Shared Services has been around now for nearly thirty years! As a “solution” for the delivery of truly efficient and effective support services, it has built a convincing track record of success. However, there have also been many failures. And Shared Services is relatively new to the Public Sector and to Higher Education in particular. Shared Services still elicits a lot of emotion and misunderstanding. It is often not defined, and is often confused with the simple act of centralization, but it is way more than that. In this presentation, Phil Searle, a Shared Services veteran with over 25 years of experience, will share with you a clear definition of Shared Services and unveil the myths of Shared Services, including specifically why "Shared Services” is not Shared Services just because you call it so. Furthermore, you will also hear some of the trends of Shared Services evolution in general and in Higher Education in particular. The session will also discuss some example case studies, and some of the winning strategies that can be used to implement an effective Shared Services model.

Statistical Analysis of Categorical Data

Herbert M'cleod (Special Advisor, Office of the President, Sierra Leone) spoke about how post-conflict countries should seek to allow for changes to policy based on evidence rather than to recreate the government and economy that led to the conflict. In practice, however, the post-conflict environment is complex, mired in the need for short-term solutions and the rush to return to a sense of "normalcy".

The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs