Future Proof Professional Services FFTR (TOF)

Client: Annemarie Hinten-Nooijen
Project leader: Anika van Kessel-Theuws
Team members: Willy Groenen, Elke Leenders, Louise Oomen, Guus Hendriks, Nursabah Zivali
Status: completed.

The objective of this project was to develop a renewed organisational structure in which responsibilities are logically grouped into roles, roles are clearly organised into teams, and teams are grouped within recognisable departments. This structure is intended to improve accessibility and clarity for staff, management, students and external stakeholders.

The project resulted in an advisory report that was presented to the Professional Services FFTR Management Team.

Client: Els van den Bosch
Projectleider: Not applicable
Status: Discontinued

The aim of this project was to professionalise the onboarding process for new faculty staff. Due to several concurrent developments—including the restructuring of the HR organisation, restrictions on recruitment, and the launch of a university-wide onboarding initiative—the project was discontinued. As an outcome, Els van den Bosch, HR Adviser FFTR, monitors university-wide developments in onboarding and ensures that the faculty remains aligned with these initiatives.
 

Client: José van Alst
Project Lead: Carry Maathuis
Team Members: Iris Busschers, Marie-José van den Berg, Frank van Caspel
Status: Completed – Autumn 2025

The purpose of this project was to improve information exchange between educational management and educational support within the faculty. Both minor and major curriculum changes affect the work of educational support staff and the study experience of prospective and current students, making effective communication essential.
The project delivered:

• An advisory report submitted to the Educational Management Team and the Faculty Board.
• A permanent consultation structure bringing together curriculum project leaders, study advisers, education marketing, faculty management and programme committees.
• Planning documents and implementation guides for future curriculum changes.

To ensure sustainable improvements, clear ownership of process coordination remains essential—for example through a designated project leader or process manager with an explicit mandate. Continued refinement of consultation and decision-making processes will also be important to enable more effective collaboration and timely decision-making.

 

Client: Jasper Uiterwaal

Project leader: Anne Siebesma

Client: José van Alst
Project leader: Pauline Donders
Team Members: Ferhan Akin, Francis Craane, Willy Groenen
Status: Completed – Autumn 2025

The objective of this project was to improve the process for supporting and internally coordinating research grant applications—from the publication of a funding call through to a possible award.

Working closely with researchers and Professional Services colleagues, the project team carried out a bottleneck analysis that formed the basis for the recommendations presented in the final report.

The project also produced:

• A faculty-wide acquisition strategy.
• Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for researchers, Research Directors, the Director of Operations, Department Chairs, the Faculty Board, the Grant Adviser, CFA, and HR.
• A practical roadmap and planning framework for grant applications.
• A real-time overview of ongoing grant applications within Microsoft Teams, reviewed in a bi-weekly meeting.
• Improved communication with researchers, including through the faculty newsletter.
• A standard procedure whereby the Grant Adviser provides applicants with an overview of next steps, planning and responsibilities after the initial contact.
• Recommendations regarding required support from the Research Office, HR, and Control, Finance & Accounting.
• Embedding of processes and working methods within the Teams environment and the Research Office handbook.

Client: Annemarie Hinten-Nooijen
Project Lead: José van Alst
Status: Completed

The purpose of this project was to strengthen the Research Office and optimise the way it supports researchers. Key activities included refining the department's responsibilities and identifying researchers' needs.

The following improvements have been implemented:

• A structural bilateral meeting between the Research Director and the Head of the Research Office, together with a meeting every six weeks involving the Dean of Research.
• A bi-weekly informal coffee meeting and a monthly team meeting.
• Clear documentation of the Research Office's core responsibilities and back-up arrangements.
• A revised staffing structure and task allocation.
• An updated description of the Research Office's responsibilities on the faculty website.
• Improved communication with researchers through multiple channels, including the faculty newsletter, the Department Chairs Meeting (OMA), the Research Management Team (OZMT), the academic staff consultation meeting, the Graduate School for the Humanities newsletter, and the Hora Finita portal.

A work plan further redistributing responsibilities within the team is expected in July 2026.

Status: Completed – Spring 2024

Effective leadership is essential for the successful operation of the faculty's Professional Services. To support this, the faculty established a dedicated Management Team comprising the heads of all Professional Services departments.

Client: Professional Services Management Team
Project Lead: Els van den Bosch
Status: Completed

Continuous investment in professional development and a positive working culture remains essential within the Professional Services of the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies. The Professional Services Management Team is responsible for identifying development needs and improvement opportunities and, together with HR, implementing appropriate initiatives.