Tertiary education organisations (TEOs) with an indicative allocation of DQ1-2 funding submit a completed Mix of Provision (MoP) template and an Educational Performance Indicator Commitments (EPICs) template to us via Workspace 2. We approve the MoP and EPICs through the Investment Plan (Plan) approval process.

We monitor TEOs’ reported delivery against these commitments and other requirements and expectations that we set.

Reporting

All DQ1-2 funded TEOs report to us through the Single Data Return (SDR). We use data submitted via the SDR to monitor performance, publish performance information and report tertiary education statistics.

TEO reporting is carried out through our section of the Services for Tertiary Education Organisations (STEO) website. Each TEO submits its SDR, as well as registers and maintains qualifications for funding, and updates qualification, course and delivery site details, through this website.

During the calendar year, each TEO must submit SDRs as per SDR submission dates.

For further information about reporting, please see the DQ1-2 funding conditions for the relevant year.

Source of Funding (SoF) codes to use in the SDR

See the table below for SoF codes to use when reporting DQ1-2 provision. Full details of the timing of, and the data required to be submitted in, the SDR can be found in the SDR Manual.

Monitoring

We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand TEO performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding a TEO may receive.

We monitor the performance of TEOs against the following Educational Performance Indicators (EPIs):

• qualification completions
• cohort-based qualification completions
• cohort-based learner retention
• learner progression to higher-level study or employment
• course completions (historical EPI), and
• learner retention (historical EPI).

For further information on how EPIs are defined and calculated, please see the Performance of tertiary education organisations.

Te reo Māori and tikanga provision

In general, we expect the same performance, progression and employment outcomes from te reo Māori and tikanga provision as other funded provision. However, we recognise that some learners (Māori and non-Māori) enrolled in te reo Māori and tikanga study may:

• be employed already
• be not employed but not seeking to improve their employment prospects through their study (for example, they may be aged over 65), and/or
• have a qualification at Level 4 or above already, but want to acquire skills in te reo Māori and/or tikanga.

We recognise that these learners may enrol in te reo Māori and tikanga study largely for the cultural knowledge they acquire, with no expectation of progression or employment.

Therefore, we monitor this provision in the context of the wider government strategy on te reo Māori and tikanga education. For example, in respect of funding decisions and monitoring activities, te reo Māori and tikanga provision EPIs will be considered separately to other provision EPIs. 

Other monitoring

In addition, we monitor TEOs’:

• achievement of EPICs and MoP delivery commitments. A TEO is responsible for notifying us of, and discussing with us, significant shifts from the agreed MoP, and the rationale, well before any such shift occurs
• achievement against any other performance standards agreed in the Investment Plan, including progress in line with the Learner Success Plan
• compliance with DQ1-2 funding conditions and legislative requirements
• achievement of parity with respect to participation and EPIs for target learner groups set out in the Tertiary Education Strategy, and
• achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.

Benchmarking

Tertiary education institutions (TEIs) must participate in benchmarking, which contributes to enhancing institutional capability, and performance and sustainability in the sector.

Using the New Zealand Benchmarking Tool, TEIs are able to measure their performance against various educational and financial performance benchmarks. For conditions on benchmarking see the DQ1-2 funding conditions for the relevant year.