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Quality assurance of TRAC: process for the review

Details of the quality assurance (QA) process for the Transparent Approach to Costing were provided to institutions in HEFCE circular letter 05/2004 on 22 March 2004. An extended version of Annex A to this letter, describing the QA process, is available with other key documents below.

Annex A (extended version): Quality assurance process for TRAC

[ MS Word 95K | Zipped MS Word 21K | PDF 49K | Zipped PDF 40K ]

Two core elements of the process were:

  1. Completion of a 'self-assessment checklist' by institutions (for return by May 2004)
  2. Participation in three benchmarking exercises (May 2004, December 2004 and January 2005).

Self-assessment checklist

[ MS Word 155K | Zipped MS Word 21K | PDF 41K | Zipped PDF 35K ]

A fifth round of benchmarking is taking place in 2007. This is part of the transitional QA arrangements to collect data to allow the default cost rates to be reset based on 2005-06 data.

Benchmarking template - fifth round

The QA team wrote to all UK HEIs on 12 December 2006 providing details of the fifth benchmarking exercise that is due for submission on 31 January 2007. The benchmarking data should be submitted electronically and the template can be downloaded below.

Benchmarking template (fifth round, January 2007)

[ MS Excel 54K | Zipped MS Excel 16K ]

In response to feedback from the sector we now include in Part B of the benchmarking template a request for information related to the time allocation data. While completion of Part B is optional, it will help institutions in understanding their TRAC results and cost rates in relation to their peer group and sector as a whole.

A further difference to the last benchmarking exercise is that institutions should return both their 'unindexed' and 'indexed' cost rates. This is explained further in the benchmarking template.

As outlined in the letter to institutions, the completed benchmarking spreadsheet should be returned to andrew.bush@kpmg.co.uk by 31 January 2007.

If you have any questions in relation to the benchmarking exercise e-mail andrew.bush@kpmg.co.uk.

Last updated 8 January 2007