Policy Symposium on Procurement of Technology and IT Services in Higher Education

Policy Connect recently partnered with UCISA to host a policy symposium in Parliament on the procurement of technology and IT services in higher education.

The discussion was based on a policy brief that provides recommendations to improve the procurement process for providers, reducing costs, and increasing efficiencies where possible. 

In two recent focus group sessions held by UCISA, a membership organisation for digital practitioners in the HE sector, participants were invited to discuss procurement of technology and IT services in higher educaiton.

These sessions led to the production of a policy brief that included recommendations focused on improving procurement practices in the UK’s higher education sector. These recommendations influenced the scope and direction of the symposium’s discussion. 

With participants detailing the lengthy and arduous process of procuring technology and IT services for higher education, the briefing found that administrative hurdles are placing institutions at a disadvantage when negotiating contracts and strategically implementing digital transformation. 

Overall, participants were concerned about the lack of efficiency, exponentially rising costs of renewal, and decentralised procurement practices across the sector. 

The symposium was chaired by Lauren Edwards MP and provided a platform for stakeholders across the higher education sector to discuss the policy brief and other innovative procurement strategies that can enhance the delivery of technology services.

With the aim of ensuring higher education can meet the evolving needs of students and staff, participants explored pathways to a more efficient, transparent, and inclusive procurement process that supports digital transformation. 

The session featured insightful contributions from:

• Lord Philip Norton.

• James Crooks, Chief Information Officer at Durham University. 

• Mel Gomes, Head of IT Commercial Management and Contracts at Royal Holloway, University of London.

• Dr. Rob Moore, Head of Service Governance at Leeds Beckett University. 

For more information on the policy brief and symposium, please contact Alyson Hwang (alyson.hwang@policyconnect.org.uk).