Practice of Introducing Lean Technologies into the University Management System: a Project Approach

Within the modern educational space, in the conditions of transformation of the external environment, tough competition obliges universities to build their own development strategies and trajectories of internal changes using effective management approaches and technologies.The purpose of the article is to describe a new managerial practice in the field of higher education, demonstrating the advantage of using project management when introducing changes to the university management system associated with the transition to the so-called «lean manufacturing» (which takes place, for example, in Belgorod State National Research University and in Belgorod State University). The article as well aims at suggesting practical recommendations on the development of a model for a lean design system project.The author focuses on two managerial problems – the one of resisting changes in the implementation of lean manufacturing and the other of lacking consistency in implementing the corresponding changes. There are found out a number of constraints limiting the use of lean technologies in higher education organizations management. The article analyzes the experience of implementing lean technologies in the scientific, educational and managerial activities of higher education institutions on the example of several Russian and foreign universities. It also reveals the essence of the implemented approaches and technologies. There are used the methods of active comparative analysis and theoretical generalization of scientific and practical experience, content analysis of regulatory acts of the Belgorod Region on the lean management principles implementation in executive bodies, as well as strategic development documents of Belgorod State Research University through the interrelation of lean management and the strategy of university development.Based on generalizing the experience of Belgorod State National Research University, a model of a lean system development project is suggested, recommendations are given on structuring the project architecture and on forming a team of changes and a project management system, which may be of interest to regional universities when introducing lean manufacturing and choosing change management methods.