UK SBS BLOJEU-CR17032HEFCE Call for an evaluator to identify and share lessons learnt from HEFCE-funded projects on innovation in learning and teaching

Tender description

HEFCE aims to create and sustain the conditions for a world-leading system of higher education which transforms lives, strengthens the economy, and enriches society. We support excellence and innovation in research, learning and teaching and knowledge exchange through providing funding, supportive challenge and information on national trends. HEFCE's Catalyst Fund supports the delivery of our strategic aims for higher education (HE) across learning and teaching, driving innovation in the HE sector, enhance excellence and efficiency in HE, and support innovative solutions. As part of our commitment to support continuous improvement in the HE sector - including through the sharing of risk - in August 2016 we invited bids for small-scale, radical and experimental innovative activity in learning and teaching. The Catalyst Fund call (Call A) offered funding on a matched basis for projects to develop innovations in either undergraduate or postgraduate taught provision and deliver short-term outputs over an 18-month period. Universities or colleges were permitted to submit up to two bids, one in each area. To appoint an external evaluator (individual or team) (from April 2017 to October 2018) to support and enable learning, exchange and dissemination of good practice from and between a cohort of 67 small experimental projects on innovation in learning and teaching funded through HEFCE's Catalyst Fund [http://www.hefce.ac.uk/funding/catalyst/]. Working directly to and for HEFCE (and successor in OfS), the external evaluator will: • Draw out learning, to inform government policy and institutional practice, about how well-managed innovation works, with a focus on the student perspective and the role of students in the innovation process. • Support projects to maximise opportunities for networking with each other and dissemination of findings. • Ensure learning from the projects is identified and shared for the benefit of the wider HE sector. • Inform HEFCE recommendations to Government on future learning and teaching policy, including the use of funding in supporting innovation. • Support projects to deliver maximum value from public investment.