ENOHE Adopts Four-Year Strategic Plan

The European Network of Ombuds in Higher Education has unveiled a strategic plan to take it through 2025. According to an announcement, the plan includes "general strategy, objectives and their implementation (among others supporting the ombuds institutions in Europe, membership growth, developing guidelines and rulebooks and events progamming). ENOHE plans to evaluate its strategy annually and make revisions if necessary.

The strategic plan includes nine objectives:

A. Supporting and strengthening the position of ombuds institutions in Europe by making them visible throughout the “Bologna Process” and encouraging governments to set up ombuds institutions within the European Higher Education Area on a legal basis, pursuant the guidelines to the 5th principle of the European Principles and Guidelines to Strengthen the Social dimension of Higher Education of the Bologna Follow-Up Group, approved by the higher education ministers during their November 2020 Rome conference (https://ehea.info/page-ministerial-conference-rome-2020).

B. Membership growth and development

During 2021 to 2025 we aim to grow our membership to a minimum of 100 members, largely by building on links with existing national and regional networks which share similar aims with ENOHE, along the lines of the León Declaration of 2019. We also aim to develop networking opportunities between individual members and national networks.

C. Finances

We have established a Finance Sub-Committee which is setting in place robust mechanisms for planning and budgeting for events and ongoing infrastructure costs.

D. Further developing already existing guidelines and rulebooks (e.g. Innsbruck descriptors of 2015, (https://www.enohe.net/innsbruck-descriptors/) by tasking special resources with compiling suggestions for additions and amendments, based on its members’ experiences and proposals.

E. Supporting professional development as well as exchanging experience and knowledge on the principles how to set up ombuds offices and of daily ombuds work by implementing a discussion list, an extension of occasional papers electronic for a running webinars and annual conferences, promoting and supporting internships.

F. Events programme

During 2021 to 2025 we aim to offer a minimum of three online events each year, plus an annual in person conference. Conference services are supplemented by electronic services like the ENOHE Discussion List and the ENOHE Newsletter.

G. Recognition

During 2021 to 2025 we aim to set up regular communication links with a minimum of 10 regional, national and international networks, to gather and disseminate relevant information across the higher education sector internationally.

H. Member benefits

During 2021, we aim to set up a small short-life working group to look at member benefits and consider the dichotomy between our wish to be inclusive and our need to establish a solid membership base. The working group will report to the Board by the end of 2021, with a view to implementation of their recommendations during 2022 and beyond.

I. Publications

During 2022, we will review the success (or otherwise) of the newsletter, consider its format, frequency and distribution, with the aim of encouraging contributions to the newsletter from members and its increasing recognition as a valuable resource thereafter.

(ENOHE Strategic Plan.)

Related posts: ENOHE Releases Full Agenda for 2019 Conference in Spain; ACCUO/ENOHE 2020 Conference is Postponed; ENOHE Occasional Paper: “Comparing Concerns: COVID-19 Webinar”; Webinar: Adapting to Covid in the New Academic Year; ENOHE to Host Informal Meet-Up; Save the Date: ENOHE-ACCUO 2021 Conference; ENOHE Webinar on Opening an Ombuds Office.