Roles and responsibilities

Effective colleges and providers:

• respond to employer needs as set out in Sector Skills Agreements, regional statements of skills priorities and, where appropriate, the Regional Reducing Re-offending Action Plan
• ensure their improvement strategies are informed by dynamic engagement with customers and stakeholders
• collaborate with each other and with learners and employers to offer flexible training which is focused on learners and employers' needs
• develop their own mission and develop particular specialisations
• use technology appropriately to increase outcomes for learners, increase efficiency, effectiveness and value for money.

Effective leaders and managers at all levels within their organisations:

• strive to create and champion a culture of continuous improvement in their organisations, fully involving learners, staff and stakeholders
• ensure that their strategic thinking and planning is informed by analysis of current and emerging Government policy
• become effective strategic partners with Government and the national agencies, giving feedback on the implementation of Government policy
• within their strategic planning and improvement processes, prioritise equality and diversity
• engage with the key stakeholders in their area including employers, their local authority and other public services, to inform strategic planning and promote public understanding of the services and the value added by the further education system
• commit to partnership-working to optimise coherence of services and the range and quality of opportunities for learners
• understand how the appropriate and effective procurement, deployment and use of technology offers major benefits to drive organisational change, personalise learning and provide tools for self improvement
• be effective at initiating and maintaining good collaborative working with schools, higher education and other colleges and providers.

Effective governing bodies should take steps to ensure that they:

• understand the sector reforms and the implications for their organisations
• are clear what the mission of their organisation is and can define what excellence means in the context of that agreed mission
• can assess the performance of their organisation and ensure effective plans are in place that support continuous improvement with agreed improvement targets
• are continuously improving as a governing body
• understand the needs of their learners and potential learners, of local employers and of local communities and ensure that provision is planned around their needs
• understand the importance of equality and diversity and the benefits of ensuring that the governing body membership reflects the richness and diversity of the community it serves
• put in place systematic measures for succession planning, particularly in the context of the regular turnover of learner governors.