Pursuant to sections 159X and 159Y of the Education Act 1989, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) gives the following notice.
N o t i c e
1. This notice may be cited as the Requirements and Exemptions for Profiles (Investment Plans) for 2008–2010 for Tertiary Education Organisations Notice 2007.
2. This notice applies from the date of its publication.
Introduction
3. From 2008, in the interests of streamlining the funding process and reducing compliance costs for tertiary education organisations, charters and profiles will be merged into one document called an Investment Plan (“Plan”).
4. To access funding from the TEC for 2008 and onwards, all organisations, other than those exempted by this
notice, are required to have an approved Plan in place by
31 December 2007 that covers the three-year period
from 2008 to 2010.
5. Plans will be summary-level documents, subject to ongoing dialogue and annual review. The scale of the
Plans will vary, depending on the size and complexity of
the organisation.
6. The TEC retains the right to revisit and vary any funding decision it makes, or funding condition it develops, pursuant to any relevant and applicable funding determination under section 159ZA of the Act.
Content Requirements for Plans
7. Investment Plans submitted to the TEC will be the output of dialogue between each organisation and the TEC. The Plan will present a summary of the organisation’s planning context, its three-year outlook and planned provision. The Plan will also set out the key performance indicators to be used for monitoring progress and achievement.
8. The Plan must include the following information (comprising four parts):
(i) Plan Context (this section establishes the framework for the rest of the Plan)
Outline of the particular factors the organisation has considered and intends to respond to in its Plan, including:
? Government priorities in the Tertiary
Education Strategy 2007–12 (the TES/STEP – incorporating Statement of Tertiary Education Priorities 2008–10*) including the distinctive contribution expected of the type of organisation;
? Needs and priorities of stakeholders (including students);
? Areas for organisational capability development (including those for the delivery of quality education and research).
The organisation’s role within the tertiary education system (its special character) including:
? Brief statements on the organisation’s core purpose and local, regional, industry or national fit, including any shifts required to achieve these.
(ii) Three-year Outlook
Planned activity for the three-year period to address the factors identified in the Plan Context including:
? Outcomes the organisation intends to achieve;
? Initiatives, including capability development, that will be undertaken to achieve those outcomes;
and any other key changes in core activities.
(iii) Summary of Activity
Information on delivery over the three-year period of the Plan including:
? Student Achievement Component (SAC) or Industry Training Fund student numbers by National Qualification Award Level (1–10);
? Total TEC funding sought (including SAC by funding category**, and TEO Component as appropriate for each type of organisation);
? Planned student numbers in more detail if requested by the TEC.
(iv) Key Performance Indicators
Measures to be used in evaluating performance against the Plan, including:
? Outcome commitments for the key performance indicators* in relation to STEP priorities, and the key shifts expected of each type of organisation in the TES/STEP;
? Other organisational outcome commitments for initiatives and changes in the Three-year Outlook.
Decision-Making Criteria
9. In reaching a decision about what to approve within the Investment Plan, including what to fund and the period of funding, the TEC will consider the following in relation to each tertiary organisation***:
? The organisation’s planned alignment with the TES/STEP, including the distinctive contribution and key shifts expected of that type of organisation, and its contribution to the tertiary network of provision;
? Evidence of effective identification of stakeholder needs and priorities;
? The organisation’s governance and management arrangements, and financial viability;
? Evidence of the organisation’s capability in forecasting, planning and implementation;
? Past performance against organisational commitments (including quality and capability improvement commitments);
? Evidence of critical reflection on current performance;
? The allocation of Student Achievement Component, TEO Component and other Government funding available to the organisation;
? Whether the activities outlined in the Plan are appropriate and achievable;
? Whether any conditions or limits on funding are required, having regard to any relevant and applicable funding determinations issued by the Minister under section 159ZA of the Education Act.
Exemptions
10. The following organisations are exempted from the requirement to prepare and submit a Plan in 2007 for funding in 2008:
? Organisations that the TEC is contracting only pilot initiatives and who otherwise receive no other funding from the TEC;
? Employers only receiving workplace literacy funding from the TEC;
? Government training establishments;
? Schools seeking or receiving tertiary funding;
? Rural Education Activities Programme providers (REAPs);
? Community education providers;
? Private training establishments (PTEs) that currently receive, or intend to apply for, less than $2,000,000.00 in TEC funding.
Timeline and Process
11. The TEC Investment Guidance to assist organisations
in developing their Plans includes the process and Plan submission date. The Investment Guidance will be available on the TEC’s website at www.tec.govt.nz in mid-April 2007.
Dated at Wellington this 28th day of March 2007.
RUSSELL MARSHALL, Chair, Tertiary Education Commission.
Key to Footnotes
* Further details on the TES/STEP, distinctive contributions, key shifts and key performance indicators are contained in the TEC Investment Guidance, which is subject to consultation with the tertiary education sector, and will be released in mid-April.
** Standard Training Measure for Industry Training Organisations.
*** In reaching its decision, the TEC will take into account information in the Plan and information gathered during Plan discussions.