External Projects Policy
The purpose of this document is to set out University College Falmouth's key principles and responsibilities relating to external projects. The underlying implementation procedures (customer management, financial and contractual) are covered separately.
Other related policies, to be approved during the 2003 autumn term, are the University College’s intellectual property rights and costing and pricing policies
- Definitions
‘Business Relations’ is the term used to describe all activities that link UCF to businesses (profit and non profit organisations including employers and self-employed practitioners) and includes:
- Engaging with employers to inform curriculum design and support programme delivery (visiting practitioners, student placements etc)
- Undertaking applied research in collaboration with employers
- Generating and exploiting Intellectual Property or Know-how through licensing or business start-up
- External projects
‘External Projects’ refers to one element of business relation activity and encompasses:
- Short courses (non accredited and accredited up to 10 weeks)
- Commercial Training
- Art & Design Commissions
- Video and Broadcasting Commissions
- Other Knowledge transfer projects (eg consultancy, applied research)
- Hire of technically supported facilities
‘Subject Matter Expert’ means a UCF staff member who, as a result of their specialist knowledge, takes responsibility for quality control for specific external projects and the selection of external providers.
‘Project Leader’ is an individual member of staff often the ‘Subject Matter Expert’ who takes responsibility for the project.
This policy refers only to the external projects element of Business Relations.
- Context
UCF’s success to date has been predicated on its strong teaching in Art, Design and Media. Research activity, supported by modest levels of HEFCE RAE funding, has been critical in supporting teaching and learning, fostering a culture of scholarship and intellectual enquiry. Hitherto Business Relations has been developed most effectively at specific programme level through links with professional practice, placements and the involvement of employers in curriculum design, validation and programme delivery. Up until recently the University College has lacked any dedicated resource to support and develop this interaction with business.
Increasingly the University College’s income from Europe, SWRDA and HEFCE for Business Relations is growing and a key measure of UCF's success within CUC will be the impact it has on business development within the local and regional economy.
This change in funding environment, along with the demands of students and employers, enables the University College to develop Business Relations activity, building upon existing experience, and backed up by strong applied research (complemented by the University College’s new Research Capability strategy). Business Relations' activity is an integral aspect of UCF's mission and should contribute to the ongoing support and enhancement of teaching quality.
- Principles
- Contributing to economic regeneration in Cornwall and the Region is a strategic goal of UCF.
- External projects activity makes a key input into the University College’s work with business in developing the economy.
- External projects are considered to be complementary to teaching by providing students and staff with a business interface for professional skills development. This point is emphasised within the strong employability strand of the University College’s Learning and Teaching Strategy.
- Applied Research undertaken at UCF will underpin and provide the intellectual capital for external projects activity and IPR exploitation.
- Engagement in external projects is strongly encouraged and incentives are in place to recognise contributions of programme teams, resource departments and individual staff and students.
- External Projects is strongly encouraged throughout the year, but with an emphasis on using resources during the summer and Easter breaks.
- External Projects will all be conducted at different levels, but regardless of the level, the quality of work will be monitored by a subject matter expert to ensure it enhances UCF’s brand and reputation.
- Collaborative work on external projects is valued, particularly projects in partnership with CUC partners and other complementary organisations.
- Responsibilities:
In relation to External Project Work, the main responsibilities are:
- Head of Business Relations
To investigate what business’s need from UCF and endeavour to match resources to demand.
To oversee all enquiries and ensure they are directed to the most appropriate person(s) within the institution or externally through the South West Regional Support Network.
To advise and help staff and students in external project work and where appropriate to act as a bridge between academic staff and business people.
To ensure that contracts with third parties cover all significant risks for the University College and are priced in accordance with the University College’s costing and pricing policy.
To monitor all external projects in terms of customer satisfaction and quality, with the support of the nominated subject matter expert.
- Members of SME
Members of SME, in particular the Deans and the Directors Academic Services have staff and resources within their departments which can contribute to external projects.
They should identify, in consultation with the Head of Business Relations, realistic targets for external projects activity on an annual basis. Personal Objectives of staff in the Faculties and Academic Services should reflect the potential for external projects work. In this way, the Deans and Director of Academic Services, as line managers, can plan for the commitments of staff in their areas.
Deans and the Director of Academic Services should ensure that income received from staff input or facilities used within external projects is used to safeguard teaching quality and or enhance technical facilities.
All members of SME recognise within their respective areas of operation that there are certain imperatives required to deliver external projects, (e.g. car-parking, flexible employment contracts) and should support the business relations mission by ensuring where possible that these imperatives are met.
- Programme Leaders/Resource Manager
Programme leaders or technical staff shall keep their SME line manager appraised of potential projects and progress against approved external projects. Where programme leaders are nominated as project leaders or subject matter experts, they shall support the Business Relations Office in ensuring that both the content and, where appropriate, the external provider, is of a quality commensurate with the UCF brand.
- Business Fellows
Business Fellows are charged with promoting and delivering external projects and fostering relation between business and the academic staff and students. They will often be the nominated project leader.
- Head of Business Relations
- Enquiries
All enquiries are to be channelled through to the Business Relations Office. Administrative support, including replies, contracts and correspondence on external projects, is dealt with by the Business Relations Office where all files are retained.
- Approval
An internal document called a project form (PF1) must be completed and approved before each project is committed to. It identifies the project leader, the nature of the project and the associated resources statement. This is approved by the Head of Business Relations in consultant with the relevant project leader and the SME line manager. Where there are potential conflicts with teaching activity, these must be addressed by the project leader in consultation with their SME line manager.
Accredited short courses will need to be approved in line with the University College’s quality assurance procedures.
- Contracts, Pricing and Project Underwriting
Contracts to customers and subcontractors are issued by the Business Relations Office in compliance with the University College’s legal advice.
Within the guidelines of the University College’s costing and pricing policy, the Business Relations Office will negotiate and agree prices with customers. Pricing will recognise the full costs of staff input and all indirect costs. Any divergence from these guidelines must be approved in advance by the Director of Finance.
In advance of any project being approved, the income of which cannot meet the full costs, an agreement must be made between Business Relations and the sponsoring department on the underwriting of any proposed project. The project leader is responsible for managing the project within the allowable budget.
Contractual and pricing issues will be monitored periodically by the Finance Team.
- Financial Management
All costs of delivering (as determined by the pricing and costing policy) the project will be charged to the project. Therefore charges for use of the Media Centre will be credited to the Media Resources budget and academic staff time on projects will be credited back to the relevant programme budget.
The programme leader or resources manager may use this income to pay for backfill if required.
In addition to receiving their costs, programmes leaders or resource managers will also receive a percentage of the net income. This will be agreed upfront on a project by project basis to reflect the respective input from the Business Relations Office and the programme/resource staff, but typically will be split 75% department/programme - 25% Business Relations.
Income generated by programmes/resource centres can be carried forward from one financial year to the following year (for one year only).
- Evaluation
Within one month of completion a project a qualitative and financial evaluation report is to be produced by the Project Leader. The Finance Team will feed the financial outturn into the report. Copies of the evaluation report will be sent to the Head of Business Relations and the SME Line Manager. Any lessons learnt will be applied to other projects via the Head of Business Relations.
Customer satisfaction feedback will be undertaken independently by the Business Relations Office.
- Disagreement
Staff will be expected to resolve differences in a professional manner but exceptionally where a conflict cannot be resolved, the Rector will make the final decision.
- Review
The policy will be reviewed after 12 months in light of experience.
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