Vilnius, EAIR 2009

Benchmarking in European Higher Education : A step beyond current

quality models

Nadine Burquel

ESMU Secretary General

Vilnius, EAIR 2009

OVERVIEW

Findings of two-year EU-funded project (2006-2008)

ESMU, CHE, UNESCO-CEPES, University of Aveiro

Literature on benchmarking in higher education

Investigation of 18 collaborative benchmarking groups

Potential to go beyond current quality approaches

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CONTEXT - HIGHER EDUCATION

Increasingly competitive environments Need to increase (institutional) performance – Pressures

Policy level (national, European level) Lisbon Agenda, Bologna Process

- Lack of sufficient data gathering on institutional performance in European universities

- Quality : Accountability/bureaucratisation vs. enhancement

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BENCHMARKING

Performance targets Set by institutions themselves Ownership of results

Systematic comparison of core institutional processes Leads to innovative practice for improved organisational

performance Not ranking (false benchmarking) but inter-organisational learning

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ORIGINS OF BENCHMARKING

Private sector – Xerox Corporation Public sector – New public management Higher Education

Implicit benchmarking (peer reviews/site visits) Explicit formalisation

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BENCHMARKING CONCEPTS & PRACTICES

Enormous literature on benchmarking– Focus on practice Yorke (1999)

Wide diversity of HEIs “There can be no single reference point for the purposes of

benchmarking” Schofield (1998)

Difficulties of definitions “ Term varies considerably between different approaches &

practitioners” Alstete (1995) - Four types voluntary explicit benchmarking

internal benchmarking external competitive benchmarking external collaborative benchmarking comparisons external trans-industry (best-in-class) benchmarking

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BENCHMARKING CONCEPTS & PRACTICES (2)

UNESCO-CEPES (2007) – Building on existing literature : Seven types internal benchmarking external competitive benchmarking functional benchmarking trans institutional benchmarking implicit benchmarking generic benchmarking Process-based benchmarking

Term used for very different practices Mere comparison of statistical data and indicators Detailed analyses of processes within institutions Diagnostic instrument, self-improvement tool, collaborative learning Danger – A ‘catch all’ phrase

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EXAMPLESCOLLABORATIVE BENCHMARKING

National groups : NACUBO (US-2), ACODE (AUS), CHE (DE-3), HIS (DE-3), Italy,

HESA (2) Transnational groups :

Aarhus network, ECIU (2), ESMU, ACU, IDEA League Fourteen criteria

Institutional nature, group character, mgt, size, membership, level of participation

Goals, performance-basis, methodology, input or output focus, Geographical scope, timeline, reporting, finances

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EXAMPLESCOLLABORATIVE BENCHMARKING (2)

Initiating the benchmarking, gathering data and implementing results Different approaches, focus, size No common model or clusters of characterics

Geographical differences US-True and false benchmarking (Farquhar, 98) AUS-Not sufficient systematic use of benchmarking (AUQA, 07) Europe-So far, small number of institutions involved

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Going a step further “Our” definition

Benchmarking is a process inside an organisation with the aim to

improve its performance by learning about possible improvements

processes by looking at those processes in other, better-performing

organizations

-- Voluntary Process-- Self-evaluation•- Systematic & collaborative comparison of practices

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Beyond quality Quality – Difficulties with definitions Major issue :

Is quality part of the product or service OR depends on customer ? In HE : Quality of university education, OR student satisfaction ?

Harvey & Green (1993) distinguished Quality as Exceptional (‘excellence’) Perfection or consistency (‘zero errors’, achieving standards) Fitness for purpose (mission-based ‘do what you promise’) Value for money Transformation

ISO9000 definition of ‘quality’ : Totality of features of a product/service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs’

No info about acceptable level of quality (exception – external standards)

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WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT BENCHMARKING?

Inter-organisational learning Improve performance of an institution & identify gaps of performance Requires methods : Some form of evaluation/measurement BUT

• Measurement as tool (i.e. where improvements are needed)• More focus on learning process than other Quality approaches

Measuring externally visible performance (KPIs’) - only the beginning of benchmarking

Real issue – Achieving high performance Aim - find out about good practice, not only good

performance

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A STEP BY STEP SYSTEMATIC APPROACH

Initial steps of starting the benchmarking exercise Clarifying background Experience with benchmarking Defining purpose Gaining commitment and selecting partners

Conducting the benchmarking exercise Resourcing and managing the exercise Gathering data

Reporting results (internally and externally) Implementing results

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TO CONCLUDE

Development of benchmarking in higher education Work in progress Still limited use in higher education

Belongs to the quality movement Context increasing competition Goes further than current quality approaches

Identification of strengths and weakness Setting relevant targets for increased performance Continuous improvement, not as an isolated exercise but a core

tool to support strategic developments Requires commitment to change, investment in human and financial

resources and a rigourous professional approach

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TO CONCLUDE (2)

Benchmarking into practice Second phase – new EU project (EBI-II)

Four university benchmarking groups : curriculum reforms, university-enterprise cooperation, lifelong learning, governance

A European-wide central place for information and exchange CHARME project – Benchmarking medical education Benchmarking e-learning End 2009/2010 – Benchmarking applied research (for UAS network)

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QUESTIONS & MORE INFORMATION?

Nadine Burquel nadine.burquel@esmu.be

EBI-II Benchmarking in European Higher Education

www.education-benchmarking.org

Other benchmarking exercises

ESMU www.esmu.be