Lincoln College Group Strategy 2016 - 19

TheLincoln CollegeGroup

ContentsMessage from the Chair 04Chief Executive’s Message 05Introduction 06External Drivers for Change 08Our Mission 14Our Vision 15Our College Group 16Our Structures 18Our Journey 20Our Ambitions and Critical Enablers 22Characteristics for Success 32

04 Message from the ChairDear Colleagues,The title of this strategy ‘Our Journey to Extraordinary’encapsulates precisely the sentiment of the Board. Ourdestination is clear and we are positive that we are on theright path with the right momentum. Since its formationin August 2014, the Lincoln College Group has grownsignificantly in scale and reputation. The Board frequentlyreport on conversations taking place externally about thevalue of the contribution that the LCG makes to GreaterLincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.This strategy document provides clarity of mission The Board has been heavily involved in the productionand vision and the journey ahead through a number of this strategy and we are committed to seeing that it isof ambitions and critical enabling activities. It is an achieved. We strongly believe that a strategy of ensuringappropriately bold and exciting strategy that ensures a sharp focus on quality and growth is critical to achievingthat not only do we focus on the quality of everything resilience, strength and relevance and we are confidentthat we deliver, irrespective of the location or the nature that when this strategy has been delivered the Lincolnof the programme, but also that we continue to grow College Group will be widely recognised as being theour international and UK commercial activities. This extraordinary organisation that it has the potential to be.growth is vitally important as it provides us with resilienceand strength. It also provides choices to invest in ourstaff, our equipment and our estate. And it allows us toinnovate new programmes and ways to meet the needsof employers and students.The Group mission of being ‘Employer-led, producing Margaret Serna CBEa highly skilled and productive local workforce’ is veryimportant. The environment within which further andhigher education establishments operate is changingrapidly and dramatically. We must be relevant; the way inwhich we achieve this is to ensure that our programmesand our students meet the needs of employers in theareas in which we operate.The Board and I are highly appreciative of the verysignificant contribution that all of the staff of the LincolnCollege Group provide. The challenges facing the sectorhave been, and are, immense and they are unlikely todissipate within the duration of this strategy document.We admire the work of the staff across the LincolnCollege – in Lincoln, Gainsborough, Newark, MortonHall, China and Saudi Arabia – and we are proud to beassociated with them. We take our scrutiny and supportroles very seriously and we will continue to conduct themwithout fear or favour.

05Chief Executive’s MessageDear Colleagues, Our Journey to ExtraordinaryOver the past 30 years of my professional working life,I have written or co-authored a significant number of What was unambiguously clear from staff was that theystrategies and strategic plans, many of which, in truth, recognise the complexity and myriad of challenges ofhave gone on to become what I call ‘the most beautiful the environment in which we operate. In equal measure,plans on the shelf’, while operational people have been people were full of ideas about how we can continue togetting on with delivering the organisation’s core activities. evolve to meet the needs of those whom we serve andThis is not going to be one of those documents. I am were optimistic about the future.determined that this strategy will guide us to achieveextraordinary things, hence the title of the document: ‘Our Extraordinary means being exceptional, remarkable,Journey to Extraordinary’. astonishing and amazing. None of these characteristics are a course or a programme, a building, a surplusThis strategy is launched during the same period that we or deficit budget, or a grade by a regulator. Thesecelebrate the 130th anniversary of our organisation. Over characteristics describe the thoughts, actions and130 years, thanks to the agility and flexibility of all our behaviours of our people to achieve great things. Peoplestaff, we have evolved into a College Group that plays a who are committed to delivering everyday work to themajor role in Greater Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire very highest standard time and time again, who refuse todelivering social value through education and training. accept mediocrity or average. And people who innovate and are ingenious to create solutions to problems; andWe are a bold and ambitious organisation: ambitious for then deliver those creations. Bar none, the people I metgrowth for our region, for the employers and students we during the strategic planning process were determinedserve, and for ourselves. We have had, and are having, to be pathfinders, innovators and leaders. We have thesome great successes. Equally, performance in some scale, resources and capabilities to be extraordinary.areas of our organisation is not as we would wish it to be This plan captures our sense of passion, our missionand not everything we have tried has been successful. and vision for an organisation already embarked upon aOur boldness and ambition is not for self-aggrandisement, transformation and shares our plan for the journey aheadit comes from our confidence that we are doing the right – a journey whose success is dependent upon each andthings to enable growth for our region and our employers, every one of usand creating opportunities for work for local people. Ourpursuit is of being extraordinary; such an accolade isbeyond the timid or faint-hearted.But what does extraordinary mean and why is thatparticular adjective important? To answer thosequestions, I need to describe briefly the process toformulate this strategic plan. I am proud to say that thisdocument has not simply been authored by me or asmall team of my direct reports in a dark room and thenrevealed to you as a fait accompli. The plan has beendeveloped through close engagement with a wide rangeof people across the organisation at every level and in justabout every discipline. Workshops with staff identifieda very wide range of ideas and new opportunities.Not every suggestion is featured in this plan but I amconfident that the essence is appropriately captured.

06 IntroductionA common characteristic of any top performing organisation is Take some time also to think about our Vision. It also needsthat all who work there have absolute clarity about the following interpretation by you. At the LCG level, it means that we aretwo things: recognised externally as being extraordinary; by employers from all sectors, the Combined Authority for Greater Lincolnshire,• Where the organisation is going? the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, the• What is expected of me? Department for Education, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the funding agencies and all of our regulators (Ofsted, Quality Assurance Agency, Saudi Skills Standards, etc) and other key stakeholders. Think about the role you play and what extraordinary looks like in that context. The next section of the document describes what a College Group is and how this is different from a College. This was felt to be important during workshops with staff as there was a lack of clarity. The Structure of LCG is then illustrated to provide organisational clarity around roles and responsibilities.This document addresses those two questions by setting out The next section of the document describes Our Journey withthe direction of travel for the Lincoln College Group (LCG). The particular detail on Our Ambitions and the Critical Enablersstrategy is built around three academic years extending to the necessary for us to achieve our ambitions.end of the 2018/19 academic year. The final section of this document entitled ‘CharacteristicsThe document starts by describing the myriad of Drivers for for Success’ describes the six key characteristics that areChange for our organisation. It is a summary with links to wider essential for us to be an extraordinary organisation. These sixreading. characteristics were developed during the Higher Leadership and Management Development Programme (HLMP) that theThis document articulates our Mission and our Vision; they entire Senior Management Team undertook during the pastare not marketing straplines, they are intended to help to academic year. These six characteristics are applicable to ussynchronise the way we think across our organisation. For all. Please read this section very carefully and take time to thinkexample, our mission is to be ‘employer-led, producing a highly about it and how it relates to how you think, how you behaveskilled and productive local workforce’. Do you understand and how you act.what that means at the LCG level? What does that meanfor you in your area of the organisation? It is not a literal The key performance indicators by which this strategy willstatement; it needs you to interpret it. But it should guide you. be measured are set out in a separate document that will beLet’s unpack it further. By putting employers first, the mission used routinely by the Board of Corporation and the Seniorprioritises the needs of employers above the organisation and Management Team to track performance.the students. It means we have to be led by the needs ofemployers, not by our own preferences. That means we have to Every attempt has been made to write this strategic plan in plainunderstand the needs of employers, which means that we need English to ensure that is both clear and compelling to us all.to engage with them and communicate effectively. If we do Please take time to read it, and to think about it. Once you havethat, we can predict their needs and innovate to solve problems. done so, if you are not clear about where we are going as anThe second part of the mission statement makes it clear that organisation and what is expected of you, please discuss it withour role is to produce highly skilled workers who are ready for your immediate line manager who, in turn, will provide feedbackwork. This is what, in part, differentiates us from schools and to the appropriate senior manager. A Facebook at Workuniversities. We don’t exist to deliver education for its own sake message will also be issued so that you can feed back directlybut to deliver education, training and assessment to help people on the plan or ask questions for clarification. The strategicsecure employment or advancement in their employment. Of plan will also be communicated internally by video, throughcourse, it should not be implied that the lack of a mission the monthly Team Brief and a series of All Staff Roadshows, instatement related to students or ourselves means that either are addition to this written format.unimportant, that would be nonsense, it is simply a question ofbeing clear about what it is we are charged to do…our mission.

Where are we going? What is expected of me?

08 External Drivers for ChangeThis section of the strategic plan examines the external context Area Reviewwithin which we operate. This is a summary of the key drivers; The Area Review for Greater Lincolnshire commences on 3links to wider reading have been provided where appropriate. October 2016 and will run until March/April 2017. The review will cover the local authority (LA) and local enterprise partnershipDevolution (LEP) areas of: City of Lincoln Council, Lincolnshire CountyThe leaders of the ten local authorities in Greater Lincolnshire, Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, North Lincolnshirewith the support of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Council, Greater Lincolnshire LEP and Humber LEP. The reviewPartnership (GLLEP), have requested devolved powers and will examine all post-16 education and training across the areafunctions from Central Government which would include the and how well this fits with local economic and educational need.following: In line with the area review guidance (revised March 2016) which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/• Responsibility for chairing the Area-based Review of 16+ publications/post-16-education-and-training-institutions-provision conducted in accordance with the established objectives, area-based-reviews The review will focus mainly on collegesframework and process nationally for the Area Review programme. and the following colleges will be in scope:The outcomes of the review will be taken forward in line with thenational framework principles of devolved arrangements, and • Boston Collegedevolved 19+ adult skills funding from 2018/19. • Franklin College • Grantham College• To help tackle long-term unemployment in Greater Lincolnshire, • Grimsby Institute Groupthe Combined Authority will feed into the national design of • John Leggott Collegethe new Work and Health programme. Greater Lincolnshire • Lincoln College GroupCombined Authority will also develop a business case for an • New College Stamfordinnovative pilot to support those who are hardest to help. • North Lindsey CollegeFurther powers may be agreed over time and included in future Greater Lincolnshire Strategic Economic Planlegislation. Further information is available via the following link: The GLLEP has published a Strategic Economic Plan (SEP)https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greater- that sets out the LEP’s vision and strategy for the region and islincolnshire-devolution-deal available via the following link: http://www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk/assets/ downloads/Strategic_Economic_Plan_2016_Refresh.pdf Through the SEP, GLLEP has identified and prioritised the following four core sectors for growth: Agri-Food; Manufacturing and Engineering; Visitor Economy; and Low Carbon Economy. And GLLEP has articulated its intention to promote: • Skills • Innovation • Advanced Telecommunications • A Place to Invest • Small Businesses • Foreign Owned Businesses

