Activities and Competences of Students' Representatives
The activities of students' representatives can be defined differently at the institutional and national levels. However, regardless of these differences, representation can be understood as a kind of agreement, often reflected in descriptions of responsibilities (if such are drawn up), which depend on the activities of the student government, available resources, current events, and other variables. Meanwhile, the competencies required for representation are derived from the activities carried out and developed during the training organized by the student self-government, through self-education or learning from experience.
The rest of this guide describes the process of solving the problem.
1. Problem-solving process
This section presents the problem-solving process from planning to reporting to students on the activities carried out, based on the usual experience and practices of student self-government. The following material is of a recommendatory nature and should be used flexibly, as there is no single correct way to solve various situations that arise.
Problem solving can be a rather long and complex process that requires a clear goal, detailed planning, analysis of existing and additional data, and logical thinking skills.
In many cases, based on good foreign experience, this process is coordinated -- students' representatives cooperate at all stages with the person coordinating their work, who advises on representation matters, provides the necessary methodological material, organizes competence-building activities as needed and monitors and records the activities of students' representatives in order to ensure effective internal communication.
It is particularly important to emphasize that every action in the problem-solving process must be performed to the highest possible standard from the very beginning, as unnoticed errors can have a significant and irreversible impact on the quality of subsequent actions. The problem-solving process is described below, and the remaining sections focus on the following steps:
Problem identification and solution planning
Data collection, analysis and presentation
Proposal preparation, delivery and reporting to students
2. Problem identification and solution planning
An organization representing students can initiate changes at the national level in three ways: when a student or any other member of the academic community approaches the organization, by joining discussions initiated by other interested parties or by initiating change within the organization itself.
Problem-solving process.
2.1. Situation analysis and problem identification
First, a situation analysis is carried out -- the existing legal framework is identified, useful information is sought and communication takes place with student representatives and interested parties involved in the proposed change. After this analysis, the whole real situation becomes clear and then a specific problem to be solved is selected. All the most important information related to the selected problem is collected (statistics, references to relevant documents, etc.). This material is systematized and used to set goals and draw up a plan for solving the problem. At this stage, it is important to raise potential questions that are necessary for the research.
2.2. Objective
Once the problem has been identified, the representative must move on to setting an objective, which is determined by the interested parties. At this stage, the SMART principle can be used, which sets the following requirements for the objective, i.e., specifies what the objective should be:
Specific -- the wording is clear and understandable, and it is obvious what specifically is to be achieved;
Measurable -- clearly states what indicators or criteria will be measured after the deadline. In other words, it must be clear when the goal will be achieved, not only in terms of time but also in terms of results;
Achievable -- the result is realistically achievable, i.e., it is realistic to achieve the set goal;
Relevant -- the goal is to achieve a relevant, meaningful change;
Time-bound -- the start and end dates for achieving the goal are clearly defined.
There should be only one objective. It is recommended to formulate the objective in such a way that it changes as little as possible.
2.3. Action plan
Once the problem has been clearly identified and the objective formulated, the actions to be taken to solve the problem and their results must be determined. This section therefore sets out the tasks to be carried out in order to achieve the objective. The actions should help to eliminate the causes of the problem by making appropriate use of the information gathered in the first step.
No. Actions to Deadline for Person How to verify that solve the completing the responsible for the actions have problem actions the actions been completed?
1.
2.
Table of the action plan for solving the problem.
2.4. Risks
Once an action plan for solving the problem has been created, it is important to assess the risks that may arise during the implementation of the actions. A risk is an event that is likely to occur during the implementation of the problem solution and may negatively affect the implementation of the problem-solving actions. You can write down the risks for each action in the action table or anticipate common risks. There is no limit to the number of risks, so it is necessary to identify the most significant ones. Risks with a high potential impact and probability should not remain in this table and the action plan for solving the problem should be adjusted according to such risks.
Risk Potential impact Probability of What to do to What to do of risk (high, risk occurrence prevent the risk if the risk low, medium) (high, low, from materializes medium) materializing (occurs)? (occurring)?
1.
2.
Table of risks.
2.5. Implementation
In this section, we move on to the other stages necessary for the representative's activities and competence, i.e., data collection, analysis, and presentation, as well as proposal preparation, delivery and reporting to students.
3. Data collection, analysis and presentation
We use information and data to analyze the problem. For the initial analysis of the problem, we use secondary data from existing sources (e.g., STRATA, Eurostudent, Eurydice, etc.), and if a more in-depth analysis of the problem is required, we initiate the collection of primary data.
