Overview

Cross-functional teams (CFT) — staff members from different functional areas working together to achieve common institutional goals — can help institutions of higher education break down silos in their organizations and bring about radical transformation that improves the student experience. But CFTs do not always work effectively: they may have unclear governance, a lack of accountability, or unclear goals. There has been little research on CFTs in the context of higher education, so the Gates Foundation engaged MDRC to investigate the question.

Launched in 2021, this project explores how institutions of higher education are assembling and using CFTs to advance their transformation efforts. MDRC partnered with three community colleges and one state agency overseeing higher education to explore their efforts to create these cross-functional teams. The researchers set out to document the interpersonal dynamics of these teams and to pilot test a tool at one institution to address barriers to CFTs’ smooth operation.