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Detailed response from the Cabinet Secretary to the review's recommendations
ANNEX C
Recommendations on staffing, learners and learning environments
Staffing
Continuing Professional Development ( CPD) for All Staff
1. We strongly endorse the positive role which CPD can play in achieving broader objectives of quality improvement in colleges, through its impact on efficiency and effectiveness of college processes, on capacity building and promoting flexibility, and on the quality of students' learning experience.
I agree. I invite colleges, the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Further Education Unit to endorse this.
2. We recommend the following as shared goals for the sector:
a) all staff in Scotland's colleges engage in systematic reflection of how they contribute to the work of colleges in supporting learners;
b) all colleges provide appropriate opportunities for all members of staff to upgrade or improve their professional skills; and
c) all colleges provide opportunities for members of staff to gain appropriate qualifications relevant for their professional role.
I agree. I invite colleges, the Association of Scotland's Colleges, the Scottish Further Education Unit, the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Trades Union Congress to adopt these shared goals for the sector.
3. We recommend that all full-time staff in colleges should fulfil, as a minimum expectation, six days of CPD a year, and that colleges should determine and implement appropriate proportionate expectations for part-time, fixed-term and temporary staff. The recommendation should be applied equitably, and in a way which does not disadvantage staff who are not on full-time permanent contracts.
I agree. I invite colleges to ensure that their full-time staff fulfil this minimum expectation and
to determine and implement appropriate proportionate expectations for part-time, fixed-term and temporary staff in a way which does not disadvantage staff who are not on full-time
permanent contracts.
4. We recommend that the Scottish Executive should commission an independent review into the future oversight of staff development activity for all college staff, with a view to taking forward its findings by Spring 2008. The review should consider:
- How this oversight might best be delivered;
- What, if any, alternative arrangements might need to be put in place; and
- Appropriate linkages to other professional and membership bodies.
[The STUC view is that the existing PDF is the right vehicle to carry out this function. The ASC and SFEU believe that we should not prejudge the findings of the review.]
The Scottish Government will commission an independent review by the end of the year to make recommendations on the matters suggested.
5. We recommend that the Scottish Executive ensures that the Scottish Funding Council, in distributing any additional funding for staff training, does so on an equitable basis, which ensures that colleges who have previously invested in staff development are entitled to funding for other staff development opportunities.
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council to adopt this practice.
6. We recommend that the Scottish Funding Council also considers whether (and, if so, how) individualised staffing returns can be used to monitor and evaluate Initial Teacher Training and all staff CPD activity across the sector.
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council to consider this.
7. We recommend that all agencies with responsibilities for quality should give due consideration to encouraging good practice in the effective deployment of CPD.
I agree. I invite Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Further Education Unit to give due consideration to this.
8. We recommend that statements arising from SLALE's consideration of CPD should be framed in terms of all staff, and should not emphasise distinctions between groups of staff with different professional responsibilities.
I agree. I invite colleges, the Scottish Funding Council, the Association of Scotland's Colleges, the Scottish Further Education Unit and the Scottish Trades Union Congress to frame statements in these terms.
9. We recommend that colleges examine the benefits of using external monitoring processes, such as Investors in People (IiP) or the European Foundation for Quality Management ( EFQM) Excellence Model, as a means of reviewing the effectiveness of their policies on staff development and CPD.
I agree. I invite colleges to continue to examine this.
10. We recommend that the Scottish Executive, working in partnership with key stakeholders, monitors the roll out of Union Learning Representatives in colleges and considers commissioning a systematic study of their impact once the scheme has become fully embedded.
I agree. I invite the RoSCo Core Group to monitor the roll out. I will consider commissioning a study once the scheme has become fully embedded.
11. We recommend that colleges develop and deploy CPD recording and monitoring procedures for all staff. This is likely to entail the use of logs, linked to the SFC's proposed individualised staffing return, and designed to measure both formal and informal CPD activity. Colleges should also, as part of this work, record and evaluate the impact of CPD on enhancing the quality of the learning experience, and record and monitor CPD costs. We also recommend that relevant communities of practice consider ways of measuring and benchmarking the contribution of informal CPD to the achievement of college CPD policies.
