The AVA project is linked to the Local Support Inquiry

In the work of taking advantage of the results of the AVA project, a working group was formed within the management council. The working group has consisted of Hans-Erik Nilsson (convener), Anna-Lena Perdahl, Dan Bylund and Pär Olausson. 

The working group proposes that the results of the AVA project be linked to the work of the ongoing local support inquiry. The AVA report highlights in particular the increasingly fragmented work situation of teachers and researchers, which can partly be linked to tasks that take place infrequently but which take a lot of adjustment time and fragment the work.  

"Both the AVA project and the local support inquiry are important pieces of the puzzle in the work that is being done with the aim of improving the work environment and conditions for teachers, researchers and administrative staff. It is important that the work is allowed to take the time it needs to achieve the best possible results, and in that situation it becomes natural to link the processes," says Hans-Erik Nilsson. 

The AVA project presented its final report to the management in the spring, and the proposals are aimed at all parts of the university. Management also commented on the final report earlier this year. 

Shortly before the final report was presented, the Vice-Chancellor had decided to conduct an external investigation of administrative support at the University, with a particular focus on the possibility of introducing three administrative levels and increasing the departments' control over local support. 

"The local support inquiry includes a large number of interviews with both academic and administrative staff, but also comparisons with other similar higher education institutions. Investigator Jörgen Tholin will present his conclusions at the management forum on 3 December, and once we have these, as well as the AVA project's final report, we will have a good basis for our continued work. We look forward to gathering the lessons learned from both processes. Together, they can give us a clearer picture of how we strengthen the work environment for everyone at the university," says Anders Fällström.

Once the local support investigation has been completed and the proposals presented, a natural next step will be to raise the issue of the AVA project's conclusions for discussion at faculty and administrative level, a process that takes place within the framework of normal collaboration with union representatives. 

The AVA project's assignment did not include the issue of collegiality, but the report also addresses such issues:

"Collegiality is an important but complex issue and there are many different opinions about what collegiality is or should be. For this reason, we are now developing training courses in what collegiality can mean in different parts of the university and discussion circles about, among other things, what a university is, where SUHF's newly published publication "A Code of Conduct for Universities and Colleges" can be an inspiration. When it starts to take more concrete form, we will also get back to you about it," says Anders Fällström.

Here you can read the university management's comment on the AVA project's final report – as well as the report itself. 

Update:
The AVA project consisted of three different sub-studies and was funded over two years at a total cost of SEK 5 million. The project was reported in the form of a number of scientific publications and an anthology, "The conditions of academic work – conditional academic work (AVA)" written by the editors Malin Bolin, Ingela Bäckström, Ann-Zofie Duvander, Katarina L Gidlund, Thomas Persson Slumpi, Angelika Sjöstedt, Lilly-Mari Sten and Kristina Zampoukos and published in the spring of 2025.

A code for universities and colleges. Basic principles and core values. Tim Ekberg and Astrid Söderbergh Widding. SUHF September 2025.