So what’s the point of establishing an Office for Students? #HEgreenpaper

(I’ve been all over Fulfilling our Potential, the BIS Green Paper, over the last 24 hours. As a part of Wonkhe’s ongoing effort to give everyone access to the best, brightest and quickest HE policy analysis I wrote what I think was the first detailed look at the TEF, and have been contributing further thoughts to the live blog. This is a little extra for FOTA fans and avid HEFCE-watchers.)

The existence of the entirety of part D of the green paper (reducing complexity and bureaucracy in research funding) is hugely significant. Not because of what it says – it doesn’t really say very much as others have pointed out – but of why it is there.

As James Wilsdon points out: “Once the decision had been made to abolish HEFCE and create the Office for Students (OfS), the green paper had no choice but to address the architecture of the research funding system, given HEFCE’s role in the REF and the allocation of quality-related funding.” Given the huge number of deferrals to the Nurse Review, and the lack of content, there was clearly no other compelling reason to publish on research. Which very much prompts the question as to why the decision to abolish HEFCE was made.

As the regulatory centre of English HE, calls to abolish HEFCE are a little like calls to abolish rain – so common as to be largely meaningless and notable only in their powerlessness. In managing the complexities of HE policy, people are bound to be annoyed by one or other requirement. But there has been no recent major uprising against a HEFCE decision, or no shocking report that has trashed their sector reputation (not even Learning Gain).

The new Office for Students (OfS) has 10 stated overarching responsibilities (part C, chapter 1, para 9):

1. operating the entry gateway;
2. assuring baseline quality;
3. running the TEF;
4. collecting and providing information;
5. widening access and success for disadvantaged students;
6. allocating grant funding (depending on which of the two options described in paras 16 and 17 is adopted);
7. ensuring student protection;
8. promoting the student interest;
9. ensuring value for money for students and the taxpayer; and,
10. assuring financial sustainability, management and good governance.

HEFCE currently owns responsibilities 1 and 2 (which it contracts out to the QAA), 4 (which it contracts out to HESA), 6, 7 (in partnership with the OIA – which remains, rather confusingly), 8 (via support for the HEA, QAA and in partnership with the OIA), 9 and 10. Some of these could, it is true, be pulled in-house – but at massive expense and for no discernible impact

Responsibility 5 is owned by OFFA, a quasi- organisation that very much sits within HEFCE for most purposes. Responsibility 3 is a new one, obviously, but one can only assume that the experience of HEFCE in running things like the REF and CETLs would be central here.

Speaking of the REF, research functions would pass from HEFCE to… well, someone. Incredibly, whilst it is clear that OfS would not have research funding functions because “reasons”, there is not a plan for where it would go – and the vague plans that do exist (merging it into the postulated mega-research council raises questions of a double ringfence, pushing it in to BIS could engender suspicions of overt political interference and sound Haldene klaxons).

So why not leave research funding with HEFCE. Indeed why not leave HEFCE as is?

The very well informed Conservative Home article earlier this week suggested: “Although it has oversight duties that its predecessor did not, the clue to its deficiencies are in its title: there is too much stress on giving money to Universities – hence “funding council” – and too little on how it is spent.”

But even a moments reflection on this suggests that HEFCE a clear and sustained interest in ensuring money is well spent, coupled of course with a healthy regard for the principle of institutional autonomy. The pre-2012 funding method included the legendary and daunting financial memorandum. As post Browne-Willetts funding moved towards loans, this oversight has necessarily diminished but a “funding agreement” still remains for all funds that HEFCE allocates to institutions and I would strongly recommend that people read through the 12 pages of grant conditions, financial requirements and audit requirements.

Which leaves us with the name. Surely it is not beyond the wit of BIS to stump up £50k for a quick rebrand and some new stationary? This would surely fulfil the obvious ministerial priority to have the word “student” in more parts of the university regulatory landscape without an inefficient, lengthy, unsettling and largely pointless chair-shuffling exercise.

We may never know precisely why BIS appears to have it in for HEFCE. But we need better reasons before we make the expensive changes that we are contemplating.