09Midlands Engine for Growth To this end the reforms support the development ofAt this stage, only two colleges in the Greater Lincolnshire region apprenticeships from Level 2 (GCSE equivalent) to Level 7have actively expressed their support for the Midlands Engine (master’s degree) to directly match academic level progression.for Growth (MEfG) initiative, us and Boston College. One of Through the apprenticeships reforms, the Government intends to:the key strands of MEfG is skills with particular emphasis onmanufacturing. Unless the region participates there is a risk of • Put employers in the driving seat – groups of employersit being marginalised or missing out on potential opportunities. working together to design apprenticeships so that they meetEqually, none of the work at this stage is funded. Further the needs of the industry.information on MEfG is available via the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ • Simplify apprenticeships – replacing complex frameworks withuploads/attachment_data/file/482247/midlands-engine- short, simple standards, written by employers in language theyfor-growth.pdf understand.Apprenticeship Reform • Increase quality – introduction of more rigorous testing atApprenticeships are an increasingly important part of the long- the end of the apprenticeship to ensure the apprentice isterm plan for improved workforce development and enhanced fully competent and grading to provide the opportunity for theproductivity in England. The Government’s Apprenticeship apprentice to stretch their capability.Reform programme is aimed at ensuring apprenticeships inEngland become more rigorous and more responsive to the There are four key areas of apprenticeship reform:needs for employers. Its origins lie in Doug Richard’s November2012 review specifically that: • The introduction of apprenticeships standards. • The introduction of the apprenticeship levy (which will come• An apprenticeship is a job in a skilled occupation.• An apprenticeship requires substantial and sustained training, into effect in April 2017). • The development of the Digital Apprenticeship Service. lasting a minimum of 12 months for all and involving at least • Apprenticeship quality assurance. 20% off-the-job training.• An apprenticeship leads to full competency in a role, as stated Further information is available via the following link: https:// in a short and easy to read ‘standard’ designed by employer www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ groups. attachment_data/file/411827/bis-15-179-Apprenticeship-• An apprenticeship develops transferable skills, including reforms-progress-so-far.pdf English and maths, to progress careers.• Apprentices are trained to the level required to apply for professional recognition where this exists.The Government wants to make all apprenticeships worldclass; a programme that is rigorous, responsive and meets thechanging needs of employers. The Government wants the ‘newnorm’ to be three equally prestigious routes to a good career:• university;• an apprenticeship; and• a new technical education route.



11Sainsbury Report and Post-16 Skills Plan • The new Institute for Apprenticeships will see its remitThe Government has published‎ its Post-16 Skills Plan that expanded to encompass “all of technical education at levels 2is available at via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/ to 5”. It will be responsible for bringing together expert groups togovernment/publications/post-16-skills-plan-and- set the content and standards for each of the 15 routes.independent-report-on-technical-education?dm_ • The report calls on the institute to review all existingi=26BG,4CM89,G6LIPD,FYGMI,1 Both documents were apprenticeship standards “at the earliest opportunity” to ensuredelayed by the EU referendum campaign but set out a long there is “no substantial overlap”.term plan for reorganising the curriculum outside academic • Each qualification at levels 2 and 3 will be awarded by a singleroutes. In the introduction to the Skills Plan, Nick Boles says “we awarding body or consortium “following an open competition”,accept and will implement all of the Sainsbury panel’s proposals rather than the current market, which sees awarding bodiesunequivocally where that is possible within current budget competing with one another. There will be one qualification forconstraints”. There are 38 Sainsbury recommendations in all, each occupation (or cluster of related occupations).most of which have been widely trailed in recent weeks. The • There will be a single set of “exit requirements” of minimumkey points from the recommendations made in the report are as standards in maths and English for both college and work-follows: based provision. Each college student will be required to complete a “high-quality, structured work placement”, and• At the age of 16, students will have to choose between complete a logbook to demonstrate what tasks they havethe “academic option” – comprising A-levels leading to an undertaken and what they have learned.undergraduate degree – or the new “technical option”. This willsignal the end of 16-18 students being able to opt for a mixture The aim is a ‘coherent technical education option’ with twoof academic and vocational qualifications, and is likely to lead modes of learning (employment-based and college-based)to greater specialisation in individual providers and schools. under a single common framework of employer designedFor learners, however, there will be the option of switching standards. The plan is to organise the curriculum into 15 routes,between the two routes after completing A-levels or equivalent to introduce an entirely new set of programmes regulated by thequalifications. Institute for Apprenticeships. This is an ambitious programme• In the “technical option”, students will embark on one of which is scheduled to run for the next four years. The skills15 technical education routes: agriculture, environmental plan proposes an extension to IFA’s remit so that it becomesand animal care; business and administrative; catering and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Ahospitality; childcare and education; construction; creative and timetable suggests it will procure new qualifications in 2018,design; digital; engineering and manufacturing; hair and beauty; run pathfinders in 2019 and make them available for teachinghealth and science; legal, finance and accounting; protective in 2020. There is a lot more detail in both reports on how thisservices; sales, marketing and procurement; social care; might work and what the new qualifications will involve.transport and logistics.• Within each route, learners can – following a transition year or Whilst there are questions still to be answered, the proposalstraineeship for those “not ready to access a technical education made in Sainsbury and reflected in the skills plan offer theroute at age 16” – choose between a two-year, college-based prospect of a set of ‘cornerstone’ products for further educationprogramme (including compulsory work experience), or an colleges that play to their strengths and not those of schoolsemployment-based programme, such as an apprenticeship and universities. Given a fair wind, proper funding and a(including at least 20 per cent college-based provision). Older preparedness to address issues of detail, and when associatedlearners will also be entitled to take these programmes. with the broad consensus around apprenticeships, the report• Each college programme will include a “common core” of and plan could well be a turning moment and not simply yetEnglish, maths and digital skills, as well as “specialisation another short-lived effort to reform vocational education.towards a skilled occupation or set of occupations”.• After this, the pathways lead on to either level 4 or 5 highertechnical education programmes, degree apprenticeshipsor higher apprenticeships. There will also be the option insome cases of taking “bridging provision”, leading to anundergraduate degree.



