Merger proposal version 9.1 final

A proposal for the merger of

Edinburgh’s Telford College,

Jewel & Esk College and

Stevenson College Edinburgh

to

create Edinburgh College, serving

Edinburgh and the Lothians

[20th April 2012]

Further information

For further information on this document please contact any of the following:

Miles Dibsdall OBE, Principal, Edinburgh’s Telford [email protected] 0131 559 4000

Mandy Exley, Principal, Jewel & Esk [email protected] 0131 344 7172

Brian Lister OBE, Principal, Stevenson College [email protected] 0131 535 4628

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mailto:[email protected]



Contents

Foreword .................................................................................................................................. 3

1. Introduction to the merger proposal ..................................................................................... 4

2. Context ................................................................................................................................. 2

2.2 Edinburgh’s Telford College ............................................................................................... 2 2.3 Jewel & Esk College .......................................................................................................... 3 2.4 Stevenson College Edinburgh ............................................................................................ 3

3. Aim and objectives of the merger ......................................................................................... 5

3.1 The overall vision for Edinburgh College ........................................................................... 5 3.2 The seven key principles3.3 Why merge now? ............................................................................................................... 8

4. Options appraisal

4.1 The status quo (as projected into the future) ..................................................................... 9 4.2 A strong federation ........................................................................................................... 11 4.3 Full merger ...................................................................................................................... 12 4.4 Conclusion in favour of merger ....................................................................................... 14

5. Academic vision for Edinburgh College ............................................................................. 15

5.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 15 5.2 Pursuit of excellence in Edinburgh College ...................................................................... 15 5.3 Edinburgh College: one learning community ................................................................... 16 5.4 Specific academic benefits ............................................................................................... 18 5.5 The quality of the student experience .............................................................................. 22 5.6 The range/breadth of provision and qualifications ........................................................... 24 5.7 Specialist facilities and profile .......................................................................................... 24 5.8 Implications for tertiary education in Scotland .................................................................. 26 5.9 The student voice ............................................................................................................. 30

6. People strategy .................................................................................................................. 33

6.1 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 33 6.2 Employee relations ........................................................................................................... 34 6.3 Employee engagement .................................................................................................... 34 6.4 Staff development ............................................................................................................ 35 6.5 Self-evaluation ................................................................................................................. 36 6.6 Health, safety and well-being ........................................................................................... 37 6.7 Business continuity .......................................................................................................... 37

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7. Financial benefits of the proposed merger ........................................................................ 39

7.2 Commercial and international strategy……………………………….…………...………….40

8. The consultation process ………………………………………………………….……………43

8.1 External consultation…………….…………………………………………………………… 43 8.2 Internal consultation…………………………..……………………………………………… 44 8.3 Summary of consultation………..……………………….…………………………………….45

9. Governance and management ........................................................................................... 47

9.1 College name ................................................................................................................... 47 9.2 Proposed governance and management structures ........................................................ 47 9.3 Management .................................................................................................................... 52

10. Implementation and strategy ............................................................................................ 54

10.1 Timetable to vesting day ................................................................................................ 54 10.2 Communications strategy ............................................................................................... 55 10.3 Merger costs .................................................................................................................. 58

11. Risks to implementation of the merger/risk register ........................................................ 60

Appendix 1 – The Partnership Board and the Deed of Partnership ...................................... A 2

Appendix 2: Academic Plan …………….…………………………………………………………A7

Appendix 3: Learning and Teaching Strategy for Edinburgh College .................................... A 8

Appendix 4: Curriculum Strategy for Edinburgh College ....................................................... A 9

Appendix 5: Learner Entitlement Strategy for Edinburgh College ....................................... A 12

Appendix 6: Quality Strategy for Edinburgh College ........................................................... A 15

Appendix 7: Equality and Diversity Strategy for Edinburgh College .................................... A 17

Appendix 8: Edinburgh College ICT and Information Systems Vision ................................. A 19

Appendix 9: Edinburgh College Estates Strategy ................................................................ A 23

Appendix 10: Detailed information on consultation activities ............................................... A 26

Appendix 11: Assessment matrix to determine host college .............................................. A 28

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Appendix 12: Full risk register…………………………………………………………….……..A28

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Foreword

This proposal to merge three successful colleges emphasises a shared vision of academic benefits to our students and partners and a commitment to the pursuit of excellence. Colleges are no strangers to change and over the years have proved agile in reshaping structures and provision to match the needs of their communities and, more widely, the Scottish economy. The proposed merger will build on existing successful collaborations across all three colleges.

The three partner colleges all make a distinctive contribution to the life and work of the region. Each has a reputation that goes beyond the borders of Scotland, bringing in international learners and commercial partnerships. From this firm foundation, we look forward to a new institution that combines strengths across the creative industries, tourism and hospitality with exciting new developments in engineering, such as clean energy. Its curriculum offer will be planned to meet the specific needs of government and employers and to support economic development.

The strength and depth of the options available to prospective students will be enhanced by the pooling of our talented staff and the sharing of specialist accommodation and facilities. The combined experience of our staff in providing support for students and reaching out to the disadvantaged in our communities will help to make the learning experience valuable and relevant for all our learners.

These are exciting times, albeit tempered with an understanding of the financial management challenges that will face us in the short term. However, the three Boards of Management approach this merger with confidence that we have the support and commitment of the Scottish Government, and a shared desire to establish a new merged college for Edinburgh and the Lothians that will rank alongside the very best.

Jim Donaldson CBE Ian Young Jim Ewing

Chair of Edinburgh’s Telford College

Chair of Jewel & Esk College Chair of Stevenson College Edinburgh

MySignature MySignature MySignature

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1. Introduction to the merger proposal

This document sets out a proposal, agreed by the three Boards of Management, to merge Edinburgh’s Telford College (ETC), Jewel & Esk College (JEC) and Stevenson College Edinburgh (SCE) with effect from 1st October 2012. The new institution will be known as Edinburgh College, and will create opportunities for Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The fundamental basis of the merger proposal is to support effective and efficient delivery of services to students and employers across the wider Edinburgh and Lothians region, with a view to having the broadest and deepest curriculum offer to support individuals, communities and businesses.

While the three successful colleges already collaborate successfully across a broad range of initiatives, there are limits to the impact any one of the organisations can achieve within its own financial envelope. Within the context of regionalisation, this merger fits not only with the clear political direction set by the Scottish Government, but also meets business and industry requirements.

In addition to the benefits that will arise for students and the wider communities served by the colleges, the merger will ensure that, given future funding constraints, the new college will be able to maintain and, where appropriate, enhance the services provided by the three colleges. This is likely to be extremely challenging given the current and forecasted economic and public funding environment where colleges are subject to major reform, but such an outcome will be pursued with vigour.

Following the agreement of the Boards of Management of Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh, a full Partnership Board was established in December 2011 to ensure delivery of a merger proposal document which fully reflects the ambitions of the three colleges. A Merger Executive Board, supported by key working groups, managed the operational tasks of ensuring due diligence, external and internal consultation and curriculum design were delivered on time.

The three Boards of Management of the partner colleges have considered the details of the merger proposal and are of the opinion that they are realistic and robust. The proposal is based upon the outcomes of the due diligence investigations and appropriate discussions with staff, students and a range of external stakeholders. It also takes full cognisance of the internal and external consultation exercise, completed as an essential component of the process. The merger proposal follows the Guidance To Institutions Considering Merger (Scottish Funding Council Circular SFC/47/2008).

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2. Context2.1 Introduction

The proposal is to merge Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh to create Edinburgh College, exploiting the existing strengths of these three successful colleges.

Edinburgh College will have four main campus locations each providing a supportive environment for learning in modern, high-quality accommodation. These four key locations will be supported by smaller facilities, like Forthside, and community outreach centres.

2.2 Edinburgh Telford College

Edinburgh’s Telford College was established in 1968 and is the main provider of further education and training in north Edinburgh. It is one of the largest colleges in Scotland with over 15,000 enrolments, 623 staff and a turnover of almost £30m.

The college moved to a new purpose-built campus in the heart of the North Edinburgh Waterfront development area in June 2006, to provide a modern and state-of-the-art learning environment.

Its location means it is ideally placed to be a major force for positive change and supporting transition in what is still an area of high and multiple deprivation. With 40 per cent of ETC enrolments from North Edinburgh, the college seeks to convert learning opportunities for local residents into long-term sustainable employment.

Edinburgh’s Telford College offers a broad range of programmes as well as significant regional and national specialisms. It provides state-of-the-art learning environments, which are rich in technology, to enable responsive and flexible programme design and delivery to enhance the learning experience. Its estate includes purpose-built construction skills centres, real-life working environments in cookery and hospitality, a commercial salon and spa, a sports excellence centre, dental technology and pharmacy laboratories and veterinary nursing consultation rooms.

In February 2011, the college created a new theatre and rehearsal studio to enable students to undertake courses in dance, acting and technical theatre and to showcase their talents. Plans to develop ‘Terminal One’, a realistic training environment for flight cabin crew, are in their final stages.


2.3 Jewel & Esk College

Jewel & Esk Valley College emerged out of Leith Nautical College (first established as Leith Navigation School in 1855) and Esk Valley College in Midlothian, set up in 1952 to provide training for miners.

The college now employs almost 380 staff across two campuses and has an annual turnover of £19 million. It caters for around 8,000 enrolled students, of whom nearly 1,500 are full-time; 37 per cent come from Edinburgh City, 24 per cent from East Lothian and 24 per cent from Midlothian.

The iconic ship building at Jewel & Esk’s campus was opened in 1978 by Prince Charles as the newest wing of Leith Nautical College, one of the leading training centres of its type. In 1984, the government moved all nautical teaching to Glasgow and the old Leith Nautical merged with Esk Valley, to be re-launched in 1987 as Jewel & Esk Valley College. Its curriculum included a range of trades and engineering subjects and one of the first courses in modern musicianship.

A renovation and new build project, which started in 2005, created a new Midlothian campus and saw the complete redevelopment of the Edinburgh campus. Academic staff worked with architects to make the new facilities right for students, creating top-class, custom-designed studios, workshops, kitchens and salons to industry standards. Three modern, flexible spaces - CRE:8, The Club and Midlothian campus - serve the college strengths in trades and engineering, tourism and hospitality and the creative industries.

The new buildings, now called Jewel & Esk College, opened in November 2008. The college was named in The Sunday Times Top 75 Best Places to Work in the Public Sector in 2010.

2.4 Stevenson College Edinburgh

Stevenson College Edinburgh celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2010, having opened the present campus at its Sighthill location in 1970. It employs more than 600 staff and has an annual turnover of £23 million. It caters for around 12,000 enrolled students, of whom nearly 3,500 are full-time. Thirty-five per cent of its students come from the west of Edinburgh, with most of the remainder from other areas of Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The college’s international programmes attract more than 1,500 students every year to study English language and access vocational programmes. Stevenson won the Association of Colleges/British Council Beacon Award for International Student Support in 2009. It is engaged in a range of European and international partnership projects.

Most students attend the Sighthill campus, but the college also offers English language programmes at Duncan Place in Leith and English and other programmes in a range of community locations. Opened in 2007, the Music Box provides the college and wider community with an exciting environment for the performing arts. More recently, the college


completed a new Centre for Sport & Exercise, which gives students and staff access to affordable fitness equipment and classes. Plans are being developed to build additional student social and informal learning space at Sighthill.

The college has a strong local and national reputation in a number of curriculum areas, including music, photography, early education, child care and languages. It works with a range of partners to attract more people into learning, particularly those from disadvantaged areas and with few skills and qualifications, and helps people who need to develop their employability to get, and keep, a rewarding job.


3. Aim and objectives of the merger

3.1 The overall vision for Edinburgh College

The primary aim of the merger is to build on the existing strengths of the three colleges to create a powerful new college for the Edinburgh and the Lothians region, and for Scotland. The existing colleges are strong and successful, but together, they can serve students and communities more efficiently and effectively.

The new college will:

Become the largest in Scotland and among the largest in the UK, an institution of real depth and scale, better-placed to serve the economic and skills needs of the growing region. It will reflect the continuing population shift from west to east in Scotland.

Provide first-class learning and teaching to more than 35,000 students who will be taught in modern, first-class facilities designed to meet industry standards. They will have greater opportunities for progression through a single college – from entry level courses through to Higher Education – and benefit from streamlined advice and support systems.

Utilise its increased capacity to operate more effectively on a local, regional, national and international level.

Retain an absolute commitment to continue serving local communities and reaching out to provide education and training opportunities to those who most need them.

Create national curriculum hubs in key industry sectors that will provide opportunities for students to enhance their creativity, employability and entrepreneurial skills.

Develop an enterprising curriculum that will make a significant contribution to the national economy and skills needs.

Grow and diversify income by developing existing partnerships with business and industry – and build new partnerships, especially where these align with the key economic sectors.

Build on highly successful and commercially significant international work, including attracting new students to the region and providing experience and expertise when working with overseas partners.

Seek to tackle the economic and social challenges presented by the current and forecast economic climate and make a significant contribution to the regional economy.

3.2 The seven key principles

The development of the merger proposal has been guided by seven key principles which have been documented and discussed throughout the consultation process. The principles have helped the Boards of Management and management teams to focus on key areas for


action and investment as part of the merger process. Each of the principles is summarised below and then built upon in the main body of the document.

I. Putting students first: The new college will be committed to enhancing high standards of learning and teaching to ensure all students are given the best opportunities. From entry level courses to Higher Education, the emphasis will be on quality – and on giving students ‘one door’ into the new college with common systems for applications, advice and support. This will reduce time and effort for students and staff – and offer clearer, broader opportunities for progression. The proposal aims to enhance successful partnerships with a range of bodies, including building on relationships with local schools and articulation arrangements with universities.

Students will benefit from being able to access a wider range of courses and from sharing excellent facilities across different campuses – including top-quality sporting, musical and social provision. The new college should also enhance opportunities for ‘campuses without walls’, using technology to offer learning to those who find it difficult to access a college building on a regular basis.

The new college will focus on achieving positive destinations for students, including return to work, support for priority groups such as 16-19 year-olds not in employment, training or education and those in our communities furthest from the labour market. Where possible, it will provide campus employment opportunities for students.

Edinburgh College will ensure that students will be engaged in shaping and leading their own learning, following the principles of Curriculum for Excellence.

To achieve this, Edinburgh College will, in partnership with students, ensure they have a voice by the development of an effective course representation system. In addition, the college will commit to supporting and resourcing a Student Association and work in partnership to improve student involvement and representation across all campuses and college locations. This process will include on-going evaluation and review to ensure student engagement is a key priority.

II. Investing in staff: Edinburgh College will be committed to putting employees at the heart of its future plans. Staff will benefit through sharing exceptional facilities and working as part of a wider team to develop regional and national curriculum hubs in their disciplines. By working for an organisation with greater strength, reach and scale, opportunities for staff development and career progression will be enhanced.


Edinburgh College will have an active staff voice in all of its major decision-making bodies and will seek to encourage innovation and creativity as it helps to develop and support the changes in college education in Scotland.

III. Accessibility and inclusion: The new college is committed to serving communities in Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and beyond – and to tackling social exclusion and providing access for all. This will involve initiatives to support both those returning to work and those groups furthest removed from the economy, as well as providing a curriculum to the widest possible area using technology.

Connecting with local communities is not just about providing opportunities for the more vulnerable members of society. It is about putting a college at the heart of a community, making it welcoming and open to all (students and users of its facilities) and building a broad range of partnerships to help that community work more effectively. The new college will be committed to this approach.

IV. An ethos of ambition and innovation. Edinburgh College can become an economic powerhouse for the region, as a large employer and a significant provider of skilled people to drive the economy. Its enhanced capacity will allow it to put greater focus on meeting the specific, changing needs of the regional labour market – such as strengthening support for Modern Apprenticeships and leading the development of higher level apprenticeships.

The new college will provide curriculum hubs in at least three of the Scottish Government’s key economic sectors: creative industries; tourism and hospitality; and engineering and clean energy. It will have a broader international reach and help to promote the strong brands of Edinburgh and Scotland abroad.

Edinburgh College is being created at a time of significant challenges – economic, social and structural. It is mindful of the Scottish Government’s desire for colleges to look at how collaboration and co-location can be used to ensure an effective and efficient solution to provide the most effective learning environment for the 21st century. A larger, stronger college will be better-placed to rise to the economic challenges and help deliver the future skills needs in a flexible, effective and efficient way.

V. Engagement with employers. Edinburgh College will continue to develop curriculum hubs based on industry needs and will prioritise effective employer engagement. This will build on the current areas of excellence in care, hospitality, leisure industries, oil and gas, creative industries, construction and the built environment. There is clear potential to develop industry excellence in renewables, electric vehicles, sustainable construction and food manufacturing.


The new college will continue to work with a range of partners across all industry sectors and build on the reputation of the existing colleges to attract new partners.

VI. Diversification and growth of income. Edinburgh College will build on the achievements of its constituent parts, and seek continued international growth. It will seek to become a key UK and European centre for international skills training and ‘train the trainer’ activity. In addition, the new college will provide ‘in country’ training to a range of international partners.

