Working together

A partnership approach is synonymous with the Scottish sector where we already have well-developed practices to support it, such as the enhancement themes, national networks and committees, and a culture of sharing best practice. Partnership initiatives might include digital innovation and developing shared capabilities in research, knowledge exchange and workforce development. They may also include a shared ability to generate, in collaboration with employers, a pipeline of skilled students and graduates for Scotland’s future economy and public sector.  There are several ways to work in partnership and it is important to consider all options and the different benefits they bring.

Students’ associations have changed significantly in the decade since college regionalisation. Many are robust, sustainable and autonomous organisations that are embedded into student life and therefore it is vital that to consider their role when exploring potential federations or mergers, as both will have a direct impact on students’ associations and their activities.

Students’ associations have their own unique identity and priorities which will vary association to association; ensuring student officers are brought into discussions from the start is crucial to make sure that students feel any changes are being done with them and not to them. Many student associations already work very closely together and will have established relationships both locally and regionally with counterparts. As such, they can play a vital role in developing and championing partnership working, and in establishing connections and facilitating discussions.

Reaching out to organisations such as NUS Scotland and sparqs during early planning stages will provide insight into how to best support and engage students in these conversations in a meaningful and constructive way.

In 2020, the Scottish Funding Council undertook a review of how the sector could fulfil its mission to secure coherent provision in post-16 education. A recommendation of that review was that SFC, and the sector begin to explore a single tertiary approach to quality.

In November 2021, SFC launched the Tertiary Quality Project (TQP); the aim of the TQP was to create a more coherent and streamlined tertiary education system from the student perspective, and a system that delivers the best learning experience for students.

In the two plus years since the establishment of the TQP, SFC has worked closely with institutions and agencies across the sector to deliver the alignment to quality that was sought. Five workstreams with staff from across the sector were established, all delivering different parts of the new approach, including a new self-evaluation process, as well as a new external review method that all colleges and universities will undertake.

QAA Scotland has been commissioned to develop the new external review method and they’ll work closely with colleagues from Education Scotland to ensure a method that works across our tertiary sector.

From AY 2024-25, there is see one tertiary framework for quality – Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF). The alignment and consistent approach to quality will further support wider sector partnership and coherence, and institutions will likely see the further benefits of collaboration and working together.