About the UPR Asset Mapping Project
Mission & Vision
Vision
This project kicks-off the UPR’s transformation into a network of academic and economic development resources that is visible, accessible and interconnected with its surrounding communities, catalyzing the development of high impact industries in Puerto Rico and the region. The enhanced visibility of the UPR’s assets propels pride, new synergies that assert the UPR as Puerto Rico’s leading institution in terms of transparency; integration, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Mission
To provide an Asset Mapping tool that is effective, easy to use and accessible to everyone, inside and outside the UPR, boosting connectivity; transparency and strengthening the institution’s networks and culture.
Value Proposition
This is a knowledge and connectivity platform that will provide visibility and access to all UPR assets in order to enhance the institution’s leadership in the region, and catalyze opportunities to leverage recovery efforts to build a more resilient Puerto Rico.
Why an asset map for the UPR?
The University of Puerto Rico possesses an incredible amount of resources that make it the most valuable higher education institution on the Island. In order to maximize the UPR’s potential, not only as an economic driver, but as an essential disaster recovery pillar, it’s important to know what the UPR has, where it is, and how to access it. This asset map will enable the UPR to do many things, but most importantly:
- Facilitate resource identification: Mapping allows the University’s leadership to identify the resources that can be utilized to support development and recovery initiatives.
- Foundation for Strategic Planning and Implementation: Asset mapping illuminates the gaps, redundancies and inefficiencies and thus can help the UPR system and its surrounding communities to reallocate resources to key challenge areas and avoid needless expenditures if high quality assets already exist.
- Deepened Understanding of Key Regional Systems and Linkages: A comprehensive asset mapping process leads to a deeper understanding of the ways in which regional institutions interact with each other and with entities outside of the region.
- Catalyst for Partnerships: Asset mapping aggregates the knowledge possessed by a few individuals and makes it available to others who may conceive of new ways to leverage the assets. A visual resource map can help demonstrate to stakeholders that they work within an interconnected community. As leaders see common interests and organizational links, they may be inspired to strengthen or form new partnerships.
- Organizing and Motivational Tool for Implementation: The process of creating the asset map can have a positive effect in engaging community members in a regional and institutional development effort.
UPR as a Pillar for Disaster Recovery in Puerto Rico and USVI
The US Economic Development Administration (EDA) is the main sponsor of the Disaster Recovery Coordinators Team (DRCs). This team leads the design and implementation of a system-wide asset mapping. The UPR Asset Mapping Project will:
- Enable collaborations and connectivity between these assets within and across campuses.
- Includes verticals such as disaster recovery initiatives as well as the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems in the UPR System.
- Maximize the UPR’s diversity of expertise and knowledge by leveraging assets across campuses with ongoing Island-wide disaster recovery efforts.
- Elevate the UPR’s profile as a research and commercialization institution, that serves Puerto Rico and the region as a pillar for economic growth and resiliency.
Who is helping us?
Our Collaborators
Juan E. Bauzá
Field Coordinator
Economic Development Administration
Puerto Rico & USVI
Elizabeth Nielsen
Strategic Doing
Agile Strategy Lab
University of North Alabama
José L. Ayala
Dean of Academic Affairs
Carolina Campus
University of Puerto Rico