VII. Exemplary governance. In serving the needs of the region, Edinburgh College will fully embrace the new governance agenda in the context of the Scottish Government report Putting Learners at the Centre (October 2011) and the reform of post-16 learning. Establishing clarity of purpose and direction for the new governing body will be paramount. Working on the basis of outcomes and outcome-based activity agreements will lead to an innovative approach to strategy and direction. This will in turn enable governance to respond to regional need in a way that combines the merits and advantages of an effective group of non-executives with the cognisance and values associated with the best approaches to public value.

3.3 Why merge now?

This proposal comes at a time of major reform within the post-16 sector in Scotland. The Scottish Government has made clear its purpose to reform the post-16 education system through recent publications and consultations. In particular, Putting Learners at the Centre expressed the desire to support all 16-19 year-olds to gain access to college education, university education or, very importantly, to employment. These reform proposals and associated guiding principles have been strongly supported by the three Edinburgh colleges and their stakeholders.

The three Edinburgh colleges believe that developing a college of significant scale, on a regional basis, will make provision more efficient and responsive to the needs of students and local economies. A new, single college for the Edinburgh and Lothians region will also enable continued delivery of its curriculum in an increasingly challenging economic environment. This approach also supports the recent Scottish Government consultation on regionalisation and will ensure that present college strategies will be fully reviewed prior to the formulation of an Edinburgh College strategy for 2012/13 and beyond.

Strategically, the three partner colleges are working hard to meet the Scottish Government’s requirements to promote and support vocational education, ensuring employers’ needs are central to our thinking. This will be addressed in the completion of the Regional Outcome Agreement for Edinburgh and the Lothians, which is presently being considered by senior managers within the three colleges.


The colleges will work with the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council to ensure the new Edinburgh College is delivered successfully and the benefits to all stakeholders are realised. The merged organisation will reflect the Scottish Government’s key economic priorities. Edinburgh College will also embrace the demand for skills to meet the needs of emerging markets. This opportunity will also allow the college to fully address new commercial and international developments. Edinburgh College recognises the challenges presently faced in the public sector as the UK economy recovers from recession, but by building on commercial and international successes, it will seek to grow and develop areas of activity to contribute to the growth of both the regional and national economy.

4. Options appraisal

4.1 The status quo (as projected into the future)


Maintaining the status quo of the three colleges has been considered very carefully. The colleges have demonstrated a clear ability to plan and fund developments over the years and despite the capital overspend at Jewel & Esk College (JEC), there have always been clear plans in place to manage debt and control expenditure. Financial Forecast Returns from the colleges have demonstrated that individually they can maintain a clean bill of financial health and support current activities. However, all three colleges face challenges in generating growth and moving forward with curriculum and other developments if the status quo is to be maintained.

4.1.1 Edinburgh’s Telford College has very positive cash balances, twice the level of outstanding debt. The debt is a long-term loan which relates to the construction of the purpose-built campus at West Granton Road in 2006. The college is in a healthy financial state with a very strong asset base and few liabilities. Most students are taught at West Granton Road, but there are two satellite workshops for construction courses. The college’s estates strategy proposes that its construction activities are brought together to form a single curriculum hub, with the implementation of the strategy possibly funded from the Scottish Funding Council’s capital grant.

ETC has made significant reductions in operating expenditure in recent years, particularly the savings in management costs. In the medium term, it is in a strong financial position to cope with the challenges posed by a reduction in grant funding. However, given the scale of funding reductions for the next three years, it will become difficult, if not impossible, for an independent ETC to continue to make efficiency gains and remain financially sustainable. In addition, ETC refreshed and invested in its IT infrastructure, hardware and systems in academic session 2009-10.

4.1.2 Jewel & Esk College is currently supported by the Scottish Funding Council for debt interest payments on a “mortgage facility” of £10million. This support is £800,000 per annum. The college has taken steps to reduce its borrowings and over the last two years has controlled both capital and revenue expenditure to enable the level of debt to be reduced. Reductions in revenue costs amount to £1.65m since April 2010 and the full year impact of this will be felt in 2011/12. The college could continue to control costs and try to make headroom to support growth but this is a real challenge. The more realistic scenario is that the college could continue to operate in surplus and improve its net asset position. However, it might not be able to take advantage of opportunities for development and expansion as quickly as it would like to. Recent evidence suggests this is possible but challenging.

4.1.3 Stevenson College Edinburgh has maintained good levels of reserves over a number of years with no borrowing commitment. Following the successful development of the Music Box in 2007 and Centre for Sport & Exercise in 2010, the Board of Management committed to the delivery of a new learning and social space with associated student services as part of a major redevelopment of the main college campus. This capital project will be fully funded from internally-generated college reserves with a completion date of August 2013. With the significant reduction in


capital funding to the public sector, the likelihood of additional capital support to further enhance the learning environment is unlikely. While the college continues to deliver efficiencies in operations, the severity of future funding cuts requires new models of working across the Edinburgh and Lothians region.

The college could continue to function within its current environment and manage within its resource constraints but this would not generate the required savings to manage a curriculum which must meet the needs of the local and regional economy.

4.1.4 All three colleges are capable of demonstrating sound financial health but the ever-increasing pressures on public spending (all are dependent on public money for at least 75 per cent of their income), and the reduction of access to capital make this a real challenge. To ensure that services for students continue in the widest and deepest possible way, the pooling of skills and resources and sharing of services gives a better solution in the medium and long term than complete independence.

4.2 A strong federation

4.2.1 An option for the colleges is to come together to form a strong federation, reporting to an Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Board. This would have some advantages in terms of the short-term investment saved on re-branding and the voluntary severance costs of senior staff. There would still be upfront investment in shared IT and communications. This option, however, would struggle to deliver the cost savings required within the identified timescales for full regionalisation unless there were substantial reductions in curriculum delivery.

4.2.2 Looking forward, a federated model might also fail to produce the savings required as each college will require some level of individual administration and infrastructure to be maintained to emphasise its ‘independence’ while moving towards a shared service structure. The continued existence of three separate legal entities could lead to an element of inefficiency and delay in the delivery of change.

4.2.3 A federated model also has important implications for the wider region and for tertiary education across Scotland. It is possible to see a ‘federated’ Edinburgh College making progress towards a more collaborative approach with external partners across the Edinburgh region – but again, it is difficult to see how this kind of approach could reach its full potential.

4.2.4 A federated model of operation may make a positive impact on a range of national and regional issues including youth unemployment, local authority initiatives, regional articulation and progression arrangements and achieving a consistent approach to skills development for employers and employers’ organisations. However, the single voice of a merged college is likely to make collaborative working with national and


regional partners more efficient and effective and provide a better means of realising the objectives of the various stakeholders mentioned above.

4.2.5 Although a federated model would develop relationships with specific local partners to ensure a cost-effective approach to shared service delivery and minimal cost duplication, it would not be in as strong a position to take a lead on this agenda as a new, merged college of size and influence.

4.3 Full merger

Edinburgh College will deliver against an overarching strategic framework as defined by the Boards of Management of Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh. These key strategic objectives include:

A coherent, high-quality course offer that meets the needs and aspirations of students, businesses and the wider economy

A sustainable business model which supports investment in curriculum, technology, systems and facilities

A valued and trusted influential partner working with others to improve the prosperity for the people who live and work in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Each of the sections below presents a compelling case for the three colleges to come together. They present a summary of the complementary features of the three organisations and a rationale for them combining to create a new and different organisation that will capitalise on their individual strengths.

In addition, some of the challenges and issues facing the three organisations can be addressed more quickly and robustly as a consequence of pooled resources. The sections below serve to illustrate the case for merger.

4.3.1 Developing Curriculum Hubs

Work on curriculum mapping has identified areas of specialist provision across the three colleges. This includes the specialist nature of engineering at JEC (renewables and clean energy), SECTT electrical engineering at SCE and construction wet and dry trades and further specialisms in the built environment, road works and heritage at ETC. Edinburgh College will be the largest source of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) provision in Scotland. SCE’s ESOL provision is a major strength in its international work.

Within the creative industries, there are complementary curriculum offers between the three colleges with performance a specialism at ETC and SCE, and sound engineering specialism at JEC. Design and media, interior design and gaming technology developed jointly with industry partners are an important feature of ETC’s creative industry curriculum provision. SCE is a lead college with regard to photography, offering a validated University of Abertay


BA in Professional Photography. There are also complementary curriculum offers within the hospitality industry area at both ETC and JEC. These programmes offer students real-life working experiences to prepare them for employment within this industry.

4.3.2 Reducing Duplication

In all three colleges, there is overlap between some areas of provision – for example, in business, computing and administration as well as in social science, care, sport and hairdressing & beauty therapy. Some of these areas also involve considerable articulation to local universities and hence there is some duplication of effort in working with the universities to ensure effective progression for students. There are also opportunities for growth particularly within the area of healthcare (in partnership with NHS Lothian).

4.3.3 Complementary Features

SCE has an excellent commercial business development function that generates significant income. JEC has developed The Club on a commercial footing and it is generating a good level of income. SCE sells services and JEC sells space and facilities. ETC has significant commercial engagement in railway engineering, highways and road maintenance, heritage building conservation and hospitality. Bringing complementary commercial ventures together to build a better business engagement model and realise the joint development of retail academies and other commercial projects would avoid unnecessary competition and provide a comprehensive, unified service for businesses across the region.

4.3.4 Travel to Learn There is considerable evidence of students’ willingness to travel to the different colleges and a readiness to travel for particular specialisms and courses. The table below illustrates this (Source: SFC INFACT database 2010/11).

College Percentage of enrolments in 2010/11 by postcode

Edinburgh City Midlothian East Lothian West Lothian

Edinburgh’s Telford College

62%

(8,999)

6%

(912)

7%

(1,089)

5%

(796)

Jewel & Esk College

38%

(2,994)

24%

(1,875)

27%

(2,190)

2%

(150)


73%

(10,627)

4%

(637)

3%

(454)

9%

(1,284)

Combined 61% 9% 10% 6%


(22,620) (3,424)(3,733)

(2,230)

Overall, the three colleges represent a significant proportion of the destinations for all students from the region going into HE or FE. Published data shows that well over 80 per cent of Edinburgh students, 75 per cent of Midlothian students and around 70 per cent of East Lothian students attend one of the three partner colleges.

4.3.5 Complementary Strengths and Opportunities for Growth

All of the above sections illustrate a complementary set of strengths and skills that the three partner colleges share. Added together, there is a genuine opportunity to grow more quickly, pool resources and develop a more sustainable organisation at a faster rate than would be the case if the colleges remained independent of each other.

The proposal to create the new college is mindful of the Scottish Government’s priority for colleges to be highly effective, world-class organisations with high-quality buildings, facilities and equipment contributing to enhancing the experience for learners.

4.4 Conclusion in favour of merger

The conclusion from the preceding Options Appraisal is that a merger of the three colleges offers the greatest benefit to students, staff, external stakeholders and the wider community in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Edinburgh College will be more efficient than if the three colleges remained independent or adopted a federated structure. The single voice of the merged college will make a greater contribution to regional coherence and tertiary education across Scotland than three independent colleges or a federated organisation. Finally, services to students will be enhanced and Edinburgh College better able to respond to stakeholder demands than the three current colleges or the potentially competing interests in a federated model.


5. Academic vision for Edinburgh College

5.1. Introduction

The Curriculum and Learning and Teaching Strategies for Edinburgh College (see Appendices 3 & 4) will set out the institution’s aspiration to be locally, nationally and internationally recognised for the excellence of its education. Through its learning programmes and services, Edinburgh College will develop independent individuals who are enterprising, work-ready and have both the capacity and capability to make a significant contribution to the economy and their communities. Through its students and its graduates, Edinburgh College will contribute to the quality of life for the city, region, Scotland, the UK and the international community.

While Edinburgh College will develop global citizens, it will be first and foremost a college that will deliver high-quality learning to support economic and community development in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Edinburgh College’s primary function will be to provide professionally relevant and accessible, lifelong learning opportunities that meet the needs of its students and widen education participation in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Students will also be provided with essential skills to enhance their personal development - and a personalised learning experience where the student is at the heart of everything the new college does.

By bringing three successful institutions together, Edinburgh College will build on this success and make learning in the city and the region even stronger. It will pool talent and expertise to offer a well-planned curriculum that widens course choice, increases access and creates more progression opportunities. Edinburgh College students will enjoy a well-resourced environment staffed by talented and highly-motivated individuals who are committed to continually raising standards to meet student need. Learning and teaching will take place in first-class facilities and in a culture where the whole college is striving for the pursuit of excellence in every aspect of the student experience.

5.2 Pursuit of Excellence in Edinburgh College

The pursuit of excellence will be a hallmark of Edinburgh College. It will be evidenced through its teaching, the quality of its staff, the environment within which they work and the quality of services to students, all of which will be geared to providing every student with an exceptional education. Edinburgh College will gain a reputation that will make it the destination of preference for students in Edinburgh and the Lothians, building on the high standards that already exist within the three partner colleges. Education Scotland inspections, including Annual Engagement visits, report a high level of confidence in the three existing institutions, and comment favourably on the quality of learning and teaching, learner engagement and student progress.


External verification from various awarding bodies has all been extremely positive with outstanding practice being reported on a number of occasions. External audits of learning and teaching support services have also been very positive. These high standards, which already exist in the three institutions, will continue to improve the learning experience of students in Edinburgh College.

The pursuit of excellence at Edinburgh College will be based on several interdependent factors:

Consultation and involvement of students in every aspect of their experience, using this information to design and deliver services that they want.

The creation and nurturing of a student-focused culture where the behaviours, professionalism and attitudes of all staff contribute to the excellence of the learner experience.

Putting students first and providing them with timely, accurate and detailed information on every facet of their Edinburgh College experience.

Ensuring this commitment to excellence is evidenced by outstanding service delivery.

Excellent quality of service, matched by efficient speed of service, ensuring that students’ needs are met on time every time.

Edinburgh College will be characterised by greater student success, higher levels of student satisfaction and improved outcomes. A higher proportion of students will achieve a positive destination on completion of their course by progressing to higher levels of study, gaining relevant vocational employment or starting their own business.

Based on student success and the performance of our graduates and alumni, external stakeholders will also recognise the core value of excellence in the new college. Edinburgh College will work closely with all its external stakeholders, be a valuable education partner to its awarding bodies, and add value to its community partners. As the college realises its pursuit of excellence, it will gain success through increasingly positive destination outcomes. It will reinforce this and gain external recognition through the achievement of more awards and prizes, building on the outstanding success of the existing colleges in areas like oil and gas, photography and construction and trades.

5.3 Edinburgh College: one learning community

Edinburgh College will take full advantage of this opportunity to rethink how services to students can be delivered. The consequential enhancement of services across all Edinburgh College’s areas of provision will bring major benefits to learners.


In making these step changes, Edinburgh College will build on the work already done by the three partner colleges. Sharing good practice, partnership work and collaboration has laid the foundation for a successful merged college. Edinburgh College will develop a single culture of learning, regardless of the campus that individuals attend, or whether they are remote learners studying in a “campus without walls”.

Edinburgh College will also develop a branded, distinctive, personalised learning experience where every student will develop essential skills in addition to their vocational education. This learning experience will contribute to and enhance students’ personal development capacities in addition to improving their professional capabilities.

Edinburgh College will build on the excellent work done within the three partner colleges and strive to enhance the education experience for all students. Supporting the learning of students extends beyond the classroom and Edinburgh College will build on existing innovative ways of supporting the academic tracking and success of students, taking into account the Academic Tutor role and the pastoral role of Learning and Development Tutors. High levels of student success are well-supported by these existing approaches and it is intended that these different ways of working will be incorporated into Edinburgh College’s approach to continuously improving student success.

Edinburgh College’s pursuit of excellence will provide staff from the three partner colleges with a common purpose, and will enable academic and support staff to collaborate even more effectively in the delivery of the student experience.


5.4 Specific academic benefits

5.4.1 The quality, relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of provision

The key drivers in considering the merger of the three partners into Edinburgh College is to deliver an even higher quality of college provision for students in Edinburgh and the Lothians and to realise the academic potential afforded by a full integration of the three partners’ activities.

Edinburgh College provides a unique opportunity to create a transformational change to the curriculum and to alter the product-to-market mix in a radical way. It provides an opportunity to future-proof the new Edinburgh College by rationalising provision in some areas, expanding it in others, and creating the capacity to be more responsive to the demands of external stakeholders and emerging markets.

The process of bringing the curriculum together addresses the issue of unproductive competition between the three existing institutions and creates an opportunity for Edinburgh College to provide an enhanced range of courses, encouraging a more innovative approach to the curriculum. Duplicated or overlapping provision will be replaced with new courses which are more attractive to students, which better meet the needs of industry and which will create more opportunities for commercial and international market development. Edinburgh College will deliver an effective, coherent and sustainable curriculum which will meet student and employer needs and be realigned to support economic development.

The curriculum will be devised using set criteria that reflect economic and community development priorities and Scottish Government priorities as outlined in Putting Learners at the Centre, as well as local, regional and national labour market intelligence and demand from learners and employers.

