Report 98/44

The evaluation of funding for the development of continuing vocational education

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Summary

1 The development funding initiative

In 1994, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) announced a continuing vocational education (CVE) development funding initiative which earmarked £60 million for the four academic years, 1995/96 to 1998/99. The initiative had three specific aims:

• meeting the lifetime learning needs of people at work, as identified by employers and individuals;

• expanding the availability of flexible teaching, learning and accreditation for people at work; and

• encouraging an active role for higher education institutions (HEIs) in wealth creation and in regional and local development.

A total of 117 HEIs submitted bids for funding, of which 97 were funded.

2 Evaluation of the initiative

Subsequently, the HEFCE commissioned an independent team of researchers to:• evaluate the overall impact of the CVE development funding programme, and consider whether its aims and objectives have been met; and

• consider strategies and the priorities for supporting CVE and work-related provision in the future.

The objectives were pursued through four phases of research. The methodology incorporated data from all HEIs which bid for development funding; structured data from a large sample of HEIs; and data from an in-depth study of a selected group of HEIs. A fourth phase involved policy analysis which structured CVE within an historical and policy framework. Our intention was to prepare a report of value to HEIs on the organisation and management of CVE; on effective curricula and pedagogy in CVE; and on ways of developing HEI infrastructure with respect to staff and premises for CVE. It is within that context that we also comment on the wider policy environment and the relationship between the HEFCE and HEIs.

2.1 The impact on activity

Development funding was an enabling force for CVE in many HEIs, facilitating significant developments in several areas.

• Substantial curriculum and pedagogical innovation has flowed from the initiative. The over-arching themes related to meeting the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the development of IT-based modes of delivery.

• Recruitment and admissions to CVE showed least development, although in some HEIs it led to fundamental rethinking. In this area, the most substantial impact was in marketing and market research and, in some HEIs, enhancing access for further education (FE) learners.

• The range of evaluation, monitoring and assessment procedures witnessed was extensive. Less attention was given to strategies for improving student retention through changes in pedagogy, student learning support systems or guidance systems.

• Development funding fostered a range of innovations, for example in work-based learning, in-company mentoring, open and distance learning, accreditation of prior (experiential) learning (AP(E)L) and multi-media provision. These had a significant impact on widening participation and access for specific client groups.

2.2 External links

HEIs have used development funding to create and strengthen their links with other agencies, including Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs), Chambers of Commerce, SMEs, FE colleges, professional bodies, and major public and private sector employers. There are few links with local authorities.

• Links with TECs were strong in only a small number of HEIs, and there were problems in reconciling the objectives of CVE plans with those of the TECs.
• Some HEIs saw their relationship with SMEs as being at the core of their development, but in ways which included a range of activities, including consultancy and technology transfer. Individual employees can be the key agents for defining the training needs of SMEs.

• Relationships with professional bodies were seen as positive because of their contribution at the interface of professional and academic accreditation. Where effective, these relationships were often highly successful aspects of the initiative.

• Relationships with large employers in the public and private sectors were seen as a means of providing large-scale, specialised and sustainable programmes in niche markets.

2.3 The economics of CVE

Data collected on external and internal efficiency highlight the difficulties of making assessments of the economic consequences of CVE activity. An appropriate evaluation framework is needed.

• In terms of impact on economic growth and skill levels, CVE provision is most likely to have had a positive effect on those currently in work, and mainly in professional occupations. Access to HEIs by at-risk groups in the labour market has been low.

• Collaboration with outside agencies has assisted the exchange of information, securing markets for CVE and exchange of human and physical resources, such as work placements. Development funding led to leverage of additional funds.

• Cost estimation was imprecise but indicates that CVE can be cost-effective and recover investment; policies on pricing and on overheads were diverse and not always consistent within institutions.

• HEIs appreciated the opportunities for flexible and discretionary use of the funding. The capability of HEIs to invest over a medium-term, four-year period added to effectiveness.

2.4 Factors influencing effectiveness and cost-effectiveness

Drawing upon case studies of nine HEIs, we identify key aspects of organisation for CVE which contribute to effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

• Project champions, institutional support, flexibility, external partners, an infrastructure that supports providers and clients, expert providers and niche marketing within HEIs were all important for the CVE initiative.

• Incentives " through project funding " were effective in supporting development work by members of staff. Such funding is, however, essentially one-off, and an environment is needed which is not reliant on spasmodic incentives.

• Broad-based and sustained development of CVE within institutions requires leadership and commitment. These must be combined with an infrastructure which supports non-traditional activity and incentive systems which reward the departments and individuals working within them.

• Significant provision can occur without strong or direct centralised institutional support, as long as decentralised management systems are autonomous enough to provide incentives and infrastructure support.

3 Strategies for development

3.1 CVE within HEIs

Current government and funding council policies seek to strengthen links between higher education (HE) and the economy. If CVE is to contribute further to that relationship, four themes need to inform institutional responses to policy development.

• CVE needs to be viewed widely, embracing a whole set of relations between an HEI and its commercial, industrial and public sector clients. Some of the best practice we observed met this definition.

• Partnerships between HEIs and external bodies are critical to high quality development. A more structured and clearer set of partnership frameworks should be established, drawing on the respective strengths of various agencies.

• Individuals, particularly those working in SMEs, are good at recognising their own CVE requirements. Company-based provision must retain the focus on individuals within the circumstances of their employment needs. IT has significant potential in supporting access for individuals.

• Within HEIs, an institution-wide response to sustained development of CVE requires cultural change which should be manifested through institutional mission, infrastructure to support development, and suitable incentives for staff and departments.

3.2 HEFCE and HEIs

Our assessment of the policy context for higher education points to strong support for strengthening the relationships between HE and the economy. If the HEFCE wishes to give a greater steer to HEIs to strengthen their links with the economy, it is likely " and appropriate " that development funding will be succeeded by a new initiative.

Our analysis suggests that such an initiative should be broader in scope than traditionally conceived CVE. It ought to recognise the role of institutional partnerships in new ventures and take account of individuals as key agents of change, particularly in the SMEs.

A successor to the development funding initiative should encourage HEIs to develop practices which are not only integrated across an institution, but also provide a networked response to the needs of key participants in the economy. In this way, HEIs can better meet the expectations and requirements of lifelong learning.