- Governance and regulations
- Planning and follow-up
Operational planning and performance monitoring
The foundation for the university's planning and monitoring is Vision 2030. Planning and monitoring follow a process that involves the entire organisation. It includes activities such as performance tracking, the previous year, performance discussions, autumn dialogues, educational dialogues, decisions on the operational plan and financial frameworks, budget submissions to the government, and annual reporting.
Linnaeus University's Vision 2030 forms the basis for the university's planning and performance monitoring. The annual report should be based on the university's vision and strategy and serves as the higher education institution’s reporting in accordance with the Higher Education Act. In addition to the annual report, Linnaeus University's operational plan is an important tool for performance monitoring and planning.
The University Board decides on the operational plan and financial framework
In June, the University Board makes decisions regarding the operational plan and financial framework for the upcoming year. These decisions provide the conditions and guidelines for the operational plans and budgets that the faculties, the Board of Teacher Education, the University Administration, and the University Library establish during the autumn.
Review of the previous year
Activity reports for the past year are finalised and sent to the Executive Office as soon as they are approved. The annual report is decided upon by the University Board in February, along with the report for internal governance and control.
Performance review meetings
Performance review meetings between the vice-chancellor and the heads of faculty of each faculty/Board of Teacher Education are conducted at the beginning of the year. Focus is on how well they fulfill the tasks assigned by the University Board and the vice-chancellor, as well as the critical factors. In connection with the performance review meeting, the faculty's finances are also monitored. The basis for the discussion includes approved activity reports and statistical and financial data.
Education dialogues
Once each semester, what are known as education dialogues are conducted. During these meetings, the chairs of RUL, KU, FUU meet with representatives from the heads of faculty from each faculty or the Board of Teacher Education (NLU). The purpose of the education dialogues is to support and monitor the work related to educational quality and course offerings. Education dialogues serve as a platform for information exchange and sharing experiences, where the needs of the operations are communicated, and completed activities are reviewed.
The autumn education dialogues focus on operational planning and course offerings, while the spring education dialogues concentrate on monitoring the operations and specific quality measures related to education, known as priority follow-up areas. Agreements and commitments made during these dialogues are documented and serve as a basis for planning and monitoring at both the university-wide level and within each faculty/NLU. For an overall description of the purpose, content, and structure of the education dialogues, please refer to Processbeskrivning – utbildningsdialoger (only in Swedish).
Alignment Meetings
Alignment meetings, where the vice-chancellor and heads of faculty assess the work related to operational planning with focus on the direction of operations and financial conditions, take place in May.
Autumn Dialogues
The autumn dialogues are one of several components in the operational planning process and are conducted in October. These dialogues involve discussions between the vice-chancellor and the heads of faculties/the Board of Teacher Education (NLU). A corresponding dialogue also takes place between the vice-chancellor and the management of the University Administration units, namely the library director and the university director (UD). The university director, in turn, conducts dialogues with the various offices within the administration.
The purpose of the autumn dialogues is to engage in a qualitative discussion about the operational development in relation to the vice-chancellor's directives and specific instructions for 2024 that are taking place within the faculties and NLU. Additionally, these dialogues address the support that the faculties/NLU need to achieve their respective goals for 2025, as well as the goals shared across the university.
The agenda and materials for the vice-chancellor's autumn dialogues are determined through consultation between the vice-chancellor and the relevant leadership of the dialogues.
Budget Dialogues
The autumn budget dialogues are conducted following the autumn dialogues and focus on the planned activities of the faculties/the Board of Teacher Education (NLU) and the University Administration units, based on the financial planning assumptions for the upcoming years. The budget dialogues are facilitated by the Finance Office.
Reporting to the government is carried out in accordance with the Higher Education Act, the regulation (2000:605) on annual reporting and budget information, the regulation (2007:603) on internal governance and control, appropriation letters, and applicable government decisions.
Governing documents
- The annual report tracks the missions and serves as Linnaeus University's reporting to the government. Additionally, the annual report should provide the University Board and other stakeholders with a concise overview of Linnaeus University's operations. The numerical data within the annual report also forms the basis for Linnaeus University's official statistics.
- The internal governance and control report, on the other hand, is an internal document used to account for the year's efforts in internal governance and control (IGC) (only in Swedish). The annual report focuses on identified and assessed risks, analysed results, and proposed actions that should be taken and integrated into future planning to ensure that the university achieves its strategic goals as outlined in Linnaeus University's strategic document.
Tools for follow-up in Flora
Operational planning and follow-up work is carried out using the analysis and follow-up tool Flora (only in Swedish).
LINNEA
Tools for planning and follow-up, sustainability work, systematic work environment work, as well as risk management, and internal governance and control (only in Swedish).
Preliminary timeline of the operational process
February
- University Board, decision on annual report and budget documentation
Feb/March
- Educational dialogues
- Follow-up dialogues
April
- Quarterly financial statement for March and discussion on the economic development
May
- Coordination meetings
- Half-year follow-up in LINNEA for all activities
June
- University Board decides on the operational plan and financial framework
July
- Half-year financial statement up until June
August
- Faculties/other units report facilities needs to the Office of Facilities Management and Services.
- Practical planning conditions version 1 is released. It contains instructions and clarifications regarding the Board's June decision on economic conditions for 2021–2023.
September
- Forecast/budget dialogues between the Finance Office and departmental economists for the University Library and University Administration.
- Budget proposal is presented.
- Practical planning conditions for the budget for the upcoming year are updated. (Facilities rents, central cost additions, salary increases, and salary cost additions, as well as tables on the allocation of grants, including strategic funds.)
October
- Complete periodised quarterly financial statement up until 30 September.
- Forecast 2 for educational production has been sent to the functional mailbox.
- Faculty/NLU boards announce the allocation of grant funds for educational and research activities to the departments.
- Budget dialogues between the university director and office managers within the university administration.
- Forecast/budget dialogues between the Finance Office and respective faculty offices, Fojo, and PU.
November
- 10 November: All units have registered the budget for 2024 in Agresso and provided comments, as well as reported the budgeted educational volume. Faculties/NLU report preliminary budgeted educational volume.
- Reconciliations and, if necessary, discussions on budget revisions in case the estimated number of FTE (full-time equivalent) does not correspond to available funds.
- All units have registered the budget for the upcoming year in Agresso and provided comments.
- The faculties report their respective three-year financial plan.
- Analysis and compilation of the budget for the upcoming year.
- Reconciliations and, if necessary, supplementary budget dialogues between the Finance Office and respective faculty offices, Fojo, and PU.
- Preliminary operational plan and budget for the upcoming year, sent to MBL.
- Operational plan and budget for the upcoming year, sent to the University Board.
- 15 November, offices, faculties, councils, and committees report their respective preliminary annual report for the current year in LINNEA.
December
- The vice-chancellor approves the budget for the upcoming year for LNU as a whole.
- The University Board is informed about the budget.
Faculty/NLU boards make final decisions on the budget for the upcoming year.