These guidelines deal with library & learning resources (LLR) provision for students following franchised and other forms of collaborative courses. Franchised courses may be defined as learning programmes designed in one institution and delivered in another. The partners involved in franchising arrangements can include schools, FE colleges, HE institutions, private sector training providers, companies and public sector organisations. Franchising arrangements can operate locally, on a national scale, or internationally. The organisation with responsibility for designing a franchised programme is the franchiser, that with responsibility for its delivery is the franchisee.

These guidelines are intended to be of use to anyone involved in the development, delivery and support of franchised courses and other forms of collaborative provision. Their purpose is to set out the conditions that will ensure that students on such courses have adequate and appropriate LLR services for their programme of learning. The premise of the guidelines is that LLR provision forms an integral part of the learning environment and of the student experience - in franchised courses as in all other areas of learning and teaching. The development of effective LLR arrangements to support students on franchised courses depends crucially on the inclusion from the outset of LLR staff in course planning, design and delivery teams.

Franchising is now a well established part of provision for education and training, with many institutions counting franchised courses as a significant part of their portfolio. Policy pressures indicate that this is likely to remain the case. Widening participation and improving access are strong themes of Government policy for learning, as is cross-sectoral and public/ private collaboration. Franchising is one of the means by which institutions will seek to meet targets in these areas. Franchising is also a means by which institutions will seek to position themselves in the increasingly international marketplace for education.

Specifically in relation to the delivery of HE in FE, it is likely that a balance will be struck between franchised provision on the one hand, and direct funding by the HEFCs of provision by individual FE colleges and FE/HE consortia on the other.

There is a serious concern on the part of government, and of quality assurance and funding agencies, that quality and standards are not compromised as a result of franchising. This concern is likely to lead to a clearer specification of institutional responsibilities for the quality of franchised provision. Quality assurance arrangements for franchised courses should take full account of students’ need for access to adequate LLR services and support.

The quality and effectiveness of LLR support for franchised courses, as for other work, depends on:

3.1 the relationship between the LLR service and the academic processes of the institution, including course design, delivery and evaluation

3.2 the involvement of LLR staff in the institution’s managerial arrangements, such as policy formulation and resource allocation

3.3 the adequacy of resourcing for LLR provision - including staffing, staff development, information and learning resources (print, electronic, and multi-media), accommodation, equipment, and access to external resources

3.4 the availability of LLR services - including hours of opening, electronic and other forms of remote access, enquiry and tutorial support, study facilities, and links to external resources and facilities

There are several key principles which should be applied when considering LLR support for franchised programmes

4.1 The institution which designs the programme has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that appropriate and adequate arrangements for LLR provision are in place. A franchise should not be awarded until these arrangements have been negotiated and agreed

4.2 LLR provision forms an integral part of the learning environment, and should therefore be an integral part of the development, delivery and evaluation of franchised programmes

4.3 There is no single or preferred model for LLR provision for franchised programmes, or for the division of responsibilities between partner services. In each case, this will be the subject of negotiation and agreement between the franchise partners. Financial arrangements between collaborating institutions need to reflect the agreed pattern of LLR provision.

4.4 Account should be taken of varying institutional and service missions, and differential levels of funding appropriate to these missions. The aim of LLR support for franchised programmes is not that it should be identical between the partner institutions, but that it should be comparable and adequate in toto

4.5 Tenets of sound professional practice apply to LLR support for franchised programmes in exactly the same way that they apply to home-based provision

LLR managers and staff from each collaborating institution should be involved from the outset in the development of franchised programmes. This is important in order that provision for franchised students can be planned into LLR service development, and that any knock-on effects (positive or negative) on provision for home-based students can be taken into account. It is also important that the knowledge of LLR staff of learner needs outside the class-room, of information & learning resources, and of the possibilities of remote delivery of services should be drawn into the planning and development process.

Each of the following elements should be specified, recorded and where appropriate costed:

5.2.1 the range of information & learning resources and services - the resource base -which is required to support a given franchised programme

5.2.2 the additional resources required first to develop, and subsequently to maintain, LLR provision for the franchised programme. Such resourcing might be required e.g. to acquire a larger stock or a wider range of materials, to acquire materials at an appropriate academic level, to acquire or extend electronic licenses, to enhance staffing or provision for staff development, to upgrade software and hardware, to enhance budgets for inter-library lending.

5.2.3 targets for attaining 5.2.1 and 5.2.2, and the monitoring and reporting arrangements for progress against these

5.2.4 the allocation of responsibility for provision of LLR resources and services within and between the collaborating institutions - who is responsible for what

5.2.5 a statement of entitlement for students on franchised courses in each partner institution

5.2.6 the evaluation and review processes for LLR provision for the franchised programme

5.2.7 arrangements for liaison and representation

5.3.1 LLR provision should be an explicit element in all stages and components of the franchise arrangements - planning, resourcing, validation, delivery, quality assurance, feedback and evaluation. Arrangements for liaison and representation which take account of this are required, both within and between collaborating institutions

5.3.2 the LLR service in each collaborating institution should be represented on the cross-institutional franchising teams. Such teams should also include representatives of lecturing staff, curriculum planners, academic managers, resource managers, IT and media services staff, student services staff, administrative staff, and students.

5.3.3 Liaison arrangements and lines of communication should be established between the LLR services in partner institutions. These arrangements should be continuous, regular and reported. They should recognise that the franchise relationship is an ongoing and evolutionary one.

5.3.4 Staff development programmes should include activities designed to foster good working links and mutual understanding between the staffs of collaborating institutions. Such activities could include joint training, visits, exchanges, and regular meetings. For a which bring together the LLR staffs of a number of franchisee organisations with those of the franchiser have proved very useful.

The quality assurance arrangements relating to a franchised programme should embrace LLR provision as an integral component. They should make explicit the arrangements for the continuing and regular monitoring and assessment of the effectiveness of LLR provision for students on the franchised programme. They should state the position of LLR provision in validation.

The following is a list of suggested elements from which specifications of resource requirements, service levels and entitlements can be drawn up; and from which areas of responsibility can be allocated and agreed. It is intended as a starting point rather than an exhaustive listing.

• core learning and information resources

• background and support material

• specialised resources to support advanced project and assignment work

• reference material and sources

• materials and resources required by academic staff to develop and deliver the programme

• service entitlements for staff and students engaged in franchised provision

• access arrangements, both physical and electronic

• access to external resources, such as inter-library loans and external databases

• information & knowledge skills tuition

• advice, guidance and individualised support for students

• specialised enquiry services

• working environments appropriate for e.g. individual study, group work, discussion, preparation of presentations

• quality assurance arrangements, user feedback and performance measurement

• staff development to support franchised work

• liaison arrangements, meetings and lines of communication

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