University Alliance has submitted their response to the HE-BCI consultation on ‘in-kind’ contributions. See our full written response here.
University Alliance CEO Vanessa Wilson said:
“Community and business engagement are a core part of Alliance universities’ mission. We understand that reliable data, including on in-kind contributions, serves valuable purposes for funders and other stakeholders. It is also used to inform strategic decision-making within universities themselves.
The guidance underpinning HE-BCI is only one part of the picture. For many higher education institutions, the time and cost burden of setting-up and running a process to fully capture in-kind contributions will continue to outweigh the benefits unless there are clearer incentives or requirements.
We are also concerned that taking a piecemeal approach to the HE-BCI review could end up creating additional burden for some institutions, particularly if further changes are needed as a result of the ongoing review of knowledge exchange funding in England.
That said, we are generally supportive of Approach 1 to the revised guidance proposed in the HE-BCI phase 2 consultation. Our response outlines a few areas where changes could be made to the proposed guidance to ensure greater clarity and consistency.
We look forward to engaging with the next phase of the review.”
