Specification for Consultancy to support the OIA Pathway Review

Introduction

1. The OIA is seeking a small amount of consultancy expertise to support the Pathway Review of the OIA to be launched later this year. This follows a decision of the OIA Board in June 2008 to review the Scheme after four years of successful operation. Ministers in the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills, the Welsh Assembly Government and other sector stakeholders have been fully consulted in launching this Review which will explore how the Scheme might be improved and developed.
2. The Review will include the gathering of both qualitative and quantitative evidence from Scheme users, stakeholders and other interested people seeking ideas and proposals for the development of the Scheme.

Consultancy Support

3. This Notice calls for submissions for Consultancy Support to the Review. The Consultancy Support will be confined to advice and involvement in the delivery of quantitative evidence of the views of users of the Scheme. There is a small amount of pre-existing quantitative material on user views of the Scheme. The OIA is also interested in using the Review to develop a methodology to survey Scheme users regularly.
4. There are 25 days consultancy available to be delivered at a cost of no more than £25,000 (including VAT). Short, written submissions are required by midday on Friday 10 October 2008. Interviews will be held in Reading on Thursday 16 October 2008. If you are short listed for interview we will let you know by 1pm Tuesday 14 October 2008.
5. Each submission should be limited to 5 pages of A4 and include:
   1. The approach to the consultancy task
   2. The time frame of activity
   3. Allocation of costs
   4. Personnel to be used in delivering the consultancy
   5. Examples of experience in handling previous projects
6. The survey work would need to be carried out at the end of 2008 and the early months of 2009.
7. Submissions may be by post or by email to:- Charlotte Corrish, Policy and Media Officer, OIA, Fifth Floor, Thames Tower, Station Road, Reading, RG1 1LX - charlotte.corrish@oiahe.org.uk.

Terms of Reference for the Pathway Review

8. The Review will examine the OIA’s operations in the context of the mandates of the Scheme (the Higher Education Act 2004, Chapter 8, the interpretation of this Act in litigation, and the “Rules” of the Scheme), in order to:
   1. Establish the areas where current processes could be improved to enable an even more effective “review of unresolved complaints by students about acts and omissions of higher education institutions and the making of recommendations.” [OIA Rules 2008, paragraph 1]
   2. Identify what changes, if any, to the mandates may be required to enable the OIA to deliver a service which is:
      1. objective and fair to student complainants and the higher education institutions whose actions are complained about;
      2. customer focused and reflecting wider good practice;
      3. [as set out in Schedule 2 of the 2004 Act] effective, not-for-profit, free to complainants, timely, independent, and competent
   3. Consider how the Scheme might develop in the next five years so that it retains its coherence, utility and the satisfaction of its users and stakeholders.
9. All enquiries related to this Notice should be directed to Charlotte Corrish on 0118 959 9813.

Reading, September 2008