Business and Community Engagement - Annual review 2007
Increasingly institutions are interacting with their local communities through Business and Community Engagement
| BCE highlights |
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 Interview: Maria Lee, JOS Committee Chair
Download the MP3
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JISC explored how its services and programmes can be built upon to benefit institutions' activities with the wider community |
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JISC held a number of think tanks |
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BCE Working Group established |
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User needs study conducted - in consultation with stakeholders within institutions & funding bodies |
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Dedicated BCE section launched on the JISC and a number JISC Advisory Services websites |
Business and Community Engagement (BCE) includes knowledge transfer and employer engagement. This is a key strategic area for JISC and this year saw the launch of some substantial activities to support the delivery of an ambitious work programme.
Many of the leading services and programmes that JISC already provides for further and higher education could be of great benefit to institutions' activities with the wider community and JISC is exploring how to tailor and enhance these accordingly. JISC studies and analysis undertaken so far has identified a number of unfulfilled institutional needs around BCE and JISC proposes to address these through a cross-cutting programme of support, in partnership with relevant stakeholders. A BCE Working Group was established to help guide this work.
Of particular note in June of this year was publication of a comprehensive user needs study which involved consultation with stakeholders within institutions as well as funding bodies. Key findings from this study revealed the complexity and diversity of Business and Community Engagement activities across institutions. Whilst the number of people dedicated to this area was found to be relatively small, it is growing fast and becoming increasingly significant in institutional strategies. The study recommended JISC took care to differentiate the needs of BCE staff from those of the IT and information management staff. It also identified the growing interest in Customer Relationship Management, with some institutions making substantial investments in this area, and in social software to support BCE. Finally licensing issues were seen to be of growing importance with institutions calling for both greater clarification and new arrangements to allow access for commercial and wider uses.
July 2007 saw the launch of a dedicated Business and Community Engagement section on the main JISC website as well as on a number of JISC Advisory Services websites - such as that of JISC Legal, - which feature guidance and case studies, as well as offering helpdesk facilities making it possible to address, on a one-to-one basis, specific areas of concern.