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Frequently Asked Questions

The policy document, Framework for Excellence: Putting the Framework into Practice, and the accompanying Provider Guide 2008/09 will help to answer many of your questions. Some of the specific questions below are addressed in the Provider Guide:

1. What is the Framework for Excellence (FfE)?

The Framework for Excellence is a performance assessment tool which will underpin a new, simplified performance assessment system. It will help drive up performance right across the Further Education (FE) sector, by setting clear and unambiguous standards of excellence that all providers will want to achieve, so that they can demonstrate the quality of their provision. It does this by making clear a universally accepted definition of ‘excellence’ – and other descriptions of performance – and by describing what a provider will have to do to achieve and maintain that level of excellence.

It is designed to be useful to:

  1. employers;
  2. individual learners, their parents, advisors and advocates and potential learners (who will be able to make better-informed decisions about their choice of provider);
  3. policy-making bodies (who will get a bigger, clearer picture of the current state of national provision);
  4. providers themselves (who will be able to use the FfE as a diagnostic tool to identify possible weaknesses and to head towards – or maintain – a universally agreed standard of excellence).
  5. Funding and planning bodies

2. Who is developing and implementing the FfE?

The Framework programme is being developed and implemented by the LSC in partnership with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) and the Learning and Skills Improvement Agency (formerly the Quality Improvement Agency) (LSIS).

3. How does the Framework sit within the wider context of changes in the sector?

The Framework, as well as meeting the practical needs of the LSC’s agenda for change programme, also represents a pragmatic solution to issues raised by the 2006 FE White Paper (Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances, DfES March 2006).

The Framework for Excellence draws together several parallel strands of reform and builds them into an all-purpose tool which aims to meet the performance management needs of a diverse and unique sector. Some areas of reform which are partly or completely incorporated into the FfE include:

  • Measures of Success (including Qualification Success Rates, Value Added/Distance Travelled, Recognising And Recording Progress and Achievement);
  • the Training Quality Standard (formerly the New Standard) for Employer Responsiveness;
  • practical areas of collaboration with providers – the Learner Achievement Tracker (LAT) and the Provider Gateway (PG).

By developing the Framework in partnership with key LSC stakeholders, the aim is to achieve a universally understood standard, which;

  • meets the needs of providers;
  • streamlines the understanding of the quality of provision across the board. In an easy-to-understand form for employers, members of the community, other inspection and validation bodies.

In addition, the Key Performance Areas build upon and cross reference to relevant sections of the Ofsted Common Inspection Framework (CIF).

4. What is the timescale of the project?

The consultation process ended in December 2006, and the policy document, ‘Framework for Excellence: How the Framework will work’ was published in June 2007.

Comprehensive piloting of Version 1 of the Framework was completed in March 2008.

The future timescale is as follows:

Implementation

From summer 2008: All colleges and most WBL providers will be using the FfE

From Summer 2009: A second, more developed version of the Framework will be implemented by all providers except ESF only, FE delivered by Higher Education institutions and LearnDirect.

Piloting

From summer 2008: Second piloting phase for specialist colleges, adult education providers and voluntary sector providers SECTION B: How does the Framework work? (Please see Paragraphs 37 – 38 of the 2008/09 Provider Guide)

SECTION B: How is the Framework arranged?

1. How is the Framework arranged?

The basis of the Framework is a scorecard of seven Key Performance Areas, or KPAs.

Each KPA sits within one of three ‘Dimensions’. The effectiveness dimension looks at the quality of the provision – qualification success rates, Ofsted inspection judgments, etc. The second dimension is responsiveness, which will provide a numerical value assessing how well each provider listens and responds to its core constituents – learners and employers. The third dimension reflects the financial situation of the provider.

Providers will be scored on each and then receive an overall performance rating (OPR) which will be from 1 (Outstanding), 2 (Good), 3 (Satisfactory) and 4 (Inadequate). Scores will be able to be compared against a national average.

The two KPAs under Responsiveness are: Responsiveness to Learners and Responsiveness to Employers. Responsiveness to Learners consists of two performance indicators: the results of a Learner Views survey and a census of Learner Destinations. Responsiveness to Employers also consists of two performance Indicators: the results of an Employer Views survey and a measure of Amount of Training.

The two KPAs under effectiveness are quality of provision which will be based on inspection judgements and an institution’s self assessment, and the quality of outcomes.

The three KPAs under finance are a provider’s financial health, its financial control which will be based on self-assessment and evidence from auditors and other finance based reviews, and its use of resources.

For a complete guide to the Framework please see Framework for Excellence: Putting the Framework into Practice and the Framework for Excellence: 2008/09 Provider Guide.

2. How will the Framework help providers to arrive at self-regulation?

The Framework provides a common basis for an overall performance assessment.

This will greatly help providers to work together to review, improve and demonstrate the rigour of their self-assessment, other quality improvement processes, and the use of good practice. The Single Voice for Self-Regulation will shortly be publishing additional guidance for providers on self-assessment. More information about the National Improvement Strategy can be found at the following website: Pursuing Excellence (QIA)

SECTION A: Which providers are in scope of the Framework for Excellence? (Please see Paragraphs 11-23 of the 2008/09 Provider Guide)

1. Will schools be brought into scope?

They are not in scope now but discussions have commenced with DCSF and others about a unified 16-19 provider performance assessment framework, based on Framework for Excellence.

2. Will the Framework apply to relevant Higher Education (HE) institutions?

The Framework will apply to FE provision within HE institutions. The precise approach is being considered through the pilot phases, and FE provision in HE institutions will apply from 2010.

3. How will new providers be brought into Framework (e.g. Train to Gain)?

Where a provider is contracting with the LSC for the first time, it will be required to fulfil the data collection requirements of the Framework from the start of its contract. This expectation should be part of the induction process/contract discussions with each new provider. can The data available from the first year of a contract will be used, wherever possible, to calculate as many scores as possible for individual Performance Indicators, however it may not be possible to produce and OPR. Further details of these requirements can be found in the 2008/09 Provider Guide.

4. How will consortia be treated?

We will not apply the Framework to consortia. Train to Gain provision will be treated as belonging to the provider which holds the lead contract. Where learners follow programmes delivered in two or more providers through consortia, collegiate or partnership, the programme will be treated as belonging to the provider where the learner is enrolled. We are exploring options for change for the future.

5. Does a college holding an OLASS contract come into Version 1 or Version 2?

In the main, a college and all of its funded provision will come into scope in Version 1. However, not all aspects of OLASS provision will be measured in Version 1. Non-accredited programmes, for example, are not in scope for the Quality of Outcomes Performance Indicator in 2008/09. Given the diversity of provider types and missions across the FE system, you will need to refer to the rules which govern which indicators apply to which type of provider. The 2008/09 Provider Guide sets out these rules in detail.

6. When do E2E only providers come into scope?

They come into scope for the Framework in Version 2 (2009/10).

7. Why are Train to Gain Providers in scope for Version 1? They weren’t involved in the first pilot at all.

Many of the providers who took part in the first pilot held Train to Gain contracts. The first pilot did not suggest that it would be a problem to include Train to Gain providers in the Framework from summer 2008.