The Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has launched a major programme of work that will support universities and colleges in improving how they evaluate the impact of their outreach schemes [note 1].
OFFA will support multiple projects that, in collaboration with universities, examine the most effective methods of measuring and analysing the impact of outreach targeted at various learner groups. Practical evaluation tools will be developed for all universities and colleges to use if they wish.
This will support universities and colleges in evaluating more robustly, so they can ensure that the substantial investment [note 2] of money and effort that they make in outreach is strategic and directed towards the activities that are likely to have the greatest impact.
As such this programme of work is a key aspect of how OFFA challenges and supports universities and colleges to take an increasingly strategic approach to their access agreements.
OFFA has published an invitation to tender for the first project today at http://bit.ly/29j825Y, which seeks researchers to work in collaboration with universities over the next 12 months or more. This project, a partnership with the Sutton Trust, will focus on outreach for young people who are the first in their families to apply to university.
Professor Les Ebdon, Director of Fair Access to Higher Education, said:
“I have challenged universities and colleges to evaluate their work robustly and consistently because that will help them to make further, faster progress in improving access [note 3].
“Evaluation is key to squeezing maximum impact from every pound and every hour invested in widening participation. This is why OFFA has been so keen to understand the impact of financial support [note 4]. I am pleased that we are now able to continue to support the sector in meeting this challenge by launching this new programme of work.
“It will help everyone working to widen participation to learn more about what is likely to be most effective in their context. That improved understanding will help universities and colleges increasingly use evidence-led approaches to delivering impact through their access agreements.
“The projects will be institution-led and collaborative, which is OFFA’s preferred way of supporting research. I am very pleased that we are partnering with the Sutton Trust for the first project and look forward to forming similar partnerships with other organisations for future work.”
Sir Peter Lampl, Chairman of the Sutton Trust and of the Education Endowment Foundation, said today:
“Universities are under considerable pressure to get more disadvantaged young people into higher education but there is a severe lack of evidence [note 5] about the factors that make some approaches work better than others. With the access gap at our most selective universities still far too wide, the new research will help give us a much clearer picture of what works best.”
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