Welcome to Milestones
MAP Receives Grant to Fund Implementation
Why MAP?
MAP: What Is It, Really?
Need for Project Director Identified
MAP Project Director Appointed
Q & A
Labor Management Committees
CheckPoint Review Tips

Welcome to the first issue of Milestones, a newsletter designed to be your source for comprehensive information about the Montana University System Achievement Project - better known as MAP. For the next year or so, we hope to use future editions of this newsletter to keep everyone informed of the successes along with the issues and concerns that are encountered as the Montana University System completes the transition to MAP.

In this inaugural issue, articles include information on what MAP is and what it means to the Montana University System; the Performance Development Program Cycle and Check Point Reviews; the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service grant which makes this newsletter possible; the roles and responsibilities of the MAP Project Director as well as the Labor-Management Committees which have been established; and, a regular feature answering your questions. Future editions will include tips on improving lines of communication between employee and supervisor; revising performance goals; a summary of the new pay provisions; campus spotlights; and, progress reports on how MAP is effecting change in the university system's organizational culture.

A $125,000 federal grant has been awarded to the Montana University System to help put in place the Montana University System Achievement Project (MAP) at Montana State University and The University of Montana affiliated campuses. The funds come from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). This agency assists labor and management in resolving disputes and awards competitive grants to encourage innovative approaches for cooperative efforts.

Kathy Crego, Director of Human Resources Services at UM-Missoula, wrote the successful grant request, obtaining the maximum award allowed by FMCS guidelines. (Note: of seventeen funded programs, MAP is only one of five proposals to receive the maximum award). Both Montana State University and The University of Montana will contribute to cost sharing bringing the total available funds to $138,893.

The budget for the eighteen-month grant supports the position of project director who will oversee the implementation of MAP throughout the university system. In addition, the grant funds regular campus visits by the project director; the publication of periodic newsletters; web site development; some training related to MAP; and limited operational expenses.

Facilitating a smooth transition to MAP will be eased thanks to the FMCS grant. It is hoped that by the end of the funding period, staff and supervisors will be comfortable with the new structure and that noticeable improvement will have been realized in the MAP prescribed principles of improved communication and accountability.

During the past twenty years, staff in the University system became increasingly frustrated due to the manner in which their positions were classified and the way in which they were compensated. Evolutions in the pay plan had done little to address employees' concerns about their pay vis-a-vis market conditions and the challenges faced recruiting and/or retaining qualified staff.

This frustration culminated in November of 1998 when classified staff took leave in order to attend the public comment section of the Board of Regents (BOR) meeting held in Missoula. Filling the University Center's Ballroom, staff shared their stories and feelings of dissatisfaction with the BOR.

This action prompted a dialogue that ultimately resulted in the establishment of the "Classification System Task Force" in December of 1999. Comprised of labor and management representatives from each of the campuses, this group was charged with looking at the classification system and asked to make recommendations for changes. After much research and discussion, the task force developed the concept for the Montana University System Achievement Project (MAP). With the endorsements of the BOR, pilot projects were instituted throughout the system in 2000-2001. Based upon the success of those pilots, MAP has been implemented. An estimated 2500 Montana University System classified staff participate in MAP.

MAP was designed to emphasize employee development and will require frequent performance-based communication between supervisors and employees. Incorporating Performance Development and Compensation Programs, these programs have been designed to emphasize collaboration and communication while reflecting the values and behaviors that are important for success within the Montana University System. This developmental perspective supports both the professional growth of the employee and the future needs of the Montana University System.

MAP emphasizes two-way communication between supervisors and employees and collaborative goal setting as a means of providing staff with clearer expectations about priorities. As a result, staff will have a better understanding of how their jobs relate to institutional and departmental missions. The plan also should make it easier to reward high-achieving staff members with raises, lump-sum bonuses and other forms of compensation not previously available.

MAP is more than a simplistic system of revised forms and a new pay plan. MAP is a catalyst for change in the University-system organizational culture. Its success will benefit individual staff members, each campus, and the university system as a whole. The focus on collaborative decision -making, staff involvement in goal setting and job performance assessments, increased accountability of both administrators/supervisors and staff, and reward structures for high performers aims to change the organizational climate to one of proactive involvement by staff in their professional development and contributions to the university's mission.

