Collaborative Partners: 11 Universities and a selection of partners from business, third and public sectors
Collaboration type: two-way secondments between university staff and external partners
Nation: Wales
Cost per placement: Maximum of £2,500 inclusive of expenses
Summary: The Strategic Insight Programme (SIP) is a HEFCW funded pan-Wales programme to encourage university staff to develop links with a wide variety of partners in private, public and third sectors. There is a particular focus on encouraging staff to take part that are new to building relationships with external partners. This collaboration has been running since 2008 and has funded over 300 placements.
The Strategic Insight Programme (SIP) is a HEFCW funded pan-Wales programme to encourage university staff to develop links with a wide variety of partners in private, public and third sectors. There is a particular focus on encouraging staff to take part that are new to building relationships with external partners. However, Kate Slowinski the programme manager, based at the University of Glamorgan, points out that the SIP placements are not designed to emulate traditional sabbaticals.
“The SIP placements are deliberately quite short, about a week rather than months or a year. This reduces the cost and allows us to fund more of them. With just 50 hours available the university staff and external partners must create a clear set of objectives for the placement,” explains Kate.
“Since the pilot phase we have refined the placement process, requiring objectives and outcomes to be more closely linked, with easier ways to measure outcomes and potential longer term impact.” Kate Slowinski
SIP has been running since 2008, and by the end of 2012 it had funded over 300 placements, generating approximately £1.5m in additional income for Welsh universities, compared to an overall programme cost of just under £500,000. The placements appear to be successful in meeting the objective of building longer term relationships: 79% of participants from the final year of the pilot phase (2010-11) reported that they still retain a relationship with the partner. The placements have resulted in a variety of outcomes: a third have resulted in collaborative research bids, others have helped to create new student placements or employment opportunities and in some cases the partner organisations have contributed to curriculum development.
The eligibility criteria for SIP funding are very light touch. This gives university staff and partners great flexibility to shape how the placement is structured and encourages a broad range of placements across all disciplines. There have been placements with international corporations, public sector services, local SMEs and third sector organisations. The primary criterion is that the placement engenders collaboration between the two partners. It should contribute to the university’s strategic objectives as well as drive forward innovation and the aims of the partner organisation. There is also potential to further the research or teaching interests of the individual academics.
“One of the issues that we encountered during the pilot phase was managing expectations within the limited time frame of the placements. We encourage participants to be realistic about what they can achieve in terms of the number of objectives. Since the pilot phase we have refined the placement process, requiring objectives and outcomes to be more closely linked, with easier ways to measure outcomes and potential longer term impact. This helps applicants to focus on what they want to achieve in the time that they have.”
SIP is administered centrally by a small team based at Glamorgan University, with SIP liaison officers at each participating Welsh university who act as first point of contact for the university staff. This centralised model significantly reduces the cost of operation for the universities involved. There is a light administrative structure. With no grant committee meetings to convene the office can make a decision on an application within days.
“Our approach is to encourage collaboration in its many varieties” Kate Slowinski
It also provides a clearly signposted point of contact for businesses interested in exploring opportunities for partnering with an HEI. The central office actively promotes SIP to businesses networks through social media and external events to bring universities and potential partners together.
Kate’s advice to others looking to set up something similar is to be flexible. SIP provides much more strategic direction and co-ordination for placements than existed before but has left open the type of placement that can be funded. “Our approach is to encourage collaboration in its many varieties as long as there are clear objectives and support from the department or HEI. This has proved a successful model.”
Contact for further information:
Kate Slowinski
Strategic Insight Programme Manager, University of Glamorgan
kslowins@glam.ac.uk
Tel: 01443 654278
Do you have a case study to share? Please get in touch through the form below:{rsform 3}
Share this article
