The Network supports universities through the sharing of best practice by hosting events, creating a peer-review scheme for civic engagement, and publishing reports and toolkits to guide the development and implementation of Civic University Agreements. The Network enables universities to develop and access practical approaches to evidence capture, consultation, strategy, governance, accountability, and resourcing in relation to the role of universities and place-based agendas.
We use our collective influence to raise the profile of the civic agenda and articulate its relevance to broader national agendas. This includes outreach and engagement with influential policy makers and sector leaders through public events, private consultations, and effective strategic communications. We create stronger links with allied sectors and institutions, foster intelligence sharing, and articulate a clear role for universities in the development of place-based strategies, working with our partners and local and national government to achieve this.
Network Roles
The network has several key roles, these include:
Identifying national centres of expertise within HEIs and other relevant partners across key thematic components associated with being a civic university (e.g. education, health, regional economic development, arts and culture) to build on their existing work and specialisms
Shaping the national policy landscape and advocacy for the civic university agenda. This will include undertaking communications and advocacy activities to raise the profile and influence of both the Network and the wider civic agenda, including alignment with emerging policy and funding opportunities
Gathering evidence and intelligence about ‘what works’ in civic engagement and develop a compelling narrative that can be used within and outside of the sector
Priorities
Our immediate priority is practical, hands-on support for HEIs developing their civic activity, addressing the different challenges they will be facing. We will develop and enhance the Guide to Creating a Civic Agreement, published by UPP in July 2018. We will seek to better connect existing expertise in civic practice, inside and outside higher education. We will also scope an evaluation toolkit and peer review methodology to help institutions reflect on and enhance their civic engagement activities and impact. This work will inform the development of a Civic Index, to help institutions measure and monitor their civic engagement.
As well as facilitating the sharing of best practice, the Network also provides an opportunity to bring peers together to raise the standard of civic engagement and support sector-led improvement. During year one, we will engage the sector to scope an evaluation toolkit and peer review methodology to help institutions reflect on and enhance their civic engagement activities and impact. This scoping will include considerations of existing and new metrics within the sector and the possibilities for alignment, for example with the Teaching Excellence Framework, Research Excellence Framework and Knowledge Exchange Framework. Year two would see the development of a concept for a sector-leading Civic Index, to help institutions measure and monitor their civic engagement.
Using existing sector expertise, the Network will be a conduit for identifying and working with sector leaders in specialist ‘civic’ themes who can provide shared learning opportunities, frameworks, research and insight. There is already considerable expertise and capacity within the sector in relation to both the civic agenda, and to underlying sectoral and policy agendas which have a civic dimension. In year one, the Network will start to facilitate the sharing of expert support and guidance to HEIs that better aligns existing networks and centres of expertise with civic university goals, and/or enables them to provide a clearer ‘civic lens’ on their practice.
The Network will be working with Universities UK, the NHS Confederation and other key sector bodies to develop a coordinated response to the challenges ahead. By facilitating a shared approach to the pandemic among all universities, the Network will aim to be at the leading edge of the sector’s long-term response to the economic and social challenges presented by Coronavirus.
The Network’s partnership approach with targeted workstreams will embed civic aspirations within institutional cultures and conversations, as well as ensure universities are increasingly recognised as a critical resource, working with government and strategic partners, to deliver effective and positive social and economic change. Through sector, system and leadership, the Network can make the civic mission central for the higher education sector.
Impact
A year on, how will we know if we have been successful?
