ID211a Enhancing Staff Expertise Profiles and Institutional Collaboration

The Idea

Develop a consistent, University-wide staff expertise profile that captures colleagues' areas of specialism, professional expertise, research interests (where applicable), publications, memberships of professional bodies, previous experience and areas they are willing to support. Whilst academic colleagues already have mechanisms such as WorkTribe to record aspects of their expertise, there is currently no equivalent, consistent approach for Professional Services staff or colleagues whose roles do not directly involve research. 

The information could be integrated into Keele People (or an existing system where appropriate) and displayed through the Keele Directory, creating a single point of reference that enables colleagues to identify expertise across the institution for collaboration, media enquiries, research, knowledge exchange, conference opportunities and internal projects.

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

A more systematic approach to capturing staff expertise would strengthen collaboration across both academic and Professional Services teams. It would make it easier to identify colleagues with relevant knowledge, experience and interests, supporting research partnerships, media engagement, business development, conference opportunities and cross-University working. It would also raise the visibility of Professional Services expertise, which is often less visible despite adding significant value to institutional activity.

How We Would Implement This Idea

Review existing systems (including WorkTribe and Keele People) to determine whether current functionality can be expanded rather than creating a new platform. Introduce a standard staff profile for all colleagues, with periodic prompts to review and update information so that it remains accurate. For new starters, completion of the profile could form part of the onboarding process. 

What Success Would Look Like

Improved visibility of staff expertise across the University, increased collaboration between teams, more effective identification of colleagues for projects, research, media opportunities and conferences, and a stronger institutional profile built upon the breadth of expertise that exists across both academic and Professional Services staff.