The initiative to collect student opinions can be twofold: opinions can be collected reactively (when required by external incentives) or proactively (regardless of external incentives, in order to verify the (non)existence of problems on a particular issue). There are various quantitative and qualitative formats for collecting opinions (observation, content analysis, etc.), but the following three are most commonly used in the context of student representation: focus groups, surveys, or a mixed method (a combination of focus groups and surveys).
A focus group is a physical (or virtual) meeting with students, moderated by a students' representative and documented in order to record the participants' thoughts. This format is useful in that it allows for more qualitative data to be obtained, as the moderator can ask follow-up questions and facilitate discussion among the focus group participants. However, since focus groups usually involve a small number of students (most effective when 6-10 students participate), using only this format does not yield much quantitative data, unless several focus groups are organized on the same topic with different participants.
Another format for gathering student opinions is surveys (electronic or physical). This format can be useful in that the survey can obtain more quantitative data and also creates opportunities for the entire target audience to participate in the opinion gathering process. On the other hand, the biggest risk when conducting surveys (especially with open-ended questions) is short, unrepresentative data that cannot be verified. To avoid this risk, it is necessary to pay sufficient attention to the formulation of survey questions, the determination of their number, and, if necessary, to combine this format with a focus group format.
Once the data has been collected, it can be analyzed and presented. These two actions are both interlinked and dependent on the data collection method used. In addition, since the amount of data obtained is often considerable, various software programs are used to analyze and format the data, such as SPSS, Microsoft Excel, etc. The first step in analyzing data is to prepare it for processing. When quantitative methods are used, this stage involves cleaning and filtering the data, while when qualitative methods are used, the recordings are transcribed (if audio was recorded) and the notes are expanded. For example, in simple quantitative analysis, attention is usually paid to such measures as the mean, median, or mode, and the data is presented in percentage terms and graphical representations (diagrams, tables). When quantitative data analysis methods are used, the correlation between data does not necessarily indicate a causal relationship.
When analyzing qualitative data, the greatest attention should be paid to recurring patterns, i.e., the aim is to discover recurring interactions, opinions, etc., which are expressed in different words or sentences but have the same basic meaning. Qualitative data analysis is divided into content and discourse analysis. In content analysis, data is divided into categories according to similar statements or themes at the level of words, phrases, or paragraphs. Discourse analysis emphasizes the meaning of expressions---it is argued that even small differences in phrases can change the meaning, so the data is examined in much greater detail.
Regardless of the data analysis method chosen, the formatted data (which we could already call information) must be substantiated, detailed, depersonalized, and easy to understand. Since all the information formed or relevant parts of it will be integrated into the proposal being prepared, it can be saved in an easily accessible file format. It is recommended that the information prepared at this stage be submitted to other students' representatives or coordinators for review, to obtain their feedback and improve the prepared material accordingly. It is also important to upload it to the archive administered by the student government or other data repositories to ensure institutional memory.
4. Proposal preparation, delivery and reporting to students
Once the data has been processed, students' representatives must prepare presentations, proposals, or recommendations and submit them to the relevant institution. When representing student interests, student representatives often have to resort to advocacy, which can be understood as any action taken to speak up for the rights and interests of a particular social group, provide recommendations, support or defend rights, or speak on behalf of a specific social group.
Below is an advocacy plan to help you prepare to represent student opinions and influence decision-making at the local, regional, and national levels:
1. Preparing for the presentation of the problem
First of all, you need to be prepared to convey the issues involved in the problem being addressed -- what the current situation is, why it is unsatisfactory and what causes this. It is recommended to base your answers to these questions on collected data and survey analysis, as well as to identify what is currently preventing you from achieving your desired situation.
2. Formulation of the "minimum" and "maximum" plans
It is not always possible to achieve the desired change, and at this point the question may arise -- should we follow the "all or nothing" logic? In order to avoid giving up immediately after submitting a proposal to the relevant institutions and receiving a negative response, it is recommended to anticipate two possible extreme scenarios in advance: the first is the ideal situation (maximum plan), and the second is a satisfactory situation (the "minimum" plan). Setting such limits can help to tip the balance in one direction or the other at critical points, which would help to achieve either the maximum desired result or at least some result. There are no strict rules for drawing up these plans -- sometimes the "minimum" plan may be to discuss the issue at a meeting of the relevant institution. The most important thing is that the minimal desired result would create an opportunity to work on a particular issue in the future, if this is not possible at present.
