Merger proposal version 9.1 final

A proposal for the merger of
Edinburgh’s Telford College,
Jewel & Esk College and
Stevenson College Edinburgh
to
create Edinburgh College, serving
Edinburgh and the Lothians
[20th
April 2012]

Edinburgh Colleges Merger Proposal pii
Further information
For further information on this document please contact any of the following:
Miles Dibsdall OBE, Principal, Edinburgh’s Telford College
Miles.dibsdall@ed-coll.ac.uk 0131 559 4000
Mandy Exley, Principal, Jewel & Esk College
mexley@jec.ac.uk 0131 344 7172
Brian Lister OBE, Principal, Stevenson College Edinburgh
brianlister@sce.ac.uk 0131 535 4628

Edinburgh Colleges Merger Proposal pi
Contents
Foreword...............................................................................................................................iv
1. Introduction to the merger proposal................................................................................... 1
2. Context ............................................................................................................................. 2
2.2 Edinburgh’s Telford College ............................................................................................ 2
2.3 Jewel & Esk College ....................................................................................................... 3
2.4 Stevenson College Edinburgh......................................................................................... 3
3. Aim and objectives of the merger...................................................................................... 5
3.1 The overall vision for Edinburgh College......................................................................... 5
3.2 The seven key principles
3.3 Why merge now? ............................................................................................................ 8
4. Options appraisal
4.1 The status quo (as projected into the future) ................................................................. 10
4.2 A strong federation........................................................................................................ 11
4.3 Full merger................................................................................................................... 12
4.4 Conclusion in favour of merger..................................................................................... 14
5. Academic vision for Edinburgh College........................................................................... 15
5.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 15
5.2 Pursuit of excellence in Edinburgh College ................................................................... 15
5.3 Edinburgh College: one learning community ................................................................. 16
5.4 Specific academic benefits............................................................................................ 18
5.5 The quality of the student experience............................................................................ 22
5.6 The range/breadth of provision and qualifications ......................................................... 24
5.7 Specialist facilities and profile........................................................................................ 24
5.8 Implications for tertiary education in Scotland ............................................................... 26
5.9 The student voice.......................................................................................................... 30
6. People strategy............................................................................................................... 33
6.1 Overview....................................................................................................................... 33
6.2 Employee relations........................................................................................................ 34
6.3 Employee engagement ................................................................................................. 35
6.4 Staff development ......................................................................................................... 35
6.5 Self-evaluation .............................................................................................................. 36
6.6 Health, safety and well-being ........................................................................................ 37
6.7 Business continuity ....................................................................................................... 38

Edinburgh Colleges Merger Proposal pii
7. Financial benefits of the proposed merger ...................................................................... 39
7.2 Commercial and international strategy……………………………….…………...………….40
8. The consultation process ………………………………………………………….……………43
8.1 External consultation…………….…………………………………………………………… 43
8.2 Internal consultation…………………………..……………………………………………… 44
8.3 Summary of consultation………..……………………….…………………………………….45
9. Governance and management........................................................................................ 47
9.1 College name................................................................................................................ 47
9.2 Proposed governance and management structures ...................................................... 47
9.3 Management................................................................................................................. 52
10. Implementation and strategy ......................................................................................... 54
10.1 Timetable to vesting day ............................................................................................. 54
10.2 Communications strategy............................................................................................ 55
10.3 Merger costs ............................................................................................................... 59
11. Risks to implementation of the merger/risk register ...................................................... 60
Appendix 1 – The Partnership Board and the Deed of Partnership .....................................A2
Appendix 2: Academic Plan …………….…………………………………………………………A7
Appendix 3: Learning and Teaching Strategy for Edinburgh College...................................A8
Appendix 4: Curriculum Strategy for Edinburgh College....................................................A10
Appendix 5: Learner Entitlement Strategy for Edinburgh College......................................A11
Appendix 6: Quality Strategy for Edinburgh College..........................................................A13
Appendix 7: Equality and Diversity Strategy for Edinburgh College...................................A15
Appendix 8: Edinburgh College ICT and Information Systems Vision................................A17
Appendix 9: Edinburgh College Estates Strategy..............................................................A21
Appendix 10: Detailed information on consultation activities .............................................A24
Appendix 11: Assessment matrix to determine host college.............................................A26

Edinburgh Colleges Merger Proposal piii
Appendix 12: Full risk register…………………………………………………………….……..A28

Edinburgh Colleges Merger Proposal piv
Foreword
This proposal to merge three successful colleges emphasises a shared vision of academic
benefits to our students and partners and a commitment to the pursuit of excellence.
Colleges are no strangers to change and over the years have proved agile in reshaping
structures and provision to match the needs of their communities and, more widely, the
Scottish economy. The proposed merger will build on existing successful collaborations
across all three colleges.
The three partner colleges all make a distinctive contribution to the life and work of the
region. Each has a reputation that goes beyond the borders of Scotland, bringing in
international learners and commercial partnerships. From this firm foundation, we look
forward to a new institution that combines strengths across the creative industries, tourism
and hospitality with exciting new developments in engineering, such as clean energy. Its
curriculum offer will be planned to meet the specific needs of government and employers
and to support economic development.
The strength and depth of the options available to prospective students will be enhanced by
the pooling of our talented staff and the sharing of specialist accommodation and facilities.
The combined experience of our staff in providing support for students and reaching out to
the disadvantaged in our communities will help to make the learning experience valuable
and relevant for all our learners.
These are exciting times, albeit tempered with an understanding of the financial
management challenges that will face us in the short term. However, the three Boards of
Management approach this merger with confidence that we have the support and
commitment of the Scottish Government, and a shared desire to establish a new merged
college for Edinburgh and the Lothians that will rank alongside the very best.
Jim Donaldson CBE Ian Young Jim Ewing
Chair of Edinburgh’s Telford
College
Chair of Jewel & Esk College Chair of Stevenson College
Edinburgh
MySignature MySignature MySignature

Edinburgh Colleges Merger Proposal p1
1. Introduction to the merger proposal
This document sets out a proposal, agreed by the three Boards of Management, to merge
Edinburgh’s Telford College (ETC), Jewel & Esk College (JEC) and Stevenson College
Edinburgh (SCE) with effect from 1st
October 2012. The new institution will be known as
Edinburgh College, and will create opportunities for Edinburgh and the Lothians.
The fundamental basis of the merger proposal is to support effective and efficient delivery of
services to students and employers across the wider Edinburgh and Lothians region, with a
view to having the broadest and deepest curriculum offer to support individuals, communities
and businesses.
While the three successful colleges already collaborate successfully across a broad range of
initiatives, there are limits to the impact any one of the organisations can achieve within its
own financial envelope. Within the context of regionalisation, this merger fits not only with
the clear political direction set by the Scottish Government, but also meets business and
industry requirements.
In addition to the benefits that will arise for students and the wider communities served by
the colleges, the merger will ensure that, given future funding constraints, the new college
will be able to maintain and, where appropriate, enhance the services provided by the three
colleges. This is likely to be extremely challenging given the current and forecasted
economic and public funding environment where colleges are subject to major reform, but
such an outcome will be pursued with vigour.
Following the agreement of the Boards of Management of Edinburgh’s Telford College,
Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson College Edinburgh, a full Partnership Board was
established in December 2011 to ensure delivery of a merger proposal document which fully
reflects the ambitions of the three colleges. A Merger Executive Board, supported by key
working groups, managed the operational tasks of ensuring due diligence, external and
internal consultation and curriculum design were delivered on time.
The three Boards of Management of the partner colleges have considered the details of the
merger proposal and are of the opinion that they are realistic and robust. The proposal is
based upon the outcomes of the due diligence investigations and appropriate discussions
with staff, students and a range of external stakeholders. It also takes full cognisance of the
internal and external consultation exercise, completed as an essential component of the
process. The merger proposal follows the Guidance To Institutions Considering Merger
(Scottish Funding Council Circular SFC/47/2008).

2. Context
2.1 Introduction
The proposal is to merge Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson
College Edinburgh to create Edinburgh College, exploiting the existing strengths of these
three successful colleges.
Edinburgh College will have four main campus locations each providing a supportive
environment for learning in modern, high-quality accommodation. These four key locations
will be supported by smaller facilities, like Forthside, and community outreach centres.
2.2 Edinburgh Telford College
Edinburgh’s Telford College was established in 1968 and is the main provider of further
education and training in north Edinburgh. It is one of the largest colleges in Scotland with
over 15,000 enrolments, 623 staff and a turnover of almost £30m.
The college moved to a new purpose-built campus in the heart of the North Edinburgh
Waterfront development area in June 2006, to provide a modern and state-of-the-art learning
environment.
Its location means it is ideally placed to be a major force for positive change and supporting
transition in what is still an area of high and multiple deprivation. With 40 per cent of ETC
enrolments from North Edinburgh, the college seeks to convert learning opportunities for
local residents into long-term sustainable employment.
Edinburgh’s Telford College offers a broad range of programmes as well as significant
regional and national specialisms. It provides state-of-the-art learning environments, which
are rich in technology, to enable responsive and flexible programme design and delivery to
enhance the learning experience. Its estate includes purpose-built construction skills
centres, real-life working environments in cookery and hospitality, a commercial salon and
spa, a sports excellence centre, dental technology and pharmacy laboratories and veterinary
nursing consultation rooms.
In February 2011, the college created a new theatre and rehearsal studio to enable students
to undertake courses in dance, acting and technical theatre and to showcase their talents.
Plans to develop ‘Terminal One’, a realistic training environment for flight cabin crew, are in
their final stages.

2.3 Jewel & Esk College
Jewel & Esk Valley College emerged out of Leith Nautical College (first established as Leith
Navigation School in 1855) and Esk Valley College in Midlothian, set up in 1952 to provide
training for miners.
The college now employs almost 380 staff across two campuses and has an annual turnover
of £19 million. It caters for around 8,000 enrolled students, of whom nearly 1,500 are full-
time; 37 per cent come from Edinburgh City, 24 per cent from East Lothian and 24 per cent
from Midlothian.
The iconic ship building at Jewel & Esk’s campus was opened in 1978 by Prince Charles as
the newest wing of Leith Nautical College, one of the leading training centres of its type. In
1984, the government moved all nautical teaching to Glasgow and the old Leith Nautical
merged with Esk Valley, to be re-launched in 1987 as Jewel & Esk Valley College. Its
curriculum included a range of trades and engineering subjects and one of the first courses
in modern musicianship.
A renovation and new build project, which started in 2005, created a new Midlothian campus
and saw the complete redevelopment of the Edinburgh campus. Academic staff worked with
architects to make the new facilities right for students, creating top-class, custom-designed
studios, workshops, kitchens and salons to industry standards. Three modern, flexible
spaces - CRE:8, The Club and Midlothian campus - serve the college strengths in trades
and engineering, tourism and hospitality and the creative industries.
The new buildings, now called Jewel & Esk College, opened in November 2008. The college
was named in The Sunday Times Top 75 Best Places to Work in the Public Sector in 2010.
2.4 Stevenson College Edinburgh
Stevenson College Edinburgh celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2010, having opened the
present campus at its Sighthill location in 1970. It employs more than 600 staff and has an
annual turnover of £23 million. It caters for around 12,000 enrolled students, of whom nearly
3,500 are full-time. Thirty-five per cent of its students come from the west of Edinburgh, with
most of the remainder from other areas of Edinburgh and the Lothians.
The college’s international programmes attract more than 1,500 students every year to study
English language and access vocational programmes. Stevenson won the Association of
Colleges/British Council Beacon Award for International Student Support in 2009. It is
engaged in a range of European and international partnership projects.
Most students attend the Sighthill campus, but the college also offers English language
programmes at Duncan Place in Leith and English and other programmes in a range of
community locations. Opened in 2007, the Music Box provides the college and wider
community with an exciting environment for the performing arts. More recently, the college

completed a new Centre for Sport & Exercise, which gives students and staff access to
affordable fitness equipment and classes. Plans are being developed to build additional
student social and informal learning space at Sighthill.
The college has a strong local and national reputation in a number of curriculum areas,
including music, photography, early education, child care and languages. It works with a
range of partners to attract more people into learning, particularly those from disadvantaged
areas and with few skills and qualifications, and helps people who need to develop their
employability to get, and keep, a rewarding job.

3. Aim and objectives of the merger
3.1 The overall vision for Edinburgh College
The primary aim of the merger is to build on the existing strengths of the three colleges to
create a powerful new college for the Edinburgh and the Lothians region, and for Scotland.
The existing colleges are strong and successful, but together, they can serve students and
communities more efficiently and effectively.
The new college will:
 Become the largest in Scotland and among the largest in the UK, an institution of real
depth and scale, better-placed to serve the economic and skills needs of the growing
region. It will reflect the continuing population shift from west to east in Scotland.
 Provide first-class learning and teaching to more than 35,000 students who will be
taught in modern, first-class facilities designed to meet industry standards. They will
have greater opportunities for progression through a single college – from entry level
courses through to Higher Education – and benefit from streamlined advice and
support systems.
 Utilise its increased capacity to operate more effectively on a local, regional, national
and international level.
 Retain an absolute commitment to continue serving local communities and reaching
out to provide education and training opportunities to those who most need them.
 Create national curriculum hubs in key industry sectors that will provide opportunities
for students to enhance their creativity, employability and entrepreneurial skills.
 Develop an enterprising curriculum that will make a significant contribution to the
national economy and skills needs.
 Grow and diversify income by developing existing partnerships with business and
industry – and build new partnerships, especially where these align with the key
economic sectors.
 Build on highly successful and commercially significant international work, including
attracting new students to the region and providing experience and expertise when
working with overseas partners.
 Seek to tackle the economic and social challenges presented by the current and
forecast economic climate and make a significant contribution to the regional
economy.
3.2 The seven key principles
The development of the merger proposal has been guided by seven key principles which
have been documented and discussed throughout the consultation process. The principles
have helped the Boards of Management and management teams to focus on key areas for

action and investment as part of the merger process. Each of the principles is summarised
below and then built upon in the main body of the document.
I. Putting students first: The new college will be committed to enhancing high
standards of learning and teaching to ensure all students are given the best
opportunities. From entry level courses to Higher Education, the emphasis will be
on quality – and on giving students ‘one door’ into the new college with common
systems for applications, advice and support. This will reduce time and effort for
students and staff – and offer clearer, broader opportunities for progression. The
proposal aims to enhance successful partnerships with a range of bodies,
including building on relationships with local schools and articulation
arrangements with universities.
Students will benefit from being able to access a wider range of courses and from
sharing excellent facilities across different campuses – including top-quality
sporting, musical and social provision. The new college should also enhance
opportunities for ‘campuses without walls’, using technology to offer learning to
those who find it difficult to access a college building on a regular basis.
The new college will focus on achieving positive destinations for students,
including return to work, support for priority groups such as 16-19 year-olds not in
employment, training or education and those in our communities furthest from the
labour market. Where possible, it will provide campus employment opportunities
for students.
Edinburgh College will ensure that students will be engaged in shaping and
leading their own learning, following the principles of Curriculum for Excellence.
To achieve this, Edinburgh College will, in partnership with students, ensure they
have a voice by the development of an effective course representation system. In
addition, the college will commit to supporting and resourcing a Student
Association and work in partnership to improve student involvement and
representation across all campuses and college locations. This process will
include on-going evaluation and review to ensure student engagement is a key
priority.
II. Investing in staff: Edinburgh College will be committed to putting employees at
the heart of its future plans. Staff will benefit through sharing exceptional facilities
and working as part of a wider team to develop regional and national curriculum
hubs in their disciplines. By working for an organisation with greater strength,
reach and scale, opportunities for staff development and career progression will
be enhanced.

Edinburgh College will have an active staff voice in all of its major decision-
making bodies and will seek to encourage innovation and creativity as it helps to
develop and support the changes in college education in Scotland.
III. Accessibility and inclusion: The new college is committed to serving
communities in Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and beyond – and to tackling
social exclusion and providing access for all. This will involve initiatives to
support both those returning to work and those groups furthest removed from the
economy, as well as providing a curriculum to the widest possible area using
technology.
Connecting with local communities is not just about providing opportunities for the
more vulnerable members of society. It is about putting a college at the heart of a
community, making it welcoming and open to all (students and users of its
facilities) and building a broad range of partnerships to help that community work
more effectively. The new college will be committed to this approach.
IV. An ethos of ambition and innovation. Edinburgh College can become an
economic powerhouse for the region, as a large employer and a significant
provider of skilled people to drive the economy. Its enhanced capacity will allow it
to put greater focus on meeting the specific, changing needs of the regional
labour market – such as strengthening support for Modern Apprenticeships and
leading the development of higher level apprenticeships.
The new college will provide curriculum hubs in at least three of the Scottish
Government’s key economic sectors: creative industries; tourism and hospitality;
and engineering and clean energy. It will have a broader international reach and
help to promote the strong brands of Edinburgh and Scotland abroad.
Edinburgh College is being created at a time of significant challenges –
economic, social and structural. It is mindful of the Scottish Government’s desire
for colleges to look at how collaboration and co-location can be used to ensure
an effective and efficient solution to provide the most effective learning
environment for the 21st century. A larger, stronger college will be better-placed
to rise to the economic challenges and help deliver the future skills needs in a
flexible, effective and efficient way.
V. Engagement with employers. Edinburgh College will continue to develop
curriculum hubs based on industry needs and will prioritise effective employer
engagement. This will build on the current areas of excellence in care,
hospitality, leisure industries, oil and gas, creative industries, construction and the
built environment. There is clear potential to develop industry excellence in
renewables, electric vehicles, sustainable construction and food manufacturing.

