Strategic Planning Executive: Mr Chris O'Malley
Unit Report

The work of the Strategic Planning Office during the year fell mainly into three areas:

Following on the adoption of the Strategic Plan, "Leading Change", a working group was elected by all staff to come forward with proposals for re-structuring the University. The working group's deliberations were facilitated by Chris O'Malley. The group submitted its report to Executive, which then discussed the recommendations over a series of meetings and made final decisions on future structures, which have since begun to be implemented.

C O'Malley was appointed to lead DCU's involvement in a new strategic partnership with Citywest Business Park. The initial project to be approved was the building of an Academy of Entrepreneurship, with funding from the family of Dr Tony Ryan. This initial project was subsequently built upon into the wider concept of the eEolas Institute, to involve a range of activities involving university collaboration with industry at a higher level.

C O'Malley has continued to maintain relationships with the North Dublin on a number of fronts, including NorDubCo, (the North Dublin Development Coalition) which has established a broad-based task force to pursue possibilities for knowledge-based industrial development in the region. C O'Malley has also represented DCU on the Board of the Ballymun Partnership and the Management Committee of the Dublin Employment Pact. The latter includes involvement in an EU-funded programme to pilot innovative models of career and educational progression routes.