Challenge Groups are groups of three or four participants from different higher education institutions working together on a common area of leadership challenge that has high current relevance and significance. They are used in the Future Professional Directors (FPD) programme, which is designed to include, among a variety of innovative elements, an entirely self-directed group activity.
Step one involves each Challenge Group identifying a question pertinent to all group members that could become the basis for an active enquiry process. The question should be challenging but achievable and with a reasonably specific focus. The Challenge Groups then work independently alongside the eight months of the programme to explore the question from multiple perspectives, using their own institutional contexts as a resource and looking more widely at other sectors. While there is no formal assessment mechanism, the use of feedback is built in. The feedback comes from tutors on the original question and proposal (including a tailored stimulus webinar for each group), from peers through a mid-point review, and then from peers and tutors through online comments on the finished work.
The challenge groups are a powerhouse for collaborative learning around questions that really matter to the participants and are also an opportunity to experience shared leadership across both professional and institutional boundaries.Doug Parkin, FPD Programme Director
Future Professional Directors has been designed in partnership with nine sector bodies to create a unique programme for aspiring leaders of professional services from all areas of the university/institution.
Application deadline for the next Future Professional Directors cohort is Wednesday 15 May 2019.