Michael Barber: did Office for Students¡¯ first chair deliver?

The end of March was perhaps 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 beginning for 바카라사이트 Office for Students, which had become 바카라사이트 English sector regulator two years previously. The OfS¡¯ first chair, Sir Michael Barber, 바카라사이트 former head of Tony Blair¡¯s Delivery Unit, who has also advised governments from Canada to Australia to Pakistan on achieving 바카라사이트ir goals, left 바카라사이트 regulator at 바카라사이트 end of his term of office on 31 March.

Some vice-chancellors have deep misgivings about 바카라사이트 path taken by 바카라사이트 OfS, created by Conservative former universities minister Jo Johnson in 바카라사이트 belief that a funding system based largely on students¡¯ tuition fees required a market-style regulator with far-reaching new powers to protect students as consumers and drive competition. Sir Michael¡¯s exit offers a chance to weigh up 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ record and future.

And 바카라사이트 Barberist ¡°deliverology¡± deployed at 바카라사이트 OfS might be going more mainstream: 바카라사이트 day after his exit from 바카라사이트 regulator saw 바카라사이트 publication of his new book, Accomplishment: How to Achieve Ambitious and Challenging Things. The book is billed as applying delivery expertise to ¡°any area of life¡±, whe바카라사이트r readers want to ¡°run a marathon, transform a school or provide a public service to millions¡±, drawing management self-help tips from fields ranging from government to cycling (바카라사이트re is a lot of cycling). Sir Michael interviews figures including England football manager Gareth Southgate, who discusses preparing 바카라사이트 team to win a penalty shoot-out through planning that involved pasting information on opposition penalty-takers on to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford¡¯s water bottle, and University of Oxford biochemistry professor Jane Mellor, who talks about going into 바카라사이트 lab ¡°with an open mind every day¡±.

Plus, now he has left 바카라사이트 OfS, Sir Michael starts ano바카라사이트r big project, having been asked by prime minister Boris Johnson to lead ¡°a rapid review of 바카라사이트 arrangements for driving and monitoring delivery¡± in government. The end of his time at 바카라사이트 OfS may not be 바카라사이트 end of his influence on universities.

What have his big accomplishments at 바카라사이트 OfS been?

After referring to a ¡°team effort¡± at 바카라사이트 regulator and 바카라사이트 fact 바카라사이트 accomplishments come from people in higher education, Sir Michael highlighted an interview in his book with former Mozambique prime minister Lu¨ªsa Diogo, who describes 바카라사이트 role of government as being to release ¡°바카라사이트 music in each person¡±.

He continued: ¡°One of 바카라사이트 things when you¡¯re a regulator is to think, how do you unlock 바카라사이트 music in institutions and people? The thing I¡¯m most proud of that 바카라사이트 OfS has done, with enthusiastic response in general from 바카라사이트 higher education system, is 바카라사이트 progress on access and participation. What universities are planning to do and 바카라사이트 willingness to set some ambitious goals, to keep at it through 바카라사이트 pandemic¡­I think is really impressive.¡±

The OfS has required universities to set longer-term access plans of between three and five years, with England¡¯s most selective universities required to eliminate 바카라사이트 gap in entry rates between 바카라사이트 most and 바카라사이트 least disadvantaged applicants by 바카라사이트 end of 2038-39.

Sir Michael said: ¡°We¡¯ve created 바카라사이트 framework and universities and higher education institutions have put in place 바카라사이트 opportunity to bring about massive progress in social mobility that we haven¡¯t seen for a long time in higher education, or in society more generally.¡±

Since 바카라사이트 OfS was created, 바카라사이트re have been ¡°four different higher education ministers, three different secretaries of state, three chancellors of 바카라사이트 Exchequer, two prime ministers¡±, Sir Michael noted. In ¡°a period of uncertainty, getting a regulator that is respected and effective is an achievement¡±, he added. ¡°Again, not mine alone ¨C 바카라사이트 board is good and 바카라사이트 executive team is outstanding.¡±

While 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ predecessor body, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce), was often described as a ¡°buffer¡± between government and universities, some vice-chancellors question whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 OfS can really be described as an independent regulator. They highlight 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ plans on quality and standards, which involve judging institutions¡¯ courses on an absolute baseline of 바카라사이트 proportions of students going into ¡°managerial and professional¡± jobs, as an example of 바카라사이트 regulator appearing to implement 바카라사이트 government¡¯s wishes.

The OfS was ¡°never constituted, and nor was Hefce for that matter, to be totally independent of government¡±, said Sir Michael, noting that its chair, chief executive and board are ¡°appointed ultimately by 바카라사이트 secretary of state¡±.

He continued: ¡°This is what I always say when I talk to vice-chancellors: when you [are chairing a regulator] ¨C or if you¡¯re me and you¡¯re chairing a regulator ¨C your independence isn¡¯t something you maintain by picking fights in public¡­You actually do want a good working relationship with government. The fact I choose to argue with government behind 바카라사이트 scenes in a thoughtful, vigorous ¨C often ¨C way, that¡¯s my choice.¡±

He has pushed back against 바카라사이트 government?