13Higher Education Reform Further information can be found via the following link:The Government reform for Higher Education was set out in the https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/green paper and subsequent industry consultation in November uploads/attachment_data/file/523396/bis-16-265-2015. Following this consultation the white paper ‘Success as success-as-a-knowledge-economy.pdfa Knowledge Economy; Teaching Excellence, Social Mobilityand Student Choice’ was published in May 2016. The sector Internationalconsultation highlighted a number of areas for concern, which Education remains a key export for British companies. Wethe proposed changes have been designed to address: have been exporting education and training to the Republic of China for eight years and to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia• Young disadvantaged people are 2.4 times less likely to go to for two years. The context in both of those countries remains University very favourable with a very strong emphasis on the need for continued support from us in relation to their international,• University-level courses are inflexible and lack sufficient vocational programmes. Many opportunities exist for expanding innovation of portfolio in both countries as well as a range of other countries.• Many students are dissatisfied with the Higher Education experience, with over 1/3 attributing this to teaching quality Institutes of Technology Britain is undergoing a digital revolution and this has profound• 20% of graduates remain in non-professional roles 3.5 years implications for the education system as a whole. While after graduating we have made some positive steps to embrace the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning, the reality is• There is insufficient competition and a lack of informed choice that we have been scratching the surface of a very large and for students increasingly important subject. The Government published its Productivity Plan, ‘Fixing the Foundations – Creating a MoreAs a result of the proposed changes to the sector the Prosperous Nation’ in July 2015. Amongst a raft of measures,Government has set out to double the number of students the Plan included a refocusing of professional and technicalentering into Higher Education from disadvantaged backgrounds education provision to deliver higher level skills employers needby 2020, increase the number of BME entrants by 20% and and inviting some colleges to become ‘prestigious Institutes ofencourage greater collaboration of Higher Education providers Technology’ to deliver high-standard provision at Levels 3, 4 andon outreach projects and widening participation activity. The 5, sponsored by employers, registered with professional bodieswhite paper reforms have introduced a number of structural and aligned with apprenticeship standards.changes to the sector, including:• The establishment of the Office for Students (OFS) as a newregulator for all Higher Education providers• The implementation of a new Teaching Excellence Framework(TEF) to review and monitor quality assurance, linking funding tothe quality of provision• The establishment of a single research funding body tosupport world-leading multi-disciplinary research activity.The white paper reforms have also outlined further changes tothe existing practices and regulatory responsibilities of HigherEducation providers by:• Requiring all providers to publish detailed information abouttheir application, offer and progression rates• Publishing employment and graduate earnings data.• Establishing new safeguards to protect both students andinstitutions, working in line with the Office of the IndependentAdjudicator (OIA )and Competitions and Markets Authority(CMA) requirements and regulations.The Government reform offers a potential growth opportunity fornew institutions and private training providers by simplifying theprocesses for high-quality new providers to establish, achievedegree awarding powers, and secure university title status.

Our Mission“Employer-led; producing ahighly skilled and productivelocal workforce.”

Our Vision“To be an extraordinaryorganisation with sufficientscale and resilience to ensurethat it that adds exceptionalsocial value to its communitiesin Greater Lincolnshire andNottinghamshire by providinghigh quality education andtraining and making peopleexceptionally well prepared forwork.”

16 Our College GroupOur staff will quite naturally identify with their own department Put very simply, our College Group structure is a strategicfirst, their organisation second and thereafter any wider response to repeated funding cuts for the Further Educationorganisational structure that they are part of. As an example, it sector over many years. It is a structural way of growing in sizeis perfectly understandable that someone teaching a particular and creating alternative income streams so that we can continuesubject would identify with their course first, their programme to deliver the maximum possible education and training inarea second, their School third and if they are delivering in Lincoln, Gainsborough and Newark. The key characteristics ofonly one of our colleges that they would identify strongly with our Group are that it will:that college. The likelihood of them caring particularly aboutthe Lincoln College Group structure at this point in time would • Make maximum use of the commercial freedoms provided tounderstandably not be high. It is however important that we Colleges when they were incorporated in 1993.all identify with the whole organisation so that we do not missopportunities for organisational and/or reputational growth. To • Be capable of attracting inward investment from non-be able to do so we all need to be clear about what a College Government sources.Group is and equally what it isn’t. • Be divisionalised into component parts with resources andThere is no formal definition of what a College Group is. The capabilities deployed across the divisions to meet the needs ofAssociation of Colleges loosely describes a College Group as employers and students.an organisation that comprises at least one substantial college,sponsorship of at least one academy and the management of • Provide certain functions (eg, HR, ICT, and Finance) centrallyat least one subsidiary company. The reality is that there is little where scale or volume allows efficiencies.common ground on this issue across the Further Educationsector at this time with many different models emerging across • Be able to move money around to respond to differentEngland. This ambiguity over the past two years has been quite opportunities and threats.useful in terms of providing space to explore new structuresand ideas. But now is the time for us to be clear about what • Be capable of scaling easily and quickly to incorporate newour College Group is and why the structure is important to our organisations (eg, additional colleges, private sector deliveryfuture. companies, etc) without a wholesale change to the overall structure of the Group. • Be able to performance-manage all of its divisions. Our Group, or indeed component parts of a Group, might also undertake some sponsoring activities (such as sponsorship of Academies or UTCs) although this is not essential.

