USTREAM

Universities for Strategic, Efficient and Autonomous Management

USTREAM sought to examine the measures that are in place in universities across Europe to enhance efficiency at operational level, and also analyse policies at system level that support universities in their efforts to operate more efficiently, with a view to identify good practice examples and develop recommendations for further development. The project addressed the question of operational efficiency in universities in a European comparative way. It offered a novel approach to the topic by tailoring it to the specificities of the higher education sector and breaking it down into three thematic dimensions:

  • efficiency in professional, operational and support services
  • efficiency in academic matters, and
  • efficiency through strategic governance.

 

For queries on the USTREAM project, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

USTREAM was co-funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme (2014). The USTREAM project ran from January 2016 until June 2019.

erasmus plus flagThis project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. 

Related documents

  • Aims

        

     

     

     

     

     

     

     The overarching goals of the project were:

    • to inform policy-making by developing recommendations to public authorities and funders, helping to enhance efficiency and effectiveness at institutional level in universities (focusing on regulatory frameworks and setting up supporting policies);
    • to foster the dialogue between universities and public authorities on efficiency and effectiveness in university management and academic practice; 
    • to improve efficiency in university management through the transfer and dissemination of good practice examples and recommendations to university leaders and managers.


    This was achieved by:

    • exploring the measures put in place by universities across Europe to increase their efficiency, in professional, operational and support services, as well as academic matters and through strategic governance;
    • assessing the impact these measures have with regard to the effectiveness and quality of university activities such as education and research;
    • benchmarking regulatory frameworks of higher education systems in Europe with regard to the extent to which they enable universities to develop their own efficiency strategies and measures;
    • identifying good practice examples of efficiency strategies and policies at institutional as well as system level that may be transferable to other institutions/systems and promoting them.
  • Activities

    Online tool – “The University Efficiency Hub”

    The USTREAM partners have developed an “efficiency self-evaluation tool”, which  supports higher education institutions in the assessment of their efficiency programmes and activities. The tool was launched in autumn 2018.

    Interested university managers and public administrators are invited to test the tool’s prototype and share their feedback with the USTREAM partners. 

     

     

    First peer learning seminar: Policy frameworks for efficiency and effectiveness (1-2 June 2017, London)

    Organised by Universities UK and EUA, the first peer learning seminar explored the existing policy frameworks for efficiency and effectiveness in higher education and the ways in which institutions have developed strategies to address these policy priorities in the UK and other countries in Europe.

    Second peer learning seminar: National and institutional approaches to delivering efficiency (4-5 December 2017, Dublin)

    The second peer learning seminar addressed national and institutional approaches to delivering efficiency. The focus was to provide case studies on key efficiency measures implemented in Ireland and in other countries in Europe, and discuss their impact and effectiveness.

    Third peer learning seminar: Efficiency, leadership and governance (18-19 April 2018, Brussels)

    The final USTREAM peer learning seminar, co-organised by EUA and HUMANE – Heads of University Management and Administration Network in Europe, focused on how to close the gap between strategy formation and execution in order to achieve sustainable efficiency gains. The participants discussed critical success factors and the lived experiences in overcoming barriers to support efficiency in universities in a more sustainable way.

    National policy dialogues

    Three national policy dialogue events were organised in the first half of 2018. The aim of the events was to bring together relevant higher education stakeholders engaged in design and implementation of efficiency, effectiveness and value for money, ranging from university leaders to funders and policy makers.

    Site visits

    Three site visits to Austria, Belgium-Flanders and Poland took place in 2017. The aim of the site visits was to collect in-depth qualitative data about three selected higher education systems through a series of meetings with national/regional university leaders and policy makers. The results of the site visits are featured in the final publication.

    Institutional survey

    USTREAM survey on efficient university management

    The USTREAM survey was conducted in 2016. The questionnaire was completed by nearly 70 institutions from 21 countries across Europe. The USTREAM partners are thankful to the respondents for their time and invaluable feedback to the questionnaire. EUA is grateful to its collective members, national rectors’ conferences, for the dissemination of the USTREAM survey. 

    The survey addressed efficiency at higher education institutions from three different angles: institutional frameworks, implementation practices and impact of efficiency measures. Following a structured set of questions, the survey offered the respondents a possibility to assess the current state of institutional management, governance and academic efficiency frameworks. The results of the survey are featured in the final USTREAM publication

    Calls

    Call for expression of interest: USTREAM national policy dialogue events (closed)

    The USTREAM project partners invited National Rectors’ Conferences, ministries, public agencies, and universities to express interest in organising one of three national policy dialogue events in 2018. The objective of the national policy dialogue events is to foster the exchange of views and discussions on efficiency and effectiveness of universities between key national stakeholders.

    Further enquiries about the call for expression of interest in the USTREAM national policy dialogue events can be sent to ustream_at_eua.eu. 

    Call for Participation: USTREAM peer learning seminars on efficiency in higher education  (closed)

    The USTREAM partners are inviting experts, university managers and public administrators experienced in efficiency at institutional or system level to apply for participation in a series of peer learning seminars dedicated to various aspects of efficiency and effectiveness in the higher education context.

