Performance indicators in higher education

Performance indicators in higher education (HE) provide information on the nature and performance of the HE sector in the UK. They are intended as an objective and consistent set of measures of how a higher education institution is performing.

These data provide:

reliable information on the nature and performance of the HE sector
the basis for comparisons between similar institutions
performance benchmarks for institutions
evidence to inform policy making
information that helps to make the HE sector more publicly accountable.

All indicators are now published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Content of the indicators

The indicators currently cover the following data:

widening participation indicators
non-continuation rates (including projected outcomes)
module completion rates
research output
employment of graduates.

Oversight and management

The Performance Indicators Steering Group (PISG) oversees the implementation, management and ongoing development of performance indicators.

The group also receives advice on technical implementation from the Performance Indicators Technical Group.

History and review

In 1998, the Government asked the four UK funding bodies to develop suitable indicators and benchmarks of performance in the HE sector, bearing in mind their diversity and the needs of different stakeholders.

We published the first set of indicators in their current form in December 1999, on behalf of all four UK funding councils. We continued to publish the indicators annually until 2003, with additions and amendments as the coverage was extended.

Performance indicators 1996-97 to 2001-02

Since 2004 HESA has published the indicators, in the same format as indicators previously produced by HEFCE.

The PIs were reviewed in 2006-07 in Review of performance indicators: Outcomes and decisions -HEFCE 2007/14.

Part of this process involved a consultation, available as Review of performance indicators: Consultation to inform the review -HEFCE 2006/34.

Contacts

HESA	Performance Indicators Team (e-mail piteam@hesa.ac.uk)
England	Richard Puttock at HEFCE (e-mail r.puttock@hefce.ac.uk)
Scotland	John Duffy at SFC (e-mail jduffy@sfc.ac.uk)
Wales	Hannah Falvey at HEFCW (e-mail hannah.falvey@hefcw.ac.uk)
Northern Ireland	Allan Nesbitt at DELNI (e-mail allan.nesbitt@delni.gov.uk)