SFC news published since 2018. See SFC archived content for earlier news articles.
A report published today by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has recommended that the funding body and the College Development Network (CDN), the national enhancement and improvement agency for Scotland’s colleges, work together to meet emerging professional development needs in colleges. This includes collaborating on work in relation to the implementation and delivery of Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework and in support of the training and development of college staff and governors and developing professional best practice.
The report, which forms part of SFC’s commitment to understanding the outcomes and impacts of its funding, incorporates views from a survey of college leaders. It also takes into account interviews with people CDN’s services and a review of ongoing performance data provided to the Scottish Funding Council. The College Development Network currently receives around £1.4 million of annual funding from SFC.
The report found that CDN’s work reflected the priorities of both the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council, and that recent changes to its leadership and operations have had a positive effect on the organisation’s ability to engage with and better understand the needs of colleges. There was also recognition for CDN’s effectiveness as a key intermediary and enabler bringing together staff and boards across the college sector and other sector agencies involved in tertiary education.
Amongst the report’s further recommendations are the active exploration of other opportunities for collaboration and for the building of a better appreciation of the part partner agencies play in learning and quality improvement for Scotland’s colleges.
Francesca Osowska, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:
“Good evaluation is a fundamental part of the Scottish Funding Council’s ambition of creating a connected, agile and sustainable tertiary education and research system for Scotland.
“It’s not just about looking at the work of organisations that receive our funding, it’s also about SFC thinking about its own role as a provider of funding and as a strategic partner supporting the success of its investments for students, communities and the economy.
“I look forward to working alongside CDN to implement the recommendations of the report and achieving even greater success in the future.”
Marie Hendry, Chief Executive of the College Development Network, said:
“We welcome the findings of this important evaluation and are pleased to see recognition of the value and impact of CDN’s work across Scotland’s college and wider tertiary sectors.
“It’s particularly encouraging to see our role as a connector and enabler of professional learning and quality improvement acknowledged. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the Scottish Funding Council as we respond to emerging priorities together and welcome SFCs ongoing commitment to CDN’s role and our impact.
“By working in partnership, we can help shape a responsive, future-focused system that supports college staff and delivers meaningful benefits for learners and communities across Scotland.”
Professor Ken Thomson OBE, Chair of College Development Network (CDN), said:
“We welcome this important report and look forward to working with SFC and colleagues and partners across the sector to take forward its recommendations.
“The report highlights the critical work of CDN in delivering for colleges and the wider tertiary sector through our enhancement, improvement and quality work and we are grateful to SFC for its ongoing commitment to supporting CDNs strategic ambitions. We are particularly grateful to those colleges, partners and colleagues who took the time to respond to the review and for their positive feedback on CDN’s renewed focus on prioritising engagement and impact.”
Today’s report is part of an ongoing series of evaluations of SFC’s strategic funding which will be made available to colleges, universities and the wider public on the SFC website.
You can find the today’s report on the new Evaluation of Investments page of the SFC website.
