Regular reviews of governance effectiveness and continuous improvement are key to good governance. AHEP Consulting can offer an independent review of your governance arrangements identifying areas of good practice and opportunities for enhancement that will: 

• Provide confidence to internal and external stakeholders 
• Demonstrate your commitment to good governance 

It can also support preparations for an application for degree awarding powers for those providers with these ambitions. 

Why AHEP Consulting?

Our reviews are delivered by a skilled and experienced team who have worked in professional roles in the HE sector and undertaken governance effectiveness reviews in universities, independent providers and charities. This experience provides our consultants with the insight to follow the right lines of enquiry and understand what improvements can be made to your governance practice. 

A typical review will utilise two or more consultants with complementary skills and experience who will use their extensive practical experience and knowledge of the HE landscape to tailor an approach that will meet your specific needs. A ‘Lead Consultant’ responsible for liaising with the review sponsor/ steering group will be assigned and AHEP’s Managing Consultant will provide oversight from a content, quality assurance and delivery of services perspective.

Our Approach:

Our reviews will typically focus on an institution’s corporate governance arrangements or its academic governance arrangements although a combined corporate and academic governance review can also be undertaken if required. Our effectiveness reviews include the following elements each of which inform lines of enquiry that will enable the identification of areas of good practice and areas where improvements may be needed to enhance your governance practice:

Document review – including governing documents, meeting papers, previous effectiveness review reports, governance guidance, policies and procedures.  

Stakeholder survey – key elements of our tailored survey administered by the AHEP office are:
– questions and participants agreed with the review sponsor or steering group
– no restriction/ limit on the number of questions (although we advise against too many)
– anonymous providing respondents with opportunity to provide open and honest opinions and feedback
– qualitative free text response for each question where the real value is found

Meeting observations – in person and online looking at fundamentals such as chairing, paper quality and logistics alongside working relationships, behaviour and culture.

Semi-structured interviews with key individuals to be agreed with the review sponsor/ steering group but we would expect these to include as a minimum Governing Body/ Academic Board chair, committee chairs, head of the institution, staff and student governors/ members and the University Secretary or equivalent.