The new college will continue to work with a range of partners across all industry
sectors and build on the reputation of the existing colleges to attract new
partners.
VI. Diversification and growth of income. Edinburgh College will build on the
achievements of its constituent parts, and seek continued international growth. It
will seek to become a key UK and European centre for international skills training
and ‘train the trainer’ activity. In addition, the new college will provide ‘in country’
training to a range of international partners.
VII. Exemplary governance. In serving the needs of the region, Edinburgh College
will fully embrace the new governance agenda in the context of the Scottish
Government report Putting Learners at the Centre (October 2011) and the reform
of post-16 learning. Establishing clarity of purpose and direction for the new
governing body will be paramount. Working on the basis of outcomes and
outcome-based activity agreements will lead to an innovative approach to
strategy and direction. This will in turn enable governance to respond to regional
need in a way that combines the merits and advantages of an effective group of
non-executives with the cognisance and values associated with the best
approaches to public value.
3.3 Why merge now?
This proposal comes at a time of major reform within the post-16 sector in Scotland. The
Scottish Government has made clear its purpose to reform the post-16 education system
through recent publications and consultations. In particular, Putting Learners at the Centre
expressed the desire to support all 16-19 year-olds to gain access to college education,
university education or, very importantly, to employment. These reform proposals and
associated guiding principles have been strongly supported by the three Edinburgh colleges
and their stakeholders.
The three Edinburgh colleges believe that developing a college of significant scale, on a
regional basis, will make provision more efficient and responsive to the needs of students
and local economies. A new, single college for the Edinburgh and Lothians region will also
enable continued delivery of its curriculum in an increasingly challenging economic
environment. This approach also supports the recent Scottish Government consultation on
regionalisation and will ensure that present college strategies will be fully reviewed prior to
the formulation of an Edinburgh College strategy for 2012/13 and beyond.
Strategically, the three partner colleges are working hard to meet the Scottish Government’s
requirements to promote and support vocational education, ensuring employers’ needs are
central to our thinking. This will be addressed in the completion of the Regional Outcome
Agreement for Edinburgh and the Lothians, which is presently being considered by senior
managers within the three colleges.

The colleges will work with the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council to ensure
the new Edinburgh College is delivered successfully and the benefits to all stakeholders are
realised. The merged organisation will reflect the Scottish Government’s key economic
priorities. Edinburgh College will also embrace the demand for skills to meet the needs of
emerging markets. This opportunity will also allow the college to fully address new
commercial and international developments. Edinburgh College recognises the challenges
presently faced in the public sector as the UK economy recovers from recession, but by
building on commercial and international successes, it will seek to grow and develop areas
of activity to contribute to the growth of both the regional and national economy.

4. Options appraisal
4.1 The status quo (as projected into the future)
Maintaining the status quo of the three colleges has been considered very carefully. The
colleges have demonstrated a clear ability to plan and fund developments over the years
and despite the capital overspend at Jewel & Esk College (JEC), there have always been
clear plans in place to manage debt and control expenditure. Financial Forecast Returns
from the colleges have demonstrated that individually they can maintain a clean bill of
financial health and support current activities. However, all three colleges face challenges in
generating growth and moving forward with curriculum and other developments if the status
quo is to be maintained.
4.1.1 Edinburgh’s Telford College has very positive cash balances, twice the level of
outstanding debt. The debt is a long-term loan which relates to the construction of the
purpose-built campus at West Granton Road in 2006. The college is in a healthy
financial state with a very strong asset base and few liabilities. Most students are
taught at West Granton Road, but there are two satellite workshops for construction
courses. The college’s estates strategy proposes that its construction activities are
brought together to form a single curriculum hub, with the implementation of the
strategy possibly funded from the Scottish Funding Council’s capital grant.
ETC has made significant reductions in operating expenditure in recent years,
particularly the savings in management costs. In the medium term, it is in a strong
financial position to cope with the challenges posed by a reduction in grant funding.
However, given the scale of funding reductions for the next three years, it will
become difficult, if not impossible, for an independent ETC to continue to make
efficiency gains and remain financially sustainable. In addition, ETC refreshed and
invested in its IT infrastructure, hardware and systems in academic session 2009-10.
4.1.2 Jewel & Esk College is currently supported by the Scottish Funding Council for debt
interest payments on a “mortgage facility” of £10million. This support is £800,000 per
annum. The college has taken steps to reduce its borrowings and over the last two
years has controlled both capital and revenue expenditure to enable the level of debt
to be reduced. Reductions in revenue costs amount to £1.65m since April 2010 and
the full year impact of this will be felt in 2011/12. The college could continue to
control costs and try to make headroom to support growth but this is a real challenge.
The more realistic scenario is that the college could continue to operate in surplus
and improve its net asset position. However, it might not be able to take advantage
of opportunities for development and expansion as quickly as it would like to. Recent
evidence suggests this is possible but challenging.
4.1.3 Stevenson College Edinburgh has maintained good levels of reserves over a number
of years with no borrowing commitment. Following the successful development of
the Music Box in 2007 and Centre for Sport & Exercise in 2010, the Board of

Management committed to the delivery of a new learning and social space with
associated student services as part of a major redevelopment of the main college
campus. This capital project will be fully funded from internally-generated college
reserves with a completion date of August 2013. With the significant reduction in
capital funding to the public sector, the likelihood of additional capital support to
further enhance the learning environment is unlikely. While the college continues to
deliver efficiencies in operations, the severity of future funding cuts requires new
models of working across the Edinburgh and Lothians region.
The college could continue to function within its current environment and manage
within its resource constraints but this would not generate the required savings to
manage a curriculum which must meet the needs of the local and regional economy.
4.1.4 All three colleges are capable of demonstrating sound financial health but the ever-
increasing pressures on public spending (all are dependent on public money for at
least 75 per cent of their income), and the reduction of access to capital make this a
real challenge. To ensure that services for students continue in the widest and
deepest possible way, the pooling of skills and resources and sharing of services
gives a better solution in the medium and long term than complete independence.
4.2 A strong federation
4.2.1 An option for the colleges is to come together to form a strong federation, reporting to
an Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Board. This would have some advantages in
terms of the short-term investment saved on re-branding and the voluntary
severance costs of senior staff. There would still be upfront investment in shared IT
and communications. This option, however, would struggle to deliver the cost
savings required within the identified timescales for full regionalisation unless there
were substantial reductions in curriculum delivery.
4.2.2 Looking forward, a federated model might also fail to produce the savings required as
each college will require some level of individual administration and infrastructure to
be maintained to emphasise its ‘independence’ while moving towards a shared
service structure. The continued existence of three separate legal entities could lead
to an element of inefficiency and delay in the delivery of change.
4.2.3 A federated model also has important implications for the wider region and for tertiary
education across Scotland. It is possible to see a ‘federated’ Edinburgh College
making progress towards a more collaborative approach with external partners
across the Edinburgh region – but again, it is difficult to see how this kind of
approach could reach its full potential.
4.2.4 A federated model of operation may make a positive impact on a range of national
and regional issues including youth unemployment, local authority initiatives, regional
articulation and progression arrangements and achieving a consistent approach to

skills development for employers and employers’ organisations. However, the single
voice of a merged college is likely to make collaborative working with national and
regional partners more efficient and effective and provide a better means of realising
the objectives of the various stakeholders mentioned above.
4.2.5 Although a federated model would develop relationships with specific local partners
to ensure a cost-effective approach to shared service delivery and minimal cost
duplication, it would not be in as strong a position to take a lead on this agenda as a
new, merged college of size and influence.
4.3 Full merger
Edinburgh College will deliver against an overarching strategic framework as defined by the
Boards of Management of Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and Stevenson
College Edinburgh. These key strategic objectives include:
 A coherent, high-quality course offer that meets the needs and aspirations of
students, businesses and the wider economy
 A sustainable business model which supports investment in curriculum, technology,
systems and facilities
 A valued and trusted influential partner working with others to improve the prosperity
for the people who live and work in Edinburgh and the Lothians.
Each of the sections below presents a compelling case for the three colleges to come
together. They present a summary of the complementary features of the three organisations
and a rationale for them combining to create a new and different organisation that will
capitalise on their individual strengths.
In addition, some of the challenges and issues facing the three organisations can be
addressed more quickly and robustly as a consequence of pooled resources. The sections
below serve to illustrate the case for merger.
4.3.1 Developing Curriculum Hubs
Work on curriculum mapping has identified areas of specialist provision across the three
colleges. This includes the specialist nature of engineering at JEC (renewables and clean
energy), SECTT electrical engineering at SCE and construction wet and dry trades and
further specialisms in the built environment, road works and heritage at ETC. Edinburgh
College will be the largest source of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
provision in Scotland. SCE’s ESOL provision is a major strength in its international work.
Within the creative industries, there are complementary curriculum offers between the three
colleges with performance a specialism at ETC and SCE, and sound engineering specialism
at JEC. Design and media, interior design and gaming technology developed jointly with

industry partners are an important feature of ETC’s creative industry curriculum provision.
SCE is a lead college with regard to photography, offering a validated University of Abertay
BA in Professional Photography. There are also complementary curriculum offers within the
hospitality industry area at both ETC and JEC. These programmes offer students real-life
working experiences to prepare them for employment within this industry.
4.3.2 Reducing Duplication
In all three colleges, there is overlap between some areas of provision – for example, in
business, computing and administration as well as in social science, care, sport and
hairdressing & beauty therapy. Some of these areas also involve considerable articulation to
local universities and hence there is some duplication of effort in working with the
universities to ensure effective progression for students. There are also opportunities for
growth particularly within the area of healthcare (in partnership with NHS Lothian).
4.3.3 Complementary Features
SCE has an excellent commercial business development function that generates significant
income. JEC has developed The Club on a commercial footing and it is generating a good
level of income. SCE sells services and JEC sells space and facilities. ETC has significant
commercial engagement in railway engineering, highways and road maintenance, heritage
building conservation and hospitality. Bringing complementary commercial ventures together
to build a better business engagement model and realise the joint development of retail
academies and other commercial projects would avoid unnecessary competition and provide
a comprehensive, unified service for businesses across the region.
4.3.4 Travel to Learn
There is considerable evidence of students’ willingness to travel to the different colleges and
a readiness to travel for particular specialisms and courses. The table below illustrates this
(Source: SFC INFACT database 2010/11).
College Percentage of enrolments in 2010/11 by postcode
Edinburgh City Midlothian East Lothian West Lothian
Edinburgh’s
Telford College
62%
(8,999)
6%
(912)
7%
(1,089)
5%
(796)
Jewel & Esk
College
38%
(2,994)
24%
(1,875)
27%
(2,190)
2%
(150)
Stevenson
College
Edinburgh
73%
(10,627)
4%
(637)
3%
(454)
9%
(1,284)
Combined 61%
(22,620)
9%
(3,424)
10%
(3,733)
6%
(2,230)

Overall, the three colleges represent a significant proportion of the destinations for all
students from the region going into HE or FE. Published data shows that well over 80 per
cent of Edinburgh students, 75 per cent of Midlothian students and around 70 per cent of
East Lothian students attend one of the three partner colleges.
4.3.5 Complementary Strengths and Opportunities for Growth
All of the above sections illustrate a complementary set of strengths and skills that the three
partner colleges share. Added together, there is a genuine opportunity to grow more quickly,
pool resources and develop a more sustainable organisation at a faster rate than would be
the case if the colleges remained independent of each other.
The proposal to create the new college is mindful of the Scottish Government’s priority for
colleges to be highly effective, world-class organisations with high-quality buildings, facilities
and equipment contributing to enhancing the experience for learners.
4.4 Conclusion in favour of merger
The conclusion from the preceding Options Appraisal is that a merger of the three colleges
offers the greatest benefit to students, staff, external stakeholders and the wider community
in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Edinburgh College will be more efficient than if the three
colleges remained independent or adopted a federated structure. The single voice of the
merged college will make a greater contribution to regional coherence and tertiary education
across Scotland than three independent colleges or a federated organisation. Finally,
services to students will be enhanced and Edinburgh College better able to respond to
stakeholder demands than the three current colleges or the potentially competing interests in
a federated model.

5. Academic vision for Edinburgh College
5.1. Introduction
The Curriculum and Learning and Teaching Strategies for Edinburgh College (see
Appendices 3 & 4) will set out the institution’s aspiration to be locally, nationally and
internationally recognised for the excellence of its education. Through its learning
programmes and services, Edinburgh College will develop independent individuals who are
enterprising, work-ready and have both the capacity and capability to make a significant
contribution to the economy and their communities. Through its students and its graduates,
Edinburgh College will contribute to the quality of life for the city, region, Scotland, the UK
and the international community.
While Edinburgh College will develop global citizens, it will be first and foremost a college
that will deliver high-quality learning to support economic and community development in
Edinburgh and the Lothians. Edinburgh College’s primary function will be to provide
professionally relevant and accessible, lifelong learning opportunities that meet the needs of
its students and widen education participation in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Students will
also be provided with essential skills to enhance their personal development - and a
personalised learning experience where the student is at the heart of everything the new
college does.
By bringing three successful institutions together, Edinburgh College will build on this
success and make learning in the city and the region even stronger. It will pool talent and
expertise to offer a well-planned curriculum that widens course choice, increases access and
creates more progression opportunities. Edinburgh College students will enjoy a well-
resourced environment staffed by talented and highly-motivated individuals who are
committed to continually raising standards to meet student need. Learning and teaching will
take place in first-class facilities and in a culture where the whole college is striving for the
pursuit of excellence in every aspect of the student experience.
5.2 Pursuit of Excellence in Edinburgh College
The pursuit of excellence will be a hallmark of Edinburgh College. It will be evidenced
through its teaching, the quality of its staff, the environment within which they work and the
quality of services to students, all of which will be geared to providing every student with an
exceptional education. Edinburgh College will gain a reputation that will make it the
destination of preference for students in Edinburgh and the Lothians, building on the high
standards that already exist within the three partner colleges. Education Scotland
inspections, including Annual Engagement visits, report a high level of confidence in the
three existing institutions, and comment favourably on the quality of learning and teaching,
learner engagement and student progress.

External verification from various awarding bodies has all been extremely positive with
outstanding practice being reported on a number of occasions. External audits of learning
and teaching support services have also been very positive. These high standards, which
already exist in the three institutions, will continue to improve the learning experience of
students in Edinburgh College.
The pursuit of excellence at Edinburgh College will be based on several interdependent
factors:
 Consultation and involvement of students in every aspect of their experience, using
this information to design and deliver services that they want.
 The creation and nurturing of a student-focused culture where the behaviours,
professionalism and attitudes of all staff contribute to the excellence of the learner
experience.
 Putting students first and providing them with timely, accurate and detailed
information on every facet of their Edinburgh College experience.
 Ensuring this commitment to excellence is evidenced by outstanding service delivery.
 Excellent quality of service, matched by efficient speed of service, ensuring that
students’ needs are met on time every time.
Edinburgh College will be characterised by greater student success, higher levels of student
satisfaction and improved outcomes. A higher proportion of students will achieve a positive
destination on completion of their course by progressing to higher levels of study, gaining
relevant vocational employment or starting their own business.
Based on student success and the performance of our graduates and alumni, external
stakeholders will also recognise the core value of excellence in the new college. Edinburgh
College will work closely with all its external stakeholders, be a valuable education partner to
its awarding bodies, and add value to its community partners. As the college realises its
pursuit of excellence, it will gain success through increasingly positive destination outcomes.
It will reinforce this and gain external recognition through the achievement of more awards
and prizes, building on the outstanding success of the existing colleges in areas like oil and
gas, photography and construction and trades.
5.3 Edinburgh College: one learning community
Edinburgh College will take full advantage of this opportunity to rethink how services to
students can be delivered. The consequential enhancement of services across all Edinburgh
College’s areas of provision will bring major benefits to learners.

In making these step changes, Edinburgh College will build on the work already done by the
three partner colleges. Sharing good practice, partnership work and collaboration has laid
the foundation for a successful merged college. Edinburgh College will develop a single
culture of learning, regardless of the campus that individuals attend, or whether they are
remote learners studying in a “campus without walls”.
Edinburgh College will also develop a branded, distinctive, personalised learning experience
where every student will develop essential skills in addition to their vocational education.
This learning experience will contribute to and enhance students’ personal development
capacities in addition to improving their professional capabilities.
Edinburgh College will build on the excellent work done within the three partner colleges and
strive to enhance the education experience for all students. Supporting the learning of
students extends beyond the classroom and Edinburgh College will build on existing
innovative ways of supporting the academic tracking and success of students, taking into
account the Academic Tutor role and the pastoral role of Learning and Development Tutors.
High levels of student success are well-supported by these existing approaches and it is
intended that these different ways of working will be incorporated into Edinburgh College’s
approach to continuously improving student success.
Edinburgh College’s pursuit of excellence will provide staff from the three partner colleges
with a common purpose, and will enable academic and support staff to collaborate even
more effectively in the delivery of the student experience.

5.4 Specific academic benefits
5.4.1 The quality, relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of provision
The key drivers in considering the merger of the three partners into Edinburgh College is to
deliver an even higher quality of college provision for students in Edinburgh and the Lothians
and to realise the academic potential afforded by a full integration of the three partners’
activities.
Edinburgh College provides a unique opportunity to create a transformational change to the
curriculum and to alter the product-to-market mix in a radical way. It provides an opportunity
to future-proof the new Edinburgh College by rationalising provision in some areas,
expanding it in others, and creating the capacity to be more responsive to the demands of
external stakeholders and emerging markets.
The process of bringing the curriculum together addresses the issue of unproductive
competition between the three existing institutions and creates an opportunity for Edinburgh
College to provide an enhanced range of courses, encouraging a more innovative approach
to the curriculum. Duplicated or overlapping provision will be replaced with new courses
which are more attractive to students, which better meet the needs of industry and which will
create more opportunities for commercial and international market development. Edinburgh
College will deliver an effective, coherent and sustainable curriculum which will meet student
and employer needs and be realigned to support economic development.
The curriculum will be devised using set criteria that reflect economic and community
development priorities and Scottish Government priorities as outlined in Putting Learners at
the Centre, as well as local, regional and national labour market intelligence and demand
from learners and employers.
Employer Councils developed with key employers in the region – and aligned to the new
college’s curriculum areas - will be used to inform the curriculum offering and design. These
councils will provide input into the college’s curriculum development processes by assessing
the future skills needs of the industry and potential growth opportunities and by reviewing
programme design and content, qualification level and mode of delivery. This will enable the
college to map its curriculum directly to employer needs and provide the best employment
opportunities for its students.
It is recognised that learning and teaching at the new college must meet the skills needs of
the Edinburgh and the Lothians’ economy - present and future - and its learning environment
must be of the highest quality to support this. Edinburgh College will maintain a flexible and
responsive approach to changing economic conditions. We will put in place flexible staffing
structures and capacity to increase the range of opportunities for our students.

