UPDATE:
The Equity Performance Framework project has now been completed. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all stakeholders and participants who contributed to the project. The final report is with the Australian Government Department of Education and Training and will form part of the Department’s deliberations on student equity policy.
Originally published 1 December 2014:
The Australian Government Department of Education has engaged the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) to develop the Equity Performance Framework for Australian Higher Education (“the Framework”). The primary purpose of the Framework is to provide a mechanism to identify relevant data and statistics for analysis by which student equity in the higher education system can be monitored. The Framework is not intended to be a higher education reporting and accountability mechanism.
Following its implementation the Framework is expected to:
- provide a set of indicators that will allow the measurement of achievement against the Government’s commitments, targets and goals in relation to equity
- inform policy through the provision of relevant information to support the development of evidence-based policy
- foster informed debate through the provision of key information
- provide a platform which will guide evaluation of programs by government and activities by institutions, and
- inform practice within, and support equity in, the higher education system.
This work is overseen by the Equity Performance Framework Steering Group, comprised of representatives from the Department of Education, key government data collection and research agencies, and higher institution representative organisations.
As part of our wider consultations with stakeholders, we invite you to discuss the proposed Framework with your colleagues and provide us with feedback via the Equity Performance Framework Feedback Survey on or before Monday 19 January 2015. (Update 20 January 2015: The EPF Survey has now closed. Thank you to all who participated.)
Specifically, we would like to know if you think the Framework:
- achieves its intended purpose
- is set out logically
- is missing any Tiers, Domains, Indicators or Data, and
- if the scope, detail and timeframes for publishing data and reports is appropriate.
Your feedback, along with that of other higher education providers and stakeholders, will be incorporated into a new version of the Framework prior to its testing in 2015.
Should you have any further comments or need to ask any clarifying questions ahead of completing the survey, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We thank you for your invaluable input and look forward to sharing more about the Equity Performance Framework project is due course.