Employer Councils developed with key employers in the region – and aligned to the new college’s curriculum areas - will be used to inform the curriculum offering and design. These councils will provide input into the college’s curriculum development processes by assessing the future skills needs of the industry and potential growth opportunities and by reviewing programme design and content, qualification level and mode of delivery. This will enable the college to map its curriculum directly to employer needs and provide the best employment opportunities for its students.

It is recognised that learning and teaching at the new college must meet the skills needs of the Edinburgh and the Lothians’ economy - present and future - and its learning environment must be of the highest quality to support this. Edinburgh College will maintain a flexible and responsive approach to changing economic conditions. We will put in place flexible staffing structures and capacity to increase the range of opportunities for our students.


5.4.2 Cross-campus curriculum hubs

By reviewing our whole curriculum offer, and by setting up curriculum hubs, Edinburgh College will develop the skills for learning, life and work needed to deal flexibly with the challenges of the future economy.

The college’s objectives and curriculum will be aligned with the key growth sectors in Edinburgh and the Lothians. These will be developed as curriculum hubs, enabling students to enhance their employability and entrepreneurial skills and make a greater contribution to the local, regional and national economy. There will be five cross-campus hubs:

5.4.2.1: Progression and academic studies

This hub offers a range of academic and progression routes, including access, to meet the needs of a variety of students. Some are designed for young people looking for a stepping stone into further education or employment, and others are designed for mature students who do not have formal qualifications but are interested in returning to work or education. Many courses prepare students for entry to advanced college courses or higher education. This hub will also offer courses for students who wish to acquire skills in modern foreign languages.

Our nationally-recognised ESOL provision (English for Speakers of Other Languages) is a significant element within this hub, and will be offered from Access level up to Higher and HNC. Edinburgh College will be one of the largest providers of ESOL in Scotland, and this will be a major strength in its international work.

5.4.2.2: Business and the visitor economy

Business and the visitor economy is a critical component of the local, regional and national economy. This centre will equip students with the knowledge and skills to make an economic contribution. Well-established courses in accounting, administration, business and management will prepare students for career opportunities in financial and business services and provide professional development training in leadership and management. New courses in enterprise and entrepreneurship will encourage and support students to start their own businesses. The visitor economy is one of Scotland’s most significant economic sectors, contributing more than £4billion annually to the economy. The range of courses offered by Edinburgh College will span tourism, events and hospitality. This will include a specialist academy in partnership with sector-leading employers to provide the tourism and hospitality workforce of the future.

5.4.2.3: Construction, engineering and renewables

Engineering, energy and clean technology is one of Scotland’s key economic drivers. It is the sector with the largest growth potential in Scotland, predicting an increase in new job opportunities over the next 3-5 years (the 2020 Skills Investment Plan for the Energy Sector


outlines 95,000 potential job opportunities). Established industries in oil and gas and the associated supply chain continue to have a significant and sustainable demand for skills, while the Scottish Government’s commitment to renewable energy and clean technology will lead to significant skills gaps and shortages in the short to medium term. Edinburgh College will build on existing initiatives like Edinburgh’s Renewable Energy Innovation Centre (EREIC) at ETC, opened in 2012 to deliver a portfolio of courses designed to meet this demand and contribute to the development of a safe and skilled workforce for this key industry sector.

The three colleges have worked in partnership with business and universities to develop a Green Transport Hub based at JEC. This came about as a result of understanding the combined curriculum of the colleges and the asset base it can then demonstrate to industry. Partners include Edinburgh Napier University, SQA, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Midlothian Council, SESTRAN and many more. This capacity-building is an excellent example of how the new Edinburgh College as an organisation of scale can attract new opportunities for students. In March 2012, JEC developed The EVent, a major conference bringing together experts from across the sector to discuss how to take forward the electric vehicle agenda in Scotland. ETC hosted key industry representatives at EREIC in February to showcase developments and skills needs in the renewables and green energy sector.

5.4.2.4: Creative, cultural and digital Industries

This is also one of the Scottish Government’s six key economic sectors and supports more than 60,000 jobs. The range and depth of staff capability, quality of facilities and complementarity of provision in the three institutions means Edinburgh College can offer the best possible range of options for those who wish to study and make a career in this vibrant sector. The partner colleges already excel and have sector-leading reputations in music, TV, design, photography, multimedia and performing arts. Edinburgh College will have the skills to develop these initiatives by combining music, theatre, costume design and dance.

Photography students are regular winners of national and international competitions and SCE is the only centre in Scotland approved and accredited by the British Institute of Professional Photography. Music students benefit from study and performance opportunities unrivalled in the sector. Previous music students have performed live at the O2 Arena and collaborated in a concert with Jon Lord at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh. Current students have attended master classes in music and sound production with the producer of Oasis and launched a new record label called FEAST. All students are assisted to find employment through a partnership with ‘Music for Scotland’ or provided with the opportunity to start their own business in a college commercial incubator unit.

Industry standard facilities, like the Academy of Music and Sound located in the city centre, offer innovative curriculum development and an award-winning experience, to create an


ideal climate and culture for any student looking to add value and make their personal contribution to ‘Creative Scotland’.

5.4.2.5: Service industries and the care professions

Making Scotland healthier is one of the Scottish Government’s five strategic objectives and students will be prepared to contribute to a ‘Healthier Scotland’. Students from Edinburgh College will graduate to employment in nursing and midwifery, the allied health professions or specialist healthcare roles. Staff in the three partner colleges are already at the forefront of changes to the NHS’s Knowledge Skills Framework and innovative curriculum developments that will lead to a more mobile, transferable workforce that deliver care within a model that is less regionally based and instead, part of an integrated NHS.

Care in the Community is also a feature of the Scottish Government’s vision for a Healthier Scotland. Demand for care services continues to grow and the need for qualified people to deliver these services is equally strong. Edinburgh College will play a pivotal role in preparing and upskilling the region’s workforce to meet these needs.

Service industries including hairdressing, beauty and complementary therapies, as well as sport and exercise and sports coaching, all add to the health and well-being of the nation. They offer sustainable employment opportunities, particularly in terms of increasing the number of self-employed people and the setting up of further SMEs which are vital to the Scottish economy.

A partnership with NHS Lothian has led to creative ways of supporting workforce planning for a major employer in the area. Combining the expertise of staff at all three institutions makes the offer to support a major employer more comprehensive and effective, including the potential delivery of over 250 MAs over the next three years. This could not have been achieved and supported by any one individual college.

5.4.2.6 The value of the curriculum hubs

Within these new curriculum hubs, Edinburgh College will provide excellent learning opportunities, ensuring that as well as incorporating the vocational skills required by business, it will also provide the essential core skills often cited by industry as being just as important. Edinburgh College will prioritise the allocation of resources to those groups furthest from the labour market or with lower level skills, giving students the best possible opportunity to progress into the world of work.

Edinburgh College will be able to put a greater focus on meeting the needs of the labour market in the region. This will include strengthening support for Modern Apprenticeships, but also taking a lead in the development and implementation of higher level ‘technical’ and


professional apprenticeships. The new college will be in the vanguard of providing these new-style technical and professional apprenticeships to ensure that individuals and businesses are equipped with the necessary skills and expertise at craft, technician and management level to drive future business success. This focus on skills development will also prioritise the needs of young people not in education or employment and support the Scottish Government to deliver on its commitment of opportunities for all. For example, a recent three-college collaboration has resulted in a significant growth in the Modern Apprenticeship bid with increased employer support across key employment sectors.

While university research is of strategic importance to Scotland’s future prosperity, the challenge is to impart this knowledge into Scotland’s businesses. Edinburgh College will be in a strong position to work closely with its regional university partners to help stimulate innovation in businesses and public services and translate this research into commercial opportunities. The scale of Edinburgh College will also provide more and better opportunities to engage with the business community. There will be increased scope for knowledge transfer activity, the commercialisation of curriculum and possible co-investment opportunities with employers to increase income generation by providing bespoke training courses to suit specific economic and skills needs.

Edinburgh College will be participating in a new knowledge transfer hub across Scotland involving three other colleges - Aberdeen, Motherwell, and Reid Kerr. This collaborative, cross-regional approach is building on the university model of pooling. This project, in engineering, has established targets for increased business, curriculum development, and measured returns of knowledge transfer. Edinburgh Napier University is key partner in this project and is part funding PhDs for staff in the new college.

5.5 The quality of the student experience

Edinburgh College will develop a single unified Quality Management System that reflects a strong quality culture and drive for continuous improvement. This will be achieved by adopting best practice from around the UK and through benchmarking of activities against a number of colleges recognised as outstanding, or delivering sector-leading services.

An efficient and effective curriculum delivery model will be devised which will meet students’ needs. Learning and teaching capability and capacity will also be enhanced by the adoption of best practice from all three partner colleges. This will result in improved and higher-quality educational provision for students within Edinburgh College.

The quality of services to students will be maintained and enhanced. Edinburgh College will build on the good practices and high standards of the three institutions and, through its pursuit of excellence, continue to make improvements. Criteria for determining excellence will be established and indicators/measures identified so that both students and staff can recognise it.


The new institution will also be characterised by an enhanced, value-added student experience that is distinctive to Edinburgh College. Appropriate attitudes, behaviours and personal skills are as important as technical skills. All students, particularly those who feel socially excluded, need support in gaining these skills to secure and sustain employment and realise their potential. The new college will assist students to become more confident and more work-ready and help them develop a ‘can-do’ attitude. This will be evidenced by improved levels of student retention and attainment. More students will also achieve better outcomes - including increased articulation or progression to degree study, an increase in positive destinations and more awards and prizes.

The scale of Edinburgh College will improve internal progression opportunities across all campuses. There will be a range of entry and exit routes and progression pathways will be clearly signposted.

Edinburgh College will also create clear progression and articulation routes to higher levels of study through regional and national partnerships. There will be improved collaboration between Edinburgh College and its regional university partners that will result in a more efficient and flexible learner journey. Working together locally and regionally, Edinburgh College will build on and maintain the work done by the regional articulation hubs to improve articulation opportunities and progress into university with advanced standing where appropriate.

Edinburgh College will be able to offer its students an improved learning and teaching environment. It will maintain a highly-motivated, trained and skilled workforce appropriate to its aspirations and ambitions through the implementation of staff professional development. Through this professional development, all staff will be given opportunities to develop their competence, skills and performance to improve the student experience. This will allow for more efficient and effective deployment of staff - and will also offer opportunities for upskilling. This larger pool of staff expertise means that Edinburgh College has the potential to generate dynamism in curriculum development with staff working together in a stimulating educational environment focussing on curriculum innovation and new course development that will lead to a greater choice for students.

Students will benefit from having access to the combined specialist learning resources, equipment and infrastructure of the three partner colleges. This will include a greater range, volume and quality of library and online learning resources. Improved access to a wider range of enabling technology and specialist staff will benefit more students. Curriculum delivery will be enhanced and the learning and teaching experience improved through the increased use of an effective Virtual Learning Environment and a commitment to continuous improvement and innovative approaches to the planning and delivery of course materials and online communications with students.

Work placement opportunities are a key feature of some courses and these will be further enhanced in Edinburgh College. Engagement with employers will also be increased through a much greater focus on economic development. Each curriculum hub will adopt the best


practice from the three institutions to deliver learning that is closely aligned to the demands of and standards expected by employers. This will significantly improve students’ opportunities to gain employment and/or equip them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to set up their own businesses.

The expertise, capability and capacity in the three partner colleges should ensure that models of best practice are devised for Edinburgh College to offer all students access to an enhanced level of support. The expertise in the three institutions should ensure Edinburgh College is better placed to provide an enhanced level of guidance services to students. A coherent and joined-up approach to giving information, advice and guidance across all of Edinburgh College’s campus locations will help simplify how individuals, careers advisers, parents and employers find out about the range of skills development opportunities available. Effectiveness in terms of student support services, requiring a reduction in administrative duplication, will ensure systems are fit for purpose and maximise the advantages of new technology.

The range of support services provided to learners will also be enhanced by combining the strengths of the Student Associations in the three institutions.

5.6 The range/breadth of provision and qualifications

By creating hubs in the key sectors, the range and breadth of provision and qualifications will meet the needs of local and regional employers. Edinburgh College will form close alliances with business to ensure it is providing the key skills required for the future workforce. This will enable the college to map its curriculum directly to employer needs and provide the best opportunities for employment for its students. The new college will ensure that there is a balanced spread of courses across SCQF levels that are responsive to the Scottish Government’s economic priorities.

Edinburgh College will optimise access and have a positive impact on both generalist and specialist provision. In areas of high demand, Edinburgh College can optimise the volume provided to avoid unnecessary overlap and duplication. It can also support the full range of levels or the full range of options available which will increase course choice for students. In lower volume or specialist areas, the scale of Edinburgh College can help it underwrite or support more resource-intensive areas of provision. This will ensure that more students will gain access to more specialised areas of delivery.

5.7 Specialist facilities and profile

Excellent specialist facilities that offer students an industry-standard learning experience will all be safeguarded. The Construction Hub and Dulux Room will provide an excellent environment for apprentices to develop their skills for the building industry. Creative


industries’ students will benefit from facilities such as Cre:8, PASS (Performing Arts Studio Scotland) and the Music Box. The Centre for Sport & Exercise and The Club provide sector-leading health, fitness and sports facilities. The Spa and The Club provide students with hair, beauty and spa facilities consistent with those found in the high street or resort hotels while the award-winning ZeroOne and EH15 Restaurants will provide hospitality students with unrivalled facilities to develop their culinary skills.

An extensive curriculum audit and mapping exercise by Edinburgh College will ensure that curriculum provision within these facilities is complementary. There will also be extensive scrutiny of resource utilisation in all these facilities to maximise their efficiency, effectiveness and to facilitate the best and widest possible access for students.

In addition to current provision, the formation of Edinburgh College will create more opportunities to increase investment in specialist facilities required to meet student demand and the needs of industry. For example, engineering provision in Edinburgh College will be enhanced by creating a Clean Energy Centre. This will build on the strengths of the three colleges’ capacities and capabilities to deliver a sector-leading curriculum in mechanical and electrical engineering, motor vehicle technology, oil and gas, renewable energy and sustainable technology to meet industry needs in what will be one of Scotland’s fastest-growing employment sectors.

While excellent facilities will benefit students in these specialised vocational areas, every student will benefit from improved ICT provision in Edinburgh College. Building on the high levels of capability that already exist in the three institutions, Edinburgh College will widen access to and increase the use of digital technology to enhance learning, teaching and assessment. One of Edinburgh College’s objectives will be for all appropriate learning materials and assessments to be accessible online and available in a variety of formats to meet students’ different needs. Students will also be able to create e-portfolios to support and evidence their learning journey and personal development. For remote learners, those in community settings or where illness or personal circumstances might make attending college difficult, Edinburgh College will provide an ICT-based alternative where it is practicable to do so.


5.8 Implications for tertiary education in Scotland

Edinburgh College will meet the Scottish Government’s aspirations for tertiary education by providing future-focused, coherent and well-planned provision across the region. This provision will be aligned to jobs, growth and the provision of skills to meet the demands of the priority sectors identified in the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy.

The Scottish Government’s recent consultation paper - Putting Learners at the Centre: Delivering our Ambitions for Post 16 Education - makes it clear that “colleges and universities must work together locally and regionally to integrate the planning of the curriculum and more specifically to increase the number of learners with the qualifications necessary to progress into university with advanced standing.”

Edinburgh College will work with its university partners to develop and agree a regional response for Edinburgh and the Lothians to meet the challenges contained in the consultation paper. Specifically, Edinburgh College and its university partners will work towards a shared understanding of a number of key principles that will inform and shape articulation arrangements between Edinburgh College and receiving universities in the region. There will also be discussions on the potential for collaboration between Edinburgh College and its prospective partner universities, particularly in relation to product and market development for the commercial and international market, curriculum planning, improving transitions and streamlining education pathways.

Edinburgh College will balance regional growth with mechanisms that ensure access level provision is retained locally. This will help improve people’s life chances by assisting those who are furthest from the job market to find sustainable employment and ensuring that they contribute to and benefit from the economic development of the region.

To support this local and regional growth, Edinburgh College will engage with other colleges, secondary schools, training providers and universities across the regional education spectrum to contribute to a more joined-up post-school education system – and in so doing, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the learner journey.

Edinburgh College will strengthen partnerships with the relevant local authorities to ensure joint planning in relation to the senior phase of Curriculum for Excellence. This will improve transitions for young people and offer clear and defined progression routes and opportunities. The focus will be on innovation and the development of models of joint delivery to meet the aims of the senior phase in a way that inspires young people to engage with post-school education.

By preserving local provision and at the same time fostering and developing regional growth, Edinburgh College will maximise its contribution to the post-school sector. This will maximise the return on future investment, improve outcomes for students and facilitate greater service integration between educational providers across the region. This dual focus on both maintaining local provision and assisting with regional growth and development means that


Edinburgh College will contribute to the high-performing system outlined in Putting Learners at the Centre.