5.4.2 Cross-campus curriculum hubs
By reviewing our whole curriculum offer, and by setting up curriculum hubs, Edinburgh
College will develop the skills for learning, life and work needed to deal flexibly with the
challenges of the future economy.
The college’s objectives and curriculum will be aligned with the key growth sectors in
Edinburgh and the Lothians. These will be developed as curriculum hubs, enabling students
to enhance their employability and entrepreneurial skills and make a greater contribution to
the local, regional and national economy. There will be five cross-campus hubs:
5.4.2.1: Progression and academic studies
This hub offers a range of academic and progression routes, including access, to meet the
needs of a variety of students. Some are designed for young people looking for a stepping
stone into further education or employment, and others are designed for mature students
who do not have formal qualifications but are interested in returning to work or education.
Many courses prepare students for entry to advanced college courses or higher education.
This hub will also offer courses for students who wish to acquire skills in modern foreign
languages.
Our nationally-recognised ESOL provision (English for Speakers of Other Languages) is a
significant element within this hub, and will be offered from Access level up to Higher and
HNC. Edinburgh College will be one of the largest providers of ESOL in Scotland, and this
will be a major strength in its international work.
5.4.2.2: Business and the visitor economy
Business and the visitor economy is a critical component of the local, regional and national
economy. This centre will equip students with the knowledge and skills to make an economic
contribution. Well-established courses in accounting, administration, business and
management will prepare students for career opportunities in financial and business services
and provide professional development training in leadership and management. New courses
in enterprise and entrepreneurship will encourage and support students to start their own
businesses. The visitor economy is one of Scotland’s most significant economic sectors,
contributing more than £4billion annually to the economy. The range of courses offered by
Edinburgh College will span tourism, events and hospitality. This will include a specialist
academy in partnership with sector-leading employers to provide the tourism and hospitality
workforce of the future.
5.4.2.3: Construction, engineering and renewables
Engineering, energy and clean technology is one of Scotland’s key economic drivers. It is
the sector with the largest growth potential in Scotland, predicting an increase in new job
opportunities over the next 3-5 years (the 2020 Skills Investment Plan for the Energy Sector

outlines 95,000 potential job opportunities). Established industries in oil and gas and the
associated supply chain continue to have a significant and sustainable demand for skills,
while the Scottish Government’s commitment to renewable energy and clean technology will
lead to significant skills gaps and shortages in the short to medium term. Edinburgh College
will build on existing initiatives like Edinburgh’s Renewable Energy Innovation
Centre (EREIC) at ETC, opened in 2012 to deliver a portfolio of courses designed to meet
this demand and contribute to the development of a safe and skilled workforce for this key
industry sector.
The three colleges have worked in partnership with business and universities to
develop a Green Transport Hub based at JEC. This came about as a result of
understanding the combined curriculum of the colleges and the asset base it can then
demonstrate to industry. Partners include Edinburgh Napier University, SQA,
Siemens, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Midlothian Council, SESTRAN and many more. This
capacity-building is an excellent example of how the new Edinburgh College as an
organisation of scale can attract new opportunities for students. In March 2012, JEC
developed The EVent, a major conference bringing together experts from across the
sector to discuss how to take forward the electric vehicle agenda in Scotland. ETC
hosted key industry representatives at EREIC in February to showcase developments
and skills needs in the renewables and green energy sector.
5.4.2.4: Creative, cultural and digital Industries
This is also one of the Scottish Government’s six key economic sectors and supports more
than 60,000 jobs. The range and depth of staff capability, quality of facilities and
complementarity of provision in the three institutions means Edinburgh College can offer the
best possible range of options for those who wish to study and make a career in this vibrant
sector. The partner colleges already excel and have sector-leading reputations in music, TV,
design, photography, multimedia and performing arts. Edinburgh College will have the skills
to develop these initiatives by combining music, theatre, costume design and dance.
Photography students are regular winners of national and international competitions
and SCE is the only centre in Scotland approved and accredited by the British
Institute of Professional Photography. Music students benefit from study and
performance opportunities unrivalled in the sector. Previous music students have
performed live at the O2 Arena and collaborated in a concert with Jon Lord at the
Usher Hall, Edinburgh. Current students have attended master classes in music and
sound production with the producer of Oasis and launched a new record label called
FEAST. All students are assisted to find employment through a partnership with
‘Music for Scotland’ or provided with the opportunity to start their own business in a
college commercial incubator unit.
Industry standard facilities, like the Academy of Music and Sound located in the city centre,
offer innovative curriculum development and an award-winning experience, to create an

ideal climate and culture for any student looking to add value and make their personal
contribution to ‘Creative Scotland’.
5.4.2.5: Service industries and the care professions
Making Scotland healthier is one of the Scottish Government’s five strategic objectives and
students will be prepared to contribute to a ‘Healthier Scotland’. Students from Edinburgh
College will graduate to employment in nursing and midwifery, the allied health professions
or specialist healthcare roles. Staff in the three partner colleges are already at the forefront
of changes to the NHS’s Knowledge Skills Framework and innovative curriculum
developments that will lead to a more mobile, transferable workforce that deliver care within
a model that is less regionally based and instead, part of an integrated NHS.
Care in the Community is also a feature of the Scottish Government’s vision for a Healthier
Scotland. Demand for care services continues to grow and the need for qualified people to
deliver these services is equally strong. Edinburgh College will play a pivotal role in
preparing and upskilling the region’s workforce to meet these needs.
Service industries including hairdressing, beauty and complementary therapies, as well as
sport and exercise and sports coaching, all add to the health and well-being of the nation.
They offer sustainable employment opportunities, particularly in terms of increasing the
number of self-employed people and the setting up of further SMEs which are vital to the
Scottish economy.
A partnership with NHS Lothian has led to creative ways of supporting workforce
planning for a major employer in the area. Combining the expertise of staff at all three
institutions makes the offer to support a major employer more comprehensive and
effective, including the potential delivery of over 250 MAs over the next three years.
This could not have been achieved and supported by any one individual college.
5.4.2.6 The value of the curriculum hubs
Within these new curriculum hubs, Edinburgh College will provide excellent learning
opportunities, ensuring that as well as incorporating the vocational skills required by
business, it will also provide the essential core skills often cited by industry as being just as
important. Edinburgh College will prioritise the allocation of resources to those groups
furthest from the labour market or with lower level skills, giving students the best possible
opportunity to progress into the world of work.
Edinburgh College will be able to put a greater focus on meeting the needs of the labour
market in the region. This will include strengthening support for Modern Apprenticeships, but

also taking a lead in the development and implementation of higher level ‘technical’ and
professional apprenticeships. The new college will be in the vanguard of providing these
new-style technical and professional apprenticeships to ensure that individuals and
businesses are equipped with the necessary skills and expertise at craft, technician and
management level to drive future business success. This focus on skills development will
also prioritise the needs of young people not in education or employment and support the
Scottish Government to deliver on its commitment of opportunities for all. For example, a
recent three-college collaboration has resulted in a significant growth in the Modern
Apprenticeship bid with increased employer support across key employment sectors.
While university research is of strategic importance to Scotland’s future prosperity, the
challenge is to impart this knowledge into Scotland’s businesses. Edinburgh College will be
in a strong position to work closely with its regional university partners to help stimulate
innovation in businesses and public services and translate this research into commercial
opportunities. The scale of Edinburgh College will also provide more and better opportunities
to engage with the business community. There will be increased scope for knowledge
transfer activity, the commercialisation of curriculum and possible co-investment
opportunities with employers to increase income generation by providing bespoke training
courses to suit specific economic and skills needs.
Edinburgh College will be participating in a new knowledge transfer hub across
Scotland involving three other colleges - Aberdeen, Motherwell, and Reid Kerr. This
collaborative, cross-regional approach is building on the university model of pooling.
This project, in engineering, has established targets for increased business,
curriculum development, and measured returns of knowledge transfer. Edinburgh
Napier University is key partner in this project and is part funding PhDs for staff in the
new college.
5.5 The quality of the student experience
Edinburgh College will develop a single unified Quality Management System that reflects a
strong quality culture and drive for continuous improvement. This will be achieved by
adopting best practice from around the UK and through benchmarking of activities against a
number of colleges recognised as outstanding, or delivering sector-leading services.
An efficient and effective curriculum delivery model will be devised which will meet students’
needs. Learning and teaching capability and capacity will also be enhanced by the adoption
of best practice from all three partner colleges. This will result in improved and higher-quality
educational provision for students within Edinburgh College.
The quality of services to students will be maintained and enhanced. Edinburgh College will
build on the good practices and high standards of the three institutions and, through its
pursuit of excellence, continue to make improvements. Criteria for determining excellence

will be established and indicators/measures identified so that both students and staff can
recognise it.
The new institution will also be characterised by an enhanced, value-added student
experience that is distinctive to Edinburgh College. Appropriate attitudes, behaviours and
personal skills are as important as technical skills. All students, particularly those who feel
socially excluded, need support in gaining these skills to secure and sustain employment
and realise their potential. The new college will assist students to become more confident
and more work-ready and help them develop a ‘can-do’ attitude. This will be evidenced by
improved levels of student retention and attainment. More students will also achieve better
outcomes - including increased articulation or progression to degree study, an increase in
positive destinations and more awards and prizes.
The scale of Edinburgh College will improve internal progression opportunities across all
campuses. There will be a range of entry and exit routes and progression pathways will be
clearly signposted.
Edinburgh College will also create clear progression and articulation routes to higher levels
of study through regional and national partnerships. There will be improved collaboration
between Edinburgh College and its regional university partners that will result in a more
efficient and flexible learner journey. Working together locally and regionally, Edinburgh
College will build on and maintain the work done by the regional articulation hubs to improve
articulation opportunities and progress into university with advanced standing where
appropriate.
Edinburgh College will be able to offer its students an improved learning and teaching
environment. It will maintain a highly-motivated, trained and skilled workforce appropriate to
its aspirations and ambitions through the implementation of staff professional development.
Through this professional development, all staff will be given opportunities to develop their
competence, skills and performance to improve the student experience. This will allow for
more efficient and effective deployment of staff - and will also offer opportunities for
upskilling. This larger pool of staff expertise means that Edinburgh College has the potential
to generate dynamism in curriculum development with staff working together in a stimulating
educational environment focussing on curriculum innovation and new course development
that will lead to a greater choice for students.
Students will benefit from having access to the combined specialist learning resources,
equipment and infrastructure of the three partner colleges. This will include a greater range,
volume and quality of library and online learning resources. Improved access to a wider
range of enabling technology and specialist staff will benefit more students. Curriculum
delivery will be enhanced and the learning and teaching experience improved through the
increased use of an effective Virtual Learning Environment and a commitment to continuous
improvement and innovative approaches to the planning and delivery of course materials
and online communications with students.

Work placement opportunities are a key feature of some courses and these will be further
enhanced in Edinburgh College. Engagement with employers will also be increased through
a much greater focus on economic development. Each curriculum hub will adopt the best
practice from the three institutions to deliver learning that is closely aligned to the demands
of and standards expected by employers. This will significantly improve students’
opportunities to gain employment and/or equip them with the knowledge, skills and
confidence to set up their own businesses.
The expertise, capability and capacity in the three partner colleges should ensure that
models of best practice are devised for Edinburgh College to offer all students access to an
enhanced level of support. The expertise in the three institutions should ensure Edinburgh
College is better placed to provide an enhanced level of guidance services to students. A
coherent and joined-up approach to giving information, advice and guidance across all of
Edinburgh College’s campus locations will help simplify how individuals, careers advisers,
parents and employers find out about the range of skills development opportunities
available. Effectiveness in terms of student support services, requiring a reduction in
administrative duplication, will ensure systems are fit for purpose and maximise the
advantages of new technology.
The range of support services provided to learners will also be enhanced by combining the
strengths of the Student Associations in the three institutions.
5.6 The range/breadth of provision and qualifications
By creating hubs in the key sectors, the range and breadth of provision and qualifications will
meet the needs of local and regional employers. Edinburgh College will form close alliances
with business to ensure it is providing the key skills required for the future workforce. This
will enable the college to map its curriculum directly to employer needs and provide the best
opportunities for employment for its students. The new college will ensure that there is a
balanced spread of courses across SCQF levels that are responsive to the Scottish
Government’s economic priorities.
Edinburgh College will optimise access and have a positive impact on both generalist and
specialist provision. In areas of high demand, Edinburgh College can optimise the volume
provided to avoid unnecessary overlap and duplication. It can also support the full range of
levels or the full range of options available which will increase course choice for students. In
lower volume or specialist areas, the scale of Edinburgh College can help it underwrite or
support more resource-intensive areas of provision. This will ensure that more students will
gain access to more specialised areas of delivery.
5.7 Specialist facilities and profile

Excellent specialist facilities that offer students an industry-standard learning experience will
all be safeguarded. The Construction Hub and Dulux Room will provide an excellent
environment for apprentices to develop their skills for the building industry. Creative
industries’ students will benefit from facilities such as Cre:8, PASS (Performing Arts Studio
Scotland) and the Music Box. The Centre for Sport & Exercise and The Club provide sector-
leading health, fitness and sports facilities. The Spa and The Club provide students with hair,
beauty and spa facilities consistent with those found in the high street or resort hotels while
the award-winning ZeroOne and EH15 Restaurants will provide hospitality students with
unrivalled facilities to develop their culinary skills.
An extensive curriculum audit and mapping exercise by Edinburgh College will ensure that
curriculum provision within these facilities is complementary. There will also be extensive
scrutiny of resource utilisation in all these facilities to maximise their efficiency, effectiveness
and to facilitate the best and widest possible access for students.
In addition to current provision, the formation of Edinburgh College will create more
opportunities to increase investment in specialist facilities required to meet student demand
and the needs of industry. For example, engineering provision in Edinburgh College will be
enhanced by creating a Clean Energy Centre. This will build on the strengths of the three
colleges’ capacities and capabilities to deliver a sector-leading curriculum in mechanical and
electrical engineering, motor vehicle technology, oil and gas, renewable energy and
sustainable technology to meet industry needs in what will be one of Scotland’s fastest-
growing employment sectors.
While excellent facilities will benefit students in these specialised vocational areas, every
student will benefit from improved ICT provision in Edinburgh College. Building on the high
levels of capability that already exist in the three institutions, Edinburgh College will widen
access to and increase the use of digital technology to enhance learning, teaching and
assessment. One of Edinburgh College’s objectives will be for all appropriate learning
materials and assessments to be accessible online and available in a variety of formats to
meet students’ different needs. Students will also be able to create e-portfolios to support
and evidence their learning journey and personal development. For remote learners, those
in community settings or where illness or personal circumstances might make attending
college difficult, Edinburgh College will provide an ICT-based alternative where it is
practicable to do so.

5.8 Implications for tertiary education in Scotland
Edinburgh College will meet the Scottish Government’s aspirations for tertiary education by
providing future-focused, coherent and well-planned provision across the region. This
provision will be aligned to jobs, growth and the provision of skills to meet the demands of
the priority sectors identified in the Scottish Government’s Economic Strategy.
The Scottish Government’s recent consultation paper - Putting Learners at the Centre:
Delivering our Ambitions for Post 16 Education - makes it clear that “colleges and
universities must work together locally and regionally to integrate the planning of the
curriculum and more specifically to increase the number of learners with the qualifications
necessary to progress into university with advanced standing.”
Edinburgh College will work with its university partners to develop and agree a regional
response for Edinburgh and the Lothians to meet the challenges contained in the
consultation paper. Specifically, Edinburgh College and its university partners will work
towards a shared understanding of a number of key principles that will inform and shape
articulation arrangements between Edinburgh College and receiving universities in the
region. There will also be discussions on the potential for collaboration between Edinburgh
College and its prospective partner universities, particularly in relation to product and market
development for the commercial and international market, curriculum planning, improving
transitions and streamlining education pathways.
Edinburgh College will balance regional growth with mechanisms that ensure access level
provision is retained locally. This will help improve people’s life chances by assisting those
who are furthest from the job market to find sustainable employment and ensuring that they
contribute to and benefit from the economic development of the region.
To support this local and regional growth, Edinburgh College will engage with other colleges,
secondary schools, training providers and universities across the regional education
spectrum to contribute to a more joined-up post-school education system – and in so doing,
improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the learner journey.
Edinburgh College will strengthen partnerships with the relevant local authorities to ensure
joint planning in relation to the senior phase of Curriculum for Excellence. This will improve
transitions for young people and offer clear and defined progression routes and
opportunities. The focus will be on innovation and the development of models of joint
delivery to meet the aims of the senior phase in a way that inspires young people to engage
with post-school education.
By preserving local provision and at the same time fostering and developing regional growth,
Edinburgh College will maximise its contribution to the post-school sector. This will maximise
the return on future investment, improve outcomes for students and facilitate greater service
integration between educational providers across the region. This dual focus on both
maintaining local provision and assisting with regional growth and development means that

