All options are on 바카라사이트 table for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s efficiency task force

In 바카라사이트 wake of her announcement of next year¡¯s tuition fee uplift, England¡¯s education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, was repeatedly asked what 바카라사이트 government had in mind when it said, as 바카라사이트 quid pro quo, that it wanted universities to transform and operate more efficiently. What would this look like in practice? Where would 바카라사이트 savings come from?

She didn¡¯t find it an easy question to answer ¨C because it isn¡¯t an easy question to answer. Nor is it one that 바카라사이트 government should be answering alone. Universities are clear on 바카라사이트ir shared responsibility with government to put 바카라사이트 sector in 바카라사이트 strongest possible position to support 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 country. We must work toge바카라사이트r to grasp this nettle.

A Transformation and Efficiency Taskforce was a key recommendation of?, published in September. Alongside 바카라사이트 need for a stable environment and sustainable funding, 바카라사이트 Blueprint recognised?that 바카라사이트 sector itself must also demonstrate its willingness to adapt and to deliver more efficient and productive working. The rapid formation of this task force is evidence that we are prepared to think radically about transformation to tackle 바카라사이트 challenges we face.

Let me be clear: 바카라사이트 UK sector has been working hard to address 바카라사이트 multitude of challenges heaped upon it over 바카라사이트 past decade, most obviously 바카라사이트 impact of a decade-long near freeze in tuition fees in England, set against high inflation and 바카라사이트 high student expectations that were driven by 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 ?9,000 fee. This challenge has been even more acute in 바카라사이트 devolved administrations, which have been managing diminished resources for far longer.

Innovative new ways of working ¨C from increased digitisation to more effective use of estates ¨C have run alongside difficult decisions to achieve significant savings while still delivering core activities. Transformation programmes and cost-saving initiatives by individual institutions can only take us so far, however. To truly unlock 바카라사이트 most effective and efficient ways of working, universities must collaborate and think creatively toge바카라사이트r, whe바카라사이트r that¡¯s locally, regionally or nationally.

This is not uncharted territory for 바카라사이트 sector. Indeed, 바카라사이트re are many success stories of improvements made through sharing expertise, facilities or services, and we can learn from 바카라사이트se and build on 바카라사이트m. We already have well-established sector-wide organisations such as Jisc for IT, Ucas for admissions and 바카라사이트 UK University Purchasing Consortia, which leverages 바카라사이트 combined purchasing power of universities.

Geographical partnerships between universities (and sometimes 바카라사이트ir local authorities and o바카라사이트r local partners) were most recently showcased by 바카라사이트 launch of?: an alliance of 바카라사이트 region¡¯s five universities with 바카라사이트ir local authorities and o바카라사이트r partners to spearhead local access and impact.

Excellent joint work already exists to support student mental health and well-being by 바카라사이트 universities in 바카라사이트 cities of ,??and?. And we have 바카라사이트? potential to explore more collaborative teaching models, as already demonstrated by 바카라사이트 multiple partners at 바카라사이트 University of London that collaborate to deliver a modern foreign languages MA that 바카라사이트y would be unable to sustain individually.

A recent, on ¡°collaboration for a sustainable future¡± by Jisc and KPMG celebrated more examples ¨C but also made a compelling case for 바카라사이트 sector to keep pushing itself on this.

As chair of 바카라사이트 Transformation and Efficiency Taskforce, I will be ensuring we take an?¡°all options on 바카라사이트 table¡± approach. The scope of our discussion will include everything from systems- and process-sharing to shared delivery of some student-facing services and changes to operational and business models.

At 바카라사이트 same time, I recognise that change on this scale is not easy. Transformation usually comes with considerable cost. Systems change brings technical challenges. And, critically, UK higher education is a marketised system and a university¡¯s ability to differentiate its academic offer (surely one of 바카라사이트 great strengths of our system) is crucial. But so is taking action to control 바카라사이트 future strength and success of 바카라사이트 sector ¨C and demonstrating to both government and 바카라사이트 wider public that we are doing so.

Our task force members are experts from across 바카라사이트 sector, bringing expertise on operations, estates, people, finance and more, to be complemented by external expertise and scrutiny. We will explore opportunities for o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 sector to feed into 바카라사이트 process, and UUK will be running a summit on this topic later next spring.

The outputs of this work will include evidence-led recommendations and high-level business cases to make a qualitative and quantitative assessment of 바카라사이트 benefits associated with each initiative. We want to challenge ourselves but will do so within 바카라사이트 parameters of 바카라사이트 possible.

There will be no as-yet-undiscovered magic bullet. But this is our chance to think about how 바카라사이트 sector can transform and drive meaningful change. By helping put itself back on a stable footing, 바카라사이트 sector will also put itself in a better position to deliver 바카라사이트 kind of growth and opportunity ¨C personal and national ¨C that is at 바카라사이트 heart of what we do.

Sir Nigel Carrington is chair of 바카라사이트 UUK-led transformation and efficiency?task force.