During the “deep-dive kick-off meeting” (11 December 2025), various questions were asked. These questions and answers are of interest to the entire AZ pillar, which is why we are sharing this information with everyone. This page will be updated regularly. Would you like to add any questions? Discuss these questions with your manager.
Who is the external expert?
Angelika Peperkamp is the external expert. She has worked at Radboud University for many years and has extensive experience in pillar reviews, visits and quality assurance in higher education.
Management after consolidation, what does that look like for the MOA team? What does that mean in the role of director of BV and current team supervisor?
This will be examined and further elaborated in the deep dive. The aim is to determine which structure is appropriate and how this can be implemented within units. It does not automatically mean physical consolidation.
How do you know which part/category of the pillar you fall into if you are unsure?
You can ask your manager or one of the members of the AZ project team (Dorine Gebbink, Wouter Brok, Jasper Uiterwaal, Suzanne Boelens, Rob Vaessen) about the classification. They will be happy to help you.
How is the quality we deliver for education and research monitored?
This aspect is included in the deep dive. The necessary support and wishes/needs of our customers are taken as the starting point.
I already regularly work evenings and on my days off, how can I reduce this?
Work pressure can be discussed with your manager.
How does the collaboration with other pillars work? Also, because of the example of the purchase order process, perhaps this is already being “resolved” in the F&C pillar and we are still doing double work?
Collaboration with other pillars is coordinated in the Savings Programme to prevent double work and to identify cross-pillar consequences.
Which working groups will be established?
There will be three working groups: MOAs, DIV, and Secretaries. These three groups form the basis of the hypotheses for the entire pillar. They investigate desirability, effects, and consequences for service quality and for internal customers.
I would like to see some concrete examples and details of how the work of MOAs is bundled, for example at FSW and other faculties that have been mentioned.
Concrete examples will be discussed in the deep dive and will be further elaborated on in this phase.
I would also like to see the amounts in our pillar, rather than just the FTEs. And I would also like to see the positions that are not currently included in the deep dive.
The amounts are transparent and will be provided to the working groups.
You said that everyone has been assigned to a pillar. How was that classification determined?
A scope for operational management with pillar classification has been formulated and approved by the Executive Board. The directors of operational management and the directors of the divisions have established these lists for their own units.
How were the colleagues who came up with the hypotheses selected?
The colleagues were selected based on their knowledge and experience in the relevant field of work. Through discussions, we arrived at a representative and expert team with representatives from the RU Assistant Network, DIV and the secretaries.
How many FTEs do you expect to leave through natural attrition in order to avoid reorganisation?
Natural attrition is approximately 5% per year.
Suppose you can do your work in 3 days and you work 4 days?
If the work can be done in 3 days and you work 4 days, the extra time can be used more efficiently for other tasks and activities. This ultimately results in savings in FTE, which we expect to achieve through natural attrition.
You are now talking about work activities. But ultimately, it is about reducing FTEs. Where are the savings of 1.1 million?
The savings of 1.1 million euros mainly come from working more efficiently and deploying FTEs more intelligently, so that the same work can be done with fewer staff. We expect that by the end of 2029, we will need fewer FTEs thanks to a different, smarter way of working. We can accommodate this through natural attrition, which will enable us to achieve these savings. 'Working smarter' means organising work more efficiently, making better use of processes, tools and collaboration. It does not automatically mean that the FTE of individual MOAs will be reduced, but that the same result can be achieved with less effort and that the total size can be reduced through natural attrition.
Is consideration being given to the savings already made in faculties? Some faculties have already been implementing a cost-cutting programme for two years.
The reference date is 31 December 2024. All savings made after this date will count towards the Cost-Cutting Programme.
Recently assisted with other efficiency working groups. Will that information also be taken into account to prevent duplication of work?
Yes, experiences, information and input from previous pillar reviews will be taken into account.
So will it cost at least one new manager?
Not necessarily. This depends on the results of the deep dive and how management will be organised after consolidation.
How long will we need for the working groups?
They will start in March.
What is the timeline for the deep dive?
The deep dive will take place in March and April.
What does the deep dive process look like?
First, we will examine whether the hypotheses presented provide a realistic picture. We will assess whether the necessary savings are desirable and achievable and what the consequences will be for employees and “customers”. After this phase, an implementation plan will be drawn up.
How can we achieve efficiency through bundling?
We can achieve efficiency by exchanging more information, learning from each other, covering for each other in case of illness and holidays, strengthening each other and improving cooperation.
How do we deal with differences in experience between employees?
By discussing experiences in depth during the deep dive, taking all perspectives into account.
How does the Basic Service relate to the UFO profile?
The UFO profile is the starting point, but the actual service is more detailed. UFO is an abstract outline of the work, not a complete representation.
How are working groups handled within the programme?
Working groups are given clear assignments and are supported with formats and templates via the programme and the project manager.
How does communication take place during the process?
Each phase is concluded with a meeting and interim updates are shared with all those involved. There are also coordination and feedback moments.
Do the cutbacks within faculties affect this process?
No. The cutbacks within faculties are separate from the savings within the pillars.
When is a saving actually realised in the pillar?
A saving counts if it is actually realised within the pillar and the pillar's costs at the end of 2029 have decreased compared to the end of 2024.
Can savings also be realised outside of personnel costs?
Possibly to a limited extent, but the majority of the savings will have to come from personnel costs.
How does the AZ savings target relate to the targets of other pillars?
Each pillar has the same task, but with a different amount attached to it.
What is the sounding board group, and what does it look like?
The sounding board group acts as a sparring partner. It contributes ideas and responds to those ideas in the form of opinions, advice and points for attention.
The interrelationships between the (sub)pillars are also examined, as the bigger picture can influence feasibility and desirability and actually make things possible.
This is reflected in the next step in the deep-dive phase, in the working groups. The hypotheses are developed into cost-saving initiatives, which also incorporate the cost-saving initiatives from other pillars.
The MOA group is very diverse. If you put everything together, it doesn't work. It also makes the work less enjoyable.
We investigate what works well and what can be improved. Attention is paid to the individuality of groups, institutes and departments. There are both strong and less successful examples of bundling. Where bundling does work is in sharing expertise and learning from each other. That is why it is important to determine precisely what should be retained, what can be further strengthened and where cooperation is useful and desirable.
Are we also looking at where we, as a university and department, can earn some extra income instead of just saving money?
Yes, this is being looked at across the RU, rather than within individual departments.
Is investment in systems also necessary, and is that possible? Certainly in ICT, more investment is possible.
Yes. We are looking at what investments may be necessary and will include this in the business cases.
When will the implementation itself take place?
That depends on what needs to be implemented. Hopefully, this can be tackled soon after the summer.