uniAKTUELL: Mr. Zimmermann, what is a peer review process for university sports?

Reto Zimmermann: An assessment by a group of external specialists who examine processes and procedures, conduct interviews with employees and carry out a quality assessment against this background. We gain an outside perspective that protects us from operational blindness. The view from the outside has led to suggestions on how we could do things differently and where we could place a special focus. In short, a peer review process contributes to quality improvement.

Did the reviewers look at the training sessions? Did they take part in the Unisport courses?

At most only marginally, the focus of the assessment was on the processes, mainly organizational and structural issues.

In your opinion, what were the most important results of the peer review process?

Overarching issues such as risk management, which we could look at more comprehensively or holistically, or adjustments to corporate governance, i.e. the division of responsibilities, particularly between the management and the University Sports Commission, which is our superordinate body. Our customers in training hardly notice anything when we optimize these areas, but in the medium term we are on a more stable footing.

«In summary, you could perhaps say that we should also be well organized for bad weather.»

Reto Zimmermann

What does risk management mean at University sports?

It's particularly about financial risks and infrastructure risks. You have to know that Unisport is largely self-financed, whether through student fees, ticket sales, course income or sauna and massage income - almost 50 percent of the total costs are covered in this way. We use this income to pay our 480 training instructors, among other things. There is a risk that this income could suddenly drop, as was the case during the pandemic. In terms of infrastructure, we have to live with the risk that rental contracts could be terminated. We have a lot of external rooms that we rent for our services, as the facilities at the Center for Sport and Sports Science are no longer sufficient. When optimizing the risks, the first step is to gain a comprehensive overview and then consider what countermeasures could be taken.

How did your team receive the results of the process?

As a manager, it is crucial how you deal with such a review and how you communicate. For me, it was a very exciting process right from the start. I saw it as an opportunity to revise our strategy with the help of an outside perspective. It was very enriching to be able to invite external experts and to be scrutinized from the outside. Normally, you just do an analysis of the current situation to see where you stand before you revise a strategy. The peer review report gave us a much broader basis, as it also contained recommendations on how things could be improved.

Did your team also have such a positive experience of the review?

I hope so. At least I didn't feel any resistance. Before the day the reviewers visited us, however, I did notice a certain nervousness, a tense expectation. I had told my employees several times that they should tell the peers everything that was on their minds. Nobody had to be afraid of the consequences of critical feedback, as no conclusions could be drawn about individuals from the review report.

Who were the peers who reviewed you?

We were able to choose them ourselves and suggested five people to the University's Quality Assurance and Development Department. Among them was the head of university sports in Lausanne, who I chose because they take a slightly different approach to us. In Lausanne, university sport is more public than in Bern, where there are large outdoor facilities by the lake, for example. The group of peers also included a university sports teacher from the University of Basel and a professor of organization from the University of Bern. With his knowledge of management and corporate governance, he was particularly interesting for us, as I had focused on these areas when preparing the review. Among other things, a self-evaluation report that I had to write as part of the strategy review served this purpose.

«I had told my employees several times that they should tell the peers everything that was on their minds.»

Reto Zimmermann

How did the review process actually work in the end?

The reviewers thought about who they would like to discuss with on the day and then presented us with a schedule for the day. For our part, we made sure that training managers and employees were available for these interviews. The peers delivered an initial verbal report on the evening of their visit and then a written report three months later.

What kind of recommendations were included in the final report?

With regard to corporate governance, for example, we were advised to redefine the powers of the Unisport Commission. The reviewers felt that this supporting commission for Unisport should take on a stronger supervisory role. The commission consists of representatives of user groups and previously had no control over the finances, but only took note of the relevant information. Basically, the control was mainly in my hands as head of university sports. And then the reviewers also recommended that we set up a comprehensive risk management system. This means identifying risks in all areas. For example, also in IT, where there is a certain cluster risk among employees. In summary, you could perhaps say that we should also be well organized for bad weather.

You mentioned potential financial risks. Have the reviewers also made recommendations in this regard? Higher subscription prices, for example?

No, they even explicitly acknowledged that our prices are low. I also communicated my philosophy to the peers, according to which no student at the University of Bern has to miss out on sport for financial reasons. With a price of CHF 17 per semester for the entire range of university sports, this should not be the case. To ensure that this remains the case, we try to keep our costs low and set up our organization accordingly.