Checklists for internal support processes

The goal of preparing a check-lists of internal support processes is to collect and describe information in a user-centered manner.

• This checklist can improve the understanding of the most common service delivery paths across the whole organisation.


• It can be designed for several users' scenarios, facilitating service delivery description and visualisation.


• It can improve understanding of the services provided by every department and the organisational capacity to support researchers' needs.


• It can facilitate the training of the newly appointed staff. 


• The checklist can improve service delivery, easily orientating visitors about specific service paths across different departments.

Goals

Improved skills and knowledge Improved quality of service Improved visibility Improved procedure/efficiency

Basic information

Practice setup

The check-list can be initiated as an internal procedure of the IRO/Welcome center or other departments.

It can be prepared in response to specific users need (to improve visibility and understanding of the services provided to specific users) or to deliver specific training/support for the new staff.

Consider:

• The target group of the end-users (international PhD/post-doc students, visiting researchers (short-term, long-term), etc.)


• Which institutional regulations are addressed.


• Which departments and which processes are included.


• Source information and support from other departments.


• Preparing a draft of popular scenarios and personas (fictional character/ profile of a typical client) for making specific checklists;

Practice delivery

The process of checklist development can be implemented as an internal workshop or just as consultations with colleagues from the other departments.

• To design a user-centered map of the internal support processes, you can develop an imaginary "persona" and describe his/her specific situation on the "customer map".


• It should cover all general steps from a user point-of-view, taking into account all departments and services that he/or she has to consult to get specific support. 


• This can be repeated with several "personas", considering the most common use-cases of the visitors.


• Following the scenarios, several checklists can be prepared for different users and different needs.


• At the end, check and verify the checklists with the other departments;

The checklists can be published and communicated with relevant stakeholders, covering as well user-friendly visualisations of the service paths. Regularly collect feedback information and comments from the real users and update the check-lists if necessary.

Those internal actors that helped in the set-up process should be invited in the delivery too. This will close the circle of creation the check lists and will ensure the quality.