I agree. I invite colleges to develop and deploy CPD recording and monitoring procedures on the lines suggested, if they are not already doing so.
I invite the Scottish Further Education Unit to request relevant communities of practice to consider ways to measure and benchmark the contribution of informal CPD.
12. We recommend that colleges consider ways of developing vocational and professional updating activity for teaching staff, taking into account the Scottish Funding Council pilot and the Northern Ireland experience.
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council to circulate details of its pilot and of the Northern Ireland experience to colleges. I invite colleges to consider this.
13. We believe that further investment in CPD is justified and recommend that this should be applied through an overall increase in the unit of resource for colleges rather than through earmarked funding for staff development.
I note this. This recommendation will help inform the Government's Spending Review. An announcement on the outcome of the Spending Review will be made shortly.
Teacher Training for New Lecturers
14. We recommend that implementation of the recommendations on teacher training for new lecturers be phased over three years, with an estimated average annual cost of approx. £5.2m (i.e. total estimated costs of £15.459m over three years).
I note this. This recommendation will help inform the Government's Spending Review. An announcement on the outcome of the Spending Review will be made shortly.
15. While the amount of remission available to staff is a decision for individual colleges, it is worth noting that the estimated annual cost of phasing in the recommendations for the Teaching Qualification (Further Education) TQ( FE) is based on a calculation which includes the equivalent of 240 hours of remission for the duration of the course.
I note this.
16. While the recommendations apply only to new lecturers, we would also encourage colleges to continue to support existing staff to gain relevant Professional Development Awards ( PDAs) and/or TQ( FE).
I agree. I invite colleges to continue to support this.
A Code of Practice
17. We recommend that colleges (where appropriate) develop, and keep under review, some form of code of practice [Note: we believe it would be neither desirable nor feasible to impose an explicit code of practice (or equivalent) on the sector]. Some examples of what a code may encompass, and what it may be used for, are outlined in Annex E of the report,Inspiring Achievement.
I agree. I invite colleges, where appropriate, to develop this.
18. We recommend that where colleges do decide to introduce or review a code of practice (or equivalent), they should do so in consultation with staff, trade unions, management and boards of management. They should also explicitly consider the importance of meeting the educational and welfare needs of learners.
I agree. I invite colleges to pursue this.
The Delegation of Functions Undertaken By The Scottish Executive's Lifelong Learning Directorate ( LLD)
19. We recommend that LLD should continue, for the time being, to support the work of the Professional Development Forum and to approve TQ( FE) programmes. We note that it may be appropriate to reconsider the delegation of these functions in the light of future developments.
I agree. It may be appropriate to reconsider this at a future date.
The Current and Future Profile of Staff in Scotland's Colleges
20. We recommend that colleges evaluate, in the light of this report, the quality of their strategic human resource management processes and take any necessary action to ensure current and future challenges are known and addressed.
I agree. I invite colleges to evaluate this and take any necessary action.
21. We recommend that the Scottish Funding Council should consider how its current review of staffing data collection processes can best take full account of equalities issues (we note that there may be a role for Equality Forward in this regard), add value to workforce planning activity, and reflect relevant aspects of this report.
I invite the Scottish Funding Council to consider this, including whether and how individualised staffing returns can provide an effective means to monitor equalities issues, while recognising the responsibilities of colleges as employers.
In a similar vein, I invite the Scottish Funding Council to work with colleges, the Association of Scotland's Colleges and the Scottish Trades Union Congress to co-ordinate a sectoral approach to equal pay audits. I invite colleges, the Association of Scotland's Colleges and the Scottish Trades Union Congress to work with the Council in a co-ordinated approach to this.
I invite Equality Forward to consider how best it can assist the Council and colleges.
22. We recommend that college and staff representative bodies work jointly in undertaking regular, preferably annual, surveys on qualitative measures of satisfaction of staff working in colleges.
I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges and the Scottish Trades Union Congress to work jointly to undertake this annually.
The Further Modernisation and Improvement of Learning and Teaching Methods in Scotland's Colleges
23. We recommend that the SFC commissions a report examining, with reference to relevant sections of the RoSCo Strategic Futures report, the major future (short and medium term) issues affecting learning and teaching within the sector. A central outcome of this report should be a list of key recommendations for colleges, their staff and all relevant agencies.
