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A major new resource to guide governors and senior leaders through the complex process of merger and strategic transformation in higher education has been published today by Advance HE, in collaboration with a wide range of sector partners.
Governing and leading merger and strategic transformation: Insights and approaches in HE has been designed to support institutions in navigating strategic change that involves legal and governance restructuring with clarity, courage and care. It focuses specifically on the journey from the point at which boards and executive leaders begin to explore strategic options for transformation in earnest, through to Day 1 legal merger or change.
The resource is structured into three phases that reflect the governance and leadership journey of strategic
- Phase 1, Decision shaping, provides the foundation for strategic exploration, supporting institutions to move from reactive survival strategies to proactive, values-led transformation through institutional self-assessment, environmental scanning, shared vision development and strategic options evaluation, guiding institutions towards a Heads of Terms or Memorandum of Understanding.
- Phase 2, Decision making, addresses the Board and Executive focus on early legal considerations, due diligence and trust building, guiding institutions towards a full business case for the governing body
- Phase 3, Decision taking, moves from formal intent to legal merger or transition, the Board role shifts to ensure robust oversight, with a strong focus on integration, value realisation, people management and communications strategy. Each phase identifies relevant risks and their likely mitigations, drawing on real-world learning from across the sector.
The resource is interactive and structured around milestones within each phase. It is adaptable to different institutional contexts. And it includes clear guidance on how to use it and has been designed for use in a range of settings including workshops, board meetings and away days.
Why now?
The resource responds to a pivotal moment in UK higher education. Financial pressures, regulatory complexity and shifting societal expectations are converging to challenge traditional institutional models. At the same time, this moment presents genuine possibilities for rethinking how universities and colleges serve their communities and fulfil their civic mission.
Built on radical collaboration
The resource is built on a philosophy of radical collaboration, drawing on insights from across the sector including reports, frameworks and lived experience. It has been informed by Advance HE’s merger insight reports, which have helped institutions navigate merger and strategic transformation with confidence, and which can be found here.
Rather than duplicating existing guidance, the resource signposts to established tools and weaves them together into a practical and reflective guide. It offers a structured pathway through complexity, a shared language for strategic conversations, and a way for colleagues to connect with others navigating similar journeys. The resource is deliberately adaptable, recognising that decisions are always contextual to the institution, shaped by geography, academic portfolio and sustainability indicators across finance, people and estates.
It is relevant to a range of transformation types within scope, including full institutional mergers, federated or group models, and joint ventures, and provides live examples from across the sector. It does not seek to address or replace legal, financial or regulatory advice, but surfaces the areas where dialogue and decision-making with external partners in change will be essential.
Kim Ansell, Senior Consultant, Governance and Strategic Transformation, Advance HE, said, “This is a flexible resource for governors and leaders seeking to build confidence as they consider strategic options involving legal and governance change, including merger. It recognises that all institutions will be at different starting points and that transformation will need to be contextual to each organisation. It aims to nudge thinking in different ways and encourages a human, honest approach.
“This work is a genuinely a collaborative endeavour, developed with sector partners and relevant to institutions across a wide range of contexts, sizes and characters. We have sought to incorporate insights and learning from others who have lived this experience, and we intend to continue to enhance and develop the resource over time.”
Miriam Deakin, Director of Strategy, Insight and Member Engagement, Universities UK, said: “We know that university leaders are interested in support to explore different models of collaboration in support of their missions. This resource supports a number of different audiences to expand their understanding of the possible steps along a path to merger and other strategic transformation and offers insights into the steps that leaders will need to consider. The focus on learning from colleagues at institutions who have been involved in similar processes, is particularly helpful.”
Advance HE has also published a companion blog, A smaller provider’s guide to the new HE sector resource on governing and leading merger and strategic transformation, authored by Joy Elliott-Bowman, Director of Policy and Development at Independent Higher Education (IHE), and Sharona Friedman, President and CEO at the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) and a member of the IHE Board. The blog reflects on how a smaller HE provider might approach and apply the resource in its own context. Read the blog
The Governing and Leading Merger and Strategic Transformation resource was designed and co-created by a sector-wide group, including a steering group, advisors and specialist reviewers. Advance HE wishes to acknowledge all contributions to its development. A full list of contributing organisations and individuals is as follows:
Advance HE David Ashton, Governance and Leadership Associate Kim Ansell, Senior Consultant Governance and Strategic Transformation Sarah Hubbard, Senior Consultant, Senior Leadership and Strategic Transformation
AHUA James Rolfe, Chief Operating Officer, Anglia Ruskin University, Helen Watson, Deputy President, City St George’s, University of London
CUC Amanda Oliver, Deputy Executive Secretary Mark Preston, Chair, University of Kent
Guild HE Mark Taylor, CFO Ken Sloan, Vice Chancellor, Harper Adams University
Independent Higher Education Joy Elliott-Bowman, Director of Policy and Development, Sharona Friedman, President and CEO, Global Institute of Sport (GIS)
Universities UK (UUK) Miriam Deakin, Director of Strategy, Insight and Member Engagement
Independent advisors and peer reviewers Elisabeth Hill, Deputy President and Provost, City St George’s, University of London Mark Taylor, Partner, Shakespeare Martineau Ruth Talbot, Senior Civil Servant, Department for Education Tim Longden, Chief External Relations Officer, City St George’s, University of London