TheLincoln CollegeGroup

18 Our Structures Our governance structure is as follows: Lincoln College Board of Corporation Finance Audit Performance & International Appraisal & SearchCommittee Committee Quality Development Remuneration Committee Committee Committee CommitteeDeans Sport & Leisure Lincoln Academy Corporate Support Lincoln College Limited Limited Solutions Limited Academy Trust Board of Directors Board of Directors Board of Directors Board of Directors Lincoln College International (LLC) Board of Directors

19Our leadership and management structure is as follows: CEOMD (Education & MD (International Director of HR Director of Finance & Director of ITTraining Delivery) & Commercial) Performance & Projects & Deputy CEODirector of Planning Director of Group Head of HR Financial IT Infrastructure & Performance (& Collaboration Controller Manager Deputy MD (E&T)) Director of General Manager FE Resources Ltd Head of TransformationEducation & Training Lincoln College (including international Information Services and Continuous (International) LLC Improvement Lead (Lincoln) recruitment) Director of Head of Business Head ofEducation & Training Development Infrastructure, Facilities & Estate (Newark) Director of Head of Marketing &Education & Training Communications (Gainsborough)Director of Employer Head of Deans Sport Provision & LeisureDirector of Student International Key: Non-Senior Post Services Recruitment & Holder Partnerships Senior Post Holder

20 Our Journey The illustration below depicts our journey over the next three years. The ‘Ambitions’ and ‘Critical Enablers’ will be explained in the next sections of this document.

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Our AmbitionsWe will be extraordinary when weharness all of the thoughts, actions andbehaviours of the organisation and focuson achieving excellence in educationand training. This requires us toinnovate; and to convert our innovationsfrom concept to reality. The outcome ofachieving excellence in education andtraining is the production of a highlyskilled and productive workforce for ourregional employers; this is paramountand is reflected in our ambitions for thefuture:

1. Excellence in Education and TrainingWe will accelerate the ongoing transformation of our educationand training delivery, dramatically improving the outcomes forour learners, until we are extraordinary.2. Employer-focused CurriculumOur curriculum will be highly relevant, meeting the needs ofemployers and other key customers.3. Higher Education and Skills GrowthThrough our Career Degree concept, we will continue toadvance our higher education and skills offer with majorinvestment in new infrastructure and programmes.4. International and CommercialDevelopmentWe will have the largest and most profitable international andcommercial portfolio of UK general further education colleges,which generates substantial investment in education andtraining in Greater Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.5. Collaborate for StrengthWe will be more resilient by creating new partnerships, foundedupon trust and confidence, so that we are stronger togetherand better able to meet the needs of businesses and students.Each of the Ambitions is explained in more detail in the following pages.

24 Our AmbitionsThis section describes each of our ambitions in more detail We will inspire every member of staff, irrespective of where theystating what the ambition is and summarising how we are work or what level they operate at, to engage in the process ofachieving it. On an annual basis, SMART objectives are set learning. In effect we will synchronise the whole organisationto the appropriate Senior Responsible Owners (SROs) setting and harness its collective power so that every member ofout precisely what is to be achieved in that year, to what staff thinks in a common way about how we provide the beststandard/measure and by when. Our performance against possible learning environment. We will continue to diminishthese ambitions (and against the critical enablers explained in the artificial barrier between teaching and non-teaching staffthe next section) is tracked monthly during the Performance recognising that every member of our staff has a role to play inManagement meetings and with individual SROs during their achieving our Mission and Vision.Performance Development Reviews. The focus of our leadership and management effort will be1. Achieve Excellence in Education and Training on achieving extraordinary outcomes for our learners. We will ensure that all staff know and understand where we areOur Ambition: heading. We will lead by example to inspire great teamwork.We will accelerate the ongoing transformation of our education We will manage with rigour and a comprehensive understandingand training delivery, dramatically improving the outcomes for of what our data and information are telling us and make goodour learners, until we are extraordinary. evidence-based decisions. We will create the environment for innovation and ingenuity with appropriate reward andAchieving our Ambition: recognition. We will continue to improve the efficiency of ourWe are unambiguously clear that the core of our organisation systems and processing using our STEP capability. We willneeds to be strong; that core is the quality of the education and ensure that there is exceptional communication both internallytraining that we provide. Achieving excellence in education and and externally.training is thus the master ambition; it takes top place above allother ambitions – with all other ambitions being in no particular We will concentrate our current resources and capabilitiesranking. on achieving this Ambition and will prioritise our investment accordingly.The outcomes our learners achieve show the clearest picture ofthe development that they have made in their skills, knowledge, Senior Responsible Owner(s)attitude and experience. We will ensure that every learner leavesus with the best possible outcomes; they will be much moreskilled and productive than when they arrived. Critical to this isexceptional teaching creating the environment for highly effectivelearning to take place. It is essential every learner has a positiveand enjoyable journey with us in a great learning environment.Self-discipline and respect are also critical success factors;from the basics of learners actually turning up for lessons,being on time, wearing their identification lanyard and behavingappropriately to being deeply committed to learning rather thanbeing taught. Mark Locking Kev Williams

