Overview:
Presentations and videos from the day
Address by the Minister of State for Universities and Science
Rt. Hon. David Willetts MP
Efficiency in the context of public sector reform
Ian Watmore, Chair of the Efficiency Reform Group, Cabinet Office
Efficiency and effectiveness in higher education - findings and recommendations
Professor Ian Diamond, Principal and Vice Chancellor, University of Aberdeen and Chair of the Efficiency Task Group
Professor Ian Diamond, Principal and Vice Chancellor, University of Abedeen - Efficiency and effectiveness in higher education Findings and recommendations
John Tonkiss, COO of UNITE Group and Dr Mark Whittaker, MD of Velresco Ltd - Applying best practice in implementing transformational change
John Lakin, Key Associate, Leading Foundation for Higher Education and Ewart Wooldridge, CBE Chief Executive, Leading Foundation for Higher Education - Leading change in Higher Education
Matthew Robb, Senior Principal, The Parthenon Group - What the new landscape means for modernisation and efficiency
Gerard Chick, Head of Knowledge and Research ,CIPS - Developing advanced procurement in higher education
Gavin McLachlan, Director of Information Systems, UCL - IT, cloud computing, and the efficiency agenda
Problems?
If you have trouble viewing these videos, you may need to download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player (external link opens in a new window).
Background to the conference
While the quality and effectiveness of the UK higher education system are recognised as exceptional both at home and abroad, the sector is experiencing a period of great change. The challenge in the years ahead will be to sustain our position as a premier provider of higher education in a global economy.
The present economic situation has placed a renewed emphasis on ‘efficiency’ in higher education the world over, while new funding arrangements set to come in to force in 2012 will lead to an increase in the expectations of students in England and beyond. The UK higher education sector must also face up to greater competition on a global scale, with many western economies investing heavily and new competitors rapidly developing the scope and quality of their provision.
If the UK is to not only survive but thrive in the ‘knowledge economy’ of the 21st century, then higher education will be central to economic growth. This means that institutions will need to become lean, agile and adept at ‘doing more with less’.
The Efficiency and Modernisation Task Group
It is in this context that the work of the Efficiency and Modernisation Task Group was undertaken. Led by Professor Ian Diamond (Vice-Chancellor, University of Aberdeen), the Task Group gathered evidence and input from a wide range of stakeholders, including institutional leaders, senior management teams, funding councils, professional bodies, central government, and private sector business. This was done in order to:
- identify, reflect and promote good practice and innovative thinking within the higher education sector
- understand and develop mechanisms and processes that can support more effective working
- highlight areas in which more efficient ways of working could have a significant impact on institutional effectiveness
- learn from the experiences of other sectors to help inform the efficiency and modernisation agenda in higher education
- set a challenging agenda for the sector, to ensure that higher education in the UK remains ‘fit for purpose’ in the 21st century
For further information on the work of the Efficiency and Modernisation Task Group visit: http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policyandresearch/policyareas/Efficiency/Pages/default.aspx
