Indicators of concern

There is an overwhelming case for some form of performance measurement for all organisations. The recent Times and Financial Times exercises have produced indicators that are being developed into "league tables" being taken increasingly seriously by many stakeholders, including potential students. But, while a significant number are externally verified, several are not. I estimate that about half are self-assessed and some figures appear questionable to say the least. In the end it is only necessary for the self-assessed score of, say, graduate employment to be "out of line" for the university concerned for it to result in a change of a dozen places in the overall table. Surely one key role for any Quality Assurance Agency must be to check, even audit, figures being provided. Without this, the credibility of the process could increasingly be questioned.

Bruce Lloyd. Principal lecturer in strategy South Bank University