Approach

Understand the market dynamics

Desk research, HESA analysis, internet trawl

• Is the market growing, flat or declining?

• Who’s winning? Who’s losing? Why?

• Are programmes static or evolving?

• Why do students choose this subject?

• What do industry experts have to say?

• Are programmes keeping up with the industry sector?

• How many offer industry experience?

• How many offer experience abroad?

• Employment opportunities?

Debate with academic leads

Two-hour debate, starting with short, structured interview

• Understand their programme vision

• And their views on the subject future

• What do they think is distinctive about their programme(s) and how they deliver it?

• Discuss how programmes are currently presented

• What is their ambition for the programme/subject?

• Describe the students they want to attract/teach

• Who do they measure themselves against?

• Is the programme name distinctive?

• Or does it have to be generic?

• In which case, how can we differentiate via the boilerplate descriptor?

• Industry speakers? How well-grounded is the programme?

• Explore alternative positionings in light of performance in market

Define competitive proposition

Distill, identify key themes, rank options, recommend

• This is now a process of distillation

• Identifying core issues, discarding the chaff

• Where is the key opportunity for competitive differentiation?

• What have competitors missed?

• How can we deliver the generic but in a distinctive way?

• How can we use language differently?

• Can we do more than magnify the marginal?

• There is always a point of difference to be found - we need to identify potentials, then prioritise the most promising

• Report with recommendation & rationale back to academic leads and faculty