Presentation at OECD webinar on 15 November 2021 providing an overview of performance compacts in Ireland

1. OECD
Knowledge exchange webinar on institutional performance agreements in
higher education - 15 November
HEA 15/11/21

2. Higher
Education in
Ireland - HEIs
• 8 Universities
• 5 Technological Unis
• 2 Institutes of Technology
(TUs -12 = 2)
• 4 Colleges of Education
• A number of (partly)
publicly-funded small
colleges and private third-
level colleges
HEA 15/11/21

3. Higher
Education in
Ireland -
Funding
• Core Grant
• Undergrad fees
• (note free fees)
• Research
• (via core and competitive)
• Skills & Targeted Funds
• (via core and competitive)
• Access Supports
• Disadvantage, disability,
etc., follows students
HEA 15/11/21
IoT €18M
Uni €59M

4. HEA
Strategy &
Performance
Dialogue
 Mission based performance compacts
 Agreed between HEA and HEIs for a three year timeline
 Annual reporting, strategy & performance meetings (‘Dialogue’)
 HEA has external assistance (international experts, peers)
 Performance compacts are HEI strategy derived with reference to national strategy /
priorities
 System performance framework and emerging themes (see slides 3 & 4)
 Self-evaluation report from HEIs (SERs = risk -3 to -5% of ‘core’ allocation)
 Impact Assessment Case studies (IACs = rewards up to €5M)
 Opportunity to consider strategic performance / responsiveness
 Possibility of financial impact (-3 to 5%) vis SER and reward via IACs
HEA 15/11/21

5. Key System
Objectives
for the
Higher
Education
System 2018–
2020
 1. Providing a strong talent pipeline combining knowledge, skills & employability which responds
effectively to the needs of our enterprise, public service and community sectors, both nationally and
regionally, and maintains Irish leadership in Europe for skill availability;
 2. Creating rich opportunities for national and international engagement which enhances the learning
environment and delivers a strong bridge to enterprise and the wider community;
 3. Excellent research, development and innovation that has relevance, growing engagement with external
partners and impact for the economy and society and strengthens our standing to become an Innovation
Leader in Europe;
 4. Significantly improves the equality of opportunity through Education and Training and recruits a student
body that reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland’s population;
 5. Demonstrates consistent improvement in the quality of the learning environment with a close eye to
international best practice through a strong focus on quality & academic excellence;
 6. Demonstrates consistent improvement in governance, leadership and operational excellence.
HEA 15/11/21

6. Evolving
National
Policy
Objectives /
Themes 2020
 7. Student progression (HEA 2018, Report on progression of undergraduate students);
 8. Graduate employability (HEA 2018, First Destinations Report);
 9. Addressing Teacher Supply Challenges (DES 2018, Teacher Supply Action Plan);
 10. Sustainable development (National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development 2014–2020);
 11. Climate Action (Climate Action Plan 2019);
 12. Informed consent (DES 2019, Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions);
 13. Enhancement of counselling services in higher education institutions (Main Features of Budget 2019:
Education & Skills);
 14. Mental Health (Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018 – 2023).
 15. Student Engagement (HEA, 2016, Enhancing student engagement in decision-making; National Student
Engagement Programme).
HEA 15/11/21

7. HEI Self
Evaluation
 Self-Evaluation report detailing a robust and critical assessment
of progress in implementing performance compacts
 Review should highlight where there has been any divergence
from plans and goals set out in agreed compacts
 Benchmark HEI performance, either at institutional level or
according to a particular objective, with that of chosen national
and/ or international comparators and demonstrate any
learnings from the process
 RAG assessment
 Performance vs Learning
HEA 15/11/21

8. HEI Self
Evaluation –
Learning
Outcomes
 Is there anything we can learn from initiative that would help other initiatives
reach the green category?
 Are there any risks that could move this initiative to amber/red at the next
review point and if so, what can be done now to mitigate those risks?
 What actions can be taken now that will move the initiative to green in the
future?
 Are there any risks that could move initiative to red at a future review-point?
 Are the reasons for the red status understood?
 Are there lessons that can be learnt for other initiatives to avoid going red?
 Is there a recovery plan? If not: one should be constructed, with concrete
actions assigned to accountable people to agreed deadlines.
HEA 15/11/21

9. Impact Case
Study
 To showcase exemplars of where Institutions have successfully delivered
on Key System Objectives and evolving national policy objectives;
 To evaluate performance in the sector in specific areas;
 To inform the allocation of performance funding and identify areas for
potential further development and investment in the sector;
 To enhance learning across the system, including by publishing a selection
of case studies in the form of vignettes on the HEA website and
publicising them through traditional and social media channels and
networks.
HEA 15/11/21

10. Performance Funding Awards 2021
The successful case studies have been published on the HEA’s website
(https://hea.ie/funding-governance-performance/managing-
performance/institutional-stories-of-impact ).
HEA 15/11/21
HEI Impact Assessment Case Study Title Award
AIT & LIT Regional University Network – European University (RUN-EU) €1m
ITC Supporting Family Carers Across Ireland €1m
MTU Teaching, Learning, Assessment & Student Engagement (TLASE) –
Enhancement through Leadership Development and Partnership
Approaches
€1m
NUIG NUI Galway Delivering on Gender Equality €1m
UCC Inclusive Education Pathways for Students with Intellectual Disabilities at
UCC
€1m
Total €5m

11. Lessons
Learned
 Need positive as well as sanction options – negative
only limits risk and innovation;
 Financial penalty not always useful, poor performance
is often resource or capacity related;
 Limit framework and objectives, too many strategic
goals are unworkable - and be bottom up not top down;
 Allow time to draft and to negotiate compacts;
 Build system capacity - to set and measure performance
and to articulate impact.
HEA 15/11/21