Tracking our success: How TAFE institutes measure their effectiveness and efficiency— Case studies JOSIE MISKO SIAN HALLIDAY WYNES NCVER This document was produced by the author(s) based on their research for the report Tracking our success: How TAFE institutes measure their effectiveness and efficiency, and is an added resource for further information. The report is available on NCVER’s website: <http://www.ncver.edu.au> The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government or state and territory governments. © Commonwealth Government, 2009 This work has been produced and published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). Apart from any use permitted under the CopyrightAct 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Requests should be made to NCVER. SUPPORT DOCUMENT Contents The case studies 3 Hunter Institute 4 North Coast Institute of TAFE 14 Gold Coast Institute of TAFE 23 Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE 32 RMIT University 38 Sunraysia Institute of TAFE 46 Institutes in South Australia 53 TAFE SA Adelaide North 54 TAFE SA Regional 59 TAFE SA South 65 References 71 2 Tracking our success: How TAFE institutes measure their effectiveness and efficiency—Support document The case studies This report is the support document to Tracking our success: How TAFE institutes measure their effectiveness and efficiency by Josie Misko and Sian Halliday-Wynes. It comprises reports on each of the nine technical and further education (TAFE) institutes that have taken part in the study. Information was collected via in-depth interviews with chief executive officers and their senior and middle management teams (including faculty directors and educational managers responsible for trade and non-trade programs, marketing, human resources, financial management, administrative services, student services, quality assurance or their equivalents). In each case study we begin with some brief descriptions of institute characteristics, including main programs offered, and goals and values. We then examine key processes and information used to develop strategic plans and budgets to measure progress towards targets. This is followed by a discussion of how institutes understand the markets in which they operate and the quality of their provision. We end by reports of issues and problems and suggestions for improvement. Each case study has been validated by the relevant institute director. NCVER 3 Hunter Institute TAFE NSW – Hunter Institute is located in the Hunter Region of New South Wales. Its main campus is located about 150 km north of Sydney in the Newcastle/Hunter Region. It is the largest regional provider of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia, with 15 campuses, an annual enrolment of nearly 57 000 local and international students and 2500 expert teachers and support staff. The institute offers courses at 15 campuses including Belmont, Cessnock, Glendale, Gosford, Hamilton, Hunter Street, Kurri Kurri, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Ourimbah, Scone, Singleton, Tomaree and Wyong. Main programs Hunter TAFE offers programs in all of the following areas: business and computing, engineering, health and community services, primary industries, construction, environment, tourism and hospitality, maritime, transport, access and general education, and arts and media. Identifying goals and values Hunter TAFE has organised its strategic objectives around goals for achieving economic, social and environmental sustainability, and effective governance. Its values are about people, leadership, its staff, engagement with customers, industry and communities and celebrating success. Also important are the front action principles of the Australian Business Excellence Framework: leadership, strategic planning, data, information and knowledge, and people. Its key objectives are to attain: Economic sustainability in terms of student activity: course completions (measured by the number of course complete enrolments), module completion rates (measured by the number of ‘pass’ module enrolments as a proportion of total confirmed enrolments), course attrition rate (measured by the number of ‘withdrawn and discontinued’ [from all modules] course enrolments as a proportion of the total number for the course). Social sustainability in terms of staff activity: (measured by unscheduled absences, sickness, industrial action and some forms of family and community leave) Environmental sustainability in terms of utilities, fuel and green gas emission (measured by average water consumption, monthly electricity consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions associated with Hunter Institute electricity consumption) Effective governance: measured by institute management costs, ISO audit non-conformances, total complaints as a percentage of total enrolments in core and non-core funded programs. The Hunter TAFE Strategic Plan is derived from strategic objectives and targets that have cascaded in turn from the NSW State Plan, Commonwealth agreements, the NSW Board of Vocational Education and Training (BVET) Plan and the Department of Education and Training corporate plan. Faculty plans cascade from the Institute Strategic Plan. Work plans for teaching sections cascade from the faculty plan. 4 Tracking our success: How TAFE institutes measure their effectiveness and efficiency—Support document The Hunter On-line Planning Environment (HOPE) is a relational data base which has been introduced to enable online development and tracking of initiatives, strategic priorities and targets for faculties and for the institute as a whole. Having these plans online makes it easy to make adjustments as environments and needs change. The HOPE system has been successful in receiving a TAFE NSW Quality Award. Achieving budgets and targets The institute’s Purchase Agreement with the NSW State Government drives the implementation and monitoring of financial and non-financial budgets for the institute as a whole and for its different faculties and units. The Planning and Sustainability Services Unit has worked hard to provide faculty directors and head teachers with the information they require to arrive at realistic estimations of the enrolments they can expect in their programs for the following year. This includes synthesised information on federal and state government priorities, relevant research reports, regional labour market trends, local skill shortages, industry and community expectations, major works, enterprise relocations and new industrial or residential developments. Faculties will also consider historical data. Once the Purchase Agreement has been signed the institute will set about achieving the targets. It is not until the enrolment period has ended that educational managers and faculty directors are in a position to know whether they are able to use all of the annual student hours (ASH) they had estimated for their different programs. Before the semester begins a Tally Room meeting is held to consider how each faculty is progressing towards achieving the ASH targets for its particular area,1 and to move ASH from low-demand areas to high-demand areas. Before this Tally Room meeting, however, faculties will have also considered how each of its teaching sections is placed to meet its ASH targets and how ASH can be moved from areas of low demand to areas of high demand within the faculty. If enrolments exceed allocated ASH the institute will try and renegotiate with TAFE NSW for more funds. It is rare that faculties providing User Choice funded programs will turn any apprentices or trainees away based on lack of ASH. If circumstances really prevent the faculty from taking on more apprentices or trainees, then alternative methods of delivery are explored until there are sufficient places for apprentices and trainees to attend traditional training. Head teachers are in control of their own budgets, and must monitor progress towards targets. A clerk who is solely dedicated to User Choice or government business will help relevant faculty directors to administer claims for funding. The institute has tried to facilitate the recording and monitoring of activity by implementing the online ‘Buddy’ system. The Buddy system, developed by the institute’s Finance Team, has been established to help head teachers and administrators to gain instant access to data which records progress towards targets for delivery. Now head teachers are able to see how their planned teacher hours are matched against actual teaching hours, and the wage costs of individual teachers. It also enables them to view actual expenditure at the individual transaction level. If budgets are overspent, faculty directors may either choose to renegotiate ASH or decide that they will balance this over- performance with revenue from commercial ventures. The Buddy system is well regarded and has been shared with other institutes, including Western, Western Sydney, and Sydney, and has received a TAFE NSW award. The Strategic Business Development (SBD) and Finance Units monitor core and non-core budget activity, keep a regular check on progress towards delivery targets, and provide regular analyses to managers and senior managers. When there are any anomalies, faculties are asked to sort these out. Each month these units will also provide the Institute Board of Management (which involves 1 In New South Wales ASH is divided into Resource Allocation Model