Edinburgh College will contribute to the high-performing system outlined in Putting Learners
at the Centre.
Edinburgh College will embrace and support education reform and sees opportunities for a
modern, innovative and more integrated approach to both vocational and academic learning
that will meet the needs of present and future students and embrace technology and modern
delivery methods. More transparent and seamless opportunities for student progression and
a clearer, more defined role for supporting Scotland’s economic prosperity will come from
improved partnership working. Edinburgh College will focus on sustainable positive
destinations for students that lead to individual and collective economic prosperity and this
focus will drive both curriculum provision and student behaviours.
Edinburgh College will work with the Scottish Government in prioritising the needs of young
people. The College will also ensure that opportunities are made available to those who are
furthest from education or the job market, and those who are returning to education – such
as individuals looking to re-train for new employment opportunities. In achieving these aims,
Edinburgh College will fulfil its primary purpose of balancing economic and social need and
contributing to both economic and community development.
5.8.1 The fit to local/regional/national and international needs
Edinburgh College aspires to be the valued and influential partner of choice, working with
other key stakeholders to take forward economic development in the Edinburgh and the
Lothians region. The scale of Edinburgh College and the associated increase in the volume
and quality of activity will also increase its attractiveness to national and international
stakeholders.
Edinburgh College will achieve a better match of the learner profile across the region to the
economic and employment needs of that region. By providing key curriculum hubs, aligned
to the economic drivers of the future, the college will add value to industry by supplying them
with students equipped with the skills that employers and industry require. The new college
will ensure that its qualifications will better meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s
workplace. Edinburgh College will be in a stronger position to work collaboratively with
industry to deliver the skills employers require. In so doing, it will make a significant
contribution to Edinburgh and the Lothians – and beyond - by delivering education and skills
to boost competitiveness and productivity.
Merging the three institutions will create more opportunity for the Edinburgh College to work
across the whole of Edinburgh and the Lothians. The new college will build on the existing
contributions of community planning partnerships and ensure that the views of community
partners are reflected in strategic and operational plans and major curriculum decisions. It
will also bring a single voice to community planning partnerships in Edinburgh and the

Lothians to support regional coherence, and a single voice and perspective to school and
university partnerships to tackle problems that affect the entire region.
Edinburgh College will also develop greater coherence in its school-college partnerships and
provide a complementary range of provision across all of its campuses to ensure that more
young people have a better chance to achieve a positive destination.
The new college will also provide the opportunity to achieve greater coherence in 16-plus
education. In addition to partnership work with schools and universities, its community
learning and development activity will be better coordinated to improve transition and
progression, reduce duplication and overlap and provide a more coherent regional offer. The
Edinburgh Guarantee is a vision that all young people leave school into a positive
destination. The City of Edinburgh Council is working with partners in the public, private and
voluntary sectors to increase the number of jobs, education and training opportunities being
made available to young people and to better prepare them for the world of work.
Merging will enable Edinburgh College to offer a wider range of courses to both new and
existing business partners and new and existing international partners with the opportunity to
gain entry to new geographical markets. Edinburgh College’s pursuit of excellence will
enable it to establish a more positive international identity, resulting in greater penetration of
existing markets and a stronger proposition with which to target new markets for English
Language teaching, hospitality, creative industries, business and engineering.
The new college will increase its potential to penetrate new international markets with
its broader curriculum base. An example of this new business is commercial
engineering for Saudi Arabia, made possible by pooling expertise across campuses.
This is an excellent example of where the expertise of one institution has been
combined with the facilities and curriculum of another to exploit and develop a new
market with huge potential.
5.8.2 Other benefits – including improved student access
Edinburgh College will take the best of the guidance and learner support systems of the
three partner colleges and review and develop a model to suit the needs of the new, larger
institution. This will improve student access and streamline the level of support. Student
funding procedures will also be streamlined, utilising appropriate technology, and students
will have access to the range of services across all campuses.
Building on the expertise of delivering programmes to the most disadvantaged students in an
educational context - and to those most excluded from the labour market - Edinburgh
College will deliver a coherent suite of programmes enabling students to find a level
appropriate to their needs.

The community role of Edinburgh College will be further strengthened by bringing together a
number of projects within the existing three institutions. Edinburgh College will endeavour to
continue to support projects like these. It will aim to strengthen its commitment to these client
groups where possible, and ensure as many people as possible can make the transition
from supported environments to employment or mainstream education and training.
The learning environment will be inclusive and support everyone to fulfil their potential by
ensuring that equality and diversity are promoted in all learning and teaching, and by making
certain that the differing needs of a diverse student population are taken into account.
Edinburgh College also will support vulnerable individuals or those with additional support
needs by providing coordinated arrangements to ensure these needs are met
Edinburgh College can better address access for students and widen participation across
the region, in particular improving access for remote and rural communities and those
potential students who are traditionally the hardest to reach. The scale of the Edinburgh
College also means that it can underwrite and better support the lower student numbers that
are typically recruited in outreach and community settings.
5.8.3 Stakeholders: accountability and impact
Edinburgh College will develop better, deeper and longer-lasting relationships and
partnerships with external stakeholders, community partners, the business community and
industry. These partners will benefit from having a one-stop shop for all their education and
training needs and first-class service delivery characterised by Edinburgh College’s pursuit
of excellence.
Edinburgh College will adopt a very open approach to stakeholders. In the modern world,
networking amongst businesses and individuals is vital in encouraging knowledge transfer.
The new college will seek to innovate and strengthen partnerships and networks, building on
existing projects like Skills Shop St James and the joint bid for Business Gateway. It will do
so through excellent communication, the use of new technology and social networking. This
should bring significant and sustainable benefits to students, businesses and the community.
By coming together as Edinburgh College, relationships will be enhanced as our community
learning and development partners and the local authorities in the region will have access to
more of our provision. Opportunities for new and exciting partnership work will grow. An
early example is a developing partnership with schools in Midlothian to provide the Science
Baccalaureate. Edinburgh College will work closely with Skills Development Scotland on
providing more Modern Apprenticeships and ensuring young people gain access to provision
which will give them employability skills.

The enhanced reach of Edinburgh College will mean it can make a greater contribution to
economic development by playing a full part within all the key economic and business
strategic partnerships. It will also be able to add value by providing a single voice to the
respective community planning partnerships of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian and
Midlothian. This will ensure that the Edinburgh College dialogue with all external
stakeholders is more effective.
5.8.4 Commercial and international impact
By bringing together the three partner colleges, business development and commercial
activity will be strengthened. Opportunities for joint working with employers, universities and
other stakeholders – and for engaging in knowledge transfer - will be enhanced.
Edinburgh College will aim to be the joint training partner of choice for businesses, assisting
them with the provision of skills and knowledge to improve efficiency and effectiveness and
to enhance individual and organisational productivity. The breadth of the college’s provision
means businesses will have an enhanced standardised course offer to meet their needs.
A single point of purchase across the city will simplify the buying process, rather than
businesses having to choose between competing institutions. The greater capacity and
capability of Edinburgh College will allow the delivery of more bespoke training for business.
A larger talent pool and greater expertise will stimulate curriculum innovation and mean
Edinburgh College will be able to offer more flexible solutions to meet employers’ specific
needs. The Business Development Team will be able to tender for more contracts and reach
out into new markets, confident that Edinburgh College will be able to deliver on the
commitments made and capable of developing products or courses on demand. Over time,
this will bring the new college closer to businesses, generate more income from commercial
courses and enable the college to be financially less reliant on SFC fundable provision.
5.9 The Student Voice
The student voice will be at the heart of Edinburgh College and have a powerful role in
shaping the new college at all levels. There is currently student representation on the
Partnership Board. The Student Association President from Jewel & Esk College is
representing students from all three colleges and the Student Association Presidents from
the other two colleges have the option to attend as observers.
Through the development of close working relationships across the three associations, this
will ensure that no major strategic decision is taken about Edinburgh College without the
voice of the student being heard and considered.

The student voice has been, and will continue to be, central to the planning process. Student
Association Presidents were invited to attend the college planning events facilitated by
Education Scotland, while the three presidents and the Deputy President of NUS (Scotland)
are engaged in an active and ongoing dialogue with college senior managers to inform the
future Edinburgh College student experience and to shape the development of a new model
constitution to form an Edinburgh College Student Association. Their critical role is to work in
partnership with college managers on the transition arrangements between the three
institutions and Edinburgh College. They are adopting a student-centred approach to ensure
student involvement in every aspect of Edinburgh College’s development. The key aim is to
develop an effective student engagement strategy and delivery model to ensure a unified
experience across all campus locations.
Student involvement is key to establishing a new and unique Edinburgh College identity. The
new college is committed to creating a culture that maximises student involvement and
participation in every aspect of the college experience. This will include representation on
college decision-making groups and improved student participation in college planning and
curriculum delivery. This will be supported by:
 An Edinburgh College commitment to resource and support the formation of a
Student Association and to recognise the students’ right to have peer representation
 Working in partnership with the elected Student Association President and their
executive to ensure a college environment and culture which supports all students
 The development of an effective student engagement strategy which will incorporate
the following values: listening to our students; acting upon their views; involving them
in decisions about their learning and college life; promoting and supporting the
student voice
 The development of an effective and supported class representation model which
upholds the values of the student engagement strategy
 The encouragement of greater participation in college life from the point of
application to the point of graduation as part of the student journey
 The development of a range of communication methods to ensure all students are
informed and feel part of the Edinburgh College community. This will involve students
exploring new ways to communicate effectively with a large student cohort across a
number of locations and might include: communication ambassadors; use of the
Edinburgh College Virtual Learning Environment; use of social media
communications channels such as Facebook and Twitter.
Edinburgh College will empower its students and support them to be active participants in
the life and environment of the college.
There are two main options for the constitutional structure of the Student Association. The
structure could be informal with the Association operating as a cost centre of the new college
but with independent control over an agreed budget. This process is in operation at two of

the partner colleges. An alternative structure is that the Association operates through an
independent charitable body. This structure is used by a number of University Associations
but is not as widespread within the FE sector.
The Association at ETC operates through an independent charitable body and it is proposed
that this body will be the ‘host’ for the new college Student Association. The constitution will
be amended to ensure that the views of the wider student body can be reflected and to
ensure clarity over the powers of the Student Executive team.
Although the Association will be a separate legal entity, under the control of the Student
Executive team, it is proposed that the administration of employment costs and other
expenditure will be managed through existing college systems. This will provide continuity
and should minimise cost and bureaucracy. This approach is in line with the current
processes within the colleges
To ensure clear lines of accountability, it is proposed that the Association enters into a
Memorandum of Understanding with the new college to document the activities to be
performed on behalf of the Association, the process for approval of expenditure and the level
of administration costs that would be charged by the college for the services provided.

6. People strategy
6.1 Overview
Our core business is education, and the skills, expertise and engagement of our staff is
critical to the future success of the Edinburgh College. The three partner colleges share high
academic standards, reflecting the quality of teaching and the support provided by our
corporate functions. Edinburgh College will be a major employer in the region. Bringing
together three groups of staff with different terms and conditions and workplace cultures will
be challenging, but this also presents many synergies and opportunities for individuals.
A key element of the merger process will be to determine the management and curriculum
structure for each of the four campuses. The organisational structures of the three partner
colleges are very different and the model for Edinburgh College will be informed by both the
experience of other educational institutions which have merged and by the new college’s
strategic plan.
The effective management of change is critical and an early requirement will be the
appointment of the new Board of Management and Principal for Edinburgh College. The
merger Partnership Board will respond to the recommendations of the Griggs Review of
college governance and any decisions taken by the Board will be made in the light of new
Scottish Government legislation and guidance from the Scottish Funding Council.
The regionalisation agenda and reduced government funding for colleges has created
uncertainty for staff. To provide stability, the three partner colleges have given a commitment
to no compulsory job losses for a period of two years from August 2012. Proposed changes
to the college sector are significant and there will be changes in staffing levels and roles. In
the early stages of the merger process, there is likely to be realignment of management and
specialist roles as shared services evolve in order to improve efficiency. An opportunity will
be available to leave the merger process for those individuals who wish to follow career or
personal plans outwith Edinburgh College. In all cases, change will be handled sensitively
and sensibly with the minimum disruption to service provision.
A key objective of the Edinburgh College will be to harmonise existing employment terms
and conditions at the earliest practicable opportunity. Any proposed changes to contractual
terms and conditions will be discussed fully with recognised trade unions and staff.
The ‘host’ model has been adopted for the merger and all staff will transfer to Edinburgh
College on their existing terms and conditions under the TUPE regulations. Edinburgh
College will extend the same principles of protection of terms and conditions of employment
to existing staff of the ‘host’ college.
Edinburgh College will seek to attract and retain staff with the right abilities and qualifications
to sustain the highest level of student experience. We aim to ensure that staff are valued,

informed, appropriately rewarded and fully engaged with the strategic aims and ethos of the
Edinburgh College.
6.2 Employee relations
The development of shared services models, the adoption of best practice, new procedures
and investment in systems across the four campuses will result in fewer staff being required
in the future. Any reductions will, in the first instance, be achieved by voluntary severance,
retirement and careful manpower planning.
The commitment to no compulsory redundancies until July 2014 means all appropriate steps
will be taken to redeploy and retrain displaced individuals.
Edinburgh College will operate over four main campuses and every effort will be made to
minimise the need for staff to travel between locations on a regular basis. There might be a
requirement for individuals to relocate to a different campus and in such cases the college
will consult fully with those concerned and their representatives.
The valuable role of trade unions, both to represent staff and to work in partnership with
management on the merger, is acknowledged. The merger team will negotiate with
representatives at all stages in an open and transparent manner. Moving forward,
appropriate recognition agreements and collective bargaining mechanisms will be put in
place for Edinburgh College.
It is anticipated that terms and conditions which currently differ between the three colleges
will be harmonised. Every effort will be made to ensure this is implemented at an appropriate
and affordable pace and matched to the future requirements of Edinburgh College.
Benchmarking data will be utilised to ensure that employment terms and conditions are
competitive. The new college aims to be an employer of choice in the college sector both in
terms of reward but also in relation to non-financial factors such as career development and
work enrichment. Edinburgh College will work in partnership with trade unions to determine
the process of harmonisation of terms and conditions and will comply fully with legislative
requirements. The recommendation by the Griggs Review to move to national bargaining for
the college sector is acknowledged and our focus will move to consultation on harmonisation
of terms and conditions at a national level once the regional remuneration strategy is
embedded.
Key Human Resources policies and procedures have been identified and will be available for
the vesting date of Edinburgh College, 1st
October 2012.

6.3 Employee engagement
A formal consultation period was undertaken as part of the external and internal merger
consultation process, details of which are included in Section 8.2 of this document.
A college identity, mission, vision and values are essential to the success of employee
engagement, and initial work on the key principles for Edinburgh College has been
developed further with staff across the partner colleges during the pre-merger period. These
guiding principles will be embedded in the planning and self-evaluation process.
Human Resources teams will lead on internal communications and engagement activities in
the pre-merger and post-vesting periods. The key objectives will be to focus on issues which
staff identify, to avoid jargon and ‘management speak’ and to be open, honest and timely in
all communications. Experience from other mergers tells us that a ‘no news’ message is
more valued by staff than no message at all.
Edinburgh College is committed to communicating with staff openly, candidly and regularly
using a range of communication channels to keep employees and representatives briefed
fully on developments. Merger newsletters, staff briefings, drop-in sessions, posters and
other events will be used to sustain regular, varied communications with staff, as well as
students. Feedback from staff and students will inform the process and the importance of
two-way communication is acknowledged.
Experience from other merged institutions has highlighted the value of communication
facilitators who can act as an editorial board for staff newsletters and support one-to-one
communication. To this end, Edinburgh College will identify and support a team of
communication facilitators across its campuses.
A Human Resources action plan with timelines and key milestones will be published and will
be regularly reviewed, updated and communicated to staff.
Each partner college has a unique corporate culture and one early objective is to undertake
an organisational culture survey in spring 2012. This will set a benchmark against which we
will measure staff engagement over the gestation period of Edinburgh College.
Edinburgh College presents an opportunity to review existing mechanisms of staff
communication and engagement. Lessons from other mergers in the education sector have
been studied and best practice will be adopted.
6.4 Staff development
Staff across the partner colleges collaborate on a number of initiatives including the East of
Scotland Staff Development Collaborative Group and public value projects such as the
Kafka Brigade review of student support systems. The partner colleges also have
experience of piloting shared services which will add value to the merger process.
The colleges benefit from low staff turnover and a bank of expertise. However, roles will
change to reflect different modes of curriculum delivery and the evolution of systems and

procedures. Investment in workforce planning will ensure that the skill base matches the
requirements of the merged college.
An early priority for Edinburgh College will be to identify the appropriate mix of skills and
experience for the management team and to appoint individuals to drive forward the process
of integration. It is acknowledged this will lead to rationalisation of senior management posts
but the savings in management costs will release resources to invest. A wider skills audit will
be undertaken to identify IT and vocational skills gaps. Investment in training will be made to
take full advantage of the opportunities to introduce new technology, procedures and shared
services.
The scale and scope of Edinburgh College will support enhanced professional development
activities and provide stimulating personal development for staff. Edinburgh College presents
opportunities to integrate and streamline procedures and the combined organisational
development resources will offer staff career development opportunities not available in the
individual colleges. This refers, in particular, to management development programmes,
opportunities for career progression in a larger college and access to professional teaching
qualifications. Edinburgh College will aspire to invest in staff both to support them in their
current roles but also to give them the skill, experience and confidence to progress to other
career opportunities. We intend to draw on the experience of organisations which have been
identified as examples of good practice in change management and will seek to adopt
approaches to management development which have been shown to add value.
To achieve the above, Edinburgh College will remain committed to the standards set out in
the Investors in People (IiP) accreditation, but will enhance its offer to staff by developing a
Professional Development Academy - to provide supportive staff development linked to the
quality improvement agenda. Through the Professional Development Academy, all staff will
be given opportunities to develop their competence and performance to bring excellence to
everything they do at Edinburgh College. It is recognised that innovation and
experimentation are essential to the improvement of professional practice. As such, the
Professional Development Academy will support and enable staff to try new approaches to
improve the student experience.
Professional development for staff members who support learning will be available through
the Professional Development Award programme and support for the Teaching Qualification
Further Education (TQFE) degree level qualification will continue. Our staff will be
appropriately qualified to deliver the curriculum of the future.
6.5 Self-evaluation
Edinburgh College will develop an ethos and culture centred on the agreed key principles.
Regular staff surveys, the European Foundation Quality Model (EFQM), balanced

scorecards and other metrics will be utilised to measure progress and to ensure that staff
engagement is considered a priority and placed high on the agenda at all times.
The partner colleges already undertake regular benchmarking, both within the college sector
and the wider employment market, to measure performance. Inspections by Education
Scotland, external agencies and feedback from employers and learners are used to assess
performance and identify areas for improvement. A solid foundation exists for self-
evaluation.
Edinburgh College will develop a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Human
Resources, against which the organisation can benchmark post-merger, both across the
education sector and the wider employment market. These metrics will include standard HR
measures such as staff turnover and absence rates in addition to the assessment of ‘softer
issues’ such as staff morale and accessibility to senior management. A follow-up
organisational culture survey will be conducted one year after the vesting date. A post-
merger report will be prepared to assess the impact of the employee engagement strategies
and to inform future mergers in the sector
6.6 Health, safety and well-being
The Partnership Board and management of the partner colleges recognise their
responsibilities with regard to the health, safety and well-being of staff, students, contractors
and visitors. Appropriate policies and procedures are in place in each partner college and
best practice will be identified and adopted by Edinburgh College. With four main campuses
and several outreach locations, it is important that Edinburgh College adopts a standard
approach to health and safety and to this end, the three partners will work towards BS18001
accreditation for the new college. Edinburgh College will make suitable provision to ensure
full compliance with all legal and college health and safety requirements.
The well-being of staff is paramount and Edinburgh College will sustain the partner colleges’
commitment to the Scottish Government’s Healthy Working Lives award scheme. The
merger is a period of significant change and the partner colleges will support staff during and
beyond this period of change. Edinburgh College is committed to retaining an Employee
Assistance Programme (EAP) and a comprehensive occupational health facility.
The provision of a suite of appropriate staff benefits will continue into Edinburgh College.
These are likely to include access to salary sacrifice schemes for child care support and
travel. Access to sports facilities, personal care and education across the main campuses
will be available to staff, learners and the local community.

