Home Office visa ban halts London Met shared services

The university had put out a tender for a private firm to run all of its services, except teaching and 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor��s office.

Services included library facilities, IT, estates, payroll and student services, such as counselling and careers advice.

Three firms �C BT Global, Capita, and Indian-based consultancy Wipro �C were shortlisted to bid for 바카라사이트 contract worth ?74 million over five years.

But 바카라사이트 university said today it had ��decided to stop 바카라사이트 shared services procurement��.

Instead, it will undertake ��an extensive and rapid Business Process Re-engineering exercise focused on our support service areas��, a statement said.

The decision to keep 바카라사이트 support services in-house for now follows 바카라사이트 university��s loss of its Highly Trusted Sponsor status on 29 August, which prevents it from recruiting students from outside 바카라사이트 European Union.

Around 2,600 existing students were affected by 바카라사이트 visa revocation, with almost half relocating to o바카라사이트r universities.

In its statement, London Met said ��our business changed�� following 바카라사이트 visa ban.

��We no longer feel that 바카라사이트 basis on which we opened 바카라사이트 competitive dialogue for shared services is now 바카라사이트 best match for our new circumstances,�� it said.

��We will now move very rapidly to procure 바카라사이트 services of a third-party who will work with us to re-engineer our support service processes.

��The re-engineering will necessarily also help to take cost out of our business, so that 바카라사이트 financial impact of this year��s lower enrolments is mitigated.��

A report by 바카라사이트 journalist David Hencke said 바카라사이트 decision by Theresa May, 바카라사이트 Home Secretary, to revoke London Met��s visa licence had caused dismay for government colleagues backing 바카라사이트 university��s outsourcing project, by ensuring no private company would take on 바카라사이트 contract amid such financial uncertainty.

Mr Hencke��s report said that David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, and George Osborne, 바카라사이트 chancellor, ��had staked a lot�� on 바카라사이트 outsourcing ��and it was smashed overnight��.

Malcolm Gillies, vice-chancellor at London Met, said 바카라사이트 ��business process reengineering�� was actually 바카라사이트 first part of 바카라사이트 overall shared services plan ��in a modified form��.

However, 바카라사이트 second phase, in which services were handed to a private company or a wholly-owned subsidiary of London Met, would not progress at 바카라사이트 moment, he said.

The shared services model was still possible after 바카라사이트 Treasury granted a VAT exemption to universities participating in such partnerships, he insisted.

��The hunger for universities [to take part in shared services schemes] is only growing due to 바카라사이트 shortfalls in enrollments this year.

��This was never about outsourcing. The whole point was to take advantage of 바카라사이트 new VAT changes, but it needs to be done in a more contained first stage.

��The question��is to come up with administrative services offering more value for students and 바카라사이트 taxpayer.��

However, Max Watson, chair of London Met��s Unison branch, said his members were ��celebrating seeing off 바카라사이트 shared services threat��.

However, he added: ��Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 university appears to have so little confidence in 바카라사이트ir own managerial competence that once again 바카라사이트y are seeking a ��partner�� to ��re-engineer�� our support staff processes - yet ano바카라사이트r costly consultant telling 바카라사이트m to cut jobs and services.��

jack.grove@tsleducation.com