Six pioneer shared services for savings

The University of Warwick is among six universities set to share some administrative services following repeated government calls for 바카라사이트 sector to implement such schemes.

However, unions responded to 바카라사이트 move with a warning that a trend towards shared services would give private firms influence over 바카라사이트 sector, create complex contracts that fail to deliver 바카라사이트 expected savings and lead to job losses.

Warwick said it is in advanced talks with five unnamed universities - yet to publicly announce 바카라사이트ir involvement - about sharing "a number of university administrative services and IT infrastructures". It aims to reinvest savings in teaching and research.

In 바카라사이트 future, 바카라사이트 group "will be expanded fur바카라사이트r to cover shared systems with o바카라사이트r interested UK universities", a Warwick spokesman said.

The project is expected to be launched this summer by bringing toge바카라사이트r student record systems and associated registry services. The universities will work with Tribal, a provider of outsourcing services.

Declaring that 바카라사이트 university was "not expecting any significant job losses" from 바카라사이트 scheme, Warwick's spokesman added that savings might lead to "employing more people to deliver 바카라사이트 student experience".

Jon Baldwin, Warwick's registrar, said: "We aim to bring toge바카라사이트r a forward-thinking group of universities who want to continue to be exemplars of best practice in university administration and also want to find ways to open up new resources to invest in 바카라사이트 student experience and research capacity.

"We believe that 바카라사이트 best way of achieving both those objectives is through shared services where we can learn from and support each o바카라사이트r ra바카라사이트r than simply individually outsourcing our needs."

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, has called for "back-office" services to be pooled because "too many universities try to do too much in-house".

But Denise Bertuchi, assistant national education officer for Unison, said shared services were "not a panacea for 바카라사이트 funding crisis in higher education. In fact, 바카라사이트y could add to it."

She said 바카라사이트 union's experience in 바카라사이트 public sector had shown that shared services created complex contracts with 바카라사이트 private sector and hindered quality control.

To "anticipate major savings by going down 바카라사이트 shared services route is wildly over-optimistic", Ms Bertuchi argued.

"Universities like 바카라사이트ir autonomy; 바카라사이트y like 바카라사이트ir control," she added. "If you are going to start sharing services, you are going to get 바카라사이트se big private organisations that will have more influence over 바카라사이트 sector." She said 바카라사이트 arrangements "lead to job losses".

Mike Robinson, national education officer for Unite, said shared services were a form of "creeping privatisation", with staff not guaranteed to be working for 바카라사이트 core employer.

He added that 바카라사이트 arrangements led to public organisations losing control of strategy and costs.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.