International Skills Partnerships
Benchmarking Study Guidelines
These guidelines should be used when designing the Benchmarking
Study and completing the Benchmarking Study form. They provide
guidance on completing each section of the proposal form.
The benchmarking study should be conducted in both the UK and the
partner country and provide a snapshot of the current position as regards
the core issues that the partnership project will address. It will typically
involve conducting a survey or analysing recent data and should include
both
quantitative
(figures,
statistics)
and
qualitative
(individual
feedback) elements. The focus of the study may differ between the two
countries depending on the nature of the project.
The information in the benchmarking study will be used by the
partnership to measure progress and impact during the impact assessment
study at the close of the project.
Throughout the partnership project all activities and impact should
relate to the four levels and seven outcomes of the British Council’s skills
programme:
Level 1 (Engagement)
Outcome 1: Active network of local and global employers, employer
representative organisations and other skills stakeholders established
Level 2 ( Learning)
Outcome 2: Improved knowledge and understanding of effective
approaches to skills development
Outcome 3: Young people better prepared for the world of work and
enterprise
Outcome 4: Increased understanding and recognition of the benefits of
working internationally and how to do this effectively
Level 3 ( Application and implementation)
1
Outcome 5: New approaches to skills development implemented at
institution/organisation level
Level 4 ( Systematic/Legacy Impact)
Outcome 6: Policy changes and/or new approaches to skills development
implemented at national and/or system level
Outcome 7: Higher quality skills development that meets industry needs
1. Organisations
This section asks for the contact details of the lead partner in both
country.
Each
lead
partner
is
responsible
for
conducting
the
benchmarking study in their own country.
2. Overview
This section should set out the key objectives of the partnership project
and the rationale for the benchmarking study conducted, explaining
how the study relates to the project objectives.
3. Methodology
This section should set out how the benchmarking study was designed
and conducted in the UK and the partner country. It should include the
following:

Details on sample sizes (recommended minimum of 50
respondents from relevant target groups against each indicator).

The profiles of the participants from the study (including age,
gender, occupation etc.)

The process, people and time involved in gathering and
processing data.
4. Quantative data
2
This section should set out the quantitative data gathered in the
benchmarking study against a minimum of two appropriate indicators in
each country. These indicators could be the same or different for each
country, depending on the nature of the project.
While the range of potential indicators is substantial and very much
depends on the focus of the project, examples might include:

Current employment rates of graduating students or apprentices

Current retention rates of students or apprentices

Current satisfaction rates of employers with newly recruited graduates

Current confidence rates of students or graduates as regards their
employability skills

Current confidence teachers as regards developing employability skills
of their students.
The results should be set out in simple table form, for example:
Current confidence rates of students as regards their employability skills (per
cent)
Overseas
Very
Quite
confident
confident
Neutral
Quite
Very
unconfident
unconfident
12
16
22
22
28
14
17
49
15
5
13
19
20
20
28
16
19
45
9
11
13
17
36
19
17
country –
17-18
year olds
Overseas
country –
19-20
year olds
UK – 1718 year
olds
UK – 1920 year
olds
Overseas
3
Country
mean
UK mean
15
19
33
15
9
17-18
13
18
21
21
28
15
18
47
12
8
14
18
34
17
18
year olds
mean
19-20
year olds
mean
Overall
Mean
.
5. Qualitative data
This section should set out qualitative data gathered in the benchmarking
study that relates to the same indicators analysed above. The qualitative
data should provide commentary from the relevant target groups that cast
light on the issues that the indicators relate to and, by extension, on the core
objectives of the project. A recommended minimum of 15 respondents,
constituting a representative sample of the target groups, should be included
in this section.
Utilising the example in the previous section, qualitative data might include
eliciting students’ views on why their confidence levels are at the current
rating and what factors might change to improve the level.
6. Data analysis
This section should provide commentary on the key findings of the
benchmarking study, and the implications for the project of these findings. It
should also provide indicative targets of the progress that the project will
make by completion of the project against the relevant indicators.
(Recommended minimum of four findings.)
4
Again, utilising the example, one key finding might be the poor levels of
confidence in the 16-17 age group as regards their employability skills; an
implication for the project that this group should be a key focus of the
project’s work; and an indicative target that the figures in the bottom two
categories (quite unconfident and very unconfident) will be reduced by at
least 15 per cent in each of these two categories for both the UK and the
partner country by the time of the impact study.
7. Signatures
This section requires the signature of the Principal/CEO of the applicant
institution.
© British Council 2014
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational
opportunities.
5