Anecdotal evidence suggests that university research management processes are still in a state of evolution – and it is likely therefore, that much is to be gained by sharing experiences and good practice.
The ACU seeks to facilitate this process amongst universities by using a unique benchmarking process designed specifically for use in university management processes. Discussions are based on two in-person events (over two years) and, in each case, rely on considerable preparatory work by the participants to record their current processes and practice. Groups are deliberately kept small – with no more than 16 participating universities at a time – to ensure in-depth discussion, focussed on key issues. Each session produces a series of good practice statements, against which participants and the wider higher education community can evaluate their current provision.
Over the course of the ACU’s benchmarking exercises, we have developed a series of good practice statements in the following areas:
The ACU also runs an annual online benchmarking exercise – ACU Measures – which complements our process-benchmarking activities. It opens for data collection on 1 February every year.
Contact us for further information on joining or creating a process-benchmarking group at [email protected], and for further information on our online benchmarking exercise at [email protected].