Edinburgh College will embrace and support education reform and sees opportunities for a modern, innovative and more integrated approach to both vocational and academic learning that will meet the needs of present and future students and embrace technology and modern delivery methods. More transparent and seamless opportunities for student progression and a clearer, more defined role for supporting Scotland’s economic prosperity will come from improved partnership working. Edinburgh College will focus on sustainable positive destinations for students that lead to individual and collective economic prosperity and this focus will drive both curriculum provision and student behaviours.

Edinburgh College will work with the Scottish Government in prioritising the needs of young people. The College will also ensure that opportunities are made available to those who are furthest from education or the job market, and those who are returning to education – such as individuals looking to re-train for new employment opportunities. In achieving these aims, Edinburgh College will fulfil its primary purpose of balancing economic and social need and contributing to both economic and community development.

5.8.1 The fit to local/regional/national and international needs

Edinburgh College aspires to be the valued and influential partner of choice, working with other key stakeholders to take forward economic development in the Edinburgh and the Lothians region. The scale of Edinburgh College and the associated increase in the volume and quality of activity will also increase its attractiveness to national and international stakeholders.

Edinburgh College will achieve a better match of the learner profile across the region to the economic and employment needs of that region. By providing key curriculum hubs, aligned to the economic drivers of the future, the college will add value to industry by supplying them with students equipped with the skills that employers and industry require. The new college will ensure that its qualifications will better meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s workplace. Edinburgh College will be in a stronger position to work collaboratively with industry to deliver the skills employers require. In so doing, it will make a significant contribution to Edinburgh and the Lothians – and beyond - by delivering education and skills to boost competitiveness and productivity.

Merging the three institutions will create more opportunity for the Edinburgh College to work across the whole of Edinburgh and the Lothians. The new college will build on the existing contributions of community planning partnerships and ensure that the views of community partners are reflected in strategic and operational plans and major curriculum decisions. It will also bring a single voice to community planning partnerships in Edinburgh and the


Lothians to support regional coherence, and a single voice and perspective to school and university partnerships to tackle problems that affect the entire region.

Edinburgh College will also develop greater coherence in its school-college partnerships and provide a complementary range of provision across all of its campuses to ensure that more young people have a better chance to achieve a positive destination.

The new college will also provide the opportunity to achieve greater coherence in 16-plus education. In addition to partnership work with schools and universities, its community learning and development activity will be better coordinated to improve transition and progression, reduce duplication and overlap and provide a more coherent regional offer. The Edinburgh Guarantee is a vision that all young people leave school into a positive destination. The City of Edinburgh Council is working with partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors to increase the number of jobs, education and training opportunities being made available to young people and to better prepare them for the world of work.

Merging will enable Edinburgh College to offer a wider range of courses to both new and existing business partners and new and existing international partners with the opportunity to gain entry to new geographical markets. Edinburgh College’s pursuit of excellence will enable it to establish a more positive international identity, resulting in greater penetration of existing markets and a stronger proposition with which to target new markets for English Language teaching, hospitality, creative industries, business and engineering.

The new college will increase its potential to penetrate new international markets with its broader curriculum base. An example of this new business is commercial engineering for Saudi Arabia, made possible by pooling expertise across campuses. This is an excellent example of where the expertise of one institution has been combined with the facilities and curriculum of another to exploit and develop a new market with huge potential.

5.8.2 Other benefits – including improved student access

Edinburgh College will take the best of the guidance and learner support systems of the three partner colleges and review and develop a model to suit the needs of the new, larger institution. This will improve student access and streamline the level of support. Student funding procedures will also be streamlined, utilising appropriate technology, and students will have access to the range of services across all campuses.

Building on the expertise of delivering programmes to the most disadvantaged students in an educational context - and to those most excluded from the labour market - Edinburgh College will deliver a coherent suite of programmes enabling students to find a level appropriate to their needs.


The community role of Edinburgh College will be further strengthened by bringing together a number of projects within the existing three institutions. Edinburgh College will endeavour to continue to support projects like these. It will aim to strengthen its commitment to these client groups where possible, and ensure as many people as possible can make the transition from supported environments to employment or mainstream education and training.

The learning environment will be inclusive and support everyone to fulfil their potential by ensuring that equality and diversity are promoted in all learning and teaching, and by making certain that the differing needs of a diverse student population are taken into account. Edinburgh College also will support vulnerable individuals or those with additional support needs by providing coordinated arrangements to ensure these needs are met

Edinburgh College can better address access for students and widen participation across the region, in particular improving access for remote and rural communities and those potential students who are traditionally the hardest to reach. The scale of the Edinburgh College also means that it can underwrite and better support the lower student numbers that are typically recruited in outreach and community settings.

5.8.3 Stakeholders: accountability and impact

Edinburgh College will develop better, deeper and longer-lasting relationships and partnerships with external stakeholders, community partners, the business community and industry. These partners will benefit from having a one-stop shop for all their education and training needs and first-class service delivery characterised by Edinburgh College’s pursuit of excellence.

Edinburgh College will adopt a very open approach to stakeholders. In the modern world, networking amongst businesses and individuals is vital in encouraging knowledge transfer. The new college will seek to innovate and strengthen partnerships and networks, building on existing projects like Skills Shop St James and the joint bid for Business Gateway. It will do so through excellent communication, the use of new technology and social networking. This should bring significant and sustainable benefits to students, businesses and the community.

By coming together as Edinburgh College, relationships will be enhanced as our community learning and development partners and the local authorities in the region will have access to more of our provision. Opportunities for new and exciting partnership work will grow. An early example is a developing partnership with schools in Midlothian to provide the Science Baccalaureate. Edinburgh College will work closely with Skills Development Scotland on providing more Modern Apprenticeships and ensuring young people gain access to provision which will give them employability skills.

The enhanced reach of Edinburgh College will mean it can make a greater contribution to economic development by playing a full part within all the key economic and business strategic partnerships. It will also be able to add value by providing a single voice to the


respective community planning partnerships of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian. This will ensure that the Edinburgh College dialogue with all external stakeholders is more effective.

5.8.4 Commercial and international impact

By bringing together the three partner colleges, business development and commercial activity will be strengthened. Opportunities for joint working with employers, universities and other stakeholders – and for engaging in knowledge transfer - will be enhanced.

Edinburgh College will aim to be the joint training partner of choice for businesses, assisting them with the provision of skills and knowledge to improve efficiency and effectiveness and to enhance individual and organisational productivity. The breadth of the college’s provision means businesses will have an enhanced standardised course offer to meet their needs.

A single point of purchase across the city will simplify the buying process, rather than businesses having to choose between competing institutions. The greater capacity and capability of Edinburgh College will allow the delivery of more bespoke training for business. A larger talent pool and greater expertise will stimulate curriculum innovation and mean Edinburgh College will be able to offer more flexible solutions to meet employers’ specific needs. The Business Development Team will be able to tender for more contracts and reach out into new markets, confident that Edinburgh College will be able to deliver on the commitments made and capable of developing products or courses on demand. Over time, this will bring the new college closer to businesses, generate more income from commercial courses and enable the college to be financially less reliant on SFC fundable provision.

5.9 The Student Voice

The student voice will be at the heart of Edinburgh College and have a powerful role in shaping the new college at all levels. There is currently student representation on the Partnership Board. The Student Association President from Jewel & Esk College is representing students from all three colleges and the Student Association Presidents from the other two colleges have the option to attend as observers.

Through the development of close working relationships across the three associations, this will ensure that no major strategic decision is taken about Edinburgh College without the voice of the student being heard and considered.

The student voice has been, and will continue to be, central to the planning process. Student Association Presidents were invited to attend the college planning events facilitated by


Education Scotland, while the three presidents and the Deputy President of NUS (Scotland) are engaged in an active and ongoing dialogue with college senior managers to inform the future Edinburgh College student experience and to shape the development of a new model constitution to form an Edinburgh College Student Association. Their critical role is to work in partnership with college managers on the transition arrangements between the three institutions and Edinburgh College. They are adopting a student-centred approach to ensure student involvement in every aspect of Edinburgh College’s development. The key aim is to develop an effective student engagement strategy and delivery model to ensure a unified experience across all campus locations.

Student involvement is key to establishing a new and unique Edinburgh College identity. The new college is committed to creating a culture that maximises student involvement and participation in every aspect of the college experience. This will include representation on college decision-making groups and improved student participation in college planning and curriculum delivery. This will be supported by:

An Edinburgh College commitment to resource and support the formation of a Student Association and to recognise the students’ right to have peer representation

Working in partnership with the elected Student Association President and their executive to ensure a college environment and culture which supports all students

The development of an effective student engagement strategy which will incorporate the following values: listening to our students; acting upon their views; involving them in decisions about their learning and college life; promoting and supporting the student voice

The development of an effective and supported class representation model which upholds the values of the student engagement strategy

The encouragement of greater participation in college life from the point of application to the point of graduation as part of the student journey

The development of a range of communication methods to ensure all students are informed and feel part of the Edinburgh College community. This will involve students exploring new ways to communicate effectively with a large student cohort across a number of locations and might include: communication ambassadors; use of the Edinburgh College Virtual Learning Environment; use of social media communications channels such as Facebook and Twitter.

Edinburgh College will empower its students and support them to be active participants in the life and environment of the college.

There are two main options for the constitutional structure of the Student Association. The structure could be informal with the Association operating as a cost centre of the new college but with independent control over an agreed budget. This process is in operation at two of


the partner colleges. An alternative structure is that the Association operates through an independent charitable body. This structure is used by a number of University Associations but is not as widespread within the FE sector.

The Association at ETC operates through an independent charitable body and it is proposed that this body will be the ‘host’ for the new college Student Association. The constitution will be amended to ensure that the views of the wider student body can be reflected and to ensure clarity over the powers of the Student Executive team.

Although the Association will be a separate legal entity, under the control of the Student Executive team, it is proposed that the administration of employment costs and other expenditure will be managed through existing college systems. This will provide continuity and should minimise cost and bureaucracy. This approach is in line with the current processes within the colleges

To ensure clear lines of accountability, it is proposed that the Association enters into a Memorandum of Understanding with the new college to document the activities to be performed on behalf of the Association, the process for approval of expenditure and the level of administration costs that would be charged by the college for the services provided.


6. People strategy

6.1 Overview

Our core business is education, and the skills, expertise and engagement of our staff is critical to the future success of the Edinburgh College. The three partner colleges share high academic standards, reflecting the quality of teaching and the support provided by our corporate functions. Edinburgh College will be a major employer in the region. Bringing together three groups of staff with different terms and conditions and workplace cultures will be challenging, but this also presents many synergies and opportunities for individuals.

A key element of the merger process will be to determine the management and curriculum structure for each of the four campuses. The organisational structures of the three partner colleges are very different and the model for Edinburgh College will be informed by both the experience of other educational institutions which have merged and by the new college’s strategic plan.

The effective management of change is critical and an early requirement will be the appointment of the new Board of Management and Principal for Edinburgh College. The merger Partnership Board will respond to the recommendations of the Griggs Review of college governance and any decisions taken by the Board will be made in the light of new Scottish Government legislation and guidance from the Scottish Funding Council.

The regionalisation agenda and reduced government funding for colleges has created uncertainty for staff. To provide stability, the three partner colleges have given a commitment to no compulsory job losses for a period of two years from August 2012. Proposed changes to the college sector are significant and there will be changes in staffing levels and roles. In the early stages of the merger process, there is likely to be realignment of management and specialist roles as shared services evolve in order to improve efficiency. An opportunity will be available to leave the merger process for those individuals who wish to follow career or personal plans outwith Edinburgh College. In all cases, change will be handled sensitively and sensibly with the minimum disruption to service provision.

A key objective of the Edinburgh College will be to harmonise existing employment terms and conditions at the earliest practicable opportunity. Any proposed changes to contractual terms and conditions will be discussed fully with recognised trade unions and staff.

The ‘host’ model has been adopted for the merger and all staff will transfer to Edinburgh College on their existing terms and conditions under the TUPE regulations. Edinburgh College will extend the same principles of protection of terms and conditions of employment to existing staff of the ‘host’ college.

Edinburgh College will seek to attract and retain staff with the right abilities and qualifications to sustain the highest level of student experience. We aim to ensure that staff are valued,


informed, appropriately rewarded and fully engaged with the strategic aims and ethos of the Edinburgh College.

6.2 Employee relations

The development of shared services models, the adoption of best practice, new procedures and investment in systems across the four campuses will result in fewer staff being required in the future. Any reductions will, in the first instance, be achieved by voluntary severance, retirement and careful manpower planning.

The commitment to no compulsory redundancies until July 2014 means all appropriate steps will be taken to redeploy and retrain displaced individuals.

Edinburgh College will operate over four main campuses and every effort will be made to minimise the need for staff to travel between locations on a regular basis. There might be a requirement for individuals to relocate to a different campus and in such cases the college will consult fully with those concerned and their representatives.

The valuable role of trade unions, both to represent staff and to work in partnership with management on the merger, is acknowledged. The merger team will negotiate with representatives at all stages in an open and transparent manner. Moving forward, appropriate recognition agreements and collective bargaining mechanisms will be put in place for Edinburgh College.

It is anticipated that terms and conditions which currently differ between the three colleges will be harmonised. Every effort will be made to ensure this is implemented at an appropriate and affordable pace and matched to the future requirements of Edinburgh College.

Benchmarking data will be utilised to ensure that employment terms and conditions are competitive. The new college aims to be an employer of choice in the college sector both in terms of reward but also in relation to non-financial factors such as career development and work enrichment. Edinburgh College will work in partnership with trade unions to determine the process of harmonisation of terms and conditions and will comply fully with legislative requirements. The recommendation by the Griggs Review to move to national bargaining for the college sector is acknowledged and our focus will move to consultation on harmonisation of terms and conditions at a national level once the regional remuneration strategy is embedded.

Key Human Resources policies and procedures have been identified and will be available for the vesting date of Edinburgh College, 1st October 2012.

6.3 Employee engagement


A formal consultation period was undertaken as part of the external and internal merger consultation process, details of which are included in Section 8.2 of this document.

A college identity, mission, vision and values are essential to the success of employee engagement, and initial work on the key principles for Edinburgh College has been developed further with staff across the partner colleges during the pre-merger period. These guiding principles will be embedded in the planning and self-evaluation process.

Human Resources teams will lead on internal communications and engagement activities in the pre-merger and post-vesting periods. The key objectives will be to focus on issues which staff identify, to avoid jargon and ‘management speak’ and to be open, honest and timely in all communications. Experience from other mergers tells us that a ‘no news’ message is more valued by staff than no message at all.

Edinburgh College is committed to communicating with staff openly, candidly and regularly using a range of communication channels to keep employees and representatives briefed fully on developments. Merger newsletters, staff briefings, drop-in sessions, posters and other events will be used to sustain regular, varied communications with staff, as well as students. Feedback from staff and students will inform the process and the importance of two-way communication is acknowledged.

Experience from other merged institutions has highlighted the value of communication facilitators who can act as an editorial board for staff newsletters and support one-to-one communication. To this end, Edinburgh College will identify and support a team of communication facilitators across its campuses.

A Human Resources action plan with timelines and key milestones will be published and will be regularly reviewed, updated and communicated to staff.

Each partner college has a unique corporate culture and one early objective is to undertake an organisational culture survey in spring 2012. This will set a benchmark against which we will measure staff engagement over the gestation period of Edinburgh College.

Edinburgh College presents an opportunity to review existing mechanisms of staff communication and engagement. Lessons from other mergers in the education sector have been studied and best practice will be adopted.

6.4 Staff development

Staff across the partner colleges collaborate on a number of initiatives including the East of Scotland Staff Development Collaborative Group and public value projects such as the Kafka Brigade review of student support systems. The partner colleges also have experience of piloting shared services which will add value to the merger process.

The colleges benefit from low staff turnover and a bank of expertise. However, roles will change to reflect different modes of curriculum delivery and the evolution of systems and procedures. Investment in workforce planning will ensure that the skill base matches the requirements of the merged college.


An early priority for Edinburgh College will be to identify the appropriate mix of skills and experience for the management team and to appoint individuals to drive forward the process of integration. It is acknowledged this will lead to rationalisation of senior management posts but the savings in management costs will release resources to invest. A wider skills audit will be undertaken to identify IT and vocational skills gaps. Investment in training will be made to take full advantage of the opportunities to introduce new technology, procedures and shared services.

The scale and scope of Edinburgh College will support enhanced professional development activities and provide stimulating personal development for staff. Edinburgh College presents opportunities to integrate and streamline procedures and the combined organisational development resources will offer staff career development opportunities not available in the individual colleges. This refers, in particular, to management development programmes, opportunities for career progression in a larger college and access to professional teaching qualifications. Edinburgh College will aspire to invest in staff both to support them in their current roles but also to give them the skill, experience and confidence to progress to other career opportunities. We intend to draw on the experience of organisations which have been identified as examples of good practice in change management and will seek to adopt approaches to management development which have been shown to add value.

To achieve the above, Edinburgh College will remain committed to the standards set out in the Investors in People (IiP) accreditation, but will enhance its offer to staff by developing a Professional Development Academy - to provide supportive staff development linked to the quality improvement agenda. Through the Professional Development Academy, all staff will be given opportunities to develop their competence and performance to bring excellence to everything they do at Edinburgh College. It is recognised that innovation and experimentation are essential to the improvement of professional practice. As such, the Professional Development Academy will support and enable staff to try new approaches to improve the student experience.