I invite the Scottish Funding Council to commission this report by spring 2008.
Learners
Improving the Overall College Experience for Learners
24. For Scotland's colleges to continue to improve the quality of service they deliver to learners they should:
- increase student, staff and board of management awareness of the benefits of effective student representation;
- be aware of the factors which prevent learners from participating fully in college life, and seek to support learners to address them where they can;
- attempt to foster a philosophy of inclusive learner development;
- increase the assistance available to students to enable them to properly represent their fellow learners;
- attempt to broaden awareness of the effective use of proper channels of communication throughout the college; and
- attempt to broaden awareness of the effective use of feedback from learners.
I agree. I invite colleges to pursue this.
I invite Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education to encourage and support the focus on improving quality through its regular engagement with colleges
25. We recommend that colleges and students' associations make use of the information, case studies and toolkits within this report and its annexes (particularly F and G of the report, Inspiring Achievement), as well as relevant sections of the RoSCo Accountability and Governance report, to ensure that learners are properly represented and continue to have a positive learning experience.
I agree. I invite colleges, college student associations, the Association of Scotland's Colleges and the National Union of Students Scotland to use this information.
The Current and Future Profile of Learners in Scotland's Colleges
26. We recommend that the Scottish Funding Council should work together with Scotland's colleges and other stakeholders including Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to consider how learner data can be collected and used more efficiently to help with strategic planning at a national and local level.
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council to work with the Association of Scotland's Colleges, the new skills body 4 and other relevant stakeholders to consider this.
I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges and the new skills body once established to work with the Scottish Funding Council on this.
This is one of many areas where I look to the Council and the new skills body to work together closely and effectively.
27. We recommend that the proposed review of data collection on learners should take full account of equalities issues. We note that there may be a role for Equality Forward in this regard.
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council to take this into account.
I invite Equality Forward to consider how best it can assist the Council.
28. We recommend that colleges, the SQA and policy makers should continue to investigate ways in which the gender imbalance within college courses can be resolved. We anticipate that this will involve the Executive's cross-departmental working group working with colleges to review current good practice activity aimed at addressing gender stereotyping.
I agree. I understand the working group is due to report in spring 2008. I intend, following publication of its report, to write to colleges, the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Scottish Funding Council to invite them to investigate further the ways in which the group's aspirations can be achieved.
29. We recommend that colleges and policy makers take note of the information contained in this report [Inspiring Achievement] on the current and projected future profile of college students with a view to ensuring that Scotland's colleges continue to effectively serve the needs of all sections of society.
I agree. The Scottish Government has noted the information and will make appropriate use of it. We explain in our lifelong skills strategy that as our demographic profile changes and Scotland's population ages, older people need to be able to return to learning to enhance their skills. These individuals will have different expectations and needs from young people leaving school. In particular, the greater demand for part-time and accelerated study options will present challenges to colleges and other learning providers. Successful integration of migrant workers and those from diverse ethnic backgrounds living in Scotland will also be critical to Scotland's economic future. Reducing under-employment of skilled workers who have, for instance, come to Scotland since recent EU enlargement, or since the inception of the Fresh Talent initiative, depends on access to quality ESOL courses and better recognition of existing skills and qualifications.
I invite colleges, the Association of Scotland's Colleges and the Scottish Funding Council to note the information contained in the Inspiring Achievement report and make appropriate use of it to ensure colleges meet the challenge of Scotland's changing demographic profile and continue to serve effectively the needs of all sections of society.
Learning Environments
30. We recommend that sufficient capital funding is allocated to realise the benefits that can be derived from improved estates, and acknowledge that continuing investment is needed to clear the maintenance and improvement backlog and sustain new estates and refurbished campuses. In order to achieve this, annual investment averaging around £150m would be required for a number of years.
I note this. This recommendation will help inform the Government's Spending Review. An announcement on the outcome of the Spending Review will be made shortly.
Recommendations on accountability and governance
Ministerial Powers of Intervention with Colleges
31. Ministerial power of direction Recommend that the Scottish Executive and partners keep the issue under review, in line with the commitment given by Ministers to the Enterprise and Culture Committee. (Action: Scottish Executive)
I agree. I invite the RoSCo Core Group to report to me on the impact of the 2006 change by the end of 2008.
