Using a client survey to support continuous improvement : an Australian case study in managing change

With the arrival of online survey tools that are low-cost, readily available and easy to administer, all organizations have access to one of the most effective mechanisms for determining quality improvement priorities and measuring progress towards achieving those priorities over time. This case study outlines the use made of this simple tool by a research office in one of Australia’s most research-intensive universities during a substantial change management exercise over the period 2008-2011. The rationale for reaching out to the University’s researchers as clients; basic principles followed to ensure high response rates and robust results; uses made of the data; and contribution to the change process are described, with a view to assisting research management professionals who are setting in place similar monitoring systems as an alternative to, or complementing, process-related (time and effort on task) performance data.