Professional development for staff members who support learning will be available through the Professional Development Award programme and support for the Teaching Qualification Further Education (TQFE) degree level qualification will continue. Our staff will be appropriately qualified to deliver the curriculum of the future.

6.5 Self-evaluation

Edinburgh College will develop an ethos and culture centred on the agreed key principles. Regular staff surveys, the European Foundation Quality Model (EFQM), balanced scorecards and other metrics will be utilised to measure progress and to ensure that staff engagement is considered a priority and placed high on the agenda at all times.


The partner colleges already undertake regular benchmarking, both within the college sector and the wider employment market, to measure performance. Inspections by Education Scotland, external agencies and feedback from employers and learners are used to assess performance and identify areas for improvement. A solid foundation exists for self-evaluation.

Edinburgh College will develop a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Human Resources, against which the organisation can benchmark post-merger, both across the education sector and the wider employment market. These metrics will include standard HR measures such as staff turnover and absence rates in addition to the assessment of ‘softer issues’ such as staff morale and accessibility to senior management. A follow-up organisational culture survey will be conducted one year after the vesting date. A post-merger report will be prepared to assess the impact of the employee engagement strategies and to inform future mergers in the sector

6.6 Health, safety and well-being

The Partnership Board and management of the partner colleges recognise their responsibilities with regard to the health, safety and well-being of staff, students, contractors and visitors. Appropriate policies and procedures are in place in each partner college and best practice will be identified and adopted by Edinburgh College. With four main campuses and several outreach locations, it is important that Edinburgh College adopts a standard approach to health and safety and to this end, the three partners will work towards BS18001 accreditation for the new college. Edinburgh College will make suitable provision to ensure full compliance with all legal and college health and safety requirements.

The well-being of staff is paramount and Edinburgh College will sustain the partner colleges’ commitment to the Scottish Government’s Healthy Working Lives award scheme. The merger is a period of significant change and the partner colleges will support staff during and beyond this period of change. Edinburgh College is committed to retaining an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and a comprehensive occupational health facility.

The provision of a suite of appropriate staff benefits will continue into Edinburgh College. These are likely to include access to salary sacrifice schemes for child care support and travel. Access to sports facilities, personal care and education across the main campuses will be available to staff, learners and the local community.

6.7 Business continuity

This is a time of significant change for the partner colleges and it is vital that the delivery of a high-quality curriculum, staff engagement, enriched learner experience and service to


stakeholders is maintained. Business continuity is concerned with the continued effective operation of critical activities; it looks at effects rather than causes of events. Business continuity is one of a suite of plans including incident management, IT disaster recovery and risk register which Edinburgh College will develop and sustain. Risks and appropriate contingencies associated with the people aspects of the merger will be identified as part of the transitional merger plan. The new college will use Business Impact Analysts (BIA) to focus on critical activities. Business continuity is viewed as part of Edinburgh College’s social responsibility to discharge its duty of care to staff, learners and the wider community.

To achieve these aims, Edinburgh College will follow the process and principles set out in BS 25999-1 Business continuity management Part 1 - Code of practice. By adopting the standard approach set out in BS 25999/ISO 22301, the college can be assured that it will be capable of managing continuity throughout the merger process.


7. Financial benefits of the proposed merger

7.1 General

The case for the new Edinburgh College is based on a number of key assumptions that both support public value and preventative spending as outlined by the Scottish Government and seek to make best use of public funds during challenging economic times. The basic premise is to keep resources as close to the student as possible.

Edinburgh College will come into existence at a difficult time for the sector. Following substantial reductions in SFC grant income during 2011/12, further reductions of 8.5 per cent, 5.6 per cent and 5.6 per cent have been announced for the years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15. In cash terms, the expected reduction in revenue grant income in 2012/13 is approximately £5m, with further reductions of £2.5m per annum for each of the following two years.

In overall terms, the income of the combined colleges will reduce by £19m (24 per cent) over the period from 2010-11 to 2014-15. The cut in funding will lead to an inevitable reduction in teaching and support roles but the proposed merger will provide an opportunity to minimise the level of this reduction and seek to ensure that provision is maintained across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

The merger will enable Edinburgh College to reduce the level of its management overheads when compared to the current level of this cost within the individual colleges. In addition, the merger will facilitate the removal of duplicate provision and greater efficiencies in support functions including IT, Finance, HR and Marketing.

An income reduction on the scale outlined above will lead to a reduction in output and capability unless cash is invested to enable new ways of delivery. Edinburgh College intends to continue investing in facilities to ensure all students across Edinburgh and the Lothians region can access learning through modern premises and other delivery channels. The merger business case assumes fixed asset investment of £25m over the plan period.

There are opportunities to increase the level of commercial and international income by adopting a ‘one door’ approach. As the capital city, Edinburgh is a powerful draw and the strong mix of the technical skills and modern facilities available across the four core campuses will provide opportunity for increased growth beneficial to Edinburgh College, the Edinburgh and the Lothians region, and Scotland.

A number of assumptions underlie the business plan, including;

A reduction in the number of management staff evidenced by a rapid reduction of both academic and corporate management costs for the new college.


A sustainable financial position within three years of merger with accounting and cash surpluses being generated at that stage.

A level of operating surplus and positive cashflow generated by the college sufficient to support institutional sustainability but recognising the need to maximise resources wherever possible to enhance the student experience. The new college aims to achieve an operating surplus of approximately 1 per cent of turnover.

The management of liquid assets is a critical and sensitive issue. The proposed ceiling of 10 per cent of annual revenue has been considered in the financial plan.

The continued usage of key assets including the four main campuses – at Sighthill, Granton, Milton Road and Eskbank - and the development of better access in both East Lothian and Craigmillar.

The business plan for Edinburgh College has been prepared for submission to the Scottish Funding Council and used to inform the decision-making of the Partnership Board.

7.2 Commercial and international strategy

7.2.1 Introduction

The merger of the three partner colleges will bring a number of tangible benefits. Through sharing staff expertise, product range, client base and market expertise, Edinburgh College will access business opportunities and compete more effectively, both locally and nationally.

The aspiration is to drive the skills agenda for Edinburgh and the Lothians by being the partner of choice for industry and commerce by supporting them through a range of initiatives including the enhancement of skills and knowledge that will improve efficiency and effectiveness and also develop both individual and organisational productivity. A focus on the development of partnerships with SMEs, Higher Education and sector skills councils is key to supporting employer engagement opportunities.

Edinburgh College will be one of the largest training and consultancy providers in Scotland, with access through the five curriculum hubs to a wide range of programmes, from health care, renewables, enterprise and management development, green and clean technologies, tourism & hospitality and engineering. A larger talent pool and breadth of expertise will stimulate curriculum innovation, knowledge transfer, research and development and entrepreneurship.

7.2.2 Commercial contractsThe college will be in a prime position to develop commercial contracts and partnerships with local government, SMEs and large corporations. The new business development function


will have links to dedicated staff in each hub with expertise on the hub’s specific products and markets and to a bank of associates when specialism cannot be offered.

The Green Transport Hub will be established in spring 2012. The will be a partnership between Edinburgh College and the new West of Scotland and North east college regions. The purpose of this new initiative will be to work collaboratively between the colleges, industry and Higher Education to develop specific services around clean technology and electric vehicles, such as knowledge transfer, research, professional development programmes, training programmes and consultancy. This new development will build and enhance the current provision of the college partners and provide a range of services to automotive and transport companies.

The college will be a major provider of skills training, addressing the development needs of 16-24 year olds. A Skills Gateway will be established in order to contract, manage and deliver a range of funded contracts such as Modern Apprenticeships, Life Skills, Get Ready for Work, Higher level and Technical Apprenticeships.

The three colleges have summited a tender to Skills Development Scotland to deliver a range of National Training Programmes. Edinburgh’s Telford College has submitted a significant bid for around 800 MAs. If successful, about 20 per cent of these contracts would be delivered by staff at the other two colleges with the necessary expertise. This is an example of where scale and range of expertise can bring in larger contracts.

The college will be a key partner of the three main local authorities, supporting the councils’ employee development needs and assisting the authorities to meet their own corporate objectives for their citizens, such as employment and care services

Stevenson College Edinburgh is the City of Edinburgh Council’s preferred bidder for the new Integrated Employability Service contract, to be delivered across the city from April 1st 2012, initially for two years with an option for two more. Edinburgh College will inherit the contract in October 2012. Working with a wide range of public and voluntary sector partners, the college will be tasked with service provision for 3,000 unemployed clients per year, delivered from four hubs in main areas of deprivation and closely linked geographically to the main sites of the new college. Existing links with the Airport Recruitment Centre and Edinburgh Skills Shop will be developed. In the current economic climate, the performance targets are stretching with 45 per cent of clients expected to achieve positive outcomes including progression to mainstream college programmes, voluntary work and sustained jobs. The job entry target is 800 per year and although stretching, our experience of delivering the WEACT project suggests it is achievable with the payment by results contract worth £1.45m annually. The delivery of community-based employability services in partnership with a wide range of local and national organisations will lend a unique perspective and knowledge base to the college which will lead to further innovation and integration in the fields of vocational education and employability service delivery.

Edinburgh College will also be able to develop the current partnerships with a number of sector-specific training providers. For example, Edinburgh’s Telford College currently jointly


delivers in both Edinburgh and Glasgow a range of rail-related training to meet the high demand for trained staff in this sector. It is proposed that this partnership will develop into joint delivery of construction-related courses across Europe and worldwide.

7.2.3 International Development

Edinburgh College will build on the international capability and capacity of the three partner colleges to increase its global reach and embed further a culture of internationalisation within the new organisation.

Edinburgh College will have a more powerful message for prospective international clients, being able to capitalise on the strong brands of both Edinburgh and Scotland in global markets. The increased course portfolio of Edinburgh College will also mean more opportunities to promote Edinburgh College to a larger international audience. There is the potential for greater account penetration of the three institutions’ existing clients. Links will be strengthened with international agencies, overseas companies, education institutions and government bodies. New links and new markets will be developed for the new college. The scale of Edinburgh College will also allow it to consider larger-scale capacity-building projects overseas and to look at having a presence in specific countries.

First-class support for international students and clients will be central to the success of the Edinburgh College internationalisation strategy. The college will offer a full package of international services, including end-to-end student application guidance, accommodation and specialist visa counselling. Compliance with UKBA policies will be essential. Partnerships with UK Higher Education institutions offering attractive articulation routes will be expanded.

Mobility programmes allowing student and staff skills development visits in a European context will be enhanced.

From January 2012, the three colleges aligned their overseas recruitment activities to promote the full range of courses and opportunities available under a new college collaboration banner. The three colleges have also begun to bid jointly for VET projects in Saudi Arabia, Libya and Kazakhstan


8. The consultation process

The public consultation on the initial merger plan between Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh to create a new college for the Edinburgh city region took place between July and September 2011. Edinburgh’s Telford College joined the merger process in November 2011, after this initial period of consultation had come to an end, and carried out internal consultation during January and February 2012.

8.1 External consultation

The consultation document for the merger of two colleges, A New College for Edinburgh City Region, was launched on 6 July 2011 at an event attended by more than 100 key stakeholders and chaired by Brendan Dick, Director of BT Scotland. Mandy Exley, Principal of Jewel & Esk College and Brian Lister OBE, Principal of Stevenson College Edinburgh - along with their Board Chairs, Ian Young and Jim Ewing – outlined the vision for the new college. Attendees at the launch event included representatives of a wide range of stakeholder organisations. The private sector was represented by small business right through to corporates such as Deloitte, Lloyds TSB and RBS, highlighting the scale of the business relationships developed by the colleges. There were also significant attendees from business organisations, including CBI Scotland and the Institute of Directors.

Public sector attendees included senior representation from local authorities, other colleges and four universities. School headteachers, MSPs and local communities were represented, along with NHS Lothian, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council.

The consultation document was distributed to those who attended the launch and to hundreds of other key stakeholders. Feedback was requested via an open question about thoughts on the proposal to create a new college, reasons for support or concern and suggestions for the new college’s name.

The colleges were keen to ensure that the document - and its explanation of the thinking behind the merger - was distributed as widely as possible to the broadest possible range of stakeholders, to allow detailed feedback. Subsequently, constructive and valuable feedback was received from a significant range of stakeholders.

The replies from external stakeholders were unanimously positive, and focused on the increased capacity of a new college to meet student needs, improved opportunities for collaboration and the chance for the new institution to make a more significant contribution to the economy of Edinburgh and the Lothians.

There was praise for the broader range of courses and services that would be offered by the new, larger college – and the opportunity to offer a single reference-point to employers looking to work with a local college, and for the new institution to offer highly specialist provision and curriculum hubs in specific areas.

Although this initial phase of the public consultation included feedback on a two-college merger, it was felt the approach taken had been sufficiently thorough to enable positive


conclusions to be drawn about likely stakeholder response to Edinburgh’s Telford College’s inclusion in the proposals too.

This was borne out by several key stakeholders who were prepared to strengthen their initial response to the merger following on the inclusion of Edinburgh’s Telford College. Some typical comments include:

"This three-way merger is good for Edinburgh and good for business, not just because it delivers efficiencies and economies of scale, but because of the focus of the unified colleges on providing opportunities for our young people and a skilled workforce that businesses need to grow and prosper." David Birrell, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce

“I have absolutely no doubt that this is the correct way to go and will bring huge benefits.”

Norman Springford, Chairman, Apex Hotels

“I believe this will create a stronger entity moving forward and offer students and staff a much better vehicle to progress in their education and career.”

Tom Buchanan, Economic Development Convener, City of Edinburgh Council

The next phase of public consultation will involve all three colleges. Working with Grayling, the appointed external PR agency, regular and planned communication will be established with the key stakeholders for all three colleges, initially with a customised letter which will be followed by regular newsletters and updates as required. All questions and feedback gathered from this process will be responded to and published as appropriate.

In addition, key stakeholder events will be held across all three colleges in order to encourage involvement and buy-in.

8.2 Internal consultation

Staff and students are represented on the merger Partnership Board, and at local college level consultation with staff, trade unions and student representatives has been on-going since the announcement of the original two-college merger proposal in April 2011.

In August 2011, all staff at Stevenson College Edinburgh and Jewel & Esk College participated in a series of consultation events. The first was ‘Stop the Clock’ when staff took time out from their working day to discuss the merger proposal with their work teams. Individuals were asked to comment on strengths and successes which should not be lost as plans for the new college developed. There was also an opportunity to propose a name for the new college. This event was followed by ‘Working Together’, where staff from each college had the opportunity to work with colleagues from the partner college and to visit the partner college campus. Working in cross-college groups, individuals were given time to identify challenges, opportunities and to discuss and refine the proposed key principles for the new college, as outlined in Section 3.1 of this document.


These sessions were facilitated by volunteers working in pairs and representing each college and different job roles. Staff unable to visit the partner college had the opportunity to do so at a later date with colleagues from the partner college acting as hosts.

In September 2011, the Principals of SCE and JEC swapped colleges for a day to meet staff and students, dropping in on classes and hosting open meetings to answer questions.

This programme of activities was mirrored by Edinburgh’s Telford College in January 2012 to ensure that the consultation process was consistent across all three colleges.

A range of other consultation approaches were also deployed at ETC, including staff briefing sessions, drop-in sessions, posters, email messages from the Principal and the use of regular newsletters as the merger proposal developed.

Formal consultation with trade unions was crucial from the beginning and regular consultation meetings have been held with both local representatives and regional officers. This will continue up to and beyond vesting day to ensure that staffing remains a priority for the new college.

The Student Associations have been involved both at college and Partnership Board level. The service of an external communications consultant was made available to the student bodies to provide advice and prepare appropriate consultation materials for students.

Feedback from staff and students has been essential to the consultation process and changes have been made to reflect this - for example, the format of newsletters was amended and editorial groups established to ensure content reflected staff interests. The staff intranet has been used to make documents available to all and to maintain a set of FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions - and the answers to these questions. Appendix 10 illustrates a range of these questions and answers.

8.3 Summary of consultation

The feedback from the consultation period was extremely valuable. There was universally positive support from external stakeholders, with some of those already enthusiastic in their backing of the Jewel & Esk/Stevenson proposal in 2011 prepared to offer even stronger support once Edinburgh’s Telford had agreed to participate in a three-college merger.

Some areas of concern were highlighted by students and staff – and have been addressed as far as possible through all the mechanisms available. Many of the concerns have been addressed through the guarantee of no compulsory redundancies during the first two years of the new college’s operation.

The partner colleges, and the new Edinburgh College, will guarantee to continue working with students and staff to tackle all concerns raised about the merger process and future


operation of the new college. As reinforced throughout this document, students and staff will always be fully consulted – and their voices always heard, and fully considered – throughout this process.

In light of all the feedback gathered during the consultation period, the Partnership Board believes that it has received strong positive affirmation that the creation of a new merged college is the best way forward to serve the future educational needs of Edinburgh and the Lothians.


9. Governance and management

9.1 College Name

The proposed name for the new college is Edinburgh College.