32. Other statutory and non-statutory interventions Recommend no change to the powers of statutory or non-statutory intervention in the affairs of colleges (other than the actions recommended elsewhere in this report).
I note this. Since this recommendation was made, the Office of the Scottish Charities Regulator has given a very clear sign that the constitutions of incorporated colleges do not meet the requirements of charitable status insofar as they permit Ministers to direct or otherwise control their activities. The Scottish Government will therefore review the need to retain those powers by the end of the year. This recommendation will inform that review.
Succession Planning
33. Succession planning Recommend that guidance on succession planning, drawing on good practice in colleges identified by DTZ5, is disseminated by ASC to the college sector. (Action: ASC)
I agree. I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to issue such guidance to colleges by March 2008.
Recruitment
34. Remuneration of Board members Recommend that Board members should remain unremunerated. Recommend that further consideration is given, however, to improving other ways of rewarding and valuing Board members. (Action: Scottish Executive)
I agree. The Scottish Government will provide a discussion paper in the first instance to the RoSCo Core Group. I invite the Core Group to make recommendations to me by July 2008.
35. Nominations committee Recommend that the Principal should not sit on the Nominations Committee. (Action: Scottish Executive, ASC)
I agree. I invite colleges to endorse this. I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008.
36. Organisations should offer more than one candidate for the Board to choose from Considered, but recommend no change. 'Good practice' however should be highlighted in ASC guidance. (Action: ASC)
I agree. I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008 6.
37. Retain student and staff representation at current level Recommend that the current level of student and staff representation (one academic staff, one support staff) remains unchanged [but see later recommendation on 'Support for student Board members']. Recommend that consideration be given to the development of a standard service level agreement for student sabbatical officers for those colleges that have them in order to establish a common understanding of the duties of a sabbatical officer. (Action: NUS Scotland, ASC)
I agree. I invite the National Union of Students Scotland and the Association of Scotland's Colleges to develop guidance on a model agreement by autumn 2008.
38. Tenure of Board members Recommend that the Funding Council, along with other stakeholders, continues to review the tenure of Board members, taking account of recent changes to policy on public appointments. This should take place alongside a comprehensive review, initiated by the Scottish Executive, aimed at simplifying Schedule 2 to the 1992 Act. Recommend that Boards be given more flexibility to appoint ordinary board members for a period less than four years. (Action: SFC, Scottish Executive, ASC, STUC, NUS Scotland)
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council by March 2008 to review with other relevant stakeholders the tenure of Board members, taking into account latest policy on public appointments.
Alongside this, the Scottish Government will initiate by the end of 2007 a review of schedule 2 to the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 with the aim of simplifying it. This review will, among other things, consider legislative changes that require to be made as a result of the reorganisation of the enterprise networks. In addition to considering whether Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Enterprise regional operations 7 should assume responsibility for nominating college board members, this review will provide an opportunity to consider whether there should be other board nominees, for example from the relevant local authority or local community planning partnership.
The Scottish Government will in due course consult on whether to give college boards more flexibility to appoint ordinary board members for a period of less than four years in cases where a board considers that to be desirable.
39. Recruitment to Boards Recommend Boards, in making appointments, should take account of full the range of criteria expected (e.g. skills, experience, equality, diversity). (Action: Scottish Executive, SFC, ASC)
I agree. I invite colleges to ensure this and invite the Scottish Funding Council to support boards take account of the full range of criteria expected.
I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008.
40. Recruitment process Recommend no change to current ability of Boards to appoint their own members, or to the procedure for appointing the Chair.
I agree.
Induction
41. Board induction arrangements Recommend that good practice guidance be developed by the ASC as an integral element of a wider training and development framework. (Action: ASC)
I agree. I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to develop this by March 2008.
Training and Development
42. Ongoing development of Board members Recommend development of a good practice framework by the ASC. Recommend that Chairs should have a role to review training needs of members. Recommend that SFC, working with other stakeholders and taking account of the success of SPARQS, develop a support mechanism for staff Board members building on, but avoiding duplication of, existing arrangements. (Action: SFC, working with ASC and STUC)
I agree. I will invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to develop a framework by March 2008.
