Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education Innovation and Reform (SPHEIR)

Partnerships for Higher Education Later retitled: Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education Innovation and Reform (SPHEIR) Intervention summary 1. DFID will invest up to £104m in a new Partnerships for Higher Education programme with two clear aims: • To improve the quality and relevance, scale and affordability of Higher Education (HE) in DFID focus countries (to make HE more accessible to underrepresented groups, and enable graduates to be active, productive citizens) • To improve the performance, governance and influence of HE systems and HE institutions in DFID focus countries (so they function effectively and produce knowledge and high quality graduates that has positive effects on inclusive growth and delivery of services) 2. Partnerships for Higher Education will support new, high value, partnerships, operating at several levels within a single HE institution, or across a number of institutions (including, for example, quality assurance and funding bodies). 3. The programme will shape and incentivise demand for partnerships to address identified issues in the HE system, including: • Preparation of HE systems in low income countries for the future, building on learning from other contexts; • Attracting new types of players within the HE system, such as funding and quality assurance bodies and private sector partners (private providers and employers) to get a dynamic and multi-disciplinary group of experts to focus on solutions to complex issues, such as graduate employability; • Testing new models of delivery at scale, including online delivery. 4. Analysis by DFID’s HE Taskforce has identified isolated examples of partnerships supported by other donors, which have been successful. This programme is a first example of doing this consistently, and creating the right incentives for engagement in low income countries. In practice, this could mean supporting a partnership that brings new players into the market and addresses issues around employer confidence in graduates and the transition to work. For example, this could involve a business, a group of universities and a content provider with the aim of equipping students with skills required for the labour market. Similarly, a partnership could facilitate access to quality, scalable higher education by developing online delivery solutions. 5. Using partnerships to achieve these ambitious and far reaching objectives is a new area for DFID, so in line with recommendations from the end to end review, the delivery model will be tested, reviewed and adjusted during an initial set up and launch phase. Key decision points will act as triggers for adapting, scaling up or closing down the programme. This will enable DFID to test the level and quality of demand from the sector to inform the optimum level of investment in Partnerships for Higher Education; refine incentives and levers to ensure ambitious results-focused partnerships; and create opportunities for continuous monitoring, evaluation and learning to be fed back into the programme. Lesson learning across the programme will be built in and used, alongside formal evaluation, to continuously inform and improve delivery.