Paper 5 – Developing Becta’s Business
Paper 5 - Developing Becta’s Business 2009-12
Introduction
1.
This paper sets out the initial stages of our business planning process, building from the
recently published National Strategy. We aim to ensure that Becta has the right
programme of activity going forward, and the right capacity to deliver it. This is very
much “work in progress” at this stage and we would therefore welcome the Board’s
advice and input both today and in subsequent discussions.
2.
We also aim to be well advanced in our thinking about our priorities for the coming three
years, so that we can effectively advise and influence the development of the
Governments’ priorities for Becta, likely to be outlined in draft during the late autumn.
3.
We will not achieve this through simply building on what we have done. We need to
think more fundamentally, and find ways of challenging our own preconceptions about
how we can have impact whilst continuing to improve the delivery of those things that
prove to be central to our work.
The Board is asked to:

note the progress to date

agree to the process outlined in this paper

discuss and Identify potential additional national “strategic interventions”
that are consistent with the Harnessing Technology National Strategy

provide initial advice to the Executive on prioritisation for further
discussion at the October Board meeting
Background
4.
Following on from the Board residential in July the Executive has continued to analyse
and discuss our future plans.
5.
The publication of the Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning strategy is a
significant step forward for us. The Board will be aware that the Strategy, which we
published in July, was the culmination of a wide ranging national debate and
consultation with well over 2000 education leaders from all sectors, policy makers,
practitioners, learners and commercial partners. Our key role now is to develop and lead
the implementation of this Government-endorsed and system-wide strategy. Everything
we do needs to be traced through to that.
6.
We should start with a very challenging assumption – that there is no area of work that
belongs by right to Becta. Becta’s role should be to make the right things happen across
the whole education and training system so that technology is efficiently procured,
widely deployed and intelligently applied in a way that directly impacts on outcomes.
September 2008
http://www.becta.org.uk
Page 1 of 6
Paper 5 – Developing Becta’s business
7.
There are three particular areas of work which are clearly core to Becta’s role:
a. Undertaking and commissioning key research relevant to education and
training policy development and delivery;
b. Leading “evidenced-based” policy engagement, policy influence and strategy
development; and
c. Leadership of the delivery of the Strategy.
8. We are proposing that in addition, Becta has a key responsibility for the design and
leading delivery of system interventions designed to create the right conditions to
deliver on the strategy, and to drive progress. Specifically –
a. Undertake initiatives that secure the operation of the national digital
architecture and estate e.g. broadband infrastructure and activity to secure
national and international information standards.
b. Leading an externally facing Campaign that engages the “hearts and minds”
of the users of technology – especially parents, employers and learners
themselves
c. Designing (and codesigning) specific interventions designed to accelerate
progress;
d. Influencing what others do in taking responsibility for aspects of delivery and
directly commissioning key interventions (where influence will not work).
e. Undertaking some direct delivery ourselves – especially in the pilot or early
stages of roll out - but in every case with an exit strategy.
f.
9.
Monitoring and evaluating the impact of strategic interventions and
developing and interpreting a comprehensive research and evidence base of
effectiveness.
This is shown diagrammatically below.
Policy engagement &
Strategy Development
Intervention
design and
pilot
Intervention
Embed and exit
Influencing what others do
Commissioning others to do
things
(where influence will not work)
Doing things ourselves
(where influencing & commission others will not
work), but in every case with an exit strategy.
Campaign
September 2008
http://www.becta.org.uk
Page 2 of 6
Paper 5 – Developing Becta’s business
10. We have made the decision to move from a business plan with many smaller-scale
projects to one where we are tackling significantly fewer but much larger and to scale
interventions, directly aligned to the Strategy.
11. We are proposing the following broad timescale for this process.
12. We have already begun the process and successfully piloted the approach with small
cross organisational teams generating three significant new proposals, taking them
through to “submission” stage. We are beginning the process of generating and
evaluating possible interventions that might be needed from a strategy and policy
perspective and considering how this impacts on current work. The diagram in the
Appendix provides the current map of these ideas – this is clearly work in progress.
13. We have a number of criteria to judge them – the most significant of these are:

Will this intervention significantly improve the quality of learning and educational
provision?

Is it scalable to a national intervention within three years?