The formal consultation processes with staff and students across all three colleges were completed by mid-February 2012. Included in the consultation was the opportunity to suggest a preferred name for the new college. The external consultation also offered key stakeholders the opportunity to make suggestions about the new college name. These suggestions were collated by the joint three-college marketing team.

The Merger Executive Board was presented with a list of the most commonly suggested names arising from the consultations. These were:

Edinburgh City College City of Edinburgh College Edinburgh College

The Board of Management of Jewel & Esk College indicated that it wished to have a name that emphasised inclusiveness across the new college’s area of operation. Consequently, the Merger Executive Board recommended to the Partnership Board that Edinburgh College should be the preferred name for submission to the Scottish Government. The Partnership Board endorsed this proposal at its meeting at the end of February.

It was also agreed that a strapline should be adopted to convey the breadth of reach of the new college across the Edinburgh and the Lothians region, and to ensure that learners and stakeholders outside Edinburgh are not alienated by the choice of a name that focuses on the college’s connection with Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city. The strapline will be determined through a branding exercise, and will have the following theme: ‘Creating opportunities for Edinburgh and the Lothians’.

9.2 Proposed governance and management structures

The new college is totally committed to deliver governance and management for the new institution that is of the highest quality in terms of its robustness and professionalism. It will ensure this by drawing on best practice, and on the experience and skills of members of the three partner colleges – as well as learning from elsewhere, and particularly from similar mergers.

9.2.1 Governance

Highly-committed members of the three college boards bring to the sector valuable expertise and important contacts with local industry and the community. They are excellent advocates


for the colleges and give their time generously. All three existing boards have a code of conduct and a register of interests, a comprehensive understanding of their financial responsibilities and monitor the quality of provision on offer.

To ensure effective governance arrangements going forward, the three college boards created a Partnership Board in December 2011 with representation from each to oversee the process of merger. The Partnership Board has certain delegated powers of authority to progress the merger proposal through to the point where the merger submission document is presented to each college board for its approval. The merger submission document will then be forwarded to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning for his approval.

The composition of the Partnership Board and the ‘Deed of Partnership’ - which underpins the remit of the Board, and was signed on 26th January 2012 - are set out in Appendix 1.

The publication of the Griggs Report on FE Governance in January 2012 recommended that “as soon as is practicable, and if possible by academic year 2013-14”, a new regional structure should be established for the college sector in Scotland. It is proposed that the regional board structure in Edinburgh will evolve from the Board arrangements for the single college arising from the merger of Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh. Once the three college Boards of Management approve merger, a Shadow Board will be established to plan and administer the remainder of the merger process up to and including vesting day, scheduled for 1st October 2012.

9.2.2 The Shadow Board

The Shadow Board will be an evolution of the current Partnership Board and will number 17 members in total. A Chair will be appointed by the Shadow Board. The Shadow Board will comprise: three members drawn from each of the three existing college Boards of Management, with three of these members serving for two years and three for four years; the Principal Designate of the new Edinburgh College; a representative of corporate staff and one representative of teaching staff; and a student representative. This will leave four vacancies to attract new or former members to the Board, allowing flexibility to ensure the necessary profile of skills and expertise on the new Board.

All subsequent appointments to the Board will use procedures consistent with the Public Appointments System. Such an approach will ensure appointments are open, transparent and meet the needs of the region. Best practice on diversity, especially in terms of gender and ethnicity, should also be reflected in Board membership.

The governance framework adopted by Edinburgh College will have a requirement to ensure the Board has a sufficient number of members to fulfil committee assignments and provide the appropriate mix of continuity, experience, skills and diversity for the Board and its committees to fulfil their responsibilities. Therefore, it will be important to ensure that the Shadow Board has a sufficient range of skills, expertise and experience to fulfil


responsibilities which encompass finance, strategic planning, audit, personnel and estates, while taking account of vocational and functional areas of activity to be served by Edinburgh College. In due course, the Shadow Board may wish to conduct a skills audit with the aim of balancing experience and expertise in different areas.

The Shadow Board may co-opt additional members on a time-limited basis for particular purposes. Co-optees would not have a right to vote. This provision may be used to ensure the Board obtains relevant expertise and advice to assist with matters such as the college estate and relationships with universities.

The transition arrangements outlined above should provide for continuity and appropriate governance of both strategy and practice for Edinburgh College.

Prior to becoming the Board of Management for Edinburgh College, during the period April-September 2012, the Shadow Board will have full delegated authority to approve a budget for the new college for 2012-13, understanding that in the first two months of financial year 2012-13, all three partner colleges will still be operating as autonomous institutions.

Another early action will be the appointment of the Principal Designate, recruited by open external advertisement, and that of a Secretary to the Shadow Board. The Shadow Board will also devise a committee structure covering all main functions - including finance, audit, human resources, student matters, the monitoring of the core academic business of the college and the quality of delivery, estates, the performance review and remuneration of senior staff, and the search for and selection of personnel to fill senior positions, including new Board members.

Additionally, the Shadow Board will identify suitable individuals with relevant skills sets to convene each of the committees, and will consider what additional external input may be required. In the first instance, the Shadow Board will meet frequently to ensure the objectives set for vesting day are met in full.

9.2.3 The new Edinburgh College Board

At vesting day, 1st October 2012, it is intended that the Shadow Board will become the Edinburgh College Board. Two models of merger can be used in relation to the proposed merger going forward. Under the first of these, the ‘host’ model, two of the colleges would be ‘transferred’ into the third college (the ‘host’ college).

In due course, the Scottish Government will make an order dissolving the Boards of Management of the ‘redundant’ colleges. The transfer of assets, liabilities etc, is not the subject of the order. Instead, this is transacted by agreement between the colleges themselves against the background of the powers which ministers have delegated to the SFC to approve transfers of assets. Under this model, two of the three partner colleges would be dissolved.


Once all transfers have taken place, the ‘host’ college would then change its name to Edinburgh College with ministers at the same time promoting a separate order to designate Edinburgh College as a fundable body. As the Shadow Board will become the Board of Edinburgh College, the ‘host’ college will facilitate this transition. This will be achieved by the Board of Management of the ‘host’ college, except for any non-staff members of the Board of the ‘host’ college who are also members of the Shadow Board, standing down with effect from 1st October 2012.

An alternative approach that can be adopted is the ‘phoenix’ model. This requires the closure/dissolution of all three colleges and a transfer of property, responsibilities and liabilities to an entirely new fundable body, Edinburgh College. In practice, it does not make a difference legally whether the host or phoenix model is adopted. The major disadvantage of the ‘host’ model is that it has connotations of a ‘takeover’ i.e. an impression that one college (the ‘host’) has ‘taken over’ the other two colleges. The major disadvantage of the ‘phoenix’ model is that it requires the promotion of a statutory instrument in the Scottish Parliament.

Dialogue with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council has led to the view that the ‘host’ model is the better one to adopt for Edinburgh College. To date, there have been three successful ‘host’ mergers and in each case, the larger or largest college has been the host. The process by which a decision will be reached on the ‘host’ college will involve the Shadow Board conducting an objective assessment of the most appropriate legal procedure for the establishment of Edinburgh College (choosing the host). This will be done using an assessment matrix as set out in Appendix 11.

The Shadow Board will make a recommendation which will subsequently require to be validated by an independent legal firm and the Scottish Funding Council.

It is recognised that there will be certain residual responsibilities for the Boards of each college to discharge prior to formal dissolution, such as the signing off of their final accounts.


9.2.4 Process to vesting day

A Summary of the Process up to vesting day is set out below:

Date ActivityCollege Boards:

Late March 2012- Early April 2012

All College Boards agree to the following:-

Boards will formally resign at 23.59 on 30 September 2012 from existing colleges

Existing board members will be invited to express their interest in becoming a board member of Edinburgh College. Each individual board will formally recommend 3 members for the Shadow Board (and hence the new Edinburgh College Board)

Delegation of authority to the Shadow Board to carry out an objective assessment of the best legal set up for Edinburgh College (i.e. choosing the host). This will be decided through the scoring of each college on the assessment matrix set out in Appendix 11. The Shadow Board will make a recommendation that will be validated by SFC and an independent legal firm.

Each existing board will accept the recommendation.

26th April 2012 Partnership Board ceases and Shadow Board commences operation.

Shadow Board appoints a Chair and undertakes the process to determine the host college. It also appoints a Secretary to the Shadow Board.

26th April – 1st October

Shadow Board recruits and appoints Principal Designate Shadow Board governs the implementation phase of the merger.

1 October 2012 – Vesting Date

The Shadow Board becomes the Board of Edinburgh College using the recommended host college.

The Principal Designate becomes the Principal of Edinburgh College.


9.3 Management

9.3.1 Management of the merger process

The management of the merger process has taken place in two stages – an initial merger initiative involving SCE and JEC (early 2011 to November 2011) and the full three-college merger from November 2011 onwards. The initial work, driven by an Executive Steering Group, provided a sound foundation on which to build the three-college partnership, facilitating the rapid progress that has been made in the spring of 2012 towards a merger proposal that has been accepted by all three Boards of Management.

The three-college merger process has been overseen by the Partnership Board, while the day-to-day management of the detailed processes has been delegated to a Merger Executive Board comprising the three Principals and chaired by Jim Donaldson CBE, Board of Management chair at Edinburgh’s Telford College.

The Merger Executive Board has managed the activities of various work streams set up to take forward specific projects to establish the academic benefits of the merger and the business case, agree the key strategies for the new college, including its people strategy, and to ensure that the new college processes will assure quality, equality and diversity. The Merger Executive Board appointed a Project Manager to assist the work streams, and a financial consultant to ensure that the new college business model was soundly-based.

Senior and operational employees from each partner colleges are represented on all work streams to ensure that best practice across the colleges is identified and incorporated into the new college. The main work streams are: Curriculum and Learner Services (including Learner Engagement); Finance and Commercial (including Estates and ICT); and Staffing and Structures. Particular work packages, such as Quality, were delegated to subgroups.

The Merger Executive Board has managed the communication of its key decisions to all staff through an appointed internal communications officer, and to all key stakeholders through an external PR agency. It has also committed considerable energy to pursuing a fair and balanced voluntary severance scheme for all staff.

9.3.2 Going forward

Once the ‘host’ college is determined by the Shadow Board, there will be a re-assignment of work packages to take the new college forward into the implementation of its merger proposals. Thereafter, it is expected that the appointment process for a Principal to Edinburgh College will take place in late April. Once a Principal Designate is appointed, a new senior management team will then be put in place. This new management team will take responsibility for the detailed preparation for vesting day on 1st October.


There will be an agreed implementation plan (with published timelines) covering each of the key areas of merger implementation: Curriculum and Learners Services; Finance and Commercial; and Staffing and Structures. This will be monitored by the new Principal and senior management team.


10. Implementation and strategy

10.1 Timetable to vesting day

The key milestones in the merger planning process are set out in the table below:

Completed by Responsibility Action22 Mar 2012 Partnership Board Approves business case. Merger proposal to

go to individual college boards30 Mar 2012 SFC Investment

CommitteeConsiders cost and investment elements of merger proposal and determine allocation

By 3 April 2012 Individual college Boards Approve business case and merger proposalBy 20 April 2012 Chairs of three colleges Submit final business case and merger

proposal to Scottish Government26 April 2012 Partnership Board /

Shadow BoardPartnership Board ceases and Shadow Board assumes responsibility; process to determine ‘host’ college for merger begins

30 April 2012 Scottish Government Initiates own consultation and seeks advice from SFC

By 1 May 2012 Shadow Board Begins recruitment of Principal Designate and engages professional services for the search.

2 May 2012 SFC Investment Committee

Review visit to three colleges (format, locations to be confirmed). Will include meetings with: Chairs & Board members; Principals & senior management; staff; students

25 May 2012 SFC Investment Committee

Advises SFC Council; informal advice to Scottish Government

By end June 2012

Shadow Board Confirms appointment of Principal Designate (to take up post on negotiated date)

29 June 2012 SFC Council Consider and approves council’s advice to the Cabinet Secretary; advises Scottish Government - formal

By end August 2012

Shadow Board and Principal Designate

Considers organisational structure including senior management team

23 July 2012 Scottish Government End of 12-14 week process of consultation; (Summer recess will have commenced)

30 July 2012 Scottish Government Executive

Advises on outcomes of the SG consultation

By end August 2012

Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning

Announcement of decision re approval of merger proposal

1 Oct 2012 New Edinburgh College Vesting Day1 Oct 2012 Edinburgh College OSCR Parliamentary process commences to

complete formal charitable and funding name changes


10.2 Communications strategy

Communication is a key element of managing change effectively, and will be a significant function in Edinburgh College. To be effective, all communication should be timely, open and honest. As such, even when there are no developments to communicate, a ‘no news’ message should be offered rather than ‘no message’. A communications plan has been produced to provide a framework for the development, implementation and monitoring of merger communications and should be viewed as a strategic communication partnership across the three colleges. Embedded within the plan is the recognition that communication is a two-way process which involves ‘listening’ as well as ‘informing’.

10.2.1 Aims and Objectives The aims and objectives of the communications plan are to:

Assist with the management of change Inform, inspire and engage key audiences Keep key stakeholders briefed regularly about merger developments Provide reassurance where required Build support, understanding and commitment Develop a positive profile for the merger both internally and externally ‘Protect’ the reputation and brand of the three partner colleges during the transitional

period Address inaccuracies and counter misinformation

10.2.2 Target AudiencesThere are a wide range of internal and external stakeholders with whom we need to engage to ensure we communicate merger developments effectively. These include:

Internal audiences: students & student representatives; staff & staff representatives; Boards of Management; college managers

External Audiences: prospective students and their influencers; educational bodies, schools and universities; community groups; businesses and industry bodies; Sector Skills Councils; local authorities; local politicians, including councillors; media

10.2.3 Key Messages


Key messages should be linked to key milestones, outcomes and decisions which may be relevant to any of the target audiences. Messages should also reflect and reinforce the brand values and vision for the new college.

The main messages include: Updates on the merger process Key dates and milestones Benefits of the merger Recruitment of the Principal to lead the new college Name and brand for the new college Scale and scope of the new college in the context of Edinburgh and Scotland Business as usual but even better to ensure continuity and seamless transition Building on success and high standards by highlighting successes of the three colleges The breadth and depth of links and partnerships of the three colleges and the new college Importance of curriculum hubs

10.2.4 Communication ChannelsA range of communication channels should be used and communication champions should be established from both teaching and corporate staff and the student body.

The primary communication channels will be as follows:

Internal newsletter: regular publication of the Working Together newsletter which is produced by the marketing work stream and signed off at Principal level before circulating to all staff and students across the three colleges by email and making printed copies available in the library, learning centres and staff rooms.

External newsletter/emails: regular updates to all external stakeholders about the merger through email updates and letters.

Website/intranet: all three college websites have a ‘new college’ section, containing up-to-date and consistent information, which should be mirrored on staff and student intranets and portals, with appropriate information for each audience. An FAQ document has been produced which resides here and should be updated weekly, as and when new questions arise. The new college sections should include relevant newsletters, press releases and latest news.

Social media: all three college Twitter and Facebook pages will have coordinated and consistent messages posted about the merger at the same time.

Staff/student/stakeholder event: a number of regular and coordinated events will be held across the main campuses to engage each audience and provide the opportunity for discussion and the ability to pose questions to senior staff. Regular opportunities for two-way communication and discussion at all staff levels will be developed. Senior management visibility and accessibility through face-to-face meetings and team briefings are critical to building better employee understanding of and buy-in to the merger.

Public Relations: press releases and thought leadership pieces will be developed, particularly in key sector areas, in order to establish a strong voice for Edinburgh College. External media activity should be synchronised with internal communications to ensure key


audiences receive information at the same time, as appropriate. Media responses must be prepared in advance to counter any potential negative connotations arising from announcements about the merger.

Plasma/TV screens: use of the internal plasma/TV screens in each of the three colleges will be maximised for merger-related news, developments and events.

Students’ Associations: the three colleges should work with the Student Presidents of each college to ensure the messages and communication channels are meaningful and credible to the Edinburgh and the Lothians student population.

10.2.5 Research and evaluationCommunication activities need to be evaluated regularly to determine if we are succeeding in getting the key messages across.

Research will be carried out with a sample of key internal and external audiences and should be a continuous activity, not just a one-off. The key research tools that will be used to gather both quantitative and qualitative data will be:

Questionnaires using online tools e.g. SurveyMonkey Focus groups Press cuttings to monitor media coverage Analysis of information from websites and social media sites

10.2.6 New college name and brandingA new brand will be developed for Edinburgh College in consultation with staff, students and stakeholders. This will include a strapline making reference to Edinburgh and the Lothians, such as ‘Creating opportunities for Edinburgh and the Lothians’.

10.2.7 Protocols and proceduresCommunications activities and channels should be directed by the marketing work stream with the support of the Project Manager and achieved through the joint working of the three colleges’ marketing teams. As required, the marketing work stream will work with colleagues from across the three colleges on specific projects, such as the organisation of staff events jointly with the HR team and the development of the website for Edinburgh College jointly with the IT work stream.