6.7 Business continuity
This is a time of significant change for the partner colleges and it is vital that the delivery of a
high-quality curriculum, staff engagement, enriched learner experience and service to
stakeholders is maintained. Business continuity is concerned with the continued effective
operation of critical activities; it looks at effects rather than causes of events. Business
continuity is one of a suite of plans including incident management, IT disaster recovery and
risk register which Edinburgh College will develop and sustain. Risks and appropriate
contingencies associated with the people aspects of the merger will be identified as part of
the transitional merger plan. The new college will use Business Impact Analysts (BIA) to
focus on critical activities. Business continuity is viewed as part of Edinburgh College’s social
responsibility to discharge its duty of care to staff, learners and the wider community.
To achieve these aims, Edinburgh College will follow the process and principles set out in
BS 25999-1 Business continuity management Part 1 - Code of practice. By adopting the
standard approach set out in BS 25999/ISO 22301, the college can be assured that it will be
capable of managing continuity throughout the merger process.

7. Financial benefits of the proposed merger
7.1 General
The case for the new Edinburgh College is based on a number of key assumptions that both
support public value and preventative spending as outlined by the Scottish Government and
seek to make best use of public funds during challenging economic times. The basic
premise is to keep resources as close to the student as possible.
Edinburgh College will come into existence at a difficult time for the sector. Following
substantial reductions in SFC grant income during 2011/12, further reductions of 8.5 per
cent, 5.6 per cent and 5.6 per cent have been announced for the years 2012-13, 2013-14
and 2014-15. In cash terms, the expected reduction in revenue grant income in 2012/13 is
approximately £5m, with further reductions of £2.5m per annum for each of the following two
years.
In overall terms, the income of the combined colleges will reduce by £19m (24 per cent) over
the period from 2010-11 to 2014-15. The cut in funding will lead to an inevitable reduction in
teaching and support roles but the proposed merger will provide an opportunity to minimise
the level of this reduction and seek to ensure that provision is maintained across Edinburgh
and the Lothians.
The merger will enable Edinburgh College to reduce the level of its management overheads
when compared to the current level of this cost within the individual colleges. In addition, the
merger will facilitate the removal of duplicate provision and greater efficiencies in support
functions including IT, Finance, HR and Marketing.
An income reduction on the scale outlined above will lead to a reduction in output and
capability unless cash is invested to enable new ways of delivery. Edinburgh College
intends to continue investing in facilities to ensure all students across Edinburgh and the
Lothians region can access learning through modern premises and other delivery channels.
The merger business case assumes fixed asset investment of £25m over the plan period.
There are opportunities to increase the level of commercial and international income by
adopting a ‘one door’ approach. As the capital city, Edinburgh is a powerful draw and the
strong mix of the technical skills and modern facilities available across the four core
campuses will provide opportunity for increased growth beneficial to Edinburgh College, the
Edinburgh and the Lothians region, and Scotland.
A number of assumptions underlie the business plan, including;
 A reduction in the number of management staff evidenced by a rapid reduction of
both academic and corporate management costs for the new college.
 A sustainable financial position within three years of merger with accounting and
cash surpluses being generated at that stage.

 A level of operating surplus and positive cashflow generated by the college sufficient
to support institutional sustainability but recognising the need to maximise resources
wherever possible to enhance the student experience. The new college aims to
achieve an operating surplus of approximately 1 per cent of turnover.
 The management of liquid assets is a critical and sensitive issue. The proposed
ceiling of 10 per cent of annual revenue has been considered in the financial plan.
 The continued usage of key assets including the four main campuses – at Sighthill,
Granton, Milton Road and Eskbank - and the development of better access in both
East Lothian and Craigmillar.
The business plan for Edinburgh College has been prepared for submission to the Scottish
Funding Council and used to inform the decision-making of the Partnership Board.
7.2 Commercial and international strategy
7.2.1 Introduction
The merger of the three partner colleges will bring a number of tangible benefits. Through
sharing staff expertise, product range, client base and market expertise, Edinburgh College
will access business opportunities and compete more effectively, both locally and nationally.
The aspiration is to drive the skills agenda for Edinburgh and the Lothians by being the
partner of choice for industry and commerce by supporting them through a range of
initiatives including the enhancement of skills and knowledge that will improve efficiency and
effectiveness and also develop both individual and organisational productivity. A focus on
the development of partnerships with SMEs, Higher Education and sector skills councils is
key to supporting employer engagement opportunities.
Edinburgh College will be one of the largest training and consultancy providers in Scotland,
with access through the five curriculum hubs to a wide range of programmes, from health
care, renewables, enterprise and management development, green and clean technologies,
tourism & hospitality and engineering. A larger talent pool and breadth of expertise will
stimulate curriculum innovation, knowledge transfer, research and development and
entrepreneurship.
7.2.2 Commercial contracts
The college will be in a prime position to develop commercial contracts and partnerships with
local government, SMEs and large corporations. The new business development function
will have links to dedicated staff in each hub with expertise on the hub’s specific products
and markets and to a bank of associates when specialism cannot be offered.

The Green Transport Hub will be established in spring 2012. The will be a partnership
between Edinburgh College and the new West of Scotland and North east college
regions. The purpose of this new initiative will be to work collaboratively between the
colleges, industry and Higher Education to develop specific services around clean
technology and electric vehicles, such as knowledge transfer, research, professional
development programmes, training programmes and consultancy. This new
development will build and enhance the current provision of the college partners and
provide a range of services to automotive and transport companies.
The college will be a major provider of skills training, addressing the development needs of
16-24 year olds. A Skills Gateway will be established in order to contract, manage and
deliver a range of funded contracts such as Modern Apprenticeships, Life Skills, Get Ready
for Work, Higher level and Technical Apprenticeships.
The three colleges have summited a tender to Skills Development Scotland to deliver a
range of National Training Programmes. Edinburgh’s Telford College has submitted a
significant bid for around 800 MAs. If successful, about 20 per cent of these contracts would
be delivered by staff at the other two colleges with the necessary expertise. This is an
example of where scale and range of expertise can bring in larger contracts.
The college will be a key partner of the three main local authorities, supporting the councils’
employee development needs and assisting the authorities to meet their own corporate
objectives for their citizens, such as employment and care services
Stevenson College Edinburgh is the City of Edinburgh Council’s preferred bidder for
the new Integrated Employability Service contract, to be delivered across the city
from April 1st
2012, initially for two years with an option for two more. Edinburgh
College will inherit the contract in October 2012. Working with a wide range of public
and voluntary sector partners, the college will be tasked with service provision for
3,000 unemployed clients per year, delivered from four hubs in main areas of
deprivation and closely linked geographically to the main sites of the new college.
Existing links with the Airport Recruitment Centre and Edinburgh Skills Shop will be
developed. In the current economic climate, the performance targets are stretching
with 45 per cent of clients expected to achieve positive outcomes including
progression to mainstream college programmes, voluntary work and sustained jobs.
The job entry target is 800 per year and although stretching, our experience of
delivering the WEACT project suggests it is achievable with the payment by results
contract worth £1.45m annually. The delivery of community-based employability
services in partnership with a wide range of local and national organisations will lend
a unique perspective and knowledge base to the college which will lead to further
innovation and integration in the fields of vocational education and employability
service delivery.
Edinburgh College will also be able to develop the current partnerships with a number of
sector-specific training providers. For example, Edinburgh’s Telford College currently jointly
delivers in both Edinburgh and Glasgow a range of rail-related training to meet the high

demand for trained staff in this sector. It is proposed that this partnership will develop into
joint delivery of construction-related courses across Europe and worldwide.
7.2.3 International Development
Edinburgh College will build on the international capability and capacity of the three partner
colleges to increase its global reach and embed further a culture of internationalisation within
the new organisation.
Edinburgh College will have a more powerful message for prospective international clients,
being able to capitalise on the strong brands of both Edinburgh and Scotland in global
markets. The increased course portfolio of Edinburgh College will also mean more
opportunities to promote Edinburgh College to a larger international audience. There is the
potential for greater account penetration of the three institutions’ existing clients. Links will be
strengthened with international agencies, overseas companies, education institutions and
government bodies. New links and new markets will be developed for the new college. The
scale of Edinburgh College will also allow it to consider larger-scale capacity-building
projects overseas and to look at having a presence in specific countries.
First-class support for international students and clients will be central to the success of the
Edinburgh College internationalisation strategy. The college will offer a full package of
international services, including end-to-end student application guidance, accommodation
and specialist visa counselling. Compliance with UKBA policies will be essential.
Partnerships with UK Higher Education institutions offering attractive articulation routes will
be expanded.
Mobility programmes allowing student and staff skills development visits in a European
context will be enhanced.
From January 2012, the three colleges aligned their overseas recruitment activities to
promote the full range of courses and opportunities available under a new college
collaboration banner. The three colleges have also begun to bid jointly for VET
projects in Saudi Arabia, Libya and Kazakhstan

8. The consultation process
The public consultation on the initial merger plan between Jewel & Esk College and
Stevenson College Edinburgh to create a new college for the Edinburgh city region took
place between July and September 2011. Edinburgh’s Telford College joined the merger
process in November 2011, after this initial period of consultation had come to an end, and
carried out internal consultation during January and February 2012.
8.1 External consultation
The consultation document for the merger of two colleges, A New College for Edinburgh City
Region, was launched on 6 July 2011 at an event attended by more than 100 key
stakeholders and chaired by Brendan Dick, Director of BT Scotland. Mandy Exley, Principal
of Jewel & Esk College and Brian Lister OBE, Principal of Stevenson College Edinburgh -
along with their Board Chairs, Ian Young and Jim Ewing – outlined the vision for the new
college. Attendees at the launch event included representatives of a wide range of
stakeholder organisations. The private sector was represented by small business right
through to corporates such as Deloitte, Lloyds TSB and RBS, highlighting the scale of the
business relationships developed by the colleges. There were also significant attendees
from business organisations, including CBI Scotland and the Institute of Directors.
Public sector attendees included senior representation from local authorities, other colleges
and four universities. School headteachers, MSPs and local communities were represented,
along with NHS Lothian, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council.
The consultation document was distributed to those who attended the launch and to
hundreds of other key stakeholders. Feedback was requested via an open question about
thoughts on the proposal to create a new college, reasons for support or concern and
suggestions for the new college’s name.
The colleges were keen to ensure that the document - and its explanation of the thinking
behind the merger - was distributed as widely as possible to the broadest possible range of
stakeholders, to allow detailed feedback. Subsequently, constructive and valuable feedback
was received from a significant range of stakeholders.
The replies from external stakeholders were unanimously positive, and focused on the
increased capacity of a new college to meet student needs, improved opportunities for
collaboration and the chance for the new institution to make a more significant contribution to
the economy of Edinburgh and the Lothians.
There was praise for the broader range of courses and services that would be offered by the
new, larger college – and the opportunity to offer a single reference-point to employers
looking to work with a local college, and for the new institution to offer highly specialist
provision and curriculum hubs in specific areas.
Although this initial phase of the public consultation included feedback on a two-college
merger, it was felt the approach taken had been sufficiently thorough to enable positive
conclusions to be drawn about likely stakeholder response to Edinburgh’s Telford College’s
inclusion in the proposals too.

This was borne out by several key stakeholders who were prepared to strengthen their initial
response to the merger following on the inclusion of Edinburgh’s Telford College. Some
typical comments include:
"This three-way merger is good for Edinburgh and good for business, not just because it
delivers efficiencies and economies of scale, but because of the focus of the unified colleges
on providing opportunities for our young people and a skilled workforce that businesses
need to grow and prosper." David Birrell, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce
“I have absolutely no doubt that this is the correct way to go and will bring huge benefits.”
Norman Springford, Chairman, Apex Hotels
“I believe this will create a stronger entity moving forward and offer students and staff a
much better vehicle to progress in their education and career.”
Tom Buchanan, Economic Development Convener, City of Edinburgh Council
The next phase of public consultation will involve all three colleges. Working with Grayling,
the appointed external PR agency, regular and planned communication will be established
with the key stakeholders for all three colleges, initially with a customised letter which will be
followed by regular newsletters and updates as required. All questions and feedback
gathered from this process will be responded to and published as appropriate.
In addition, key stakeholder events will be held across all three colleges in order to
encourage involvement and buy-in.
8.2 Internal consultation
Staff and students are represented on the merger Partnership Board, and at local college
level consultation with staff, trade unions and student representatives has been on-going
since the announcement of the original two-college merger proposal in April 2011.
In August 2011, all staff at Stevenson College Edinburgh and Jewel & Esk College
participated in a series of consultation events. The first was ‘Stop the Clock’ when staff took
time out from their working day to discuss the merger proposal with their work teams.
Individuals were asked to comment on strengths and successes which should not be lost as
plans for the new college developed. There was also an opportunity to propose a name for
the new college. This event was followed by ‘Working Together’, where staff from each
college had the opportunity to work with colleagues from the partner college and to visit the
partner college campus. Working in cross-college groups, individuals were given time to
identify challenges, opportunities and to discuss and refine the proposed key principles for
the new college, as outlined in Section 3.1 of this document.

These sessions were facilitated by volunteers working in pairs and representing each college
and different job roles. Staff unable to visit the partner college had the opportunity to do so at
a later date with colleagues from the partner college acting as hosts.
In September 2011, the Principals of SCE and JEC swapped colleges for a day to meet staff
and students, dropping in on classes and hosting open meetings to answer questions.
This programme of activities was mirrored by Edinburgh’s Telford College in January 2012 to
ensure that the consultation process was consistent across all three colleges.
A range of other consultation approaches were also deployed at ETC, including staff briefing
sessions, drop-in sessions, posters, email messages from the Principal and the use of
regular newsletters as the merger proposal developed.
Formal consultation with trade unions was crucial from the beginning and regular
consultation meetings have been held with both local representatives and regional officers.
This will continue up to and beyond vesting day to ensure that staffing remains a priority for
the new college.
The Student Associations have been involved both at college and Partnership Board level.
The service of an external communications consultant was made available to the student
bodies to provide advice and prepare appropriate consultation materials for students.
Feedback from staff and students has been essential to the consultation process and
changes have been made to reflect this - for example, the format of newsletters was
amended and editorial groups established to ensure content reflected staff interests. The
staff intranet has been used to make documents available to all and to maintain a set of
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions - and the answers to these questions. Appendix 10
illustrates a range of these questions and answers.
8.3 Summary of consultation
The feedback from the consultation period was extremely valuable. There was universally
positive support from external stakeholders, with some of those already enthusiastic in their
backing of the Jewel & Esk/Stevenson proposal in 2011 prepared to offer even stronger
support once Edinburgh’s Telford had agreed to participate in a three-college merger.
Some areas of concern were highlighted by students and staff – and have been addressed
as far as possible through all the mechanisms available. Many of the concerns have been
addressed through the guarantee of no compulsory redundancies during the first two years
of the new college’s operation.

The partner colleges, and the new Edinburgh College, will guarantee to continue working
with students and staff to tackle all concerns raised about the merger process and future
operation of the new college. As reinforced throughout this document, students and staff will
always be fully consulted – and their voices always heard, and fully considered – throughout
this process.
In light of all the feedback gathered during the consultation period, the Partnership Board
believes that it has received strong positive affirmation that the creation of a new merged
college is the best way forward to serve the future educational needs of Edinburgh and the
Lothians.

