLIENT NEEDS

1. What is the issue? Be sure to phrase the issue as a question about which your organisation can take some sort of action.

How can we ensure a steady supply of high quality school leavers and adult students, particularly in programme areas that have difficulty adding value to their undergraduates in view of their diverse and often 'under prepared' backgrounds.

2. Why is this an issue? What is it about the conjunction of mission and mandates, external opportunities and threats, or internal strengths and weaknesses that makes this an issue?

As a result of increasing participation, and of Lincoln's open entry policy, entry level undergraduate programmes must often deal with under prepared students from a range of backgrounds. The stress on teachers is high. This is a problem in some low volume areas, such as Maori studies, and in 100 level science courses etc. It may be possible to develop some form of contractual arrangement with other institutions to prepare/induct school leavers for our programmes. While the EFTS 'capture' issues involved are complex, the concept offers interesting potential for alliances and joint ventures. Supply contracts could also be negotiated with industrial corporates, in order to deliver 'Just-in-time' training, at LU, or to deliver Lincoln preparatory programmes in the workplace. Such relationships could be extended to the benefit of both parties by the development of internship programmes. Such networking would need to be factored into existing strategic alliance arrangements.

3. What is your evidence about this issue?

Frequent staff complaint via futures noticeboard and workshops.

4. How do you recommend this issue be addressed by the University?

Assign to Issues Management Team for further research. This group to include the Director of Community Relations or his proxy, the FA, the PVC or his proxy, a member of the schools liaison team, and a member of the academic staff.

The group should prepare a discussion paper for Management Forum, which addresses the issues involved at a macro-level, and which assesses the concept for strategic fit and degree of risk.

5. What are the consequences of not addressing this issue?

Competitors steal our thunder, especially re agribusiness corporates.

6. Other thoughts: key stakeholders, behaviour of competitors etc...