I invite colleges to ensure that chairs have a role to review the training needs of members. I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008. I also note that the Scottish Funding Council now requires chairs to give a statement of assurance on board development activity in colleges' annual financial statement returns.
I invite the Scottish Funding Council to work with the Association of Scotland's Colleges and the Scottish Trades Union Congress to develop a support mechanism for staff Board members by March 2008. I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges and the Scottish Trades Union Congress to work with the Scottish Funding Council on this.
Board Structure and Meetings
43. Structure Recommend that Boards be encouraged to review their structures and processes to optimise impact of members, noting that the contribution of members is voluntary and limited. (Action: Scottish Executive, SFC, ASC)
I agree. I invite colleges to review this.
I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008.
44. Size and composition Recommend no change to current size. Recommend no change to requirement that 50% should have a commercial/professional etc background, but that the Scottish Executive give Boards clarification of the potentially wide interpretation of that provision (eg that it can include local authority sector, charity and community sector, etc). (Action: Scottish Executive)
I agree. The Scottish Government will write to colleges by December 2007 to provide this clarification.
I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008.
45. Role of staff and student members Recommend that training arrangements should emphasise the role of student and staff members (i.e. full Board members with identical responsibilities to others). (Action: NUS Scotland, STUC, ASC)
I agree. I invite colleges, the Scottish Funding Council, the National Union of Students Scotland, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and the Association of Scotland's Colleges to emphasise this.
46. Training for staff Board members Recommend that all Boards should have a formal training programme for staff Board members, with a focus on core governance skills and behaviour. (Action: Scottish Executive, ASC, STUC)
I agree. I invite colleges to ensure this.
I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008.
I invite the Scottish Trades Union Congress to support formal training programmes for staff Board members, where appropriate.
47. Restricted sessions at Board meetings Recommend that Boards should exclude members only in exceptional circumstances (consistent with the statement of Board member responsibilities). Recommend that guidance be issued on this issue. (Action: Scottish Executive)
I agree. The Scottish Government will write to colleges by December 2007 to provide this clarification.
I will invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008.
48. Encouragement of co-option Recommend that Boards be encouraged to make greater use of their ability to co-opt members to committees of the Board, including members of staff, with a view to improving succession planning, broadening representation, providing expertise and learning from other colleges. (Action: Scottish Executive)
I agree. I invite colleges to make greater use of their ability to co-opt members to committees of the Board.
I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008.
49. Information to Boards Recommend that Boards seek to ensure the enhancement of the quality of information presented to boards, taking account of relevant issues identified in DTZ's report. (Action: Scottish Executive)
I agree. I invite colleges to ensure the enhancement of the quality of information presented to boards, taking account of relevant issues identified in the report Review of Scotland's Colleges: Accountability and Governance by DTZ Consulting and Research.
Board Performance
50. Sharing good practice Recommend that ASC establishes a broad based 'community of practice'-style group for accountability and governance issues, tasked with the identification and sharing of good practice. [NOTE The STUC view is that the group should be established by the Scottish Executive rather than the ASC.] (Action: ASC)
I agree. I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to establish such a group by March 2008 and to ensure that the National Union of Students Scotland and the Scottish Trades Union Congress are among those represented on the group.
I invite the National Union of Students Scotland and the Scottish Trades Union Congress to participate in any such group.
51. Poor performance Recommend that Boards should have in place arrangements for evaluating their own performance, including that of individual members, committees and the Chair. (Action: Scottish Executive, SFC, ASC)
I agree. I invite colleges to have such arrangements in place.
I invite the Scottish Funding Council to support boards put such arrangements in place.
I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include guidance on arrangements for boards to evaluate their own performance by March 2008.
52. Academic quality Recommend that all Boards are closely involved in issues of academic quality, taking account of existing successful examples in other colleges and specifically in the approval and monitoring of quality assurance and improvement strategies. (Action: Scottish Executive)
I agree. I invite colleges to ensure this.
I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008.
I invite the Scottish Funding Council to encourage the involvement of Boards with quality issues and quality assurance.