252. Employer-focused Curriculum In line with our Mission, it is essential that our provision is focused on meeting the needs of the range of employersOur Ambition: in our region (private, public and third sector) a very largeOur curriculum will be highly relevant, meeting the needs of proportion of which are small and medium enterprises. We willemployers and other key customers. understand their needs better through modern and effective engagement. We will work closer with the LEPs and otherAchieving our Ambition: institutions that represent businesses (ie, the Federation of SmallThe creation of two new Career Colleges in September Businesses, the Confederation of British Industry, the Chamber2016 (the Air & Defence Career College in Lincoln and the of Commerce, the Institute of Directors, the Chartered InstituteConstruction Career College in Gainsborough) and a new study of Personnel and Development).programme in Newark for KnowHow (a FTSE 100 Company) arestrong examples of how we ensure that our provision is relevant. We will continue to engage directly with businesses, toWe have also gained a third licence to open a Health and Care understand and predict the needs of employers. And weCareer College which will address a sector with a major skills will shape, focus and purpose our curriculum, our resourcesshortage that is a national, NHS and GLLEP priority area. In and our capabilities to meet the needs of employers. ToJune 2016, Ofsted stated, “Through strong partnership work, achieve this, our immediate priority in 2016 is to undertake amanagers have developed a curriculum that meets the needs of comprehensive curriculum review (CCR). The CCR will includeemployers well.” all of our provision, including what we deliver at Lincoln College as well as the wide range of FE and HE provision that we deliverThe Lincoln College is delivering across the widest possible in China and Saudi Arabia.range of provision and has done so for as long as it hasexisted despite dramatic changes to the funding regime and We will examine in detail the business case for a Greaterthe emergence of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) who Lincolnshire Institute of Technology that brings together aset priorities for business growth in their regions. We work number of concepts and programmes that we have beenwith the Greater Lincolnshire LEP in relation to our Lincoln and developing including career colleges and other 14-18 provision,Gainsborough Colleges and the D2N2 LEP in relation to Newark apprenticeship growth and career degrees.College. Senior Responsible Owner(s)The LEPs provide a legitimate voice of the business community.The priorities set by our LEPs guide the design and emphasisof our curriculum and we strive to address those priorities. Thatdoes not mean we attempt to address every skills area identifiedby the LEPs. Nor does it mean that we stop do everything thatfalls outside of the LEP strategic economic plan; we meet theneeds of a wide range of stakeholders and customers. Mark Locking Kev Williams

26 3. Higher Education and Skills Growth 4. International and Commercial Development Our Ambition: Our Ambition: Through our Career Degree concept, we will continue to We will have the largest and most profitable international and advance our higher education and skills offer with major commercial portfolio of UK general further education colleges, investment in new infrastructure and programmes. which generates substantial investment in education and training in Greater Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Achieving our Ambition: The LCG has a significant role to play in the delivery of higher Achieving our Ambition: education both in the UK and overseas. In the UK, against Through excellent international delivery and UK commercial the backdrop of a highly competitive environment, our higher activity we will become the least dependent College Group on education portfolio has been growing steadily in terms of the central government funding. We will achieve this by growing number of programmes that we offer and the number of HE international delivery and by having an astute focus on new learners that we have. At the beginning of 2016, we assumed commercial opportunities. A top priority is to continue to grow in responsibility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for the the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and China. This activity will Riyadh Technical Trainers College where we have over 1100 generate money to support the Group’s education and training students studying Bachelor’s degrees in engineering and in the UK. Specific priorities are to: computer science. • Broaden delivery in KSA beyond the female College at Al We will continue to grow our HE offering in the UK and overseas, Qatief. including the development of higher apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships, to respond to the needs of employers. This • Teach more students and offer new courses in China, will increase LCG’s reputation and will also create new income building on the success of the Sichuan College of Architectural streams, reducing further our reliance on the Skills Funding Technology and Chengdu Polytechnic. Agency (SFA) and Education Funding Agency (EFA). • Focus on the quality of delivery across all international and We will stimulate internal collaboration between LC and Lincoln commercial work, thereby strengthening our reputation. College (International) LLC to ensure that we maximise the benefits of our overall HE capabilities and resources. • Grow education and training with new clients both in the UK and overseas. In the UK, we will establish our reputation as an emerging centre for the innovative and highly rated provision of higher education • Seek new commercial opportunities which provide excellent and skills. We will develop a broad, innovative and employer- value for money and meet our strategic aims. responsive curriculum offer with a variety of exit points and delivery models. We will establish management and operational Senior Responsible Owner(s) structures as well as physical resources that are specific to the delivery of this unique provision. And we will set a tuition fees structure that facilitates the development of qualification ‘packages’ and outstanding student support. Senior Responsible Owner(s) Martin Booth Tom Dannatt James Foster Scott Upton

275. Collaborate for Strength Specifically we will pursue collaboration in relation to apprenticeships and workplace learning. A key reason forOur Ambition: this is that apprenticeships and workplace learning do notWe will be more resilient by creating new partnerships, founded need to be delivered in the direct vicinity of our three collegeupon trust and confidence, so that we are stronger together and campuses, unlike classroom-based provision. Moreover therebetter able to meet the needs of businesses and students. are substantial funds available for apprenticeship growth that we will more effectively tap into as part of addressing the ongoingAchieving our Ambition: Apprenticeships Reform. While apprenticeships and workplaceCollaboration in the education sector is very similar to learning growth could be achieved organically, our growth willcollaboration in the broader public sector (for example local be exponential and more sustainable if we work collaborativelyauthorities and the police) in so far as it is widely believed to be to create a very large, region wide capability that is appropriatelya good idea, yet invariably very difficult to achieve in practice. branded and positioned to engage with the region’s strategicIn the FE sector the greatest challenge to collaboration is the employers.funding model for the sector which creates a competitivelandscape. In Greater Lincolnshire this competitive environment We will also explore collaboration related to International, Higheris not actually a huge challenge because the region is so large Education and Skills, and Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterpriseand the colleges are widely distributed across the region. This Partnership priority sector skills areas (in particular Health andshould mean that collaboration in Greater Lincolnshire is easier Care).than for example in Sheffield or Birmingham, but the realityis that very little progress has been actually made in terms of Senior Responsible Owner(s)meaningful collaboration across this region. There are of coursesome isolated examples such as bids for European Funding but James Foster Mark Taylorbeyond that collaboration has been minimal. The area reviewprocess has stimulated a number of conversations and createda more positive environment for conversations of collaborationto take place.There is a wide range of ways in which to collaborate fromsimply sharing ideas and good practice through to fullorganisational mergers. We will explore all forms of collaborationthat could result in us improving our effectiveness, efficiency andeconomy.