The need for one position to oversee the implementation of MAP throughout the university system was initially raised by the "Classification System Task Force." Credited with developing the MAP concept, the Task Force envisioned a MAP project director who would serve as the clearinghouse for addressing concerns and issues as they came up. Although endorsed by the Board of Regents, funding for the position remained problematic until the FMCS grant was secured.

The Project Director's responsibilities include: coordinating and overseeing the successful Montana University System-wide implementation of MAP; providing leadership and assistance to Labor Management Committees that will actually manage the process; ensuring adherence to MAP policies, procedures and timelines; overseeing the development of internal mediation centers which will eventually be established to handle problems or conflicts that arise with MAP; and, assessing the effectiveness of MAP.

Reporting directly to Presidents Dennison and Gamble, the Project Director will provide the Presidents with regular progress updates. The Project Director also works closely with human resource services staff and various collective bargaining agent representatives in an effort to keep closely attuned to the "buzz" on each campus.

Drawing on a career-long interest in staff development and advocacy, Candy Holt assumed the duties associated with the position of Project Director for the Montana University System Achievement Project (MAP) in late January. Candy has been an employee of the Montana University System for over twenty years. Beginning as a personnel clerk in UM-Missoula’s Human Resource Services Office (when it was known as EO/Personnel Services), Candy later transferred to the Mansfield Library where she worked as as an administrative assistant and administrative officer. For the past thirteen years, she called the University Center her professional home, establishing a successful career in student affairs: first as the assistant to the director and ending her tenure as associate director. Candy also filled in last year as the University Center’s acting director, overseeing a staff of 25+ classified employees and upwards of 100 student employees, and a budget of approximately $2.5 million.

Candy has participated on many campus and University system-wide committees. She served two terms on UM’s Staff Senate, holding the positions of senator, Vice President and President. In the 2000-01 academic year, Candy acted as the staff spokesperson to the Board of Regents during their regular meetings. In addition, Candy was an active member on the "Classification System Task Force" which led to the development of MAP.

Candy holds an undergraduate degree in social welfare from California State University-Long Beach and a Master’s in Public Administration from The University of Montana-Missoula. Before moving to Montana, Candy worked as an employee advocate for the Long Beach City Employees Association and as a senior personnel services representative for McDonnell-Douglas Corp., gaining invaluable experience in all aspects of labor relations and human resources.

Candy is thrilled to have been given an opportunity to help effect change in the Montana University System. She can be reached by phone at 406-370-6019 or by e- mail at map@oche.montana.edu or cholt@mso.umt.edu.

Candy is joined in her new position by Lisa Chubb, MAP Project Assistant. Lisa has been responsible for the development of a new MAP web site and creating the template for this newsletter. She provides much needed technical and editing support. Lisa, who calls Minneapolis home, is a senior majoring in Business/ Marketing. She has been active in many extracurricular activities while working and maintaining an exemplary grade point average.

Q. Is MAP here to stay?
A. Yes...and No.

MAP has been endorsed by the Board of Regents; ratified in collective bargaining by many bargaining units; adopted for non-represented, classified staff; and, implemented.

Whether-or-not we have MAP forever depends on its effectiveness. If it doesn’t eventually work in the manner in which it was envisioned, it too can be replaced. But remember, MAP replaces the antiquated and frustrating benchmark factoring system. We want to be sure that we have given MAP a reasonable chance to succeed before throwing the whole system out. In addition, we can’t move on until a new system is developed, proposed, and accepted.

Q. Is it MAPS or MAP?
A. MAP (no added "s") is the correct acronym for the Montana University System Achievement Project.

Q. I heard that with MAP there were several ways to get a raise. How does that work?
A. Employees should not expect to see a salary increase as a direct result of implementation of MAP. However, it is true that one of the goals of MAP is to allow for more pay flexibility. Under the Compensation Program associated with MAP, there are seven pay options. These include: Achievement Pay, Longevity Pay, Lump Sum Payment, Market Zone Increases, Progression Pay, and Strategic Pay. The recently adopted Pay Plan Rules explain how each of these options can be implemented.