Risk Management
53. Good practice Recommend that good practice in risk management be disseminated by the ASC, also highlighting the key role of the audit committee and other specialist committees. [NOTE The STUC consider that dissemination should be undertaken by the SFC or Audit Scotland, rather than the ASC.] (Action: ASC)
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council and the Association of Scotland's Colleges to disseminate such good practice by March 2008.
54. Risk registers Recommend that Boards be encouraged to use a separate risk register for each significant capital project. Registers should also be kept under regular review. ( Action: ASC, SFC)
I agree. I invite to colleges to pursue this.
I invite the Scottish Funding Council and the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance.
Financial Management
55. Annual financial cycle Recommend no change in annual financial cycle.
I agree.
56. Board member training Recommend that Board members receive appropriate financial training. (Action: ASC)
I agree. I invite colleges, Scottish Funding Council and the Association of Scotland's Colleges to ensure this.
57. Treatment of pension liabilities Recommend that the Funding Council review the implications for colleges. (Action: SFC)
I agree. I note that the Scottish Funding Council has now reviewed the implications and included a statement on this point in its circular SFC/27/2007, dated 15 June 2007 8.
Accountability
58. Possible statutory designation of college Accountable Officers Recommend no change to current arrangements.
I agree.
59. Role of college Accountable Officers Recommend that SFC issues clarification on the role of 'Accountable Officers'. (Action: SFC)
I agree. I note that the Scottish Funding Council has now published an explicit statement on this point in its circular SFC/10/2007, dated 16 February 2007 9.
Board Member Engagement
60. Good practice Recommend good practice be disseminated to colleges by the ASC, drawing on DTZ research evidence and the ROSCO desk research. [ NOTE The STUC consider that all stakeholders should be involved in dissemination, and not solely the ASC.] (Action: ASC)
I agree. I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to disseminate good practice and to ensure that the Scottish Government, the Scottish Funding Council, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and the National Union of Students Scotland are among those involved in any sector-wide dissemination events.
I invite the Scottish Funding Council, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and the National Union of Students Scotland to participate in any such events.
61. Visibility of Board members To improve the connectedness and visibility of Board members to external and internal stakeholders, recommend that visits, events and other communication opportunities should be employed. (Action: Scottish Executive, SFC, ASC)
I agree. I invite colleges to pursue this.
The Scottish Government will review how we can better engage with board members. I invite the Scottish Funding Council and the Association of Scotland's Colleges to review how they too can better engage.
62. Awareness of staff and student views Recommend that events such as internal focus groups and conferences should involve Board member participation wherever appropriate. (Action: Scottish Executive, SFC, ASC)
I agree. I invite colleges to pursue this.
I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges to include this in guidance by March 2008.
Student Representation on Boards
63. Support for student Board member(s) Recommend that Boards be encouraged to consider the creation of sabbatical posts. Recommend that Boards be encouraged to invite a second student nominee to attend Board meetings to provide support to the existing student Board member. Recommend Boards approve dedicated administrative support to the student association and its President. (Action: Scottish Executive, NUS Scotland, SFC, ASC)
I agree. I invite colleges to:
- consider the creation of a student sabbatical officer post;
- enable a second student nominee to attend Board meetings; and
- approve dedicated administrative support to the student association and its President.
I invite the Scottish Funding Council and the Association of Scotland's Colleges to issue guidance on supporting student board members by March 2008.
I invite the National Union of Students Scotland to assist affiliated colleges and their student associations to:
consider whether to create student sabbatical officer posts; and
establish, where appropriate, processes for such posts.
64. Integration of student members Acknowledging that student representatives have much shorter terms than other Board members, recommend that Boards bring the student member up to speed with all relevant issues as soon as possible. (Action: Scottish Executive, NUS Scotland)
I agree. I invite colleges to pursue this.
I invite the National Union of Students Scotland to assist affiliated colleges to brief new student board members effectively.
Staff Governance Standard
65. Development of staff governance standard Recommend that the issue be remitted to the Scottish Executive's Roundtable Forum. ( Action: Scottish Executive)
I want a staff governance standard for Scotland's colleges. I invite the Association of Scotland's Colleges and the Scottish Trades Union Congress to work together to develop such a standard and to report progress to the RoSCo Core Group 10 by June 2008. I invite colleges to adopt the standard once developed.
