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Collaboration and shared services in UK higher education

Improving higher education efficiency through shared services

Today, the Efficiency Exchange team is at Inside Government's Improving higher education efficiency through shared services event in Manchester, so what better time to share some of our resources on shared services.

University and council publish cost sharing group options

A HEFCE-funded study into establishing a cost sharing group (CSG) to deliver VAT-exempt IT services to Portsmouth schools has been published. The study by the University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth City Council investigates ways of sharing resources and the demand for a not-for-profit CSG.

Portsmouth Cost Sharing Group Investigation

In April 2014 HEFCE gave an award to the University of Portsmouth to explore the feasibility of setting up a cost sharing group to deliver IT services to education providers across Portsmouth, in collaboration with Portsmouth City Council. This report, published in February 2016, sets out options for sharing resources with potential participants.

HERBi shared services tool goes live

A web-based tool that allows higher education institutions to explore the quantitative and qualitative costs and benefits of sharing services is now live. Project manager Simon Perks tells us more about how HERBi can help you.

Jisc selects pilots for new shared service

Jisc has selected 13 institutions to pilot its research data management shared service and also announced an accompanying network to engage with interested institutions who are not part of the pilot.
Image courtesy of Cardiff University.

Creating a shared library management system for Wales

The Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum (WHELF) is a partnership to deliver a library management system across Welsh university libraries, thought to be the first of its kind in the UK. Programme Manager Gareth Owen explains how the THELMA award-winning project will bring benefits to its members.
Andrew Rothwell

Will we recognise the university of the future?

Following yesterday's article looking at the future role of shared services in higher education, Andrew Rothwell and Ian Herbert of Loughborough Universities’ Centre for Global Sourcing and Services highlight how digital relationships and offshoring will transform universities - and possibly secure their survival.

Are we really competing? Should we be collaborating?

Following their presentation last week to the Embracing Efficiencies and Shared Services in Higher Education event, Andrew Rothwell and Ian Herbert of Loughborough University's Centre for Global Sourcing and Services outline their prediction for a range of new public-private partnerships with shared services centres taking a key role.

New HERBi shared services tool seeks beta-testers

The HEFCE-funded ‘HERBi’ project, which will help institutions to understand the potential costs and savings of shared services arrangements, is almost ready for launch. And project manager Simon Perks is looking for volunteers to test the interactive tool before it goes live
AHUA logo

Focus on the bottom line could jeopardise innovation, warns COO

As universities increasingly need to consider their bottom lines, University of London's Chris Cobb urges them not to lose sight of the common good when it comes to commissioning services. Read his post on the AHUA blog.