Q. Will the pay options available under MAP get all employees much needed relief from low salaries?
A. It is important to distinguish between the pay provisions associated with MAP and the issue of fair and adequate compensation. MAP provides much needed flexibility to recognize and reward specific efforts and/or circumstances. The issue of base compensation is broader. It must be addressed and resolved in other arenas.

Q. How do I apply for a bonus?
A. Bonuses are awarded for exemplary service or contribution to the University. Lump Sum Bonuses are requested by an employee’s immediate supervisor and must be endorsed by the department head. All requests must include documentation supporting the request and will be subject to an extensive approval process.

Q. Some of the forms make no sense to me. Do we have to use them?
A. At this time, we ask that you use the forms provided to you by your campus HRS department. Currently, there is work in progress to revise several of the forms. By the beginning of the next Performance Plan Cycle, October 1, 2002, the new and improved forms will be available for use. Your feedback on the forms is important. Please send comments to the MAP Project Director.

Q. What makes MAP different the old system?
A. The "old," benchmark factoring system looked at the position - not the employee. Under MAP, the contributions, knowledge, talent, and potential of the individual employee is recognized. MAP offers employees an opportunity to excel with the promise of financial incentives and provides supervisors with much needed flexibility to reward employee performance. MAP should also make it easier to recruit and retain qualified and committed staff to the University system.

Q. My supervisor has "favorites." What safeguards are in place to make sure that you aren't just giving supervisors a way to play favorites and withhold a raise from anyone he/she doesn't like?
A. In fact, the opposite should occur. With a formal system in place, there is less likelihood that supervisors can get away with playing favorites. There will be an informal and formal appeals mechanism for employees; and, supervisors will be evaluated based on their participation in MAP.

Q. I don't have time to do anything more. MAP takes too much time?
A. We all knew that the implementation of a new classification and compensation system would require an initial investment in time. Training, writing role descriptions, the development of performance plans, and conducting periodic checkpoint reviews all do require a time commitment. Please know, however, that it is expected that the investment in training and communication will result in less time in the future being spent on unproductive activities such as dealing with problems, filling out job descriptions and participating on search committees.

Q. The goals that I must set because of MAP and to be eligible for Achievement Pay mean that I will be expected to do even more work than I am already doing.
A. The MAP Performance Plan requires that 3 to 6 goals be set collaboratively by the supervisor and employee. Goals should not be an increase in workload. They allow priorities to be set among the many duties an employee already performs. A goal may be for employees to attend training, professional development, or certification classes that they are interested in and that will help accomplish the mission of the department. A goal may be to find a more efficient way to do a task that is already being completed.

A critical component to the successful implementation of MAP is the establishment of institutional and system-wide Labor-Management Committees (LMC). First proposed in the grant request to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the LMCs ensure communication and oversight throughout the implementation process and beyond.

Institutional membership consists of an equal number of labor and management members with each affiliated campus represented. Selected members from each of the institutional committees participate in a system-wide group and are joined by additional labor and management representatives.

The LMCs are charged with providing feedback to the MAP Project Director from a system-wide perspective; recommending modifications to policies and procedures; overseeing grant compliance; ensuring goals, objectives, and deadlines are accomplished; providing expertise in problem resolution; and ultimately, facilitating the implementation of Internal Consulting Units and Mediation Centers on the campuses providing services as appropriate.

We are currently in the first Performance Development Program Cycle. This cycle, which spans January 1-September 30, 2002, provides a wonderful opportunity to enhance productive working relationships.

Remember, the writing of a Performance Plan is a collaborative activity intended to align individual goals with University and departmental goals.

With an abbreviated time period for the first Performance Development Program Cycle, January-September, it is critical that a Checkpoint Review happens soon, if it has not already occurred. Supervisors and employees need to make time to meet and schedule dates for all checkpoint reviews for this performance program cycle.

Helpful tips for conducting Checkpoint Reviews:

• Schedule a time to meet that works for both supervisor and employee - and then meet in a location away from interruptions and distractions.
• Establish a climate conducive to open and honest communication.
• Review the original Performance Plan.
• Is progress being made?
• Are priorities and goals determined earlier being accomplished?
• Have there been changes in the department’s or University’s priorities and goals that require some changes to be made in the Performance Plan?
• Does the employee need any assistance in order to succeed?
• Do revisions to the original plan need to be made?

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