Recommendations on the strategic future of colleges
Role & Positioning
66. Scotland's colleges, the Scottish Executive and Scottish Funding Council should aspire to make colleges vocational education and training providers of choice for learners and employers.
I agree. The Scottish Government will organise a conference of stakeholders, including colleges and the Scottish Funding Council, to explore, among other things, how colleges can develop this position.
I invite the RoSCo Core Group to consider the report of the conference and to make further recommendations to me by July 2008.
67. The key roles for Scotland's colleges should be to:
- provide vocational education and training related to employment in response to national, regional and local needs;
- provide positive and clear routes for learners into employment or into higher education institutions; and
- support learners to develop their knowledge and skills so that they can feel confident in their work and in their lives.
I agree that the above are key roles for colleges. Another key role for colleges is to "encourage employer demand for skills and help employers better utilise the skills available to them, especially for small and medium sized enterprises".
The Scottish Government will organise a conference of stakeholders, including colleges and the Scottish Funding Council, to consider, among other things, how colleges' key roles may impact on the future positioning of the sector and how the college sector can best contribute to international lifelong learning.
I invite the RoSCo Core Group to consider the report of the conference and to make further recommendations to me by July 2008.
68. The Scottish Executive should work with stakeholders to more clearly define the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in the publicly funded tertiary education system. Funding and regulatory systems should then be aligned with these roles to enable colleges and other players to deliver.
I agree. The Scottish Government published its lifelong skills strategy on 10 September. In that strategy we defined the key roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the skills community and provided a framework for funding and regulation.
Leadership
69. Colleges should lead by example, in their communities, by demonstrating clear strategic leadership.
I agree. I invite colleges to pursue this.
70. Colleges, the Scottish Executive and Scottish Funding Council should promote and support the ongoing development of adaptive leadership capacity in the tertiary sector.
I agree. I invite to the Scottish Funding Council and colleges to promote and support this.
I am aware that the Principals' Continuous Professional Development ( CPD) Programme has identified 'appropriate leadership' as a topic of strategic interest for Scotland's colleges and that principals will jointly investigate a number of current and emerging models of ongoing leadership development that might be incorporated into the framework to support existing and prospective college leaders. I invite the CPD Programme to share its findings with the RoSCo Core Group by December 2007.
71. Colleges should continue to work together to develop a cohort of potential future leaders.
I agree. I invite colleges, the Association of Scotland's Colleges, the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Further Education Unit to pursue this.
72. Colleges, the Scottish Executive, Scottish Funding Council and other stakeholders should ensure that strategic, funding and regulatory regimes best support the development of adaptive leadership capacity in the tertiary sector.
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council, the Association of Scotland's Colleges and the Scottish Further Education Unit to also ensure that strategic, funding and regulatory regimes best support the development of leadership capacities.
Collaboration and Partnership
73. Colleges should be regarded as key strategic partners in their communities alongside other local stakeholders.
I agree. I invite colleges to acknowledge that they will best be regarded as key strategic partners by them demonstrating clear strategic leadership in their communities as outlined in Review recommendation 69.
In our lifelong skills strategy we articulated that local authorities need to ensure that all partners, including colleges and community based learning providers, are included in the production of Community Learning and Development strategies and that appropriate linkages are made to community planning. The Scottish Government will therefore obtain information from colleges and local authorities on their current level of engagement in community planning to help us consider whether action is required to ensure colleges are fully involved in the process.
74. The Scottish Executive should develop appropriate new models of partnership, adapt systems to support these new models, and clarify its expectations of those involved in partnerships.
I note this. The Scottish Government will organise a conference of stakeholders, including colleges and the Scottish Funding Council, to explore new models of partnership (among other things).
I invite the RoSCo Core Group to consider the report of the conference and to make further recommendations to me by July 2008.
The Scottish Government intends to achieve a simpler, smaller government in Scotland through de-cluttering and simplifying the public service landscape. Part of this approach will be to examine the range of local partnerships required by government to determine whether they still remain appropriate and ensure clarity about their role. Further details will be provided later this year on the detailed implications of the Government's approach.
75. Colleges and other stakeholders should strengthen their capacity to work in partnership and should continue to develop networks and work together to deliver their individual and collective aims and objectives. Organisations that support Scotland's colleges should promote this at a national level.