    The USTREAM peer learning seminars will take place throughout 2017 and in early 2018 and will be hosted by three partner university associations of the USTREAM project. Further details on the time, place and focus of each event are presented below:

    • 1-2 June 2017: Peer Learning Seminar 1 – Policy frameworks for efficiency and effectiveness, organised by Universities UK, London, UK
      Deadline for application: 7 April 2017 (Extended to 24 April)
    • 4-5 December 2017: Peer Learning Seminar 2 – National and institutional approaches to delivering efficiency, organised by the Irish Universities Association, Dublin, Ireland
      Deadline for application: 18 September 2017
    • 18-19 April 2018: Peer Learning Seminar 3 – Efficiency, governance and leadership, organised by the European University Association in collaboration with HUMANE (Heads of University Management and Administration Network), Brussels, Belgium 
      Deadline for application: to be communicated

    Participation in the USTREAM peer learning seminars is free of charge. Travel and accommodation costs incurred by the participants of the events will be covered by the USTREAM project in line with project rules.

    Further enquiries about the peer learning seminars or the call procedures can be sent to ustream_at_eua.eu.

  • Partners

Resources

  • Efficiency, Effectiveness and Value for Money at Universities

    Report

    18 June 2019

    Over the last decade, policy makers and universities in Europe have been paying greater attention to...

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  • University Mergers in Europe

    Briefing

    08 May 2019

    University mergers are a widely spread phenomenon in Europe. This briefing analyses the features of ...

    Read more
  • Efficiency, Leadership and Governance: Closing the gap between strategy and execution

    Report

    05 December 2018

    Many European universities are initiating strategic transformation programmes that either seek a ste...

    Read more
  • EUA launches University Efficiency Hub

    News

    18 October 2018

    EUA’s “University Efficiency Hub” is now online. Launched at the 4th EUA Funding F...

    Read more
  • EUA Funding Forum underway in Barcelona

    News

    18 October 2018

    The 4th EUA Funding Forum is taking place at Ramon Llull University in Barcelona, Spain. Under the t...

    Read more
  • Efficiency, Effectiveness and Value for Money: Insights from Ireland and Other Countries

    Report

    09 October 2018

    This report provides examples of government-led initiatives implemented in response to national poli...

    Read more
  • University Governance: Autonomy, Structures and Inclusiveness

    External resource

    25 September 2018 view more
  • Efficiency of Universities: Drivers, Enablers and Limitations

    External resource

    25 September 2018 view more
  • Governance, funding and mergers top the agenda of three USTREAM national policy dialogues

    News

    05 July 2018

    The USTREAM project has successfully completed a series of three national policy dialogue events, or...

    Read more
  • Funding Forum 2018: Speakers preview

    News

    05 July 2018

    The university community will meet in Barcelona on 18-19 October to discuss the latest trends in fun...

    Read more
  • USTREAM fuels national discussions on university efficiency, autonomy and governance in Latvia

    News

    17 May 2018

    The first USTREAM national policy dialogue event took place on 8 May in Riga, Latvia. Organised j...

    Read more
  • Efficiency, Effectiveness and Value for Money: Insights from the UK and other countries

    Report

    26 April 2018

    This report provides a summary of the input, discussions and findings from the first USTREAM peer le...

    Read more
  • USTREAM concludes a series of peer learning events and releases its first recommendations on efficiency

    News

    26 April 2018

    On 18 and 19 April 2018, the USTREAM partners concluded the series of three peer learning ...

    Read more
  • “EU funding for universities” campaign mobilises members across Europe for ambitious funding for higher education exchange and cooperation

    News

    12 April 2018

    Universities and national rectors’ conferences join their voices to argue for a renewed fundin...

    Read more

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Events

  • USTREAM project final event

    19 Jun 2019 Events Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU
    12.30-15.00 CEST The USTREAM partners are organising the final project event for European and national policy makers and university leaders to present the key findings and considerations for efficiency, effectiveness and value for money in a higher education and research context. Hosted by the Perm... Read more
  • 4th EUA Funding Forum

    18 - 19 Oct 2018 Events Ramon Llull University
    © La Salle-URL
    The 2018 EUA Funding Forum focused on discussion and exchange of experiences among university leaders and managers and policy-makers. Keep yourself updated about the latest trends in university funding and governance and enjoy a highly interactive event that will give you new insights and inspi... Read more
  • Workshop: University Autonomy in Europe

    23 - 24 Apr 2018 Events University of Leicester
    The European University Association (EUA), Universities UK (UUK) and the University of Leicester organised a workshop to debate the issue of University Autonomy. The two-day workshop gathered over 20 speakers from across Europe to debate the issue of University Autonomy.  We compared le... Read more
  • USTREAM peer learning seminar

    18 - 19 Apr 2018 Events Vrije Universiteit Brussel
    © Vrije Universiteit Brussel
    The final USTREAM peer learning seminar, co-organised by EUA and HUMANE – Heads of University Management and Administration Network in Europe, stimulated the discussion on how to close the gap between strategy formation and execution in order to achieve sustainable efficiency gains. The focus ... Read more
  • USTREAM Peer Learning Seminar

    04 - 05 Dec 2017 Events Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
    The second peer learning seminar addressed national and institutional approaches to delivering efficiency. The focus was to provide case studies on key efficiency measures implemented in Ireland and their impact and effectiveness.     Participants explored the challenges encountered a... Read more
  • USTREAM peer learning seminar

    01 - 02 Jun 2017 Events Universities UK
    This peer learning seminar explored the existing policy frameworks for efficiency and effectiveness in higher education and the ways in which institutions have developed strategies to address these policy priorities. For more details, please consult this report. The first USTREAM peer learni... Read more
  • 3rd EUA Funding Forum

    06 - 07 Oct 2016 Events University of Porto
    © U.Porto Rectory
    For the third time, universities, public authorities and partners came together to take stock of and discuss the latest funding trends, opportunities and challenges of the sector. This Forum focused on the crucial issues of delivering value to society and efficient university management. At a time ... Read more

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