Response to HEFCE consultation on performance indicators - guiding principles and recommendations

24 January 2014

The Russell Group responded to the consultation on changes to the performance indicator data that is collected and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency on behalf of the four Funding Councils in the UK.

Each year our universities need to make some 550 separate data returns to government or government agencies. Our members would like to see this regulatory burden reviewed, and where feasible, reduced and streamlined.

While we agree that performance indicators and benchmarks have value, there needs to be a number of revisions made to the data used for benchmarking – particular those used in relation to Widening Participation.

The quantity of data collected nationally from institutions should be reduced, in order to ease the costs and administrative burden on institutions, and allow them to redirect resources
to their primary activities of teaching, research and innovation.

Please also see our response to the concurrent consultation on the future of performance indicators for research output.

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