I agree. I want colleges and other learning providers to see themselves as part of a continuum of provision - links in a chain - of a single learning system to improve support for learning and promote successful transition and progression to and from college.
The Scottish Government will organise a conference of stakeholders, including colleges and the Scottish Funding Council, to explore, among other things, how the capacity of colleges and other stakeholders can be strengthened and supported.
I invite the RoSCo Core Group to consider the report of the conference and to make further recommendations to me by July 2008.
76. Colleges and other relevant stakeholders should consider further opportunities to share data and infrastructure.
I agree. Building on the work already being undertaken under the Efficient Government Initiative, I invite the Scottish Funding Council and other relevant stakeholders to:
review this;
examine the feasibility and benefits of other shared services for colleges, including backroom functions such as human resource management and finance; and
make recommendations to the RoSCo Core Group by September 2008.
I invite the Core Group to make recommendations to me by December 2008.
Responsiveness To Learners And Employers
77. Colleges should be aware of and respond to demand for learning from learners and employers and different segments of these markets, consistent with colleges' aims and objectives.
I agree. In the lifelong skills strategy we outline how we want colleges and other learning providers to ensure flexible provision which is increasingly responsive to the needs of individuals, employers and the wider economy
The Scottish Government will organise a conference of stakeholders, including colleges and the Scottish Funding Council, to explore, among other things, how colleges can be more flexible and responsive.
I invite the RoSCo Core Group to consider the report of the conference and to make further recommendations to me by July 2008.
78. Further work should be undertaken to consider how best to improve the effectiveness and timeliness of market intelligence, including better local interpretation of national and regional data, to ensure more informed decisions by colleges and learners.
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council to undertake this work.
Modernising Learning And Teaching
79. Colleges should, within the resources available to them, provide attractive modern learning environments and ensure that the location, timing and method of learning meet the changing needs of future learners and employers.
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council and colleges to pursue this.
We outline in our lifelong skills strategy that we need strong mechanisms for clearly articulating the skills that employers need now and what they may require in the future and we need providers, such as colleges, who can listen and who have the capacity to deliver. I invite colleges to work closely with employers and Sector Skills Councils to help understand - and respond to - the evolving needs of employers.
We know that individuals need the right essential skills to access and succeed at work and that employers value these skills In the strategy we outline that colleges and other learning providers embed these skills - literacy, numeracy and other core skills, personal and learning skills, skills for employability and other transferable skills - at all levels of post-compulsory learning.
I invite colleges to engage with developments arising from a Curriculum for Excellence in order to understand better the changing curriculum needs and aspirations of school pupils and school leavers.
80. Colleges, supported by the Scottish Funding Council, should develop and evaluate their practices by capitalising on the ongoing development of research into the human mind and its implications for learning and teaching.
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council and colleges to pursue this.
81. Colleges should continue to exploit the opportunities presented by information and communication technology to support a blended approach to learning and teaching.
I agree. I invite the Scottish Funding Council and colleges to pursue this.
General Recommendations
82. The Scottish Executive should initiate early work to: clarify the positioning and key roles of colleges and other stakeholders with an interest in the tertiary sector; develop regulatory and funding regimes to support this; and strengthen adaptive leadership capacity.
I agree. In our lifelong skills strategy we defined the key roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the skills community and provided a framework for funding and regulation.
As mentioned above, I invite the Principals' CPD Programme to share its findings on leadership development with the RoSCo Core Group by December 2007.
83. The Scottish Executive, colleges and key agencies should continue to use futures work as a strategic development tool.
I agree. The Scottish Government will organise a conference of stakeholders, including colleges, to explore, through the use of scenarios developed as part of the Review, how best colleges can meet future opportunities and challenges in three key areas: role and positioning, collaboration and partnership and responsiveness to learners and employers.
I invite the Scottish Funding Council and the Association of Scotland's Colleges to consider whether to incorporate futures work in to the strategic planning processes for colleges.
More generally, the Scottish Government's Futures Project 11 is ongoing. The Project seeks to assess the key challenges and opportunities that Scotland might face over the next 20 years or so. Its purpose is to stimulate debate and to help ensure that all the aspects of government activity work effectively together to best position Scotland for the future.
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