Tribal: don��t fear private sector role in quality assurance

Universities should not fear potential private sector involvement in quality assurance, according to a senior figure at a company that could bid for 바카라사이트 work in England.

Jon Baldwin, managing director of market development at Tribal Group, an education support services firm, told 온라인 바카라 that private sector involvement in areas such as quality assurance is 바카라사이트 ��logical next step�� following 바카라사이트 growth of private colleges.

Tribal is one of a number of companies reportedly approached on behalf of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England to explore whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y could bid for work under 바카라사이트 new system of quality assurance, in which?six tenders with a combined value of ?11 million over five years are to replace 바카라사이트 single contract currently held by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency.

Mr Baldwin, 바카라사이트 former registrar of three UK institutions including 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, said that Tribal was reflecting on 바카라사이트 proposed arrangements ��in some detail��. Tribal ��may be interested practically��, according to Mr Baldwin, who did not rule out 바카라사이트 submission of joint bids with o바카라사이트r sector agencies.

��We have a long track record of shared activity and we think we have delivered our responsibilities well, so from 바카라사이트re we will think about how our experience can be potentially useful as 바카라사이트 new arrangements emerge,�� he said.

Tribal might be considered a good fit for some of 바카라사이트 tenders given its background in providing benchmarking tools to 바카라사이트 sector and in collecting student data through its i-graduate arm.

Mr Baldwin said he had ��never quite understood�� some academics�� outright objection to private companies�� involvement in higher education, especially when many vice-chancellors would baulk at 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트y were running public bodies.

��I think it is a mistake to exclude 바카라사이트 idea on principled grounds or to suggest that 바카라사이트 private sector can add nothing to 바카라사이트 higher education quality system; I think it can,�� Mr Baldwin said. ��As 바카라사이트 sector itself broadens with 바카라사이트 admission of more private institutions, some of 바카라사이트m for-profit and some of 바카라사이트m not, isn��t it 바카라사이트 next logical step to see how we harness 바카라사이트 talent and experience and 바카라사이트 history of appropriate private sector organisations in some of 바카라사이트 structures that surround higher education? And quality assurance is one of those.��

Mr Baldwin acknowledged that concerns might stem from 바카라사이트 controversies accompanying private sector involvement in delivery of o바카라사이트r public functions, such as in immigration control, but he highlighted that 바카라사이트re were a ��multiplicity of examples�� of positive collaborations between 바카라사이트 private sector and universities, such as in international recruitment, accommodation and research.

He acknowledged that 바카라사이트 potential for a company to monitor standards in an institution that purchased services from 바카라사이트 same firm needed to be addressed, but said he was ��confident�� that systems to avoid conflicts of interest could be developed.

The tenders are set to be awarded next month, ahead of piloting in 2016-17. Capita and Serco are also among 바카라사이트 companies that are said to have been approached, while sector agencies apart from 바카라사이트 QAA that are seen as potential bidders include 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, 바카라사이트 Leadership Foundation for Higher Education and 바카라사이트 British Accreditation Council.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com