02/23 Good practice

Evaluating the regional contribution of an HEI

A benchmarking approach

To:	Heads of HEFCE-funded higher education institutions Heads of HEFCE-funded further education colleges Heads of universities in Northern Ireland
Of interest to those responsible for:	Strategic planning, Regional development, Links with business and the community
Reference:	02/23
Publication date:	April 2002
Enquiries to:	Roger Lewis tel 0117 931 7027 e-mail r.lewis@hefce.ac.uk

Executive summary (read on-line)

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Introduction
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The benchmarking tool
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Executive summary

Purpose

1. This benchmarking tool is designed to help higher education institutions (HEIs) assess the contribution they are making to their region. It aims to encourage debate on a voluntary basis within and between individual HEIs, to assess the contributions they are making to the economic and social development of their region, and how those contributions might be developed.

Key points

2. The tool has three functions:

to assess improvements in the strategy, performance and outcomes of HEI regional engagement
to help the HEI set its strategic priorities
to support joint strategies within a regional partnership.

3. We do not propose to require individual HEIs or HEI regional associations to use the tool in any particular way. It will not be used as a basis for allocating resources. Where HEIs do decide to use the tool, it will be for each to decide how to follow up the results and whether to make them publicly available.

4. Comments on the tool, and feedback from HEIs on their experience of using it, would be welcomed. These should be sent to David Charles at the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS), University of Newcastle upon Tyne.