Continuous improvement |

Principle 7:

Continuous improvement

Knowledge exchange is a recognised part of the overall university strategy. We have a clear understanding of the institutional role and the purpose of KE and whom the intended beneficiaries are.

Clarity of mission is essential for efficient and effective knowledge exchange. University staff, students and external organisations need to understand the aims and priorities of senior university leaders and governors in relation to the whole range of knowledge exchange activities undertaken by the institution.

Institutions could provide evidence of the following:

FEEDBACK

There is a formal approach to the use of beneficiary and partner feedback to drive improvements in KE performance.

SUPPORT

Active engagement takes place with national and international organisations in order to support sharing of best practice.

APPROACH

There is a defined approach to learning from outside the higher education sector by engagement with public and private stakeholders, including government, local authorities, enterprise partnerships and industry/business representative bodies, including through their representation on advisory and institutional governing bodies.

MEASURES

A commitment is made to recognising and using objective benchmarking measures to improve KE performance, including the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) in England, and other appropriate evidence-based international benchmarks and quality standards.

EXTERNAL PEER REVIEW

A commitment is made to considering the role of external peer review of KE performance improvement, informed by KE performance as described in England by the KEF.

QUALITY

Published mechanisms show how the institution manages the quality of KE, taking into account the range of KE activities that the institution has prioritised, including use of recognised quality management processes, formal procedures on how feedback is used to improve KE quality, complaints procedures, and arrangements for the timely and efficient execution of agreements and mechanisms.