A PR agency (Grayling) has been appointed to handle external communications under the direction of the marketing work stream with approval as required from the Merger Executive Board. Up to vesting day, Freedom Of Information requests relating to merger will be handled by each college using existing FOI procedures, but coordinated through the Merger Executive Board.


10.2.8 Post-Merger CommunicationsThe new brand for Edinburgh College will be in place by 1st October 2012. For this date, there will also be a new website and a single social media presence for Edinburgh College, although a seamless online application process will come later.

There will be new corporate stationery and imagery in use at all campuses and a new staff newsletter will be in place, as well as common branding across the three college intranets. A common intranet with the new brand will be implemented as soon as is practicable.

A series of common events will take place to launch Edinburgh College to staff, students, communities and stakeholders on 1st October 2012.

Following a campaign to launch the new college and new brand pre-merger, the first campaign post-merger will be to recruit students for the January 2013 intake, then the 2013/14 academic year, each supported by promotional materials using the new branding.

10.3 Merger Costs

10.3.1 Merger enabling costs

The college merger process has been ‘live’ since quarter one, 2011. The SFC has provided funding of £600,000 to support the process. Merger enabling expenditure is expected to total £725,000 by the time the vesting date is reached.

The keys areas of expenditure are:

Internal communications - £90,000 External communications - £96,000


Project management - £90,000 Merger proposal/business case documentation - £50,000 Legal and financial due diligence – £190,000 IT/HR/Legal: advice & support – £150,000

10.3.2 Indicative merger implementation costs

Merger implementation costs are forecast to total £14.7m. This includes £10.5m to support voluntary severance activity with the balance allocated to a range of integration and harmonisation activities primarily occurring over the period 2012-2014.

A bid for merger funding of £8.0m has been prepared for consideration by SFC’s Investment Committee. The balance of merger costs once this allocation is known will be funded by the new college.

The business case prepared for the Scottish Funding Council contains detail on the nature and expected timing of the implementation costs.

10.3.3 Potential costs to support regionalisation and cost reduction initiatives

The new college will be the key element of the proposed Edinburgh and Lothians region and as such will seek to manage its curriculum and support services in line with the required regional strategy.

The proposed level of budget reductions recently announced for the FE sector will compel the new college to make staff and other cost reductions beyond those required in a pure merger and efficiency scenario. The business case recognises the need for Edinburgh College to utilise cash reserves to support the cost of funding the changes required.

The potential for Edinburgh College to provide IT and other support services to Newbattle Abbey College is recognised and the new college will continue in discussions to ensure an appropriate system for cost-effective delivery is identified. An estimate of the initial investment required is £0.3m.


11. Risks to implementation of the merger

11.1 Risk register

A risk register has been developed with the involvement of the merger work streams, overseen by the Merger Executive Board. It includes strategies for mitigating each risk and the responsible person(s). The risk register is a dynamic document, and will develop into a comprehensive risk management tool, supporting the process through merger implementation into the operations of the new college. The responsibility for the management of risk will be transferred to the Shadow Board of Management.

The following table provides an outline of the headline risks associated with the planning for merger and the early implementation phase, together with a risk score calculated as a function of likelihood and impact, each scaled 1-3, low to high.

The full risk register can be found in Appendix 12

Narrative Likelihood Impact Risk Category

Mitigation

Failure to agree board structure in a timely manner leads to conflict, delay and/or loss of key potential new board members.

Medium

High

High Regular meetings and communication among the chairs; regular contact with SFC for guidance.

Failure to agree process and/or appointment of Principal to lead new college in a timely manner

Medium

High

High Shadow Board to seek professional support to ensure open and fair processes for recruitment and selection

Failure to agree senior management structure in a timely manner leads to conflict, delay and/or loss of key personnel

Medium

High

High Chairs and senior board members to structure work to develop key structures by time of merger proposal submission

Culture of three teams very different, leading to loss of key individuals and inability to deliver business plan

Medium

High

High Senior team/board will have skills mix, including external appointments - it will be a new college

EIS negative to the merger proposal and instigates strike action

Medium High High Continued communication on the aims and objectives of the merger


Competing pressures lead to lack of resource available to meet, develop and document information for merger proposal

Medium High High Appoint project manager; Continued close monitoring by MEB

Narrative Likelihood Impact Risk Category

Mitigation

Failure to keep the current HTS status and failure to transfer HTS to new college

Medium High High Establish HTS working group to review pre-entry requirements and make sure that faculties are aware of the student performance criteria as set out by HTS

Individual college boards fail to approve merger

Low High Medium Development of robust business case and funding package which reflects aspirations of all three partner colleges

Government/SFC unable to fund full costs of merger implementation

Medium High Medium Develop financial strategies to cover various levels of shortfall in funding

Negative reaction from staff of one or more colleges

Medium Medium Medium Continued communication on the aims and objectives of the merger

Failure to agree future curriculum for the new college

Low Medium Low Clear criteria and impact assessment of current and future curriculum

Failure to agree future student support structures across the three campuses

Low Medium Low Close review of systems, structures and processes and continued communication with staff involved, plus dialogue with students

Failure to agree an international development strategy and plan within appropriate timescales

Low High Medium Integrated international student recruitment plan agreed for 12/13 intake. New college international plan finalised in first quarter of 12/13. New structure for international development function agreed by 2nd


quarter 12/13


Appendices

Appendix 1: The Partnership Board and The Deed of Partnership

Appendix 2: Academic plan for Edinburgh College

Appendix 3: Learning and Teaching Strategy

Appendix 4: Curriculum strategy

Appendix 5: Learner Entitlement Strategy

Appendix 6: Quality Strategy

Appendix 7: Equality & Diversity Strategy

Appendix 8: ICT and Information Systems Vision

Appendix 9: Estates Strategy

Appendix 10: Issues arising from consultation process

Appendix 11: Assessment matrix to determine host college

Appendix 12: Full risk register

Edinburgh Colleges Merger Proposal Appendices A1

Appendix 1 – The Partnership Board and the Deed of Partnership

A1.1 Composition of the Partnership Board

Edinburgh’s Telford College: Jim Donaldson, CBE; Miles Dibsdall, OBE; Jacqueline Maull; Jenny Rees.

Jewel & Esk College: Ian Young; Mandy Exley; Robin Stimpson; Lupe Gonzales.

Stevenson College Edinburgh: Jim Ewing (Chair of Partnership Board); Brian Lister, OBE; Maidie Cahill; Colin Arthur.

A1.2 Deed of Partnership

1. Parties (1) Edinburgh’s Telford College

(2) Jewel & Esk College

(3) Stevenson College Edinburgh

(together, “The Colleges”)2.

PurposeThe Colleges have agreed in principle to a merger of the three colleges.

The Colleges have agreed to the following key principles and terms set out in this document (the "Agreement") which will provide a framework within which progress towards and preparations for merger will take place.

3.Commitment The Colleges agree that a merger is their preferred

strategic option. Subject to the outcome of financial due diligence and consultation with staff, students and other stakeholders, they shall work together in good faith and in a collaborative and constructive manner to undertake necessary preparations, and enter into any appropriate agreements in order to achieve merger.

4.Timescale The Colleges agree to work towards a deadline for

merger by 1 October 2012 subject to necessary approvals and agreement of the Scottish Funding Council and Scottish Government.

5.Establishment of Partnership Board

Upon agreement of this Agreement, the Colleges shall establish a joint committee with representatives from each college to work towards agreeing the merger


proposal. This joint committee shall be called the "Partnership Board".

The core membership of the Partnership Board shall comprise the following representatives:

the Chair of each college;

the Principal of each college;

one additional member from each college

board; and

one support staff representative from one

college

one academic staff representative from one

college

one student representative from one

college

The Chair of the Partnership Board shall be Jim Ewing.

There will be two vice-chairs of the Partnership Board - these shall be Ian Young and Jim Donaldson.

Should any of these representatives be unable to attend a meeting, their college shall be entitled to nominate a substitute board member.

The Scottish Funding Council and other student and staff board representatives from the colleges shall be entitled to attend meetings of the Partnership Board as observers. Such observers will have no vote at any board meeting.

6.Operation of Partnership Board

The Scottish Funding Council shall provide secretariat support to the Partnership Board until merger is complete

The Partnership Board may, at its discretion, invite other attendees to attend board meetings including, for example, senior staff from the colleges and project managers for the merger. Such attendees will have no role at any board meeting.

The Partnership Board shall provide reports to the


boards of each college. 7.

Authority of the Partnership Board

Authority to take the following actions, decisions, and preparation shall be delegated from the Colleges to the Partnership Board:

the preparation of the merger proposal

document;

consultation on the merger;

the planning of the merger including

undertaking necessary due diligence;

the allocation and spending of any funding

from the Scottish Funding Council for the

pre-merger phase;

the commissioning of professional advice

and support for the pre-merger phase

using the funding above; and

making any prospective appointments to

posts in the new college.

Any other delegations of authority by the Colleges to the Partnership Board will be taken at college board level and formally recorded, for the avoidance of doubt.

For the avoidance of doubt, the following decisions shall be deemed to be beyond the authority of the Partnership Board:

final decision as to go-ahead with the merger

spending over and above any pre-merger funding allocated by the Scottish Funding Council.

8.Funding

The Scottish Funding Council shall provide funding to support the pre-merger discussions.

The terms and conditions of this funding will be set out in a letter from the Scottish Funding Council to the colleges. The Partnership Board will be required to comply with any such terms and conditions.


9.Consultation The Colleges shall each be responsible for carrying

out a full consultation with its own students and staff in respect of the proposed merger. However the Colleges will work together to ensure such consultation exercises are conducted in a consistent way and in the same, or similar, timeframes.

10.Pre-conditions / approvals required

The Colleges shall work together constructively and expeditiously to obtain the approval of the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council to the merger and any other formal approvals required eg the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.

11.Due Diligence The Colleges shall co-operate fully with each other

and the Scottish Funding Council as appropriate to assist in the undertaking of a full financial and legal due diligence prior to merger, including making available all required information to professional advisors and providing access to premises where necessary.

12.Merger Document

The Colleges will work constructively and expeditiously to produce a merger plan which will deal, among other matters, with:

The transfer or disposal of all property and assets of each college;

Transfer/rationalisation of contracts held by each college; and

Transfer of staff of each college.

13.Confidentiality

Colleges shall not disclose any information (in whatever form) disclosed to them by one or both of the other colleges (relating to the disclosing of a college's business or affairs) other than as agreed by all colleges.

This clause will not prohibit the sharing of information with professional advisors appointed to the colleges to assist in any merger process, or with the Scottish Funding Council or the Scottish Government.

14.Legal status Other than the clauses on Confidentiality and

Governing Law, this Agreement shall not be legally binding on the parties.


15.Governing Law This Agreement shall be read and construed in

accordance with Scots law and the Colleges agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish courts.


Appendix 2: Academic plan for the New College

The Pursuit of Excellence Model for Edinburgh College

This model has been developed by Edinburgh College to guide its transformational change.


Appendix 3: Learning and Teaching Strategy for Edinburgh College

The overall aim of the Learning and Teaching Strategy for Edinburgh College is to ensure that every student receives an excellent learning experience that exceeds their expectations. Students will be motivated, encouraged and supported to achieve their qualification and be actively involved in shaping and personalising their own learning experience. They will develop personal capacities, professional capabilities, knowledge and skills that will prepare them for the future and enable them to make a positive contribution to the economy and to their community.

There will be a single culture of learning in Edinburgh College, regardless of the campus a student attends. Individuals who study in the community, in remote settings or who are virtual learners in a “campus without walls” will all share in and benefit from the same excellent learning experience. All students will benefit from increased and improved digital technology that will enable them to access all their learning and materials and assessments online and will study in the same inclusive learning environment where every student is given every opportunity to fulfil their potential

This single culture of learning will be underpinned by an institutional commitment to quality and excellence. Staff will be highly motivated and committed to the highest standards of learning and teaching. The learning and teaching methods will be informed by evidence- based research and practice and all academic staff will be supported by a comprehensive programme of CPD.

Learning and teaching will be constantly monitored and evaluated by both staff and students with the aim of continually improving the quality of the experience. The student voice will be instrumental in driving changes to the learning and teaching experience. Edinburgh College will also draw from the experiences of the three partner colleges and best practice from across the sector to ensure that every student in every academic year continues to receive an excellent ‘best-in-class’ learning experience


Objectives

Develop and implement an engagement model that enables students to contribute to decisions regarding the learning and teaching process

Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that provides students with the planning skills and an individual learning plan that will enable them to shape and personalise their learning

Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that encourages students to take responsibility for their own personal development and the development of independent learning skills

Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that incorporates and embeds core skills, essential skills and themes such as employability, enterprise and health and well-being into all substantive learning programmes

Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that involves students in the design and delivery of learning, teaching and assessment

Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that helps students reflect on and consolidate their learning and self-evaluate their progress through informal and formal assessment

Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that better facilitates learner progression and improves student retention and success rates

Develop and implement a single culture of learning and an inclusive environment that enables every student to achieve their full potential

Develop and implement a single culture of learning founded on evidence-based practice, research and a planned programme of CPD that will enhance learning and teaching

Maximise the potential use of digital technology to efficiently and effectively enhance learning, teaching and assessment


Appendix 4: Curriculum Strategy for Edinburgh College

This strategy provides a focus and framework for Edinburgh College’s curriculum activity. It will ensure all programmes within the curriculum portfolio are in line with the new college’s vision and strategic priorities. Our curriculum - defined as the range of courses and programmes offered to students - will meet the needs of the local, regional, national and global economy. Our key driver will be preparing students for the future. The aim of Edinburgh College is to deliver a high-quality, relevant curriculum to all students.

The curriculum offering will be reviewed annually to ensure it meets our student and key stakeholder needs. It will also be reviewed with regard to progression routes – both within the new college, and to other colleges and Institutes of Higher Education. The curriculum will be delivered through innovative, efficient models to ensure it is flexible, and meets demand. Our entire curriculum will be demand-led, and ensure quality, and it will meet key Scottish Government sector priorities and key skills strategies as well as embedding the key principles of A Curriculum for Excellence.

Objectives: To provide a curriculum that supports the needs of students to fulfil their

potential. To provide a curriculum that supports our young people to prepare them for

work and training. To provide a curriculum that supports the needs of employers to contribute to

economic growth. To provide a curriculum that supports the needs of the local community to

improve employment prospects. To provide a curriculum to meet the needs of both national and international

students To review the curriculum to ensure it is fit for purpose, future-focused,

quality-assured and efficiently delivered.


To ensure the curriculum provides clear progression routes for all students To ensure that all students will have the opportunity to achieve nationally-

recognised provision, or SCQF and Credit Rated college entry programmes where appropriate.

To develop curriculum hubs that will be innovative, creative and build skills and knowledge in students


Appendix 5: Learner Entitlement Strategy for Edinburgh College

The aspiration for Edinburgh College is to build key professional support services to ensure an accessible and high-quality learner journey from enquiry to completion and qualification. To achieve this, we propose the creation of a ‘one stop shop’ approach across multiple campuses and the development of service standards that support consistency of delivery and allow all students fair and equitable access.

We will develop a Learner Engagement Strategy to give an effective voice to all our students in partnership with the new college for the development of an effective and relevant Learning and Teaching Strategy which fully supports their participation in the life and environment of the college.

We will enhance lifelong employment prospects by developing students’ skills, knowledge, confidence and personal attributes through Edinburgh College’s Personalisation of Learning.

We will support an innovative approach to Learning Resources and the online learning environment to support the student experience and the flexibility and personalisation of learning.

We will work in partnership with external stakeholders to ensure we meet the needs of the Scottish Government’s priority groups and remove barriers to access wherever they exist.

We will develop a safe and secure learning environment that celebrates difference and ensures equality of opportunity. Being safe and supported will be an integral part of the student experience.

We will develop systems to ensure best value from public funds in relation to student support funding.


We will develop effective guidance services to ensure a commitment to students in relation to pre-entry, on course and pre-exit guidance, ensuring students have the best chance of success by placing them on the correct course at the correct level that best matches their ability and aspirations.

We will develop external partnerships to promote and support the learner journey working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council and Skills Development Scotland, and other appropriate organisations

Objectives

Develop key professional services to support an accessible, efficient and flexible learner journey

Set service standards across the delivery of Learner Services which will be evaluated against agreed criteria

Establish an effective Learner Services Model

Develop an effective Learner Engagement Strategy to include the support of an effective Student Union or Association.

Ensure the integrity of recruitment to ensure students are placed on the most appropriate course and SCQF level

Ensure 16+ Learning Choices and Personalisation of Learning is fully implemented across the college to promote the principles of A Curriculum for Excellence.

Ensure all students have the opportunity to develop a broad range of knowledge, core and essential skills and the confidence and attributes for sustainable employment

Develop key partnerships to allow us to achieve our objectives.

Have a centralised approach to the delivery of key services e.g. student support funding to ensure equality of opportunity and the best use of public funds.

Develop and implement models of support that ensure retention and achievement rates are in line with SFC indicators of best practice.

Develop and implement a model that maximises the opportunity of all students with ‘additional support for learning needs’

Monitor students’ progression and ensure they are active participants in the development of their Individual Learning Plans and progress monitoring.