28 Critical EnablersOrganisational Development Knowledge and Information ManagementWe will develop our existing staff, and attract new staff where We will transform and modernise the way in which we capture,appropriate, to ensure that we have people with the right skills process and use data, information and knowledge to improveand capabilities to achieve each of our Ambitions. decision making.We will find new ways of achieving Excellence in Education and Using the STEP methodology and approach, we are takingTraining through the involvement of our people, starting with a systematic approach to this transformation that is a criticala comprehensive review using the Strategic Transformation of enabler of all our Ambitions. Specially the review will:Education Provision (STEP) capability. The review will take an • Assess the way in which data and information is used acrossevidence-based approach to organisational development usingdata and information to drive decision making. Specifically, the the organisation to understand and improve performance.review will: • Examine the structure and processes of our Information• Analyse our workforce mix ensuring that we have the Services capability taking a systems approach to improving appropriate blend of permanent staff, non-permanent staff, processes and procedures including management reports and apprentices and higher apprentices, internships and dashboards. volunteers. • Make recommendation to improve the effectiveness of our• Ensure that we know the ‘pulse’ of the organisation by current Management Information System (MIS) architecture introducing new ways of understanding the level of and applications. engagement of staff across the organisation.• Introduce new processes and systems to recognise and This transformation will be enabled and accelerated by the reward extraordinary thoughts, behaviours and actions. introduction of new software applications which will require a• Undertake detailed succession planning and improve the substantial capital investment. way in which we identify and harness talent both internally and externally.• Analyse the effectiveness of our current performance and development review systems and processes.• Create an organisational development dashboard so that we have a strong understanding of the contribution of our staff to the achievement of our Mission and Vision.Senior Responsible Owner(s) Senior Responsible Owner(s)Jacqui Varlow Mark Locking Graham Harrison

29Finance, Infrastructure and Equipment Communication and MarketingWe will create new income streams to reduce our reliance onfunding from the SFA and EFA, to enable growth and increase During 2015/16 very significant progress was made in terms ofour resilience. A key priority is to increase HE provision in the communicating both externally and internally. New innovationsUK as well as pursuing new commercial activities both in the UK included:and overseas. • The introduction of ‘All Staff Roadshows’ every term at allWe will ensure that we achieve the best possible value forevery pound of the Group’s income. We will remove waste and three Colleges.ensure better value for money. • The introduction of ‘Messages from’ which are personalisedThese actions will generate significant cash surpluses allowingus to invest in making our infrastructure and equipment fit-for- messages from members of the Executive Leadership Teampurpose. (ELT) to all staff.We will seek every opportunity to invest in our education • The introduction of a monthly ‘Team Brief’.and training programmes ensuring that the equipment that • Piloting the Microsoft ‘Yammer’ software application.our learners use in the classroom is of the highest possible • The introduction of a CEO’s Blog.quality and consistent with what they will use once they are in • Extensive use of Social Media (including Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsAppemployment. and WeChat) to communicate news of the LCG externally. • The creation of an alumni association and database. Senior Responsible Owner(s) These innovations provided us with a strong understanding of the effectiveness of our communications and the scope for improvement. We will continue our pursuit of having exceptional communication across our organisation, including with our staff deployed overseas in China and Saudi Arabia. We will ensure that our staff are clear about: • Where the Lincoln College Group is going. • What is expected of them. We will consolidate the number of communication channels to staff, ensuring direct and informal communication whenever possible and breaking down traditional organisational hierarchy. We will invest further in our alumni management to create strong advocates/net promoters. We will refine our social media marketing based upon intelligence and knowledge gained from our campaigns during 2015/16, ensuring that we use the channels most appropriate to our customers. Senior Responsible Owner(s)Tom Dannatt James Newall

30 Critical EnablersStrategic Transformation of Education Provision (STEP) Digital TransformationThrough targeted use of the STEP capability we will continue We will develop the ability of our teaching staff to use ourto transform the effectiveness, efficiency and economy across existing information learning technologies (ILT) to improvethe whole of LCG. This means that we will undertake in-depth teaching and learning, ensuring that we maximise thereviews to highlight ways of improving how we work, including investments we have already made.opportunities to re-design the systems and processes that weuse. Through research and experimentation we will take an evidence- based approach to inform our spending on new ILT. This meansWe will create a centralised team of experts whose purpose is to that we will achieve the highest impact on teaching and learningfacilitate change and stimulate a culture of transformation across across Lincoln College from every pound spent.the LCG. We will gain a deeper understanding of how our learners useThe STEP capability will be used with employers in Greater technology. Specifically we will explore M-Learning (mobileLincolnshire and Nottinghamshire to help them to find ways learning), ie, learning that uses the extensive of range ofof improving business performance and growth. These educational apps that are readily available and:interactions will facilitate a better understanding of their businessso that we can meet and predict their current and future • Embraces mobile learning as part of a blended and integratededucation and training needs. training solution. • Targets the preferred learning style for younger learners. • Leverages learner’s familiarity with mobile devices. • Capitalises on the popularity and portability of mobile devices. We will innovate with partners to identify ways in which collaboration through the use of ILT will improve education and training.Senior Responsible Owner(s) Senior Responsible Owner(s)Graham Harrison Graham Harrison