3. Identification of target groups
In order to achieve a particular change, it is often necessary to convince certain individuals or groups of individuals to support the proposals being put forward. Therefore, when presenting the students' opinion, it is important to identify who can actually make a decision on the issue in question and who the main stakeholders are. It is also important to know the power of these stakeholders in the decision-making process and their opinion on your issue. If we know not only their opinions, but also what interests the parties represent and what values they are guided by, we can distinguish which of them can be persuaded and which will remain opponents or at least neutral. Whatever the preliminary opinion of the interested parties may be, when presenting the students' opinion, it is advisable to use all the channels you have to reach those individuals or groups (personal acquaintances, formal processes, etc.).
4. Creation of support
Once you have identified your target groups, you can assess what kind of support you can mobilize for your cause and how strong it is, as well as whether you can rely on your existing resources and support networks. If it seems that achieving your goal would require the help of a particular person or group, consider whether they are already your allies or whether they still need to be convinced. When looking for new allies, it is useful to know who is easiest and who is most difficult to convince, and who will only join if you convince their friends first.
5. Formulation of the message
In order to convince different individuals and groups to support the position of student representatives, you should evaluate the messages you convey: - Are the arguments sufficiently valid and convincing, how do they correspond to the current thinking and values of the audience, does the issue and its solution correspond to the current discourse, will it be new, seem feasible and useful? When formulating your message, it is helpful to anticipate how your audience will react to it, whether the language you use will cause difficulties for your audience in understanding it and whether there is too much (or too little) emotional language and facts to support your proposals.
6. Establishing communication channels
In order to raise awareness of the issue, convince different individuals or groups and resolve the problems raised, it may be necessary to present your position and proposals in different ways on more than one occasion. Different ways of reaching each audience can be used to convince them, such as events, meetings, public communication, and other occasions where you can convey your message to that audience. When choosing communication channels to support your arguments and convey them to interested parties, you should first assess how much effort is needed to negotiate, talk, and engage in dialogue to convince them, and what actions would be necessary to achieve this. In addition, the planned actions should also fit into the broader context of your organization. When planning your actions, it is important to know how much time you will have for communication, which channels will be most audible/visible to your audience, and how many resources you have for these actions.
7. Preparation of an action plan
When presenting the problem and proposed solutions to the relevant institution, you should choose the form of presentation and plan your next steps.
Whether it is a less formal presentation in the form of slides or a formal document such as a letter, position paper or resolution, the document presented must have a clear and consistent structure, which should include the current situation and its problems, a summary of the opinion-gathering process (if student opinions were gathered), the results obtained and the conclusions formulated based on them, identifying specific problems. If possible and desired, in order to present the problems as effectively as possible, you can also argue why you are talking about these particular problems, tailoring your argumentation to reflect the values and interests of the persons and groups concerned. The key part of the presentation -- proposals for solving the problems -- must be clearly understandable and logical, reflect the solutions to the problems presented and be implementable. During the presentation, it is advisable to avoid colloquial language, ensure that there are no grammatical or stylistic errors in the documents presented, avoid emotional language when arguing, refrain from using absolutes, subtly present sensitive topics to the audience, remain professional and have evidence to support your proposals and arguments.
Once you have planned all your activities, you can begin to implement this plan.
Evaluation of results
Throughout the entire process, it is important to evaluate whether the planned actions are being carried out properly, whether they are achieving the set objectives and whether they are helping to move towards the goal. Based on the situations that arise in the course of resolving the issue, adjust the planned actions and, if necessary, take unexpected but useful measures to substantiate your arguments, highlight the problem and present your proposals. After completing all the steps, evaluate how the arguments and proposals were received, what comments were made, whether the decisions made meet your expectations for solving the problem, and whether further action should be taken.
Reporting to students
Regardless of the results of the work done, students should always be properly informed -- presented with the problem that was addressed, the results of the student opinion survey, the changes proposed by student representatives and the decisions that were (or were not) made. If it is possible to share information before certain institutions have made a decision on the issue, it would be advisable to update students on the problem being addressed in real time and inform them about the progress of its resolution.
In this section, you have learned about the activities and competencies of students' representatives and tips on how to represent students effectively.
If you have any further questions, please contact your student representative organization.