Develop an effective and fit for purpose virtual learning environment to support personalisation of learning and improve student involvement.

Agree quality standards for service delivery and develop effective monitoring and reporting practices in line with the Edinburgh College Quality Strategy.


Appendix 6: Quality Strategy for Edinburgh College

Edinburgh College will aim to provide the highest quality education and training to our local, regional, national and international communities of students and employers. We will ensure all students are given the opportunity to realise their full potential, enabling them to achieve the highest standards in their programmes of learning. We will drive to create an excellent learning environment where all individuals are treated equally and fairly and gain the skills, attitudes and behaviours they need to progress to employment or further study.

We will achieve this through the development, evaluation and improvement of our learning and teaching practice and by ensuring services are customer/student-focussed and meet the expectations of all our customers/students. Through the pursuit of excellence, we will create a culture of continuous improvement that will be responsive in meeting the needs of all our stakeholders.

Objectives:

Develop and implement an integrated quality management system that provides a framework for all quality assurance and improvement activities.

Use the integrated quality assurance processes to ensure that we achieve common, high standards across the college.

Agree and benchmark shared measures of success and performance

Strengthen and integrate the collation, analysis and sharing of management information to ensure effective governance, accountability, planning and decision-making.

Take action to improve student achievement, retention and progression rates, and monitor the impact.

Develop and implement a shared learning and teaching evaluation model to inform and support professional development and quality improvement.


Research and adopt innovative or best practice to enhance the student experience

Implement a robust, college-wide system of self-evaluation and internal review that informs improvement activities and the strategic and operational planning processes

Regularly review and refresh the curriculum portfolio through a clear review and planning cycle, validation and approval processes, market research and engagement with employers, schools and universities

Review and improve college processes and systems to ensure they are customer-focussed and effectively support the learner journey and meet the needs of our other stakeholders

Set challenging service standards for all the services that we provide to internal and external customers and measure our performance against these

Support and develop staff to ensure they have the skills and behaviours to embrace the new agenda for change, the challenges ahead and the pursuit of excellence

Consult with students, staff and stakeholders and involve them in decision-making to effect quality improvement

Seek recognition for our quality processes, standards and culture through commitment to and accreditation against appropriate national and international quality standards, models and awards


Appendix 7: Equality and Diversity Strategy for Edinburgh College

Edinburgh College will encourage staff and students to take responsibility for the development of a culture and ethos based on equality, diversity and inclusion. It is recognised that achieving this depends critically on the commitment and contribution of all members of the Edinburgh College community. As a large-scale education provider, the new college will be ethically and legally committed to celebrating diversity and advancing equality of opportunity for its staff and students.

We will respond as one college to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and the Specific Duties required by Scottish ministers which will be confirmed by April 2012. This means we will direct key actions so that on all campuses, we consistently eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act, advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

Edinburgh College will prepare and publish one set of equality outcomes that meet the PSED legal requirements and specific duties, consider evidence from across all relevant Protected Characteristics and take reasonable steps to involve people with Protected Characteristics. It will also assess new policies and practice, decision-making and change planning for their equality impact and publish a mainstreaming report on the action and progress made to meet the aims of the PSED.

Edinburgh College will also demonstrate through its key strategic drivers, policies and values that equality and diversity is part of mainstream activities and every day practices. This approach will go beyond minimal legislative compliance and instead, underpin and inform our entire service delivery to all staff and student activities.


Objectives

Develop our approaches, roles and responsibilities for meeting the Public Sector General Duty and Scotland’s Specific Duties

Mainstream equality and diversity in all functions in the new college

Gather and use equalities data for staff and students to monitor trends, direct action, and evaluate impact

Publish the equality outcomes which Edinburgh College has identified from involvement and evidence

Confirm how and where we will report on progress on the impact made on identified equality outcomes and mainstreaming

Develop our Equality and Diversity Policy, and related procedures

Implement and report on our approach to Equality Impact Assessment of the staff cycle and learner journey

Continue to embed equality and diversity within the curriculum, quality processes and student and staff entitlement

Implement a consistent staff and student induction in equality and diversity

Establish and deliver a consistent staff development programme for equality and diversity

Establish and deliver a consistent student development programme for equality and diversity

Engage with external equality partners to improve our services

Implement a consistent internal and external communication plan regarding awareness raising, advice and information that reflects the values of Edinburgh College

Note: Protected Characteristics are age, disability, race, sex, religion or belief, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership


Appendix 8: Edinburgh College ICT and information systems vision

Our vision is to ensure that ICT supports the curriculum and business processes in an efficient and effective way across a multi-campus infrastructure.

Edinburgh College will build on the strengths of the existing ICT teams in developing a unified approach for both corporate systems and learning technologies. An early component of such a strategy will, in advance of the merger, include the implementation of unified communications incorporating Microsoft Exchange Server and a new college domain operating on a single “wide area network”. All future technical developments will be underpinned by a robust, scalable infrastructure and a well-motivated and appropriately skilled staff.

There will be progress towards attaining IT service management standards, whereby new standardised processes and approaches will be established, particularly within change management, risk assessment, and business continuity.

At an early stage but prior to the merger, the partner colleges will engage with ICT consultants for them to conduct a review of current ICT completed work for each college, to assist with project planning, management, and implementation, and to support the development of an ICT strategy for Edinburgh College.

Following vesting day, progress will begin towards achieving the new college ICT strategy which will provide a vision of integrated information and learning systems, and provide a baseline for the new ICT infrastructure, facilities and services.

A8.1 Key objectives

To ensure that information, communication and technology is exploited, resilient and anchored in educational objectives in order to:

Enhance the student experience through the development of a technology-rich learning environment which can lead to positive effects on student achievement.

Enhance current technology which creates new opportunities for students to express and communicate their ideas and their learning experience.

Sustain technology-related professional development as a core vision that is embedded in the culture of Edinburgh College

Consolidate and rationalise the ICT infrastructure seeking shared service partnerships where appropriate.


Provide an integrated, standards-based, college-wide information service accessible from any geographical location.

Provide dynamic information and learning resources (such as e-books) which meet the diverse needs of the college community, and develop innovative virtual learning spaces within Edinburgh College.

Support staff and students in their use of technology to meet the college’s aims.

Achieve business process efficiency and effectiveness.

A8.2 Potential benefits to students, staff and other stakeholders.

Greater choice for students: Edinburgh College will enable increased financial investment in wireless and virtual technology that lecturers and learning resources staff can use in their everyday work that can lead to direct improvement in accessibility and instruction. These new approaches, often using digital archives, can be accessed from hand-held devices which will enable lecturers to modify instruction to help the learner to succeed.

Improved learning resources: The combined range and depth of learning resources will be enjoyed by all college students across all campuses. There will be an opportunity to share staff expertise which would allow the new organisation to build on existing strengths, particularly in expanding the use of technology to support blended learning and flexible access to lifelong learning.

Greater use of innovation: The use of current and developing teaching and learning technologies and the rapidly advancing innovations in mobile technology will allow teaching and learning to be communicated and take place in new and more flexible ways. There would be greater opportunities to access emerging technologies for Edinburgh College.

Adoption of best practice: There are great opportunities to learn from the best practice within each of the College institutions and share this knowledge among newly-merged staff. There are also broader best practice considerations within the FE community enabling the Edinburgh College to adopt approaches to the benefit of staff and students.

Economies of scale (Financial): At present, each partner college has in place its own discrete ICT infrastructure, systems, communications and software, and each college independently procured computer-related purchases. The Edinburgh College will offer real opportunities to reduce expenditure on hardware, software, licenses and consumables.

Efficiencies and cost: There will be opportunities to share systems, tighten structures, streamline processes and remove work duplication within the new college environment. There will also be opportunities to provide services to other institutions, and/or use the services of other providers to holistically increase efficiency and reduce cost.


Network resilience: A high degree of network resilience can be achieved by replicating critical parts of the infrastructure between campuses. These sites will provide an ideal solution for off-site data backup and business continuity. This will also reduce external costs associated with leasing off-campus facilities. In addition there will be a need to create a secure ICT environment which will comply with the new EU directive on security breaches.

Improved ICT support services: There will be an opportunity to build on the skills and knowledge of current ICT teams in implementing an improved ICT staff and student support structure and the provision of enhanced centralised help desk services.

Systems users

The new Edinburgh College will audit staff skills and provide appropriate training to exploit the opportunity presented by the combined skills bank and ICT technology of the three partner colleges. New learning technologies and remote access will be used to support the delivery of the curriculum in an effective and efficient manner. Throughout the merger process a key aim will be to develop delivery and back room technologies and systems which are robust and user-friendly.

ICT aspirations

The new college will be able to fulfil many future aspirations by having in place up-to-date and relevant software and operating systems to increase employability skills, developing tools using mobile technology to support students, create platforms where they can access instant and valuable information, follow best practice in virtual development including embracing the advances in “cloud” technology.

A8.3 Key challenges

The key challenges include the standardisation of the ICT infrastructure, platforms, software, client devices, help-desk and support. This will include the integration of various business applications, which includes the curricula, registration and enrolment, student records system, bursary management, attendance monitoring, financial support systems, library and learning resources systems, card and door entry systems, email and telephone systems, finance systems, HR systems, help-desk systems and reporting.

The key challenges deliverables will include a single integrated solution which will incorporate joint courses, programmes and statutory returns for the three partner colleges, through seamless and efficient processing.

A sustainable approach will be taken to ensure that the vision is balanced against the McClelland recommendations, whereby rationalisation of ICT infrastructure, datacentres and consideration of shared services will be considered priorities. A green IT agenda will be formulated, focussed on achieving a reduction in power consumption, reduced heating and cooling, use of more energy efficient devices all of which reduces the future carbon foot-print. Sustainable policies will underpin this approach.


There will be particular challenges in integrating the institutions’ curricula, registration and enrolment, and student record systems due to the use of different systems and varied platforms. There is also discrete functionality which has previously been developed within each institution to improve process capability and reporting. This includes online applications, course information documents and approaches to assessment.

This systems integration process will require significant work. However, unified communications and a new Edinburgh College domain will be achieved by the vesting date. Transitional arrangements will be put into place for some other aspects, while the main thrust of integration activity will commence following the vesting date on 1st October 2012.

It is unlikely that all data migration will be achieved electronically, and probable that a proportion will need to be undertaken through manual data entry. There will be a requirement to provide adequate training on operating new systems and with upgrading hardware. There will also need to be a review of current licenses which may add additional recurrent costs.

As well as an integration plan and project completion timetable, the institutions will develop an ICT integration risk assessment, risk management strategy and business continuity plan. These documents will be owned by the ICT work-stream and the Merger Executive Board.

ICT integration priorities will be validated against the available SFC merger funding, but there is the likelihood that there will be phased implementation of some core applications with funding being identified from the new college’s income budget.

Following the vesting day merger, the Edinburgh College ICT team will provide core ICT support, and complete a review of existing out-sourced provision alongside the in-house delivery model.

It is recognised that in the current economic environment, standalone and self-sufficient operating modes are no longer affordable and do not provide value for money within the context of a merged ICT structure. There will therefore be a commitment to providing a shared and fully integrated ICT service across all campuses of Edinburgh College. This shared ICT operating platform will be extended to include Newbattle Abbey College, and will also be made available to any other partner willing to participate in the creation of a regional ICT hub.

A8.4 Risks and Opportunities


ICT networks: At an appropriate stage it will be necessary to merge the individual networks into one. There will be a requirement to consider and agree to the most advantageous options for the new institution. There will be technical and cost risks associated with each approach and it will be necessary to quantify and mitigate the risks prior to and during the project implementation.

ICT system migration: A detailed review of each partner college’s systems will be undertaken during the merger planning stages. The systems will be compared to illustrate the scale and complexity of the task. A migration/integration schedule will be developed in conjunction with other work streams following selection of the best systems. Like any system integration/migration, there are inherent risks in this process.

New Technologies: It is very important that when deciding to choose new technology as a proposed solution for the new college that these are backed up with clear justification and that the preferred solution has been stress-tested by other organisations. This approach will mitigate the use of untried software/systems.

Appendix 9: Edinburgh College Estates Strategy


The business case for the merged Edinburgh College is predicated on the continued use of the existing campus locations in Edinburgh. The main campus sites are located at Dalkeith (Midlothian) and in Edinburgh at Sighthill, West Granton Road and Milton Road, Brunstane.

The Dalkeith and West Granton Road sites are high-quality campuses purpose-built within the past six years. In addition, the campus at Milton Road has recently been refurbished and extended. The main building at the Sighthill campus is now over 45 years old, although other specialist accommodation on this site is more recent and of high quality. Work to improve the learning and study space at Sighthill is planned for 2012/3. The current estate has been well-maintained and there are no material defects in respect of the condition of the facilities.

The purpose of the estates strategy is to ensure that the physical infrastructure enables the college to achieve its objectives. The aims of the estates strategy are to:

Support the college’s strategic priorities Ensure proper stewardship of the estate and continued investment to

maintain and improve the quality, functionality and sustainability of all buildings

Ensure that the facilities provide excellent value and are used efficiently

The Estates Strategy is dedicated to providing an exceptional learning environment, that;

Enables students to achieve their goals Puts the needs of students first

Reduces our environmental impact


Provides a safe, healthy and pleasant environment

Promotes equality by providing accessible and inclusive facilities

Supports the economic and social development of Edinburgh

Enhances the financial, and physical, sustainability of the college.

The merged Edinburgh College will review the use of the estate and examine opportunities to relocate teaching and support services. Any such relocation will take into account the geographical nature of the demand for education and training and the needs of stakeholders. There is the potential to bring together learning resources and provide access to specialist staff and equipment. Similarly, there is the possibility of bringing services together to realise efficiency gains.


Appendix 10: Detailed information on consultation activities

The following concerns were voiced by staff and/or students in the consultation process. The actions taken to mitigate these risks are shown as bullet points, and have been communicated to staff and students using a range of communication channels.

Students and staff having to travel long distances to study or teach

Travel to study analysis available to merger workstreams to aid planning

Colleges continue to operate as three separate entities

Edinburgh College has a People Strategy and a sound internal communications plan to promote cohesion and collaboration

Staff terms and conditions are not harmonised leading to poor staff relations and unrest

The new college’s People Strategy indicates clear intentions to move towards harmonised terms and conditions through negotiation with the trades unions

The Scottish Government may also impose national collective bargaining for all staff in the college sector

The public does not respond well to the new college, due to a loss of community presence

The new college will engage robustly with its key stakeholders and the communities they represent to ensure that local engagement remains a priority

If the curriculum is grouped geographically, this may encourage a silo mentality in some subject areas

Considerable effort will be devoted to supporting all staff through the process of merger to a better understanding of the culture of Edinburgh College. This will involve both internal communications and events.

Different standards of resource provision across campuses, leading to inequalities in the student experience. Systems don’t meet the needs of the new college.

Edinburgh College has committed to investing £25m over the next five years in its campuses and its infrastructure. In particular, the IT systems across the campuses will be harmonised.

Reduction in portfolio and fewer course choices for students

The curriculum offered by Edinburgh College will be coherent and well-planned, widening course choice, increasing access and creating more progression


opportunities for students by building on existing strengths and utilising specialist facilities to the full. The new college is committed to excellence in every aspect of the student experience and will work collaboratively with industry to achieve a better match of the student profile across the Edinburgh and Lothians region to the economic and employment needs of the region.

No clear agreement on what constitutes student services – eg delivery of tutorial support and student support by teaching staff

Best practice will be identified across the three partner colleges and adopted for the new college while ensuring that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities in respect of learner services

Failure to agree on a common Virtual learning environment (VLE) or poor access to the VLE and other online resources

Edinburgh College has engaged a professional IT consulting company to assist with its planning and implementation of a unified IT infrastructure and its applications

The creation of a new college is about cutting costs The rationale driving this merger is to create a bigger and better college for Edinburgh

and the Lothians that can deliver substantial benefits and growth. A college on this larger scale will remove duplication and provide greater choice and opportunity for students. It will have the capacity to invest in technology to facilitate course provision and support staff and students more effectively.

Articulation and progression arrangements to higher education and employment will change and existing partnerships and agreements will no longer continue

A bigger, stronger and ambitious college will be seeking to develop and enhance the range of external partnerships and agreements that support the training and learning needs of students and development opportunities for staff. Best practices currently in place will be built upon and developed as part of Edinburgh College.


Appendix 11: Assessment matrix to determine host college

Criteria Edinburgh’s Telford College

Jewel & Esk College


1. Freehold properties

2. Leasehold properties

3. Onerous/major contracts

4. Subsidiaries

5. Joint ventures

6. International licences

7. Other licences

8. Banking facilities/covenants

9. Repayable grants

10. Pension penalties on transfer

11. Legal disputes

12. Customer contracts

13. Supplier contracts

14.VAT/corporation tax potential transfer issues


15. TUPE considerations

Criteria Edinburgh’s Telford College

Jewel & Esk College


16. Accounting policy considerations

17. Onerous operating leases

18. Impact on ongoing non-standard SFC funding

19. Overall financial costs

20. Other factors


Appendix 12 – Full risk register


