Nottingham Trent University
Collaborative Business Evaluation - VS
VALIDATION SERVICE BUSINESS EVALUATION PROCESS
TYPE OF PROPOSAL:
!
NEW VALIDATED CENTRE
This form is initiated by the Collaborative Partnerships Office (CPO).
This proposal is for a new validated centre and it will always be considered in conjunction
with a separate form for each course proposal.
CPO will send the form to the proposed partner for the completion of Section A and will
be the point of contact until the process is complete.
Contact: Julie Page, CPO, Collaborative Partnerships Senior Office for Validation Service
(CPSO-VS) julie.page@ntu.ac.uk or telephone + 44 (0)115 848 8181 (if dialling
internally extension 88181) or Chris Cox, CPO, christopher.j.cox@ntu.ac.uk or telephone
+ 44 (0)115 848 8196 (if dialling internally extension 88196).
OUTLINE BUSINESS CASE
A.
About the proposal – to be completed by the Centre
A1
Name of Centre
A2
Address and location
A3
Designation of Centre
☐ Private College
☐ Public University
☐ Further Education College
☐ Other (please state) _____________________________
Name and email address of Centre contact (for this purpose)
A4
A5
Does your proposal fit with the Validation Service model of collaborative
provision (see definition at the link below)
http://www.ntu.ac.uk/about_ntu/partner_institutions/validation_services/index.html
Specifically:
a.
b.
A6
Do you deliver your own course(s)
Do you want NTU to validate your own course(s) to
receive our award
c. Please confirm you understand that the students will
not be NTU students
d. Please confirm that you understand NTU will not be
involved in the delivery of your course(s)
e. Please confirm that, having looked at the definition,
you understand the nature of the validation service
arrangement
Multiple sites
If it is proposed that a course be delivered at multiple sites
locations and courses at each:
Course
Campus/site
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☐ Yes ☐ No
☐ Yes ☐ No
☐ Yes ☐ No
☐ Yes ☐ No
☐ Yes ☐ No
please indicate the
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Nottingham Trent University
Collaborative Business Evaluation - VS
A7
Proposed start date
A8
Does the centre have multiple start dates in each year, if yes please give
details
A9
Number of Exam Boards per year and month of Exam Board(s)
A10
Overseas centres: Are British degrees recognised by your
Country/Government
A11
Description of your Centre (please provide some background information)
A12
Additional comments (if needed)
A13
Please enter your name here as confirmation that this proposal has
received authorisation via an appropriate committee at Centre level:
Signed___________________________ Date:___________________
Name of Committee:________________________________________
Centre action: having completed the sections above, please forward this form to Julie
Page (VS CPSO) in the Collaborative Partnerships Office (CPO) at
CPOcollaborativesignoff@ntu.ac.uk
B.
About the proposal – to be completed by the Collaborative Partnerships
Office (CPO)
B1
Name and email address of contact at CPO (for this purpose)
B2
Does the proposal have implications for CPO administration
If the answer is yes then see CPO Manager action below
B3
From the information provided by the Centre, does this fit with the
Validation Service model of collaborative provision?
Yes/No (please delete as appropriate)
If no, the CPSO-VS (Julie Page) will liaise with the CPSO-SB (Teresa Dymond) to
identify an appropriate collaborative category fit
B4
B5
B6
Notification to relevant stakeholders for information of pending proposal
(tick when emailed): This will be done after the initial discussion stage and prior
to the form being sent to the potential Centre
☐ CADQ
☐ Dean and Associate Dean
☐ College Finance and Planning Manager
☐ Legal Services
Will the Centre potentially use the e-library (business and management
journals only) or walk in library access (local FECs)
Additional comments (if needed)
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Nottingham Trent University
Collaborative Business Evaluation - VS
CPO action: having completed the section above, please forward this form by email to
the contact at the link School (usually the Dean and Associate Dean) and with a copy to
the College Finance and Planning Manager
CPO Manager Action: if the answer to B2 is yes then notify the PVCA
C.
Consideration of the proposal – to be completed by the School
C1
Name of the lead contact person in the School (for this purpose)
C2
Will the School be able to resource this proposal? Please see separate
Business Evaluation forms for each course proposed, where you will be asked to
identify a verifier for each course.
C3
Has the school considered the overall number of verifiers required, the
time of year the visit will take place and the length of time the verifier(s)
will be away from the University?
C4
Has the School considered how this may impact on existing validation
service arrangements (is the subject area the same as other current
arrangements which may result in difficulties sourcing verifiers)
C5
Will this proposal result in changes to staff roles/ is cover going to be
necessary?
C6
Does the proposal fit with the collaborative strategy of the School?
C7
What is the rational for pursuing this proposal?
