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Benchmarking

Benchmarking is the process of finding, adapting and implementing outstanding practice to improve performance. Benchmarking is required by to two key University policies:

At the University of South Australia, benchmarking in the context of program evaluation involves making considered comparisons of key aspects of program performance to inform improvement activity or affirm excellence. Benchmarking against other programs from South Australian, ATN or other universities which you have identified as programs against which you benchmark, might include: 

What should I consider before benchmarking?

First consult with UniSA's Academic standards document to determine the limits and measure.

Which programs you benchmark against and the selection of various aspects for benchmarking are judgments that need to be made by academics involved in the teaching of the program.  The program director has particular responsibilities for program review which must include benchmarking. The aspirations of an area, the nature and level of activity and the availability of data will influence choices.

The selection of benchmarks requires assessing their validity for the task at hand, and then working collaboratively with relevant sources or brokers of data to establish areas and measures for comparison.

It may be that the major competition comes from the other universities in South Australia and so there is a particular focus on those institutions as well as more general consideration of national programs. On the other hand, if your program is offered in transnational environments, it may be more appropriate to include consideration of the direct competitors in those contexts.

Some aspects of benchmarking such as stakeholder views about other programs are difficult to obtain because they may be considered commercial in confidence. Others such as the structure of the curriculum, practicum/placement components, delivery modes and length of program may be readily available through university websites.

A great deal of national benchmarking information can be gleaned from the wide range of data provided through the Good Universities Guide and the Graduate Course Experience Questionnaire (GCEQ) available through the University’s Planning and Assurance Services website. It is anticipated that eventually the Graduate Skills Assessment (GSA) will also provide data about the relative performance of University graduates in generic skills. A national report is available.

What services and resources are available to support benchmarking?

The following University services are available to assist staff in undertaking benchmarking.

Selected further reading

 

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