CONTRACT NOTICE – NATIONAL

1 Authority Details

1.1

Authority Name and Address

1.2

Address from which documentation may be obtained

As in 1.1

1.3

Completed documents must be returned to:

As in 1.1

2 Contract Details

2.1

Title

Evaluation of the Post Graduate Research Student Experience

2.2

Description of the goods or services required

The 2021 annual report from the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) stated that postgraduate (PhD and other postgraduate students) were consistently over-represented in terms of complaints. For example, in 2021 45% of complaints received came from these students, who make up 27% of the student population in England and Wales. The OIA has considered the potential reasons for this, which included the fact that these students may have made substantial personal financial investment in their course, considerations for non-EU students (such as visas and sponsorship), and issues that only affect postgraduate or postgraduate research students such as issues with the supervisory relationship. As there are various means for obtaining information regarding the postgraduate taught student experience at institutional level, this proposal focuses on postgraduate research students (PGR).

This procurement aims to appoint a contractor to carry out research into the Postgraduate research student academic experience across Wales. This work would look into the various areas of the postgraduate research student academic experience, as noted in the specification, to produce evidence-based findings into a report complete with recommendations for the Wales higher education sector.

There is no standard system or mechanism across the whole UK sector to monitor the postgraduate research student experience, other than monitoring of retention and completion data. The proposed work is designed to provide HEFCW with insights and understanding of the issues faced by these students. Anecdotally HEFCW is aware of lack of consistency of the postgraduate research student experience both within and between institutions, both in Wales and across the UK. This work aims to understand the experience, and identify recommendations that would achieve greater consistency, where appropriate.

With the Tertiary Education and Research Act (Wales) recently having received royal assent HEFCW will be dissolved and its functions moved to the Commission of Tertiary Education and Research (CTER). This work will provide the commission with a firm foundation of knowledge of the postgraduate research student experience.

The contract will be for a period of six months. We anticipate that the contract will begin January 2023 and that it will take approximately 20-25 days to complete the work. The final report will be expected the end of June 2023.

NOTE: The authority is using eTenderwales to carry out this procurement process.

NOTE: The authority is using eTenderwales to carry out this procurement process. To obtain further information record your interest on Sell2Wales at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/search_switch.aspx?ID=126576

2.3

Notice Coding and Classification

2.4

Total quantity or scope of tender

Contract aim and objectives

* Undertake research into the postgraduate research student experience at all Welsh providers of higher education to include the areas of interest below:

* the academic support available for postgraduate research students, including direct support in relation to supervision, how students are made aware of this support, and its effectiveness

* the access of postgraduate research students to development and training opportunities, and the appropriateness of these opportunities

* how, and to what extent, a community of postgraduate research students is established across each institution

* representation of postgraduate research students at institutional level (for example, academic representation and students’ union representation)

* how institutions deal with complaints from postgraduate research students, particularly where these relate to supervisors, and including potential solutions

* how the views of, and feedback from, postgraduate research students are taken into account by institutions, including via PRES, any internal surveys other feedback opportunities, including how the feedback loop is closed

* engagement of Welsh institutions with Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) and / or Doctoral Training Programmes (DTP), and the impact of emerging outcomes of UKRI work on improving the postgraduate research student experience. This should include the extent to which these initiatives cover the diversity of the postgraduate research student population, and their role in achieving collaboration and consistency within and between institutions, including in relation to how good practice benefits students who are funded via other routes

* early information on how institutions are implementing the recommendations of the Postgraduates who Teach report previously commissioned by HEFCW.

The successful Contractor will need to be able to demonstrate that it has experience of conducting socio-economic research and data analysis, ideally within a higher education context and relating to the postgraduate research student experience.

The Contractor will need to be able to conduct its methodology through the medium of Welsh, using simultaneous translation facilities if necessary, where requested by participants.

3 Conditions for Participation

3.1

Minimum standards and qualification required

The authority is using eTenderwales to carry out this procurement process.

Reference on eTenderwales:- Project Code 51706, itt_98939

4 Administrative Information

4.1

Type of Procedure

Single stage

4.2

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting authority

T03HE/2022/23

4.3

Time Limits

4.5

Language or languages in which tenders or requests to participate can be drawn up

4.6

Tender Submission Postbox

5 Other Information

5.1

Additional Information

(WA Ref:126576)

The buyer considers that this contract is suitable for consortia bidding.

5.2

Additional Documentation

5.3

Publication date of this notice