30th October 2001

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The University of Ulster has won a £1.5m contract to give the Child Support Agency a more customer friendly image.

The University’s Management Institute, based at Jordanstown, will be working with more than 2,500 junior and middle managers of the CSA throughout Britain to help them implement a reform package.

The programme, which will last three years, will take place at six venues throughout Britain, from Falkirk to Plymouth. The Management Institute is already working on a similar programme with 500 staff from the CSA in Northern Ireland.

It was the success of that Northern-Ireland-based programme which led to the Management Institute being invited to tender for the Britain-wide initiative - and they beat off 21 other organizations to clinch the contract.

The Management Institute will be working with Leicester University on the programme, which is due to begin in February next year.

The management development programme will centre on making management of the CSA more customer focussed and more customer friendly; giving them the skills to communicate more efficiently both internally and externally; and, helping them manage the changes required by new reforms.

Alan Christie, Head of Company Development at the Management Institute, said: "This is certainly a very challenging project but we are looking forward immensely to it. Delivering it will involve everyone in the Management Institute.

“Whilst we have undertaken training in Britain before this is the first time that we have been involved in something that will be rolled out so intensively throughout the UK. We regard it as a vote of confidence in our work with the CSA in Northern Ireland and a signal that the high levels of skill and ability of our staff is recognised nationally”, he added.

Gerry Keenan, Chief Executive of the CSA, said: “We are delighted for University of Ulster to win this contract. We have been working very successfully with them over the past number of years. It is very satisfying to see locally developed training initiatives recognised nationally. It is a tremendous boost for Northern Ireland Plc.”

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk