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Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s is launching its third year of UniForum data collection this spring to build a clearer picture of how professional services work is delivered across the university.

UniForum is an international benchmarking program used by post-secondary institutions to understand how professional services work is distributed across the organization, what resources are required to deliver those services, and how well the services are meeting the needs of the university community.  

At Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s, UniForum data collection and analysis form a key part of the Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s Renew Program, which is focused on making professional services across the university more efficient and consistent by improving tools, reducing manual work, standardizing processes, and examining how services are organized and delivered.

“The UniForum program is helping us gain a clearer picture of how professional services are functioning across Queen's so we can make them work better for the staff delivering them and for the students, faculty, and staff who depend on them,” says Matthew Evans, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic). “That said, UniForum findings are used to highlight areas for further exploration, not to drive decisions in isolation. It gives us a starting point for deeper conversations and assessment about what 91��Ƭ�� ’s working and what isn’t.”
 

How Uniforum Data is Collected and Used

UniForum allows Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s to compare how our professional services are delivered against peer institutions in Canada and globally, including members of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities. This provides insight into staff capacity, service delivery models, and relative costs, which helps to highlight where further review and improvement may be needed.

Data is collected for the UniForum program in two ways:

• The activity data collection: Builds a picture of what professional service work is happening across Queen's, where it occurs, and what resources are required to deliver it. 
• The service effectiveness survey: Gathers feedback from the Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s community on how well services are meeting their needs.  The service effectiveness survey is conducted every two years, with the next survey planned for fall 2027.

The 2026 activity data collection will open in late May, with individuals responsible for completing the data collection, such as people managers, receiving targeted communications.

When combined, UniForum findings help Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s leaders identify areas for further exploration. For example, if a service is more resource-intensive than at peer institutions or receives lower satisfaction scores, it signals an opportunity to better understand the underlying causes through further assessment and discussion.
 

From Feedback to Action: Improvements Underway

Over the past few years, Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s has seen meaningful improvements in its benchmarking results. Insights from the 2025 data collection and service effectiveness survey show that Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s service satisfaction is strong, and that overall spending has moved closer to the Canadian median among UniForum participating institutions, largely due to hiring controls. That progress reflects the significant efforts made by the Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s community to manage costs during a period of financial constraint, and underscores the importance of continuing to improve processes and tools to make day-to-day work more efficient for staff.  

For example, the combined UniForum finding are already informing improvements across Facilities, Finance, and Human Resources. Process improvements in these areas focus on reducing manual administrative work, implementing improved tools, making processes more consistent across units, and strengthening service delivery.  

“Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in the activity data collection and service effectiveness survey,” says Donna Janiec, Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration). “Your feedback is helping leaders across the university better understand how our services are working in practice, and where they can be improved. We are identifying where changes are needed and taking action to make improvements that support staff and strengthen service delivery.”  

More detailed information on specific process improvements is available on the .  
 

91��Ƭ�� UniForum

UniForum is an international benchmarking program led by Nous Data Insights and used by universities worldwide to compare how professional services are delivered, resourced, and experienced. Queen's is in its third year of participation.
 

91��Ƭ�� the Queen's Renew Program

The Queen's Renew Program is a university-wide initiative making professional services more consistent and effective. Improvements are currently underway in Facilities, Finance, and Human Resources.