9. Governance and management
9.1 College Name
The proposed name for the new college is Edinburgh College.
The formal consultation processes with staff and students across all three colleges were
completed by mid-February 2012. Included in the consultation was the opportunity to
suggest a preferred name for the new college. The external consultation also offered key
stakeholders the opportunity to make suggestions about the new college name. These
suggestions were collated by the joint three-college marketing team.
The Merger Executive Board was presented with a list of the most commonly suggested
names arising from the consultations. These were:
 Edinburgh City College
 City of Edinburgh College
 Edinburgh College
The Board of Management of Jewel & Esk College indicated that it wished to have a name
that emphasised inclusiveness across the new college’s area of operation. Consequently,
the Merger Executive Board recommended to the Partnership Board that Edinburgh College
should be the preferred name for submission to the Scottish Government. The Partnership
Board endorsed this proposal at its meeting at the end of February.
It was also agreed that a strapline should be adopted to convey the breadth of reach of the
new college across the Edinburgh and the Lothians region, and to ensure that learners and
stakeholders outside Edinburgh are not alienated by the choice of a name that focuses on
the college’s connection with Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city. The strapline will be
determined through a branding exercise, and will have the following theme: ‘Creating
opportunities for Edinburgh and the Lothians’.
9.2 Proposed governance and management structures
The new college is totally committed to deliver governance and management for the new
institution that is of the highest quality in terms of its robustness and professionalism. It will
ensure this by drawing on best practice, and on the experience and skills of members of the
three partner colleges – as well as learning from elsewhere, and particularly from similar
mergers.
9.2.1 Governance
Highly-committed members of the three college boards bring to the sector valuable expertise
and important contacts with local industry and the community. They are excellent advocates
for the colleges and give their time generously. All three existing boards have a code of

conduct and a register of interests, a comprehensive understanding of their financial
responsibilities and monitor the quality of provision on offer.
To ensure effective governance arrangements going forward, the three college boards
created a Partnership Board in December 2011 with representation from each to oversee the
process of merger. The Partnership Board has certain delegated powers of authority to
progress the merger proposal through to the point where the merger submission document
is presented to each college board for its approval. The merger submission document will
then be forwarded to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning for his
approval.
The composition of the Partnership Board and the ‘Deed of Partnership’ - which underpins
the remit of the Board, and was signed on 26th
January 2012 - are set out in Appendix 1.
The publication of the Griggs Report on FE Governance in January 2012 recommended that
“as soon as is practicable, and if possible by academic year 2013-14”, a new regional
structure should be established for the college sector in Scotland. It is proposed that the
regional board structure in Edinburgh will evolve from the Board arrangements for the single
college arising from the merger of Edinburgh’s Telford College, Jewel & Esk College and
Stevenson College Edinburgh. Once the three college Boards of Management approve
merger, a Shadow Board will be established to plan and administer the remainder of the
merger process up to and including vesting day, scheduled for 1st
October 2012.
9.2.2 The Shadow Board
The Shadow Board will be an evolution of the current Partnership Board and will number 17
members in total. A Chair will be appointed by the Shadow Board. The Shadow Board will
comprise: three members drawn from each of the three existing college Boards of
Management, with three of these members serving for two years and three for four years;
the Principal Designate of the new Edinburgh College; a representative of corporate staff
and one representative of teaching staff; and a student representative. This will leave four
vacancies to attract new or former members to the Board, allowing flexibility to ensure the
necessary profile of skills and expertise on the new Board.
All subsequent appointments to the Board will use procedures consistent with the Public
Appointments System. Such an approach will ensure appointments are open, transparent
and meet the needs of the region. Best practice on diversity, especially in terms of gender
and ethnicity, should also be reflected in Board membership.
The governance framework adopted by Edinburgh College will have a requirement to ensure
the Board has a sufficient number of members to fulfil committee assignments and provide
the appropriate mix of continuity, experience, skills and diversity for the Board and its
committees to fulfil their responsibilities. Therefore, it will be important to ensure that the
Shadow Board has a sufficient range of skills, expertise and experience to fulfil
responsibilities which encompass finance, strategic planning, audit, personnel and estates,

while taking account of vocational and functional areas of activity to be served by Edinburgh
College. In due course, the Shadow Board may wish to conduct a skills audit with the aim of
balancing experience and expertise in different areas.
The Shadow Board may co-opt additional members on a time-limited basis for particular
purposes. Co-optees would not have a right to vote. This provision may be used to ensure
the Board obtains relevant expertise and advice to assist with matters such as the college
estate and relationships with universities.
The transition arrangements outlined above should provide for continuity and appropriate
governance of both strategy and practice for Edinburgh College.
Prior to becoming the Board of Management for Edinburgh College, during the period April-
September 2012, the Shadow Board will have full delegated authority to approve a budget
for the new college for 2012-13, understanding that in the first two months of financial year
2012-13, all three partner colleges will still be operating as autonomous institutions.
Another early action will be the appointment of the Principal Designate, recruited by open
external advertisement, and that of a Secretary to the Shadow Board. The Shadow Board
will also devise a committee structure covering all main functions - including finance, audit,
human resources, student matters, the monitoring of the core academic business of the
college and the quality of delivery, estates, the performance review and remuneration of
senior staff, and the search for and selection of personnel to fill senior positions, including
new Board members.
Additionally, the Shadow Board will identify suitable individuals with relevant skills sets to
convene each of the committees, and will consider what additional external input may be
required. In the first instance, the Shadow Board will meet frequently to ensure the
objectives set for vesting day are met in full.
9.2.3 The new Edinburgh College Board
At vesting day, 1st
October 2012, it is intended that the Shadow Board will become the
Edinburgh College Board. Two models of merger can be used in relation to the proposed
merger going forward. Under the first of these, the ‘host’ model, two of the colleges would
be ‘transferred’ into the third college (the ‘host’ college).
In due course, the Scottish Government will make an order dissolving the Boards of
Management of the ‘redundant’ colleges. The transfer of assets, liabilities etc, is not the
subject of the order. Instead, this is transacted by agreement between the colleges
themselves against the background of the powers which ministers have delegated to the
SFC to approve transfers of assets. Under this model, two of the three partner colleges
would be dissolved.

Once all transfers have taken place, the ‘host’ college would then change its name to
Edinburgh College with ministers at the same time promoting a separate order to designate
Edinburgh College as a fundable body. As the Shadow Board will become the Board of
Edinburgh College, the ‘host’ college will facilitate this transition. This will be achieved by
the Board of Management of the ‘host’ college, except for any non-staff members of the
Board of the ‘host’ college who are also members of the Shadow Board, standing down with
effect from 1st
October 2012.
An alternative approach that can be adopted is the ‘phoenix’ model. This requires the
closure/dissolution of all three colleges and a transfer of property, responsibilities and
liabilities to an entirely new fundable body, Edinburgh College. In practice, it does not make
a difference legally whether the host or phoenix model is adopted. The major disadvantage
of the ‘host’ model is that it has connotations of a ‘takeover’ i.e. an impression that one
college (the ‘host’) has ‘taken over’ the other two colleges. The major disadvantage of the
‘phoenix’ model is that it requires the promotion of a statutory instrument in the Scottish
Parliament.
Dialogue with the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council has led to the view
that the ‘host’ model is the better one to adopt for Edinburgh College. To date, there have
been three successful ‘host’ mergers and in each case, the larger or largest college has
been the host. The process by which a decision will be reached on the ‘host’ college will
involve the Shadow Board conducting an objective assessment of the most appropriate legal
procedure for the establishment of Edinburgh College (choosing the host). This will be done
using an assessment matrix as set out in Appendix 11.
The Shadow Board will make a recommendation which will subsequently require to be
validated by an independent legal firm and the Scottish Funding Council.
It is recognised that there will be certain residual responsibilities for the Boards of each
college to discharge prior to formal dissolution, such as the signing off of their final accounts.

9.2.4 Process to vesting day
A Summary of the Process up to vesting day is set out below:
Date Activity
College Boards:
Late March 2012-
Early April 2012
All College Boards agree to the following:-
 Boards will formally resign at 23.59 on 30 September
2012 from existing colleges
 Existing board members will be invited to express their
interest in becoming a board member of Edinburgh
College. Each individual board will formally recommend
3 members for the Shadow Board (and hence the new
Edinburgh College Board)
 Delegation of authority to the Shadow Board to carry out
an objective assessment of the best legal set up for
Edinburgh College (i.e. choosing the host). This will be
decided through the scoring of each college on the
assessment matrix set out in Appendix 11. The Shadow
Board will make a recommendation that will be validated
by SFC and an independent legal firm.
 Each existing board will accept the recommendation.
26th
April 2012 Partnership Board ceases and Shadow Board commences
operation.
Shadow Board appoints a Chair and undertakes the process to
determine the host college. It also appoints a Secretary to the
Shadow Board.
26th
April – 1st
October
Shadow Board recruits and appoints Principal Designate
Shadow Board governs the implementation phase of the
merger.
1 October 2012 –
Vesting Date
The Shadow Board becomes the Board of Edinburgh College
using the recommended host college.
The Principal Designate becomes the Principal of Edinburgh
College.

9.3 Management
9.3.1 Management of the merger process
The management of the merger process has taken place in two stages – an initial merger
initiative involving SCE and JEC (early 2011 to November 2011) and the full three-college
merger from November 2011 onwards. The initial work, driven by an Executive Steering
Group, provided a sound foundation on which to build the three-college partnership,
facilitating the rapid progress that has been made in the spring of 2012 towards a merger
proposal that has been accepted by all three Boards of Management.
The three-college merger process has been overseen by the Partnership Board, while the
day-to-day management of the detailed processes has been delegated to a Merger
Executive Board comprising the three Principals and chaired by Jim Donaldson CBE, Board
of Management chair at Edinburgh’s Telford College.
The Merger Executive Board has managed the activities of various work streams set up to
take forward specific projects to establish the academic benefits of the merger and the
business case, agree the key strategies for the new college, including its people strategy,
and to ensure that the new college processes will assure quality, equality and diversity. The
Merger Executive Board appointed a Project Manager to assist the work streams, and a
financial consultant to ensure that the new college business model was soundly-based.
Senior and operational employees from each partner colleges are represented on all work
streams to ensure that best practice across the colleges is identified and incorporated into
the new college. The main work streams are: Curriculum and Learner Services (including
Learner Engagement); Finance and Commercial (including Estates and ICT); and Staffing
and Structures. Particular work packages, such as Quality, were delegated to subgroups.
The Merger Executive Board has managed the communication of its key decisions to all staff
through an appointed internal communications officer, and to all key stakeholders through an
external PR agency. It has also committed considerable energy to pursuing a fair and
balanced voluntary severance scheme for all staff.
9.3.2 Going forward
Once the ‘host’ college is determined by the Shadow Board, there will be a re-assignment of
work packages to take the new college forward into the implementation of its merger
proposals. Thereafter, it is expected that the appointment process for a Principal to
Edinburgh College will take place in late April. Once a Principal Designate is appointed, a
new senior management team will then be put in place. This new management team will
take responsibility for the detailed preparation for vesting day on 1st
October.
There will be an agreed implementation plan (with published timelines) covering each of the
key areas of merger implementation: Curriculum and Learners Services; Finance and

Commercial; and Staffing and Structures. This will be monitored by the new Principal and
senior management team.

10. Implementation and strategy
10.1 Timetable to vesting day
The key milestones in the merger planning process are set out in the table below:
Completed by Responsibility Action
22 Mar 2012 Partnership Board Approves business case. Merger proposal to
go to individual college boards
30 Mar 2012 SFC Investment
Committee
Considers cost and investment elements of
merger proposal and determine allocation
By 3 April 2012 Individual college Boards Approve business case and merger proposal
By 20 April 2012 Chairs of three colleges Submit final business case and merger
proposal to Scottish Government
26 April 2012 Partnership Board /
Shadow Board
Partnership Board ceases and Shadow
Board assumes responsibility; process to
determine ‘host’ college for merger begins
30 April 2012 Scottish Government Initiates own consultation and seeks advice
from SFC
By 1 May 2012 Shadow Board Begins recruitment of Principal Designate
and engages professional services for the
search.
2 May 2012 SFC Investment
Committee
Review visit to three colleges (format,
locations to be confirmed). Will include
meetings with: Chairs & Board members;
Principals & senior management; staff;
students
25 May 2012 SFC Investment
Committee
Advises SFC Council; informal advice to
Scottish Government
By end June
2012
Shadow Board Confirms appointment of Principal Designate
(to take up post on negotiated date)
29 June 2012 SFC Council Consider and approves council’s advice to
the Cabinet Secretary; advises Scottish
Government - formal
By end August
2012
Shadow Board and
Principal Designate
Considers organisational structure including
senior management team
23 July 2012 Scottish Government End of 12-14 week process of consultation;
(Summer recess will have commenced)
30 July 2012 Scottish Government
Executive
Advises on outcomes of the SG consultation
By end August
2012
Cabinet Secretary for
Education and Lifelong
Learning
Announcement of decision re approval of
merger proposal
1 Oct 2012 New Edinburgh College Vesting Day
1 Oct 2012 Edinburgh College OSCR Parliamentary process commences to
complete formal charitable and funding name
changes

10.2 Communications strategy
Communication is a key element of managing change effectively, and will be a significant
function in Edinburgh College. To be effective, all communication should be timely, open and
honest. As such, even when there are no developments to communicate, a ‘no news’
message should be offered rather than ‘no message’. A communications plan has been
produced to provide a framework for the development, implementation and monitoring of
merger communications and should be viewed as a strategic communication partnership
across the three colleges. Embedded within the plan is the recognition that communication is
a two-way process which involves ‘listening’ as well as ‘informing’.
10.2.1 Aims and Objectives
The aims and objectives of the communications plan are to:
 Assist with the management of change
 Inform, inspire and engage key audiences
 Keep key stakeholders briefed regularly about merger developments
 Provide reassurance where required
 Build support, understanding and commitment
 Develop a positive profile for the merger both internally and externally
 ‘Protect’ the reputation and brand of the three partner colleges during the transitional
period
 Address inaccuracies and counter misinformation
10.2.2 Target Audiences
There are a wide range of internal and external stakeholders with whom we need to engage
to ensure we communicate merger developments effectively. These include:
Internal audiences: students & student representatives; staff & staff representatives;
Boards of Management; college managers
External Audiences: prospective students and their influencers; educational bodies,
schools and universities; community groups; businesses and industry bodies; Sector Skills
Councils; local authorities; local politicians, including councillors; media

10.2.3 Key Messages
Key messages should be linked to key milestones, outcomes and decisions which may be
relevant to any of the target audiences. Messages should also reflect and reinforce the
brand values and vision for the new college.
The main messages include:
 Updates on the merger process
 Key dates and milestones
 Benefits of the merger
 Recruitment of the Principal to lead the new college
 Name and brand for the new college
 Scale and scope of the new college in the context of Edinburgh and Scotland
 Business as usual but even better to ensure continuity and seamless transition
 Building on success and high standards by highlighting successes of the three colleges
 The breadth and depth of links and partnerships of the three colleges and the new college
 Importance of curriculum hubs
10.2.4 Communication Channels
A range of communication channels should be used and communication champions should
be established from both teaching and corporate staff and the student body.
The primary communication channels will be as follows:
Internal newsletter: regular publication of the Working Together newsletter which is produced
by the marketing work stream and signed off at Principal level before circulating to all staff
and students across the three colleges by email and making printed copies available in the
library, learning centres and staff rooms.
External newsletter/emails: regular updates to all external stakeholders about the merger
through email updates and letters.
Website/intranet: all three college websites have a ‘new college’ section, containing up-to-
date and consistent information, which should be mirrored on staff and student intranets and
portals, with appropriate information for each audience. An FAQ document has been
produced which resides here and should be updated weekly, as and when new questions
arise. The new college sections should include relevant newsletters, press releases and
latest news.
Social media: all three college Twitter and Facebook pages will have coordinated and
consistent messages posted about the merger at the same time.
Staff/student/stakeholder event: a number of regular and coordinated events will be held
across the main campuses to engage each audience and provide the opportunity for
discussion and the ability to pose questions to senior staff. Regular opportunities for two-
way communication and discussion at all staff levels will be developed. Senior management
visibility and accessibility through face-to-face meetings and team briefings are critical to
building better employee understanding of and buy-in to the merger.

Public Relations: press releases and thought leadership pieces will be developed,
particularly in key sector areas, in order to establish a strong voice for Edinburgh College.
External media activity should be synchronised with internal communications to ensure key
audiences receive information at the same time, as appropriate. Media responses must be
prepared in advance to counter any potential negative connotations arising from
announcements about the merger.
Plasma/TV screens: use of the internal plasma/TV screens in each of the three colleges will
be maximised for merger-related news, developments and events.
Students’ Associations: the three colleges should work with the Student Presidents of each
college to ensure the messages and communication channels are meaningful and credible
to the Edinburgh and the Lothians student population.
10.2.5 Research and evaluation
Communication activities need to be evaluated regularly to determine if we are succeeding
in getting the key messages across.
Research will be carried out with a sample of key internal and external audiences and should
be a continuous activity, not just a one-off. The key research tools that will be used to gather
both quantitative and qualitative data will be:
 Questionnaires using online tools e.g. SurveyMonkey
 Focus groups
 Press cuttings to monitor media coverage
 Analysis of information from websites and social media sites
10.2.6 New college name and branding
A new brand will be developed for Edinburgh College in consultation with staff, students and
stakeholders. This will include a strapline making reference to Edinburgh and the Lothians,
such as ‘Creating opportunities for Edinburgh and the Lothians’.
10.2.7 Protocols and procedures
Communications activities and channels should be directed by the marketing work stream
with the support of the Project Manager and achieved through the joint working of the three
colleges’ marketing teams. As required, the marketing work stream will work with colleagues
from across the three colleges on specific projects, such as the organisation of staff events
jointly with the HR team and the development of the website for Edinburgh College jointly
with the IT work stream.

A PR agency (Grayling) has been appointed to handle external communications under the
direction of the marketing work stream with approval as required from the Merger Executive
Board. Up to vesting day, Freedom Of Information requests relating to merger will be
handled by each college using existing FOI procedures, but coordinated through the Merger
Executive Board.
10.2.8 Post-Merger Communications
The new brand for Edinburgh College will be in place by 1st
October 2012. For this date,
there will also be a new website and a single social media presence for Edinburgh College,
although a seamless online application process will come later.
There will be new corporate stationery and imagery in use at all campuses and a new staff
newsletter will be in place, as well as common branding across the three college intranets.
A common intranet with the new brand will be implemented as soon as is practicable.
A series of common events will take place to launch Edinburgh College to staff, students,
communities and stakeholders on 1st
October 2012.
Following a campaign to launch the new college and new brand pre-merger, the first
campaign post-merger will be to recruit students for the January 2013 intake, then the
2013/14 academic year, each supported by promotional materials using the new branding.

