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The purpose of this paper is to share the ways in which student and learning support at the University of Sunderland has embedded and matured a new outcome-centered performance model – the Quality Model – in order to create an agile evidence-base of value, outcome and impact evidence. The authors will also share how, having established the fundamental principles regarding value and impact capture in our library setting, the concepts and approaches have also been developed and applied successfully within the context of multi-converged service delivery across the wider student and learning support service, using the AMOSSHE Value and Impact Toolkit.

The authors’ approach will be illustrated with two case studies, the first focusing on the university library services and the second on the student counseling service.

The findings will reveal that by establishing an outcome-focused model, the authors have been able to apply it across a converged service in order to generate the evidence required to articulate the value and impact of our key service objectives.

As a performance approach, the Quality Model is an original concept in that it is a self-formed model designed to meet the strategic needs of the University of Sunderland. It differs from many performance models in that it is founded on a holistic approach to service culture and customer-relationship management and is based upon strategic marketing principles. The AMOSSHE Toolkit is a pre-existing toolkit which is fully referenced in the paper. The Quality Model and AMOSSHE Toolkit are of particular relevance as many higher education services are increasingly challenged to demonstrate their value and impact and the outcomes their services deliver. This calls for a strategic approach to managing qualitative evidence. Therefore, although bespoke, the approach is transferable to the strategic priorities of other HE settings.

The purpose of this paper is to share how the maturing value and impact model at The University of Sunderland is enabling the author to generate evidence and articulate the insights. The author draws from that evidence to inform and underpin the strategic service planning, resourcing and reporting.

The author will demonstrate how impactful articulation of these insights through data visualisation is enabling the author to employ thought leadership in the relationship management with stakeholders by increasing their understanding of the benefit of engagement with the service offers and demonstrating value for money and the value and impact of the role in achieving institutional objectives. The paper will give an overview of the key techniques of the model and will then demonstrate its practical applications using the following examples: how the model is underpinning the approaches to thought leadership in relationship management by enabling the author to effectively generate and articulate evidence to inform strategic faculty action plans; how the model has enabled the authors to develop a new graphical approach to annual reporting. By combining the variety of data sets generated by the model, the author is able to articulate the outputs and impacts of cross-service holistic service offers and clearly demonstrate how institutional strategic objectives are fulfilled.

The author will discuss the key findings including: the importance of embedding the model at the heart of the service culture – both in terms of involving staff in data generation and of developing an evidence-based culture of service planning; the benefit of meaningful data, analysis and insights in helping to inform and underpin strategic conversations and relationship management; the transferability of the model across service settings; the agility of a snapshot approach in enabling the authors to evidence and inform current strategic service priorities; the impact of a “rounded narrative” technique in articulating powerful human insights which demonstrate engagement, impact and value; and the importance of creative data-visualisation techniques in communicating the insights for maximum impact with the customers and stakeholders.

This case study demonstrates the approach taken to fulfil a specific strategic need at one UK HE institution. Therefore, the readers are encouraged to consider the approach within that context.

This paper shares how a strategic approach to capturing and communicating value and impact evidence can contribute to thought leadership in articulating library impact.

The purpose of this paper is to share the ways in which University Library Services Sunderland, created and embedded a quality model, to engender service-culture change, ensure engagement with and best use of library services and capture and demonstrate evidence of the value of the library's contribution to the student experience. Launched in 2008 the Quality Model initiative is ongoing and has become the established way of working.

The approach is of particular significance as Higher Education (HE) libraries are increasingly challenged to demonstrate their contribution to the academic experience and are exploring the role of cultural change to facilitate this. Although designed to meet the specific aims at Sunderland many of the techniques will be transferrable to the strategic priorities of other HE libraries.

The creation and embedding of the Quality Model is enabling us to successfully nurture cultural change, to re-shape customer relationships and to capture and demonstrate the impact.

The University of Sunderland Quality Model differs from many library performance models in that it takes an holistic approach. It aims to inform and shape cultural change and lead a strategic approach to customer relationship management in order to facilitate the capturing of impact evidence and demonstrate the value of the contribution. It is self-formed and based upon strategic marketing principles and underpins university priorities.

The paper aims to give a synopsis of proceedings at the Internet Librarian International Conference held at the Olympia Conference Centre, London from 15 to 16 October 2013 from a participant's viewpoint.

The narrative method of describing events as they occurred was used.

The conference provided participants with a wide array of information that spanned the three tracks the sub-themes of the conference were divided into. Participants had opportunities to network and find out more about the products the sponsors showcased as well.

The report tells what transpired at the conference and exposes new technologies, new resources and innovative ways of using the technologies available to librarians and other information professionals.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a mother’s experience of having a daughter who experienced mental health problems.

Narrative account.

The author wants to convey the enormous pride that the author feel for her wonderful daughter, and some of the challenges that the author has encountered. The author also writes about what helps her and what helps her daughter, the lessons that the author has learnt, and the benefits that a local recovery initiative have brought for the author and her daughter.

A mother’s account of the benefits a local recovery initiative has brought to her and her daughter.

This paper aims to examine how firms react to the loss of a major government contract. Reactions to contract loss are yet to be properly studied in public procurement.

The hypothesis is that contract loss triggers a five-stage grieving process, as predicted by the Kubler-Ross model. The hypothesis is tested using the recent UK passport contract in which the British supplier, De La Rue, lost to the Franco-Dutch supplier, Gemalto. Secondary data from corporate publications, news reporting, parliamentary debates and trade union press releases is used to compile the case.

The findings show that De La Rue and its supporters passed through the five stages of grief in response to their loss. De La Rue initially exhibited denial by vowing to appeal the decision. Next came anger directed at the UK Government. An attempt to bargain was made during the standstill period. Depression set in after De La Rue admitted it would not appeal. Finally, acceptance was indicated by De La Rue pursuing new opportunities in the product authentication market.

The study is based on a single case. Further case research is warranted to test the external validity of the results.

By debriefing unsuccessful bidders and listening to their viewpoint, public buyers can help to assuage the anger that accompanies contract loss.

Elected representatives, the media and civic society groups have vested interests in the outcome of contract competitions. Moreover, they use their agency in pursuit of their own interests, whether through political bargaining, lobbying or editorials.

The paper demonstrates that the Kubler-Ross model of grieving has utility for understanding reactions to loss in a public procurement context.