Benchmarking

The resource has been developed as a key output from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) project ‘Realising business benefits through the use of benchmarking’. Integrated with the JISC Strategic Planning and Business Intelligence resources, and building on the HESA report Benchmarking to promote efficiency, this resource is intended to be one of the key tools available to managers to support institutional strategic planning with appropriate business tools and evidence bases.

This resource does not aim to be a standalone or ‘one stop’ guide to every aspect of benchmarking, but instead a practical overview of the topic. It will evolve and change over time, as the sector discusses how best to develop and embed benchmarking processes.

Purpose

This resource is intended as a toolkit to help develop understanding and use of benchmarking.

Case studies are offered either as examples of good practice, or to illustrate activity. The project has not attempted to identify ‘best practice’ because of the size and diversity of the Higher Education sector. Differences in approach for individual institutions may be required based on the mission, strategies, priorities and structure of each institution.

Closely linked to our Business Intelligence infoKit, this resource aims to be driven by sector need and to be:

• A broad introduction and overview
• Practical and accessible, and not overly theoretical
• A tool to aid reflection

Who is it for?

This resource is for wide use but will be primarily of interest to managers and planners and to senior staff responsible for strategic review and implementation of change.