10.3 Merger Costs
10.3.1 Merger enabling costs
The college merger process has been ‘live’ since quarter one, 2011. The SFC has provided
funding of £600,000 to support the process. Merger enabling expenditure is expected to total
£725,000 by the time the vesting date is reached.
The keys areas of expenditure are:
 Internal communications - £90,000
 External communications - £96,000
 Project management - £90,000
 Merger proposal/business case documentation - £50,000
 Legal and financial due diligence – £190,000
 IT/HR/Legal: advice & support – £150,000
10.3.2 Indicative merger implementation costs
Merger implementation costs are forecast to total £14.7m. This includes £10.5m to support
voluntary severance activity with the balance allocated to a range of integration and
harmonisation activities primarily occurring over the period 2012-2014.
A bid for merger funding of £8.0m has been prepared for consideration by SFC’s Investment
Committee. The balance of merger costs once this allocation is known will be funded by the
new college.
The business case prepared for the Scottish Funding Council contains detail on the nature
and expected timing of the implementation costs.
10.3.3 Potential costs to support regionalisation and cost reduction initiatives
The new college will be the key element of the proposed Edinburgh and Lothians region and
as such will seek to manage its curriculum and support services in line with the required
regional strategy.
The proposed level of budget reductions recently announced for the FE sector will compel
the new college to make staff and other cost reductions beyond those required in a pure
merger and efficiency scenario. The business case recognises the need for Edinburgh
College to utilise cash reserves to support the cost of funding the changes required.
The potential for Edinburgh College to provide IT and other support services to Newbattle
Abbey College is recognised and the new college will continue in discussions to ensure an
appropriate system for cost-effective delivery is identified. An estimate of the initial
investment required is £0.3m.

11. Risks to implementation of the merger
11.1 Risk register
A risk register has been developed with the involvement of the merger work streams,
overseen by the Merger Executive Board. It includes strategies for mitigating each risk and
the responsible person(s). The risk register is a dynamic document, and will develop into a
comprehensive risk management tool, supporting the process through merger
implementation into the operations of the new college. The responsibility for the
management of risk will be transferred to the Shadow Board of Management.
The following table provides an outline of the headline risks associated with the planning for
merger and the early implementation phase, together with a risk score calculated as a
function of likelihood and impact, each scaled 1-3, low to high.
The full risk register can be found in Appendix 12
Narrative Likelihood Impact Risk
Category
Mitigation
Failure to agree board structure
in a timely manner leads to
conflict, delay and/or loss of key
potential new board members.
Medium High High Regular meetings and
communication among the
chairs; regular contact with
SFC for guidance.
Failure to agree process and/or
appointment of Principal to lead
new college in a timely manner
Medium High High Shadow Board to seek
professional support to
ensure open and fair
processes for recruitment
and selection
Failure to agree senior
management structure in a
timely manner leads to conflict,
delay and/or loss of key
personnel
Medium High High Chairs and senior board
members to structure work
to develop key structures by
time of merger proposal
submission
Culture of three teams very
different, leading to loss of key
individuals and inability to
deliver business plan
Medium High High Senior team/board will have
skills mix, including external
appointments - it will be a
new college
EIS negative to the merger
proposal and instigates strike
action
Medium High High Continued communication
on the aims and objectives
of the merger
Competing pressures lead to
lack of resource available to
meet, develop and document
information for merger proposal
Medium High High Appoint project manager;
Continued close monitoring
by MEB

Narrative Likelihood Impact Risk
Category
Mitigation
Failure to keep the current HTS
status and failure to transfer
HTS to new college
Medium High High Establish HTS working
group to review pre-entry
requirements and make sure
that faculties are aware of
the student performance
criteria as set out by HTS
Individual college boards fail to
approve merger
Low High Medium Development of robust
business case and funding
package which reflects
aspirations of all three
partner colleges
Government/SFC unable to fund
full costs of merger
implementation
Medium High Medium Develop financial strategies
to cover various levels of
shortfall in funding
Negative reaction from staff of
one or more colleges
Medium Medium Medium Continued communication
on the aims and objectives
of the merger
Failure to agree future
curriculum for the new college
Low Medium Low Clear criteria and impact
assessment of current and
future curriculum
Failure to agree future student
support structures across the
three campuses
Low Medium Low Close review of systems,
structures and processes
and continued
communication with staff
involved, plus dialogue with
students
Failure to agree an international
development strategy and plan
within appropriate timescales
Low High Medium Integrated international
student recruitment plan
agreed for 12/13 intake.
New college international
plan finalised in first quarter
of 12/13. New structure for
international development
function agreed by 2nd
quarter 12/13

Edinburgh Colleges Merger Proposal Appendices A1
Appendices
Appendix 1: The Partnership Board and The Deed of Partnership
Appendix 2: Academic plan for Edinburgh College
Appendix 3: Learning and Teaching Strategy
Appendix 4: Curriculum strategy
Appendix 5: Learner Entitlement Strategy
Appendix 6: Quality Strategy
Appendix 7: Equality & Diversity Strategy
Appendix 8: ICT and Information Systems Vision
Appendix 9: Estates Strategy
Appendix 10: Issues arising from consultation process
Appendix 11: Assessment matrix to determine host college
Appendix 12: Full risk register

Appendix 1 – The Partnership Board and the Deed of Partnership
A1.1 Composition of the Partnership Board
Edinburgh’s Telford College: Jim Donaldson, CBE; Miles Dibsdall, OBE; Jacqueline Maull;
Jenny Rees.
Jewel & Esk College: Ian Young; Mandy Exley; Robin Stimpson; Lupe Gonzales.
Stevenson College Edinburgh: Jim Ewing (Chair of Partnership Board); Brian Lister, OBE;
Maidie Cahill; Colin Arthur.
A1.2 Deed of Partnership
1. Parties (1) Edinburgh’s Telford College
(2) Jewel & Esk College
(3) Stevenson College Edinburgh
(together, “The Colleges”)
2. Purpose The Colleges have agreed in principle to a merger of
the three colleges.
The Colleges have agreed to the following key
principles and terms set out in this document (the
"Agreement") which will provide a framework within
which progress towards and preparations for merger
will take place.
3. Commitment The Colleges agree that a merger is their preferred
strategic option. Subject to the outcome of financial
due diligence and consultation with staff, students and
other stakeholders, they shall work together in good
faith and in a collaborative and constructive manner to
undertake necessary preparations, and enter into any
appropriate agreements in order to achieve merger.
4. Timescale The Colleges agree to work towards a deadline for
merger by 1 October 2012 subject to necessary
approvals and agreement of the Scottish Funding
Council and Scottish Government.
5. Establishment of
Partnership Board
Upon agreement of this Agreement, the Colleges shall
establish a joint committee with representatives from
each college to work towards agreeing the merger
proposal. This joint committee shall be called the

"Partnership Board".
The core membership of the Partnership Board shall
comprise the following representatives:
 the Chair of each college;
 the Principal of each college;
 one additional member from each college
board; and
 one support staff representative from one
college
 one academic staff representative from one
college
 one student representative from one
college
The Chair of the Partnership Board shall be Jim
Ewing.
There will be two vice-chairs of the Partnership Board
- these shall be Ian Young and Jim Donaldson.
Should any of these representatives be unable to
attend a meeting, their college shall be entitled to
nominate a substitute board member.
The Scottish Funding Council and other student and
staff board representatives from the colleges shall be
entitled to attend meetings of the Partnership Board
as observers. Such observers will have no vote at
any board meeting.
6. Operation of
Partnership Board
The Scottish Funding Council shall provide secretariat
support to the Partnership Board until merger is
complete
The Partnership Board may, at its discretion, invite
other attendees to attend board meetings including,
for example, senior staff from the colleges and project

managers for the merger. Such attendees will have
no role at any board meeting.
The Partnership Board shall provide reports to the
boards of each college.
7. Authority of the
Partnership Board
Authority to take the following actions, decisions, and
preparation shall be delegated from the Colleges to
the Partnership Board:
 the preparation of the merger proposal
document;
 consultation on the merger;
 the planning of the merger including
undertaking necessary due diligence;
 the allocation and spending of any funding
from the Scottish Funding Council for the
pre-merger phase;
 the commissioning of professional advice
and support for the pre-merger phase
using the funding above; and
 making any prospective appointments to
posts in the new college.
Any other delegations of authority by the Colleges to
the Partnership Board will be taken at college board
level and formally recorded, for the avoidance of
doubt.
For the avoidance of doubt, the following decisions
shall be deemed to be beyond the authority of the
Partnership Board:
 final decision as to go-ahead with the merger
 spending over and above any pre-merger
funding allocated by the Scottish Funding
Council.

8. Funding The Scottish Funding Council shall provide funding to
support the pre-merger discussions.
The terms and conditions of this funding will be set out
in a letter from the Scottish Funding Council to the
colleges. The Partnership Board will be required to
comply with any such terms and conditions.
9. Consultation The Colleges shall each be responsible for carrying
out a full consultation with its own students and staff in
respect of the proposed merger. However the
Colleges will work together to ensure such
consultation exercises are conducted in a consistent
way and in the same, or similar, timeframes.
10. Pre-conditions /
approvals required
The Colleges shall work together constructively and
expeditiously to obtain the approval of the Scottish
Government and Scottish Funding Council to the
merger and any other formal approvals required eg
the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
11. Due Diligence The Colleges shall co-operate fully with each other
and the Scottish Funding Council as appropriate to
assist in the undertaking of a full financial and legal
due diligence prior to merger, including making
available all required information to professional
advisors and providing access to premises where
necessary.
12. Merger Document The Colleges will work constructively and
expeditiously to produce a merger plan which will
deal, among other matters, with:
 The transfer or disposal of all property and
assets of each college;
 Transfer/rationalisation of contracts held by
each college; and
 Transfer of staff of each college.
13. Confidentiality Colleges shall not disclose any information (in
whatever form) disclosed to them by one or both of
the other colleges (relating to the disclosing of a
college's business or affairs) other than as agreed by
all colleges.
This clause will not prohibit the sharing of information
with professional advisors appointed to the colleges to
assist in any merger process, or with the Scottish

Funding Council or the Scottish Government.
14. Legal status Other than the clauses on Confidentiality and
Governing Law, this Agreement shall not be legally
binding on the parties.
15. Governing Law This Agreement shall be read and construed in
accordance with Scots law and the Colleges agree to
submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish
courts.

Appendix 2: Academic plan for the New College
The Pursuit of Excellence Model for Edinburgh College
Curriculum Strategies
VisionStrategiesFocus/Aim
High Quality Learning
Experience
 Personalisation
 CPD
 Single Culture
 Evaluation
 Improvement
Learning & Teaching Curriculum Quality Learner Entitlement
The Pursuit of Excellence
High Quality Relevant
Curriculum Offer
 Demand Led
 High Quality
 Innovative
 Efficient/Flexible
 Progression routes
 Continuous Quality
Improvement
 Compliance/
Assurance
 Development
 Evaluation &
Review
 Improvement
 Professional Support
Services
 Advice & Guidance
 Learner Engagement
 Learner Support
 Student Finance
 Learning Resources
Equality & Diversity
New College Community
Single Equality Scheme Equality Impact Assessment Celebrate Diversity
PSED Compliance Advance Equal Opportunities Mainstream E&D
Estates
 Exceptional Learning
Environment
 Accessible & Inclusive
 Sustainable
 Safe, Healthy &
Pleasant
 Excellent value
 Technology Rich
This model has been developed by Edinburgh College to guide its transformational
change.

Appendix 3: Learning and Teaching Strategy for Edinburgh College
Learning & Teaching
Single culture
Personalisation Evaluation
CPD
Improvement
The overall aim of the Learning and Teaching Strategy for Edinburgh College is to ensure
that every student receives an excellent learning experience that exceeds their expectations.
Students will be motivated, encouraged and supported to achieve their qualification and be
actively involved in shaping and personalising their own learning experience. They will
develop personal capacities, professional capabilities, knowledge and skills that will prepare
them for the future and enable them to make a positive contribution to the economy and to
their community.
There will be a single culture of learning in Edinburgh College, regardless of the campus a
student attends. Individuals who study in the community, in remote settings or who are
virtual learners in a “campus without walls” will all share in and benefit from the same
excellent learning experience. All students will benefit from increased and improved digital
technology that will enable them to access all their learning and materials and assessments
online and will study in the same inclusive learning environment where every student is
given every opportunity to fulfil their potential
This single culture of learning will be underpinned by an institutional commitment to quality
and excellence. Staff will be highly motivated and committed to the highest standards of
learning and teaching. The learning and teaching methods will be informed by evidence-
based research and practice and all academic staff will be supported by a comprehensive
programme of CPD.
Learning and teaching will be constantly monitored and evaluated by both staff and students
with the aim of continually improving the quality of the experience. The student voice will be
instrumental in driving changes to the learning and teaching experience. Edinburgh College
will also draw from the experiences of the three partner colleges and best practice from
across the sector to ensure that every student in every academic year continues to receive
an excellent ‘best-in-class’ learning experience

Objectives
 Develop and implement an engagement model that enables students to contribute to
decisions regarding the learning and teaching process
 Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that provides students with
the planning skills and an individual learning plan that will enable them to shape and
personalise their learning
 Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that encourages students to
take responsibility for their own personal development and the development of
independent learning skills
 Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that incorporates and
embeds core skills, essential skills and themes such as employability, enterprise and
health and well-being into all substantive learning programmes
 Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that involves students in the
design and delivery of learning, teaching and assessment
 Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that helps students reflect
on and consolidate their learning and self-evaluate their progress through informal
and formal assessment
 Develop and implement a learning and teaching process that better facilitates learner
progression and improves student retention and success rates
 Develop and implement a single culture of learning and an inclusive environment that
enables every student to achieve their full potential
 Develop and implement a single culture of learning founded on evidence-based
practice, research and a planned programme of CPD that will enhance learning and
teaching
 Maximise the potential use of digital technology to efficiently and effectively enhance
learning, teaching and assessment

Appendix 4: Curriculum Strategy for Edinburgh College
Curriculum
Innovative
Demand Led
Efficient/
Flexible
High Quality
Progression
Routes
This strategy provides a focus and framework for Edinburgh College’s curriculum activity. It
will ensure all programmes within the curriculum portfolio are in line with the new college’s
vision and strategic priorities. Our curriculum - defined as the range of courses and
programmes offered to students - will meet the needs of the local, regional, national and
global economy. Our key driver will be preparing students for the future. The aim of
Edinburgh College is to deliver a high-quality, relevant curriculum to all students.
The curriculum offering will be reviewed annually to ensure it meets our student and key
stakeholder needs. It will also be reviewed with regard to progression routes – both within
the new college, and to other colleges and Institutes of Higher Education. The curriculum will
be delivered through innovative, efficient models to ensure it is flexible, and meets demand.
Our entire curriculum will be demand-led, and ensure quality, and it will meet key Scottish
Government sector priorities and key skills strategies as well as embedding the key
principles of A Curriculum for Excellence.
Objectives:
 To provide a curriculum that supports the needs of students to fulfil their
potential.
 To provide a curriculum that supports our young people to prepare them for
work and training.
 To provide a curriculum that supports the needs of employers to contribute to
economic growth.
 To provide a curriculum that supports the needs of the local community to
improve employment prospects.
 To provide a curriculum to meet the needs of both national and international
students
 To review the curriculum to ensure it is fit for purpose, future-focused, quality-
assured and efficiently delivered.
 To ensure the curriculum provides clear progression routes for all students
 To ensure that all students will have the opportunity to achieve nationally-
recognised provision, or SCQF and Credit Rated college entry programmes
where appropriate.
 To develop curriculum hubs that will be innovative, creative and build skills
and knowledge in students

Appendix 5: Learner Entitlement Strategy for Edinburgh College
Learner Entitlement
Learner
Support
Advice &
Guidance
Student
Finance
Learner
Engagement
Learning
Resources
The aspiration for Edinburgh College is to build key professional support services to ensure
an accessible and high-quality learner journey from enquiry to completion and qualification.
To achieve this, we propose the creation of a ‘one stop shop’ approach across multiple
campuses and the development of service standards that support consistency of delivery
and allow all students fair and equitable access.
We will develop a Learner Engagement Strategy to give an effective voice to all our students
in partnership with the new college for the development of an effective and relevant Learning
and Teaching Strategy which fully supports their participation in the life and environment of
the college.
We will enhance lifelong employment prospects by developing students’ skills, knowledge,
confidence and personal attributes through Edinburgh College’s Personalisation of Learning.
We will support an innovative approach to Learning Resources and the online learning
environment to support the student experience and the flexibility and personalisation of
learning.
We will work in partnership with external stakeholders to ensure we meet the needs of the
Scottish Government’s priority groups and remove barriers to access wherever they exist.
We will develop a safe and secure learning environment that celebrates difference and
ensures equality of opportunity. Being safe and supported will be an integral part of the
student experience.
We will develop systems to ensure best value from public funds in relation to student support
funding.

We will develop effective guidance services to ensure a commitment to students in relation
to pre-entry, on course and pre-exit guidance, ensuring students have the best chance of
success by placing them on the correct course at the correct level that best matches their
ability and aspirations.
We will develop external partnerships to promote and support the learner journey working
closely with the City of Edinburgh Council and Skills Development Scotland, and other
appropriate organisations
Objectives
 Develop key professional services to support an accessible, efficient and
flexible learner journey
 Set service standards across the delivery of Learner Services which will be
evaluated against agreed criteria
 Establish an effective Learner Services Model
 Develop an effective Learner Engagement Strategy to include the support of
an effective Student Union or Association.
 Ensure the integrity of recruitment to ensure students are placed on the most
appropriate course and SCQF level
 Ensure 16+ Learning Choices and Personalisation of Learning is fully
implemented across the college to promote the principles of A Curriculum for
Excellence.
 Ensure all students have the opportunity to develop a broad range of
knowledge, core and essential skills and the confidence and attributes for
sustainable employment
 Develop key partnerships to allow us to achieve our objectives.
 Have a centralised approach to the delivery of key services e.g. student
support funding to ensure equality of opportunity and the best use of public
funds.
 Develop and implement models of support that ensure retention and
achievement rates are in line with SFC indicators of best practice.
 Develop and implement a model that maximises the opportunity of all
students with ‘additional support for learning needs’
 Monitor students’ progression and ensure they are active participants in the
development of their Individual Learning Plans and progress monitoring.
 Develop an effective and fit for purpose virtual learning environment to
support personalisation of learning and improve student involvement.
 Agree quality standards for service delivery and develop effective monitoring
and reporting practices in line with the Edinburgh College Quality Strategy.

