Future Directions for Benchmarking in HE?

Nicki Horseman, Patrick Kennedy

Strategic Planning & Change

May 2011

To identify some possible future

directions for benchmarking in HE, by…

2 perspectives on ‘what I want from

benchmarking’

And offering some future ‘necessary

conditions’ for high quality benchmarking

Overall purpose

College (aka Faculty or School)

Dean and/or College Manager

Director of Strategy/Planning

2 perspectives

• Currency• Context• Credibility / Confidence

College Dean

College DeanPGR/Staff FTE - Physics

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

Durham

Poppleton

Exeter

King's

Lancaster

Warwick

York

Ratios, groupings + uni

Drill downs to categories for more

understanding

HR, finance, estates data

Secure in same treatment (apples)

Ease of access, strong appetite for

excellence/depth of service

Director of Strategy /

Planning

Necessary conditionsfor quality benchmarking?• Data quality strategy/practice & core systems: HESA/HEIs • Brainpower beats benchmarking, incessant questioning • Inputs the easy bit, what about the outputs• A shared service development?• More granular (opt-in club) HESA returns?• Appetite

...Legal permission...

Wrapping up, final thoughts

• Good base established• Data structures and systems (BI) development well underway• Plenty of appetite out there; strong investment case• What are the primary paths for BM: HESA data, associated services, bought-in / bespoke, BM clusters of HEIs...?