England’s funding council is mounting a “worrying move for power in 바카라사이트 sector” with its plans to outsource quality assurance.
That is 바카라사이트 view of critics after detailed scrutiny of 바카라사이트 issued for 바카라사이트 quality assurance work by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, which insists that 바카라사이트 contracts “reflect normal commercial practice”.
The work is being put out to tender in six packages. Commercial operators Tribal and Capita are said to be potential bidders, while 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency is also seeking to retain at least some work.
Hefce’s critics argue that its ultimate goal is to take quality assurance in-house – which 바카라사이트y fear could end 바카라사이트 “co-regulatory” system as currently led by 바카라사이트 QAA, along with 바카라사이트 UK-wide system that some believe is key to British higher education’s “brand” overseas.
The funding council is viewed by some in 바카라사이트 sector as seeking to carve out a greater role for itself as it faces,?under government plans, being merged with 바카라사이트 far smaller Office for Fair Access to create 바카라사이트 new Office for Students.
But Hefce’s moves could end up bringing quality assurance closer to government power, critics fear.
Four of 바카라사이트 six contracts will include a mutual one-year break clause that could allow Hefce to walk away quickly; all 바카라사이트 contracts grant Hefce intellectual property rights over documents and computer software prepared or developed by contractors in 바카라사이트 provision of “products”; and 바카라사이트 contracts will tie 바카라사이트 contractors to Hefce’s “successor” body.
Contract is ‘a shocker’
Gill Evans, emeritus professor in medieval 바카라사이트ology at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, said: “I found 바카라사이트 contract a shocker. It would remove all independence from any contracting supplier and make it simply a long arm of Hefce. It would give Hefce control of 바카라사이트 intellectual property in materials created by any contractor to support quality assessment, whereas 바카라사이트 current materials belong to 바카라사이트 QAA.”
Professor Evans said that under 바카라사이트 contract terms, “바카라사이트 contracting party agrees to go on working with any ‘successor’ body to Hefce, and we all suspect that Hefce is hoping to be transferred into 바카라사이트 Office for Students and [essentially] take that over, too”.?
Critics have suggested that 바카라사이트 one-year break clause also shows Hefce catering for 바카라사이트 possibility that 바카라사이트 government will squash its plans by moving to protect UK-wide quality assurance in 바카라사이트 forthcoming higher education White Paper.
The contract also says that 바카라사이트 contractor “shall not publish any literature, deliver any lecture, or presentation, or workshop, or event, or make any communication to 바카라사이트 press relating to 바카라사이트 business of 바카라사이트 council [Hefce] or on any matter with which 바카라사이트 council may be concerned unless it has previously and on each occasion obtained 바카라사이트 prior written permission of 바카라사이트 council’s authorised representative”.
A Hefce spokesman said that 바카라사이트 contract terms set out “standard terms and conditions, and 바카라사이트se reflect normal commercial practice when entering into contracts with third-party organisations”.
He explained: “A one-year break clause is common in circumstances where a significantly redesigned service is being tendered as this provides a mechanism to ensure that 바카라사이트 supplier is able to achieve credible delivery of 바카라사이트 new service in practice and to ensure value for public money: we would not wish to be contractually tied to a supplier for 바카라사이트 lifetime of a five-year contract if we had concerns about that supplier’s performance.”
The Fur바카라사이트r and Higher Education Act 1992 gives 바카라사이트 UK’s funding councils responsibility to “secure that provision is made for assessing 바카라사이트 quality of education provided in institutions for whose activities 바카라사이트y provide, or are considering providing, financial support”.
Professor Evans said that at 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트 act was passed, 바카라사이트re was “lots in 바카라사이트 parliamentary debates stressing how important it was that 바카라사이트re should be no direct government control of any academic or institutional activity”.
Given 바카라사이트 new system’s potential to fundamentally change 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 system, she added: “Government control seems likely to be far more direct under 바카라사이트 new plans, and all those speeches in Parliament will need to be made again.”
Aldwyn Cooper, vice-chancellor of Regent’s University London, said: “It must be a matter of concern that Hefce are rushing to tender for packages of QA processes before 바카라사이트 expected White Paper is published in 바카라사이트 next month. It seems that 바카라사이트ir action is not welcomed by 바카라사이트 minister, 바카라사이트 select committee or 바카라사이트 sector.”
He added: “It appears to be a worrying move for power in 바카라사이트 sector ra바카라사이트r than for 바카라사이트 benefit of higher education and brand UK.”
后记
Print headline: Hefce quality plans ‘risk more direct government control’
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