32 Characteristics for SuccessOur buildings, our equipment and our programmes will make us The two leaders of Human Alchemy – Dawn and Paul Barronimpressive, but the work and successes of our people will make – have a wealth of senior management experience. Paulus extraordinary. Barron is a distinguished member of our alumni having been an apprentice in 1967 and he went on to be the UK PresidentWe are working closely in partnership with a company called of ABB Alstom Power and the CEO of the National Air TrafficHuman Alchemy to develop our leadership and management Service.skills and capabilities. During 2016, we developed with Human Alchemy a strong understanding of the six key characteristics that our organisation needs to have to achieve its Mission and Vision as follows:These characteristics apply to all staff irrespective of the role that • Exceptional communication is not simply the responsibility ofthey play in the organisation. senior managers or the Marketing and Communications staff. We all have a role to play in communicating effectively bothThese characteristics need to be contextualised by managers so externally and internally. We should all be advocates of ourthat they make sense to all staff, for example: organisation, which needs us to be informed. And we should all be able to communicate with employers, learners and with one• This document provides the strategy for the whole of the another.LCG and the LCG vision and mission should be both clear andcompelling. Self-evidently, not every aspect of the strategy willapply to every member of staff. It is for managers to interpretthe strategy for their area of responsibility and to apply it so thatevery member of their team has a clear and compelling visionabout where the organisation is going and what is expected ofthem.

33Each of the characteristics is described now in more detail.Clear and Compelling Vision. We need to know where we Enabled and Liberated Workforce. At face value theseare heading so that we concentrate our focus, our resources words could appear to be jargonistic. After all, we all knowand capabilities on getting there. That vision also needs to be that ideas come from ‘the top’ and our job is to implement thecompelling, to motivate us to achieve it. To be compelling it latest initiative while also getting on with our day jobs. Forgiveneeds to be achievable and realistic. Equally, it needs to take us the scepticism or even cynicism but experience suggests thatbeyond sustaining the status quo. A clear and compelling vision this is exactly how people working at every level in organisationsis something we all need to have. This document provides the feel. “I had an idea once, but no-one would listen to me soorganisational level of vision. Irrespective of where you work in I didn’t try again” is another frequent sentiment. Large andthe organisation, and the role you play, you need to apply the complex organisations cannot be run like a small businessorganisational vision to your own context and ask yourself: with decisions being made only by the owner or Managing Director. That sort of approach prevents innovation and creates• What is my vision? a paternalistic culture. Equally, organisations that do not have• Is my vision clear and am I motivated to achieve it? proper boundaries and constraints can lack discipline leading• Are there barriers to me achieving my vision, if so who can I to inappropriate decisions being made, duplication of effort and inefficient use of resources and capabilities. The question is one talk to, to remove those barriers? of balance and clarity.High Performing Leadership Team. There are lots of Lean and Efficient Systems. Lean and efficient systemsexamples of organisations that have some truly exceptional ensure that we use our limited resources efficiently. Where wetalent and yet fail to perform to their full potential. Most don’t have lean and efficient system, we often tolerate wastedobviously we see this in football teams where despite owning effort. Most often, this results in poor service and the need tosome of the world’s best individual players, teams can fail to repeat work because it failed the first time; in Lean languagewin trophies. They don’t necessarily lose but nor are they this is known as ‘repeat’ or ‘failure’ demand. It might feel likeextraordinary. Leadership is a way of thinking, behaving and productive work but actually if the job had been done correctlyacting; it is not something that is the responsibility of only those the first time, the work would not have been necessary and isin the most senior positions. We are all capable of leading, it is thus wasteful. At the organisational level, the STEP programmea choice. A high performing leadership team is founded upon is examining systems across the organisation but STEP cannottrust and confidence. It intuitively understands that when one do everything nor should it. Have a think about your area. Areelement of the team is unsuccessful we are all unsuccessful, a the systems and processes that you follow efficient? Are thesense of shared responsibility. Think about this in your context. systems that you plug into efficient? Do you find yourself sayingAre you and those around you operating as a high performance ‘for heaven’s sake, if only….?’ Understanding the processesleadership team? If not, what is missing for you to be able to do that we follow to do our work is not something restricted toso? When you know the answer to that, do something about it. the STEP team or individual STEP projects. We should all be thinking all the time about how we do our work and whetherSharp Focus on the Numbers. Often when numbers are there is a better way. Change experts might use systems theorymentioned, we immediately think about our income and and languageexpenditure budget, our surplus or our deficit. Self-evidently,those are important numbers but they are not the panacea. We Exceptional Communication. During the past two years,are surrounded by numbers all the time. How many students? there have been major efforts at the organisational level toHow much sickness? How is our retention? How often are improve both external and internal communications using lots ofpeople late? How many students have done work experience? different forms of communication.How many hours did we work this week? How much leavehas been taken? How many appraisal reports have beencompleted? And how many completed on time? Etc, etc. Andyet, we very often do not focus on numbers but use anecdotesto underpin any statements and arguments that we make.Top performing organisations really understand their numbers.Those numbers are different for each of us depending upon thearea in which we work and the level at which we operate. Takesome time to think about your role. Do you know the numbersthat pertain to you? If not, do something about it.