Partnership Review

Partnership Review

Following the Partnership Approval process, all partnerships are normally reviewed on a quinquennial basis, against the terms of the Partnership Agreement in which the reciprocal expectations of both partners are expressed. 

Core Principles of Partnership Review

The University is committed to making partnership review a consultative, self-critical and genuinely collaborative process of engagement with partners. Conducted in this manner, the process is intended to serve as a means of enhancing transparency, communication and a shared understanding with collaborative partners. The process has been designed to inform, and in turn be informed by, existing processes of review and engagement at the University and in the wider sector.  

Aims and objectives

The main aim of partnership review is to explore and to provide assurance that the partnership is operating, on the part of both partners, in accordance with the terms of the Partnership Agreement and is an arrangement to be recommended for continuation.

The objectives, therefore, are to:

  • Provide an opportunity to reflect at institutional level on the experience of academic collaboration
  • Consider both strategic and operational arrangements for the effective management of the partnership
  • To review ways of working and to identify potential improvements to the management of the partnership and enhance the quality of the student experience
  • To reaffirm the collaborative partnership between the two partners.

Collaborative courses normally continue to be reviewed under the University's Periodic Review process conducted at subject level although in some cases, as described below, partnership and periodic review may be combined. Collaborative courses are always included in annual evaluation for the academic Institute with which they are affiliated. These processes will provide evidence for the review as appropriate. FE partners and partners with substantive provision have at least one annual strategic meeting with the University. The minutes from these meetings (and from the former SPPGs) will provide evidence for the review where available.

QAA reports from the IQER process will form a further source of evidence for the review, where available. 

Outcomes

On establishing that the principles of the partnership have been broadly observed by both partners, the key outcome of the review is to re-affirm the collaborative arrangement normally for a further period of five years, subject to engagement with the terms of any action plan, as appropriate. 

A formal report of the review and the action plan is received by EPPSC and reported to Academic Board through ASQEC. 

Evaluation  

The University evaluates the partnership review process via a discussion with participants following each event.  Such evaluations cover the management of the process, the level of transparency and clarity of outcomes and the extent to which the process has encouraged reflective evaluation by participants and a clear plan for the future has been determined.  The outcomes of these discussions are considered by the Senior Quality Officer (Collaborative) alongside other informal feedback.  As appropriate, a paper summarising the effectiveness and success of the process is produced for EPPSC.      

Joint Partnership and Periodic Review

In order to ensure a good fit between processes, and to eliminate unnecessary burden, where partner institutions offer limited provision (typically one or two awards) efforts will be made to combine partnership and periodic review. Partners and Institutes will be advised of cases where a combined process is proposed. An indicative approach to joint partnership and periodic review detailing the key elements of the process is available as an annex to the periodic review process.