Appendix 6: Quality Strategy for Edinburgh College
Quality
Improvement
Development Compliance
Evaluation
Edinburgh College will aim to provide the highest quality education and training to our local,
regional, national and international communities of students and employers. We will ensure
all students are given the opportunity to realise their full potential, enabling them to achieve
the highest standards in their programmes of learning. We will drive to create an excellent
learning environment where all individuals are treated equally and fairly and gain the skills,
attitudes and behaviours they need to progress to employment or further study.
We will achieve this through the development, evaluation and improvement of our learning
and teaching practice and by ensuring services are customer/student-focussed and meet the
expectations of all our customers/students. Through the pursuit of excellence, we will create
a culture of continuous improvement that will be responsive in meeting the needs of all our
stakeholders.
Objectives:
 Develop and implement an integrated quality management system that
provides a framework for all quality assurance and improvement activities.
 Use the integrated quality assurance processes to ensure that we achieve
common, high standards across the college.
 Agree and benchmark shared measures of success and performance
 Strengthen and integrate the collation, analysis and sharing of management
information to ensure effective governance, accountability, planning and
decision-making.
 Take action to improve student achievement, retention and progression rates,
and monitor the impact.
 Develop and implement a shared learning and teaching evaluation model to
inform and support professional development and quality improvement.
 Research and adopt innovative or best practice to enhance the student
experience

 Implement a robust, college-wide system of self-evaluation and internal
review that informs improvement activities and the strategic and operational
planning processes
 Regularly review and refresh the curriculum portfolio through a clear review
and planning cycle, validation and approval processes, market research and
engagement with employers, schools and universities
 Review and improve college processes and systems to ensure they are
customer-focussed and effectively support the learner journey and meet the
needs of our other stakeholders
 Set challenging service standards for all the services that we provide to
internal and external customers and measure our performance against these
 Support and develop staff to ensure they have the skills and behaviours to
embrace the new agenda for change, the challenges ahead and the pursuit
of excellence
 Consult with students, staff and stakeholders and involve them in decision-
making to effect quality improvement
 Seek recognition for our quality processes, standards and culture through
commitment to and accreditation against appropriate national and
international quality standards, models and awards

Appendix 7: Equality and Diversity Strategy for Edinburgh College
Equality & Diversity
Mainstream
E&D
Equality
Impact
Assessment
Advance Equal
Opportunities
Celebrate
Diversity
PSED
Compliance
Single
Equality
Scheme
Edinburgh College will encourage staff and students to take responsibility for the
development of a culture and ethos based on equality, diversity and inclusion. It is
recognised that achieving this depends critically on the commitment and contribution of all
members of the Edinburgh College community. As a large-scale education provider, the new
college will be ethically and legally committed to celebrating diversity and advancing equality
of opportunity for its staff and students.
We will respond as one college to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, Public Sector
Equality Duty (PSED) and the Specific Duties required by Scottish ministers which will be
confirmed by April 2012. This means we will direct key actions so that on all campuses, we
consistently eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is
prohibited by or under this Act, advance equality of opportunity between persons who share
a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it and foster good relations
between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not
share it.
Edinburgh College will prepare and publish one set of equality outcomes that meet the
PSED legal requirements and specific duties, consider evidence from across all relevant
Protected Characteristics and take reasonable steps to involve people with Protected
Characteristics. It will also assess new policies and practice, decision-making and change
planning for their equality impact and publish a mainstreaming report on the action and
progress made to meet the aims of the PSED.
Edinburgh College will also demonstrate through its key strategic drivers, policies and values
that equality and diversity is part of mainstream activities and every day practices. This
approach will go beyond minimal legislative compliance and instead, underpin and inform
our entire service delivery to all staff and student activities.

Objectives
 Develop our approaches, roles and responsibilities for meeting the Public
Sector General Duty and Scotland’s Specific Duties
 Mainstream equality and diversity in all functions in the new college
 Gather and use equalities data for staff and students to monitor trends, direct
action, and evaluate impact
 Publish the equality outcomes which Edinburgh College has identified from
involvement and evidence
 Confirm how and where we will report on progress on the impact made on
identified equality outcomes and mainstreaming
 Develop our Equality and Diversity Policy, and related procedures
 Implement and report on our approach to Equality Impact Assessment of the
staff cycle and learner journey
 Continue to embed equality and diversity within the curriculum, quality
processes and student and staff entitlement
 Implement a consistent staff and student induction in equality and diversity
 Establish and deliver a consistent staff development programme for equality
and diversity
 Establish and deliver a consistent student development programme for
equality and diversity
 Engage with external equality partners to improve our services
 Implement a consistent internal and external communication plan regarding
awareness raising, advice and information that reflects the values of
Edinburgh College
Note: Protected Characteristics are age, disability, race, sex, religion or belief, sexual
orientation, pregnancy and maternity, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership

Appendix 8: Edinburgh College ICT and information systems vision
Our vision is to ensure that ICT supports the curriculum and business processes in an
efficient and effective way across a multi-campus infrastructure.
Edinburgh College will build on the strengths of the existing ICT teams in developing a
unified approach for both corporate systems and learning technologies. An early component
of such a strategy will, in advance of the merger, include the implementation of unified
communications incorporating Microsoft Exchange Server and a new college domain
operating on a single “wide area network”. All future technical developments will be
underpinned by a robust, scalable infrastructure and a well-motivated and appropriately
skilled staff.
There will be progress towards attaining IT service management standards, whereby new
standardised processes and approaches will be established, particularly within change
management, risk assessment, and business continuity.
At an early stage but prior to the merger, the partner colleges will engage with ICT
consultants for them to conduct a review of current ICT completed work for each college, to
assist with project planning, management, and implementation, and to support the
development of an ICT strategy for Edinburgh College.
Following vesting day, progress will begin towards achieving the new college ICT strategy
which will provide a vision of integrated information and learning systems, and provide a
baseline for the new ICT infrastructure, facilities and services.
A8.1 Key objectives
To ensure that information, communication and technology is exploited, resilient and
anchored in educational objectives in order to:
 Enhance the student experience through the development of a technology-
rich learning environment which can lead to positive effects on student
achievement.
 Enhance current technology which creates new opportunities for students to
express and communicate their ideas and their learning experience.
 Sustain technology-related professional development as a core vision that is
embedded in the culture of Edinburgh College
 Consolidate and rationalise the ICT infrastructure seeking shared service
partnerships where appropriate.
 Provide an integrated, standards-based, college-wide information service
accessible from any geographical location.

 Provide dynamic information and learning resources (such as e-books) which
meet the diverse needs of the college community, and develop innovative
virtual learning spaces within Edinburgh College.
 Support staff and students in their use of technology to meet the college’s
aims.
 Achieve business process efficiency and effectiveness.
A8.2 Potential benefits to students, staff and other stakeholders.
Greater choice for students: Edinburgh College will enable increased financial investment
in wireless and virtual technology that lecturers and learning resources staff can use in their
everyday work that can lead to direct improvement in accessibility and instruction. These
new approaches, often using digital archives, can be accessed from hand-held devices
which will enable lecturers to modify instruction to help the learner to succeed.
Improved learning resources: The combined range and depth of learning resources will be
enjoyed by all college students across all campuses. There will be an opportunity to share
staff expertise which would allow the new organisation to build on existing strengths,
particularly in expanding the use of technology to support blended learning and flexible
access to lifelong learning.
Greater use of innovation: The use of current and developing teaching and learning
technologies and the rapidly advancing innovations in mobile technology will allow teaching
and learning to be communicated and take place in new and more flexible ways. There
would be greater opportunities to access emerging technologies for Edinburgh College.
Adoption of best practice: There are great opportunities to learn from the best practice
within each of the College institutions and share this knowledge among newly-merged staff.
There are also broader best practice considerations within the FE community enabling the
Edinburgh College to adopt approaches to the benefit of staff and students.
Economies of scale (Financial): At present, each partner college has in place its own
discrete ICT infrastructure, systems, communications and software, and each college
independently procured computer-related purchases. The Edinburgh College will offer real
opportunities to reduce expenditure on hardware, software, licenses and consumables.
Efficiencies and cost: There will be opportunities to share systems, tighten structures,
streamline processes and remove work duplication within the new college environment.
There will also be opportunities to provide services to other institutions, and/or use the
services of other providers to holistically increase efficiency and reduce cost.
Network resilience: A high degree of network resilience can be achieved by replicating
critical parts of the infrastructure between campuses. These sites will provide an ideal
solution for off-site data backup and business continuity. This will also reduce external costs

associated with leasing off-campus facilities. In addition there will be a need to create a
secure ICT environment which will comply with the new EU directive on security breaches.
Improved ICT support services: There will be an opportunity to build on the skills and
knowledge of current ICT teams in implementing an improved ICT staff and student support
structure and the provision of enhanced centralised help desk services.
Systems users
The new Edinburgh College will audit staff skills and provide appropriate training to exploit
the opportunity presented by the combined skills bank and ICT technology of the three
partner colleges. New learning technologies and remote access will be used to support the
delivery of the curriculum in an effective and efficient manner. Throughout the merger
process a key aim will be to develop delivery and back room technologies and systems
which are robust and user-friendly.
ICT aspirations
The new college will be able to fulfil many future aspirations by having in place up-to-date
and relevant software and operating systems to increase employability skills, developing
tools using mobile technology to support students, create platforms where they can access
instant and valuable information, follow best practice in virtual development including
embracing the advances in “cloud” technology.
A8.3 Key challenges
The key challenges include the standardisation of the ICT infrastructure, platforms, software,
client devices, help-desk and support. This will include the integration of various business
applications, which includes the curricula, registration and enrolment, student records
system, bursary management, attendance monitoring, financial support systems, library and
learning resources systems, card and door entry systems, email and telephone systems,
finance systems, HR systems, help-desk systems and reporting.
The key challenges deliverables will include a single integrated solution which will
incorporate joint courses, programmes and statutory returns for the three partner colleges,
through seamless and efficient processing.
A sustainable approach will be taken to ensure that the vision is balanced against the
McClelland recommendations, whereby rationalisation of ICT infrastructure, datacentres and
consideration of shared services will be considered priorities. A green IT agenda will be
formulated, focussed on achieving a reduction in power consumption, reduced heating and
cooling, use of more energy efficient devices all of which reduces the future carbon foot-
print. Sustainable policies will underpin this approach.

There will be particular challenges in integrating the institutions’ curricula, registration and
enrolment, and student record systems due to the use of different systems and varied
platforms. There is also discrete functionality which has previously been developed within
each institution to improve process capability and reporting. This includes online
applications, course information documents and approaches to assessment.
This systems integration process will require significant work. However, unified
communications and a new Edinburgh College domain will be achieved by the vesting date.
Transitional arrangements will be put into place for some other aspects, while the main
thrust of integration activity will commence following the vesting date on 1st
October 2012.
It is unlikely that all data migration will be achieved electronically, and probable that a
proportion will need to be undertaken through manual data entry. There will be a
requirement to provide adequate training on operating new systems and with upgrading
hardware. There will also need to be a review of current licenses which may add additional
recurrent costs.
As well as an integration plan and project completion timetable, the institutions will develop
an ICT integration risk assessment, risk management strategy and business continuity plan.
These documents will be owned by the ICT work-stream and the Merger Executive Board.
ICT integration priorities will be validated against the available SFC merger funding, but
there is the likelihood that there will be phased implementation of some core applications
with funding being identified from the new college’s income budget.
Following the vesting day merger, the Edinburgh College ICT team will provide core ICT
support, and complete a review of existing out-sourced provision alongside the in-house
delivery model.
It is recognised that in the current economic environment, standalone and self-sufficient
operating modes are no longer affordable and do not provide value for money within the
context of a merged ICT structure. There will therefore be a commitment to providing a
shared and fully integrated ICT service across all campuses of Edinburgh College. This
shared ICT operating platform will be extended to include Newbattle Abbey College, and will
also be made available to any other partner willing to participate in the creation of a regional
ICT hub.
A8.4 Risks and Opportunities

ICT networks: At an appropriate stage it will be necessary to merge the individual networks
into one. There will be a requirement to consider and agree to the most advantageous
options for the new institution. There will be technical and cost risks associated with each
approach and it will be necessary to quantify and mitigate the risks prior to and during the
project implementation.
ICT system migration: A detailed review of each partner college’s systems will be
undertaken during the merger planning stages. The systems will be compared to illustrate
the scale and complexity of the task. A migration/integration schedule will be developed in
conjunction with other work streams following selection of the best systems. Like any system
integration/migration, there are inherent risks in this process.
New Technologies: It is very important that when deciding to choose new technology as a
proposed solution for the new college that these are backed up with clear justification and
that the preferred solution has been stress-tested by other organisations. This approach will
mitigate the use of untried software/systems.
Appendix 9: Edinburgh College Estates Strategy

Estates
Excellent
Value
Accessible &
Inclusive
Technology
Rich
Sustainable
Safe, Healthy
& Pleasant
The business case for the merged Edinburgh College is predicated on the continued use of
the existing campus locations in Edinburgh. The main campus sites are located at Dalkeith
(Midlothian) and in Edinburgh at Sighthill, West Granton Road and Milton Road, Brunstane.
The Dalkeith and West Granton Road sites are high-quality campuses purpose-built within
the past six years. In addition, the campus at Milton Road has recently been refurbished
and extended. The main building at the Sighthill campus is now over 45 years old, although
other specialist accommodation on this site is more recent and of high quality. Work to
improve the learning and study space at Sighthill is planned for 2012/3. The current estate
has been well-maintained and there are no material defects in respect of the condition of the
facilities.
The purpose of the estates strategy is to ensure that the physical infrastructure enables the
college to achieve its objectives. The aims of the estates strategy are to:
 Support the college’s strategic priorities
 Ensure proper stewardship of the estate and continued investment to
maintain and improve the quality, functionality and sustainability of all
buildings
 Ensure that the facilities provide excellent value and are used efficiently
The Estates Strategy is dedicated to providing an exceptional learning environment, that;
 Enables students to achieve their goals
 Puts the needs of students first
 Reduces our environmental impact
 Provides a safe, healthy and pleasant environment
 Promotes equality by providing accessible and inclusive facilities

 Supports the economic and social development of Edinburgh
 Enhances the financial, and physical, sustainability of the college.
The merged Edinburgh College will review the use of the estate and examine opportunities
to relocate teaching and support services. Any such relocation will take into account the
geographical nature of the demand for education and training and the needs of
stakeholders. There is the potential to bring together learning resources and provide access
to specialist staff and equipment. Similarly, there is the possibility of bringing services
together to realise efficiency gains.

Appendix 10: Detailed information on consultation activities
The following concerns were voiced by staff and/or students in the consultation process.
The actions taken to mitigate these risks are shown as bullet points, and have been
communicated to staff and students using a range of communication channels.
Students and staff having to travel long distances to study or teach
 Travel to study analysis available to merger workstreams to aid planning
Colleges continue to operate as three separate entities
 Edinburgh College has a People Strategy and a sound internal communications plan
to promote cohesion and collaboration
Staff terms and conditions are not harmonised leading to poor staff relations and unrest
 The new college’s People Strategy indicates clear intentions to move towards
harmonised terms and conditions through negotiation with the trades unions
 The Scottish Government may also impose national collective bargaining for all staff
in the college sector
The public does not respond well to the new college, due to a loss of community presence
 The new college will engage robustly with its key stakeholders and the communities
they represent to ensure that local engagement remains a priority
If the curriculum is grouped geographically, this may encourage a silo mentality in some
subject areas
 Considerable effort will be devoted to supporting all staff through the process of
merger to a better understanding of the culture of Edinburgh College. This will
involve both internal communications and events.
Different standards of resource provision across campuses, leading to inequalities in the
student experience. Systems don’t meet the needs of the new college.
 Edinburgh College has committed to investing £25m over the next five years in its
campuses and its infrastructure. In particular, the IT systems across the campuses
will be harmonised.
Reduction in portfolio and fewer course choices for students
 The curriculum offered by Edinburgh College will be coherent and well-planned,
widening course choice, increasing access and creating more progression

opportunities for students by building on existing strengths and utilising specialist
facilities to the full. The new college is committed to excellence in every aspect of the
student experience and will work collaboratively with industry to achieve a better
match of the student profile across the Edinburgh and Lothians region to the
economic and employment needs of the region.
No clear agreement on what constitutes student services – eg delivery of tutorial support and
student support by teaching staff
 Best practice will be identified across the three partner colleges and adopted for the
new college while ensuring that all staff understand their roles and responsibilities in
respect of learner services
Failure to agree on a common Virtual learning environment (VLE) or poor access to the VLE
and other online resources
 Edinburgh College has engaged a professional IT consulting company to assist with
its planning and implementation of a unified IT infrastructure and its applications
The creation of a new college is about cutting costs
 The rationale driving this merger is to create a bigger and better college for Edinburgh
and the Lothians that can deliver substantial benefits and growth. A college on this larger
scale will remove duplication and provide greater choice and opportunity for students. It
will have the capacity to invest in technology to facilitate course provision and support
staff and students more effectively.
Articulation and progression arrangements to higher education and employment will change
and existing partnerships and agreements will no longer continue
 A bigger, stronger and ambitious college will be seeking to develop and enhance the
range of external partnerships and agreements that support the training and learning
needs of students and development opportunities for staff. Best practices currently in
place will be built upon and developed as part of Edinburgh College.

Appendix 11: Assessment matrix to determine host college
Criteria Edinburgh’s
Telford College
Jewel & Esk
College
Stevenson College
Edinburgh
1. Freehold properties
2. Leasehold
properties
3. Onerous/major
contracts
4. Subsidiaries
5. Joint ventures
6. International
licences
7. Other licences
8. Banking
facilities/covenants
9. Repayable grants
10. Pension penalties
on transfer
11. Legal disputes
12. Customer contracts
13. Supplier contracts
14. VAT/corporation tax
potential transfer
issues
15. TUPE
considerations

Criteria Edinburgh’s
Telford College
Jewel & Esk
College
Stevenson
College
Edinburgh
16. Accounting policy
considerations
17. Onerous operating
leases
18. Impact on ongoing
non-standard SFC
funding
19. Overall financial
costs
20. Other factors

Appendix 12 – Full risk register

Merger proposal version 9.1 final

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Merger proposal version 9.1 final