Regular reviews of governance effectiveness and continuous improvement are key to good governance. AHEP Consulting can offer an independent review of your corporate and/or academic governance arrangements, identifying areas of good practice and opportunities for enhancement that will:
- Provide confidence to internal and external stakeholders
- Demonstrate your overall commitment to excellent 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 governance roles in the sector, served on Boards and Committees themselves and have 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.
Our Approach:
Our reviews will typically focus on an organisation’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)
– Qualitative free text response for each question where the real value is found
– Anonymous providing respondents with opportunity to provide open and honest opinions and feedback
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 and/or focus groups 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.
Case Study:

Ravensbourne University London
Read more…
We worked with Ravensbourne University London to review the efficacy of its corporate and academic governance arrangements, key features included:
Review of university documentation relating to governance.
Extensive stakeholder consultation, including observation of multiple meetings, on-campus and phone interviews and two online stakeholder surveys.
Expert consulting input from an experienced team of senior HE governance professionals.
Practical recommendations to support the University to consolidate good governance practice and plan for future improvements.
A comprehensive written report, referencing regulatory requirements/benchmarks, tailored for the Ravensbourne Board of Governors.
The Governance Effectiveness Review conducted by AHEP Consultants was a well-run process and their report has proved very useful in pointing to many improvements which we are now planning to make.
Let’s talk…
Whether you’re looking for strategic advice, specialised expertise, or support for your upcoming projects, our team at AHEP Consulting is here to help. We’re eager to understand your challenges and work with you to find the best solutions. Don’t hesitate to reach out, we’d love to explore how we can support your business.
Email consulting@ahep.ac.uk to start the conversation.
