Quality assurance of TRAC

There have been formal sector–wide, quality-assurance exercises that have operated to gain assurance over the application of the TRAC requirements.  In addition to these exercises, institutions commonly seek assurance from their Internal Auditors periodically. 

The web page provides details of previous quality assurance processes together with other relevant communications related to quality assurance.

Assurance reminders

The TRAC Development Group (TDG) published a brief document detailing a small number of reminders of the key areas where institutions have in the past, fallen out of compliance with the TRAC requirements.  The document does not form part of the TRAC requirements and is provided to help TRAC practitioners.

Quality assurance and validation (QAV) background and process

In April 2006 the Research Councils began to fund research projects in higher education institutions (HEIs) based on full economic costs using TRAC fEC methods.  Following this the Research Councils have tried to assure the sector’s application of the TRAC requirements. 

The Research Councils UK (RCUK) established the QAV process to ensure that:

• TRAC methods had been implemented appropriately in HEIs
• that the rates charged on research projects have been calculated correctly.

The RCUK QAV review team undertook visits to selected institutions between March and December 2008.

The approach provided a comprehensive review of these institutions compliance with TRAC and the robustness of their calculations of their charge-out rates for Research.

A brief summary of the background and historical context for the Quality Assurance and Validation (QAV) process and a copy of the QAV report are available below.

Details of the full process and the full report are available from the RCUK web-site.

Previous Quality Assurance of TRAC

Details about the first quality assurance (QA) process for the Transparent Approach to Costing were provided to institutions in HEFCE circular letter 05/2004 on 22 March 2004.

Two core elements of the process were:

• completion of a 'self-assessment checklist' by institutions
• participation in three benchmarking exercises.

In August 2005, a final report on the quality assurance of implementation by institutions of TRAC was published, along with HEFCE circular letter 24/2005, which highlights the key findings. The report is available to download below.

• Quality assurance review of TRAC: final report

The Research Council UK Quality Assurance and Validation (QAV) and Funding Assurance Programme (FAP) processes were introduced after the quality assurance process completed.

RCUK funding assurance programme

 The RCUK Funding Assurance Programme (FAP) provides assurance on the regularity of expenditure to the Chief Executives of each of the Research Councils.

Information about the FAP process can be obtained from the RCUK web-site, or through contacting RCUK directly.

 

Page last updated 8 February 2012