C8
Additional comments (if needed)
D.
Outline Financial appraisal - to be completed by the College Finance and
Planning Manager
D1
Further Education Colleges only. FECs are subject to standard Financial
Schedule and the fees are set and reviewed annually by CPO. CPO will
attach a copy of the current charges with this proposal.
A copy of the standard charges are attached
D2
☐ Yes
☐ No
Questions D4 and D5 do not apply to FECs
Completion of the PARAT (required for all new centres)
PARAT is completed and attached
☐ Yes
Outsourced Due Diligence is required 1
☐ Yes ☐ Not required
D3
Is the prospective income sufficient to cover resource costs?
D4
Are there any local tax, legal requirements or permissions to be taken into
account or known at this stage?
1
Where outsourced due diligence is required, the full business case (with associated external due diligence
costs) should be considered by CMT and given “in principal” sign off, before an external agency is employed.
CMT will then consider the findings of the outsourced due diligence separately.
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Nottingham Trent University
D5
Collaborative Business Evaluation - VS
Is there intention to charge an initial set up or consultancy fee?
Yes/No (please delete as appropriate)
If yes, will this be negotiated with the Centre? Please provide CPO with details in
order to invoice the centre following academic approval.
D6
Additional comments (are there any considerations to take into account before
moving to the full business case)
School/College action: having completed sections C and D above, please forward this
form to the Administrator to the Dean for the School Executive Agenda
Gate
1
School Executive appraisal
E1
Purpose: Based on the outline business evaluation, should this proposal be
approved for validation?
Prompts for consideration:








Does the proposal fit with the School’s collaborative strategic plan?
Does the proposal fit with the NTU Collaborative Strategy, and for overseas
proposals, the College Internationalisation Plan and NTU
Internationalisation Strategy?
Does the PARAT meet NTU indicators?
Is the supporting evidence complete and convincing?
Can the School resource this development, i.e. provide a verifier for all
courses proposed? See specific verifier questions on the course(s) proposal
form.
For overseas proposals, can the School confirm the host country is
considered financially stable, ethically sound and safe for traveling staff at
this time? (It is recognised that this could change post validation).
How does the School prioritise this proposal, relative to other developments?
Does the timescale for development look feasible?
E2
Comments
E3
Decision (please select one)
E4
☐ Reject
☐ Approve outline proposal to go forward to College Management Team
☐ Approve to go forward using the streamlined business sign-off process
(proceed to full business case immediately for submission to College
Management Team)
☐ No decision possible: rework required. Please give details of missing
information
Date of meeting
E5
Signed (Chair)
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Nottingham Trent University
Collaborative Business Evaluation - VS
Administrator action: Please ensure the above box is completed and signed and that
the decision is recorded in the minutes. Please provide the Dean with a copy of the
form and advise stakeholders of the decision.
Stakeholder
Information they need
How to advise
Dean
Record of decision
Minutes
Action needed
Original signed form
Record of decision
Minutes - please email
CPO
CPOcollaborativesignoff@ntu.ac.uk
Dean action: If the proposal is approved, please forward the outline business case to
CMT and request an agenda item for you to present the proposal.
Streamlined sign-off: If the proposal is approved to move directly to full business
case, please advise the College Finance and Planning Manager to move to full business
evaluation and provide a copy of the outline form.
Gate
2
College Management Team appraisal
F1
Purpose: To determine whether this proposal:
 Is attractive to the College;
 If there are any conflicts of interest;
 If this proposal can be progressed to a full business case with a view to
being made operational.
Assumption: That the School has appropriately assessed the outline case.
Prompts for consideration:







Does the proposal fit with College and University objectives?
Are there any cross College/University implications, positive or negative?
Can the College support the development timescales?
Are College resources needed in order to progress? Can these be supported?
Does this proposal warrant priority, in relation to other course proposals?
Are there other University partners in the same locale/country? Will this
proposal present a conflict of interest with the provision delivered there?
Does CMT support this proposal in principle?
F2
Comments
F3
Decision (please select one)
☐ Reject
☐ Approve to proceed to full business case
F4
Date of meeting
F5
Signed (Chair)
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CBE-A1 (Sept 14)
Nottingham Trent University
Collaborative Business Evaluation - VS
Administrator action: Please record outcome on this form and advise stakeholders of
decision:
Stakeholder
Information they need
How to advise
Head of College - CMT
Record of decision
Minutes
Action needed
Dean
Record of decision
Minutes
College Finance and Planning
Manager
Record of decision Action
needed (Instruction to
commence the full
business case)
Minutes
CPO
Record of decision
Minutes - please email
Original signed form
CPOcollaborativesignoff@ntu.ac.uk
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