| 25 July 2005 |  |
| To | Heads of HEFCE-funded higher education institutions Heads of HEFCE-funded further education colleges Heads of universities in Northern Ireland |
| Direct Line | 0117 931 7300 |
| Direct Fax | 0117 931 7203 |
Circular letter number 19/2005
For further information contact Michelle Cronin, tel 0117 931 7222, e-mail stratplan@hefce.ac.uk
Dear Vice-Chancellor or Principal
Development of the 2006-11 strategic plan
1. This letter provides details about our 2006-11 strategic plan, and our approach to involving our stakeholders in developing it.
2. Our current strategic plan covers the period 2003-08 and was initially published in July 2003 (HEFCE 2003/35) following consultation. It was subsequently updated in April 2004 (HEFCE 2004/17) and April 2005 (HEFCE 2005/16).
3. Key to the development of the 2006-11 plan is engagement with stakeholders. We will consult formally on a final draft strategic plan in November 2005. However, in order to allow early input into the development of the plan, we are also seeking views on the outline plan. The deadline for comments is 2 September 2005. Comments made at this stage will inform the final draft strategic plan for consultation.
4. The formal consultation will be launched in November and will last eight weeks (starting on 15 November and ending on 10 January). We will make use of existing events to discuss the issues raised, and review nearer the time whether additional consultation events need to be arranged. Building on past experience and feedback from our stakeholders, we will make it clear which parts of the plan are 'up for debate' and which are not. (For example, where we have just conducted a major separate consultation we will be clear that we are not re-opening the debate through the strategic plan.)
5. In addition to the pre-consultation and formal consultation we are continuing to discuss issues related to the development of our policies through existing meetings with a range of stakeholders, including other funders of HE and representative groups, and through other formal consultations. These include the recent consultation on sustainability (HEFCE 2005/28) and the forthcoming consultation on the Higher Education Innovation fund (HEIF).
6. Full details of the pre-consultation and our approach to stakeholder engagement can be found on our web-site under About us.
Yours sincerely
Sir Howard Newby
Chief Executive