self-regulation introductionThe FE system is subjected to a wide range of regulations, external audits and inspections. So many in fact, that the situation is confusing - even for those who work within it - so it can seem overwhelmingly complex to those governors who do not work within FE. Responding to the requirements of a range of external quality and financial interventions, using the same or similar evidence, is time-consuming, frustrating and de-motivating. The Government is committed to pursuing a better regulation agenda in the public sector (including FE) which involves:
- regulating only when necessary and doing so in a light-touch way that is proportionate to risk
- setting exacting targets for reducing the cost of administering regulations
- rationalising the inspection and enforcement arrangements for both business and the public sector. 'Better regulation promotes efficiency, productivity and value for money. Proportionate regulation and inspection arrangements can help drive up standards and deliver better outcomes on the ground - whether in the form of improving public services, a better environment for business, or driving forward economic reform in Europe'. The Better Regulation Task Force has been reporting on local delivery of central policy as an arm of the Cabinet Office since 1997.
In early 2006, the Government established the Better Regulation Executive (BRE) to bring together, in one body, the implementation of policies on inspection of public services.
In terms of the FE system, reforms to reduce bureaucracy, the burden of inspection and audit, and freeing up resources for the front line include:
- the formation of a single inspectorate (Ofsted)
- the development of a single, integrated, national Improvement Strategy by the QIA (Quality Improvement Agency)
- the development of the Framework for Excellence by the LSC, in conjunction with Ofsted, QIA and DfES - a streamlined framework for the assessment of college and training provider performance against a set of shared, key performance indicators.
The LSC's Agenda for Change, Theme 2 (Quality) includes actions to pave the way towards self-regulation across the FE system - in particular the QIA peer review and referencing pilots, and the ensuing QIA programme 'Support for Excellence'.
At the November 2006 AoC conference, the Secretary of State said:
'. . . I am challenging you today to develop a proposal for self-regulation by Spring 2007. The AoC, the 157 Group and others have made a good start. The national Improvement Strategy, which the QIS will shortly publish, will support the drive towards self-regulation. But the responsibility for improvement must rest primarily with FE institutions themselves . .'
In response to this challenge, Sir George Sweeney brought together a coalition of FE interests (the FE Sector Self-Regulation Implementation Group) and submitted to the Secretary of Stage Phase 1 of the Proposition for Self-Regulation in Spring 2007.
This Proposition:
- set out what self-regulation needs to achieve
- mapped the current FE landscape
- recommended a preferred organisational option
- identified some implications for the strategic and regulatory landscape in which the FE system now operates
- proposed a way forward.
In this Proposition, the Implementation Group emphasised the importance of the governance dimension of self-regulation:
'. . . Key responsibilities will fall to the sector through governors and governance structures taking collective accountability for the sector's reputation'.
At the time of writing (early July 2007), Government has announced the creation of a new department - the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR).
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