Applying for the Mark

Criteria

To apply your organisation must be an HE institution or a substantial part of a HE institution. Email us to find out if your organisation qualifies. 

The high level criteria for the Mark of Excellence are:

• The organisation is committed to the AHEP Statement of Values and to embedding those values within their professional services staff development provision
• The organisation provides CPD provision for all professional services staff aligned with the AHEP Framework of Behaviours
• The organisation enables all staff to engage with the provision
• The organisation has in place structures and processes to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the CPD provision for professional services staff

Download the full AHEP Mark of Excellence criteria [PDF]

Application Process

Applying for the Mark of Excellence is a three step process. Before you get started it is a good idea to read the Mark of Excellence Guide and the FAQs.

Step one: Registering for the Mark of Excellence

To register, you are required to complete our short registration form.

Step two: Working Towards the Mark of Excellence

Once registered, you will be assigned an Advisor and can begin working towards the Mark. How you decide to approach this project is entirely up to you. A good place to start is with your own initial self-assessment, measuring where you are now against the application criteria and from there, developing your own action plan and timelines. You can discuss all of this with your Advisor and agree when you would like your
Advisor to visit your organisation.

Mark of Excellence self-assessment form [MS Word document]

Step three: Applying for the Mark of Excellence

Once you feel that you are ready be assessed, your organisation will submit a written application to the AHEP office outlining how you meet the required criteria. If you are at this stage, please apply for assessment here.

An assessor will then visit your organisation for an on-site assessment. The visit will be arranged at a mutually convenient time but must be held within three months of your submission date.

Following the formal assessment visit the assessor will write a full report for an Assessment Panel, with one of three recommendations. These may be:

1. To award the Mark of Excellence
2. To award the Mark of Excellence subject to further development within a specified timescale, or
3. To refer the application for further development

The panel will consider the recommendation, make a final decision, and arrange for your organisation to be informed of the outcome.

The Mark of Excellence lasts for a period of three years from the date of the panel decision.