Will the impact of this intervention definitely not happen anyway?

Will it be sustainable and is there an exit strategy for Becta?

There are of course some key practical constraints. We need to ensure that the
overall Becta programme is affordable and manageable within a realistic
resource allocation.
Potential areas for strategic intervention
14. During the summer, Becta’s broader senior leadership have been developing key ideas
for major activity focussed on a number of potential “strategic interventions”. We have
selected some initial proposals that are entirely consistent with our role, as set out in
paragraph 7 and that would have both a system-wide impact and accelerate the delivery
of the refreshed Harnessing Technology Strategy. These include, but are certainly not
limited to:

Virtualisation - developing locality based, professionalised technology services
September 2008
http://www.becta.org.uk
Page 3 of 6
Paper 5 – Developing Becta’s business
to include broadband, software, server farms, digital content & other services.
This would provide institutions and potentially learners and families with access
to a “one stop shop” approach of core technology provision on a
locality/regionally aggregated basis, yielding high reliability, resilience,
manageability and efficiency.

Information management and effective use of data: this programme would
directly advance the effective use of data within the institution and across the
whole system and is central to effective teaching and learning. This initiative
would draw on Becta’s expertise in the effective use of data in schools and in 1419 and FE, coupled with our leading presence in securing coherence and
reliability through our work in driving the adoption of the national digital
infrastructure and associated standards. The programme would raise the bar
and expectation of the use of data across the system for organisational
improvement and for communication and engagement with learners, families and
others.

Capital Investment: this initiative is designed to ensure that all education capital
investment embraces a future proofed vision for Next Generation Learning and
adopts specifications and standards for all technology related delivery and
business systems. The programme would put in place effective mechanisms for
engagement with suppliers to ensure the development of innovative and fit for
purpose products and services that can fulfil our vision for Next Generation
Learning.

Improving Key Stage 2/3 transition – developing a technology supported
programme for all 11 year old pupils transferring from Y6 to Y7 in English
primary to secondary schools to avoid Y7 performance dip, transfer transition
data and ensure continuity. Pupils would be provided with low cost personal
technology geared for learning in key subjects and to aid communication and
involvement with their new school. The three year programme would engage
parents at a key and natural time of maximum interest and involvement and
stimulate the market for education specific low cost laptops and content. This
initiative would build upon and extend the Home Access programme and act as
a driver for curriculum innovation at both Key Stages 2 and 3.
15. We will be examining a number of other key areas – notably system and institutional
leadership – and would welcome the Board’s contribution to helping us develop these
ideas further.
16. Becta works in a fast-moving and political environment. Our national impact in delivering
the refreshed Harnessing Technology strategy depends in part on being able to identify
shifts in political priority and focus; to spot new opportunities; and being agile in
responding and adapting and reprioritising our programme. We therefore see this
September 2008
http://www.becta.org.uk
Page 4 of 6
Paper 5 – Developing Becta’s business
process as a continuous part of our work.
17. During the next two months we will therefore combine a rigorous, transparent and
reliable business planning process with a high degree of responsiveness to changing
circumstances, applying rigour and consistency to our thinking about how we should
adjust our programme.
18. In taking this forward, we need to be clear about our appetite for risk – we should
undertake a few more speculative projects, and encourage others to do the same, but
with a clear assessment of risk and potential return against the objectives set out in the
Harnessing Technology strategy.
19. This needs to be matched with clarity and flexibility in how we deploy our resources, and
intelligence in how we set objectives and adapt objectives and targets for the
organisation. It will be vital to avoid setting mixed messages about what is vital through
our performance management arrangements.
20. Clearly, the above means that Becta could develop into a very different kind of body in
future. There are very important questions for the Board and Executive about the
capacity we will need to be effective, and how we acquire and develop this. There is
strong core competence around intervention design; working to deliver through partners;
and flexibility to move on to new priorities. We now need to develop and fine tune these
attributes as we develop our programme for the coming years.
Delivery Plan
September 2008
http://www.becta.org.uk
Page 5 of 6
Paper 5 – Developing Becta’s business
Policy
Strategy
Leadership
July 2008
14-19
Technology
Critical and
important area –
needs fresh
Intervention design
http://www.becta.org.uk
Intervention
Sustainable Exit
Page 6 of 6