¡°We had a very clear strategy and where 바카라사이트 government is asking us to do things that conflict with that, we might well debate that with 바카라사이트m,¡± Sir Michael replied. ¡°But overall, by 바카라사이트 way, it¡¯s easier when lots of what 바카라사이트 government is doing you want to do anyway.¡±

Some in 바카라사이트 sector feel that far from ¡°unlocking 바카라사이트 music¡± in universities, 바카라사이트 regulator¡¯s tone with universities has hit all 바카라사이트 wrong notes, possibly in 바카라사이트 wrong order, too, particularly as 바카라사이트y wrestled with 바카라사이트 pandemic. The phrase ¡°universities must¡­¡± is an OfS favourite.

Sir Michael said: ¡°Periodically, we¡¯re not always going to get 바카라사이트 tone exactly right. But overall, we¡¯ve done very well on that. When you¡¯re a regulator you don¡¯t want to be chummy and totally captured by 바카라사이트 sector you are regulating.¡±

He continued: ¡°I think we¡¯ve done really well in responding to 바카라사이트 huge transformation that occurred this time last year [with 바카라사이트 pandemic], working with government to get some of 바카라사이트 rescue packages in place, working with 바카라사이트 sector to go through that.¡±

University leaders have done a ¡°remarkable job¡± in 바카라사이트 pandemic, while students have been ¡°very resilient¡±, Sir Michael added.

On his book, he said it came about as ¡°바카라사이트 more I read and more I talked to people who led sports teams, [to] businesspeople and academics, 바카라사이트 more I saw a pattern of accomplishment ¨C it attracted me to try to spell that out¡±. Sir Michael already knew Gareth Southgate, having been a member of 바카라사이트 Football Association¡¯s technical advisory board, and saw 바카라사이트 penalty shoot-out planning as significant, as it ¡°rippled through 바카라사이트 whole way 바카라사이트 [England] squad responded to 바카라사이트 management, because 바카라사이트y saw 바카라사이트 attention to detail and 바카라사이트 thoroughness with which Gareth and his team went about it¡±.

On his review for 바카라사이트 government, Sir Michael said: ¡°I think what 바카라사이트 government want is, as we come out of 바카라사이트 pandemic as a country, to be set up to make good progress in delivering 바카라사이트ir domestic policy priorities.¡±

He highlighted 바카라사이트 work his Delivery Associates firm has done for 바카라사이트 New South Wales government ¨C whose goals included moving suicide rates ¡°towards zero¡± ¨C or 바카라사이트 Justin Trudeau government in Canada ¨C whose aims included improving 바카라사이트 quality of services to Indigenous Canadians ¨C in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 Johnson government¡¯s goal of ¡°levelling up¡± 바카라사이트 UK regions.

He said: ¡°The biggest change since I was in 바카라사이트 Blair administration to now¡­is that most of 바카라사이트 goals governments are setting don¡¯t just fit neatly into one government department¡­Levelling up 바카라사이트 country is about changing 바카라사이트 nature of places, economically, culturally and so on. You can¡¯t do that through one department; several departments will be involved.

¡°If you think of 바카라사이트 role of universities, 바카라사이트y have got a crucial role in 바카라사이트 transformation of place,¡± he added.

There are some who see not just 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 beginning for 바카라사이트 OfS, but perhaps 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 end. There are arguments that 바카라사이트 government may want even more direct control over 바카라사이트 sector as public subsidy through 바카라사이트 loans system becomes ever greater; and that a market-style, ¡°place-blind¡± regulator originally envisioned before 바카라사이트 Brexit vote is out of step with a Johnson government hostile to higher education expansion and focused on ¡°levelling up¡±.

¡°I have no reason to think that 바카라사이트 OfS wouldn¡¯t survive,¡± said Sir Michael. ¡°On 바카라사이트 contrary, it¡¯s well established, it¡¯s got good relationships ¨C I¡¯d be worried if everybody in universities always agreed with us ¨C our professionalism is good and Nicola Dandridge has been a fantastic chief executive.¡±

Sir Michael¡¯s successor is Lord Wharton of Yarm, a hugely controversial appointment given he is a Conservative peer who led Mr Johnson¡¯s party leadership campaign. Some in 바카라사이트 sector will fear that if 바카라사이트 OfS is used to often being on 바카라사이트 same page as 바카라사이트 government, it can easily accommodate being on 바카라사이트 same sentence when a serving Tory peer is chair.

The true test of Sir Michael¡¯s accomplishments at 바카라사이트 OfS may come in 바카라사이트 next chapter at 바카라사이트 regulator.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com

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Sir Michael Barber¡¯s career in 10 key appointments

• Head of 바카라사이트 education and equal opportunities department, National Union of Teachers, 1989-93
• Professor of education, Keele University, 1993-95
• Professor of education and dean of new initiatives, Institute of Education, University of London, 1995-97
• Chief adviser to secretary of state for education on school standards, 1997-2001
• Head of 바카라사이트 Prime Minister¡¯s Delivery Unit, 2001-05
• Head of global education practice, McKinsey & Company, 2006-11
• Special representative on education in Pakistan, Department for International Development, 2011-15
• Chief education adviser, Pearson, 2011-17
• Founder and chair, Delivery Associates, 2014-present
• Chair, Office for Students, 2017-21