[SEETLLD RSCCG/05]
CORE GROUP
REVIEW OF SCOTLAND'S COLLEGES
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CONSULTATION INITIATIVES
Purpose
1. To seek members' views on whether there are specific consultation initiatives the Executive should be undertaking as part of the Review of Scotland's Colleges.
Background
2. At its first meeting the Core Group discussed ideas about future consultation events. It was agreed that a paper should be prepared for the next meeting.
Earlier Core Group Discussion
3. The Core Group recognised the pressures that stakeholders, including the business community face, in trying to attend the large number of consultation events being run throughout Scotland. Also there is a need to avoid other clashing with other consultation events such as the Funding Council's corporate plan event scheduled for the summer.
4. A number of suggestions were made, including:
n tasking members of the working groups with consulting the organisations/sectors that they represent;
n using existing networking events to undertake consultation exercises; and
n hosting regional consultation events as these might obtain ideas that have not previously been thought about.
5. The Scottish Further Education Unit also offered use of their forthcoming events to spread the message about the Review and to seek comments about the Review.
Consultation Activity
6. The Review of Scotland's Colleges is a stakeholder-led review. Stakeholder organisations are represented on the Core Group and the review's four Working Groups. Consultation with stakeholders is therefore integral to the way in which the review is being conducted.
7. In addition, as part of the Difference Colleges Make workstream, the Reviews Team visited six colleges and discussed issues with staff and students. The Team attended one college to discuss issues specifically with trade union learners. They also visited a number of other organisations, such as Dundee City Council, to hear their views on the difference colleges make.
8. Discussions have as taken place with Presidents of FE Student Associations at an NUS Scotland event, and with members of Human Resources Communities of Practice network.
9. The Review was a key part of the 2005 Annual Conference of the Scottish Further Education Unit. There are other opportunities to feed into existing events. For example, the Reviews Team will be attending an event on 23 February to launch a Student Participation in Quality Scotland report.
10. The Executive is organising a series of meetings with stakeholders to begin initial discussions about colleges' strategic future. This work is scheduled to be completed by the end of March.
Working Groups
11. As the work of the Working Groups progress, the Groups will be invited to consider whether there is a need for wider consultation on any emerging proposals.
Further Initiatives
12. Given the previous views of Core Group members, the Executive has not pursued arrangements for regional events, relying instead on the work of individual Working Groups - such as the discussions taking place about colleges' strategic future.
13. Views from members are sought on whether there are more general consultation initiatives the Executive should be undertaking.
Reviews Team: Scotland 's Colleges
February 2006