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Launch of Pilot Programme to Reduce Pilots (PPRP)

Internal Communication

Office of Strategic Innovation and Experimental Initiatives

Subject: Launch of Pilot Programme to Reduce Pilots (PPRP)

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Colleagues,

Following sector-wide concerns regarding pilot proliferation, pilot fatigue, and the long-term sustainability of perpetual trial implementation, the University is pleased to announce the launch of a new institutional initiative:

The Pilot Programme to Reduce Pilots (PPRP)

This 18-month pilot seeks to explore whether the number of pilot programmes currently operating across the University can be strategically reduced through targeted piloting interventions.

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1. Background

A recent internal review identified that the University is currently running:

• 14 active pilot programmes
• 9 pilot evaluations
• 6 pilot extensions
• 3 pilot feasibility studies
• 1 pilot review of pilot feasibility methodologies

In several cases, pilot programmes had become operationally indistinguishable from permanent practice, despite remaining formally classified as “temporary exploratory initiatives.”

Staff expressed uncertainty regarding:

• Whether pilots were still pilots
• Whether completed pilots had officially concluded
• Whether some pilots were themselves piloting the concept of pilots

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2. Purpose of the PPRP

The Pilot Programme to Reduce Pilots aims to:

• Assess institutional dependency on pilot structures
• Identify opportunities for pilot consolidation
• Develop a sustainable framework for future pilot restraint
• Pilot alternative approaches to pilot management

The programme is expected to generate actionable insights into the long-term viability of non-pilot operational models.

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3. Pilot Methodology

The PPRP will proceed in three phases:

Phase 1: Pilot Mapping

Identification and categorisation of all existing pilots according to:

• Pilot duration
• Pilot clarity
• Pilot awareness among participants
• Degree of pilot self-reference

Phase 2: Pilot Rationalisation

Selected pilots will be:

• Merged
• Paused
• Reclassified as “emergent operational practices”
• Subjected to secondary pilot review

Phase 3: Pilot Reduction Pilot

A small-scale pilot will test whether pilot reduction itself can be sustainably piloted before broader institutional rollout.

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4. Governance Structure

Oversight of the PPRP will be provided by the newly established:

Pilot Oversight Steering Committee (POSC)

Supported by:

• The Pilot Review Working Group (PRWG)
• The Interim Taskforce on Pilot Transition Pathways (ITPTP)
• The Advisory Panel on Sustainable Piloting Futures (APSPF)

To minimise administrative burden, all groups will meet separately.

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5. Evaluation Metrics

Success of the PPRP will be measured using the following Pilot Reduction Indicators (PRIs):

• Reduction in total pilot visibility
• Increased clarity regarding pilot status
• Percentage of pilots acknowledged as pilots by participants
• Reduction in pilot-related uncertainty (subject to pilot verification)

A dashboard will be developed to monitor pilot optimisation in real time.

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6. Risks and Mitigations

Potential risks include:

Risk	Mitigation
Excessive pilot reduction	Introduction of contingency pilots
Staff uncertainty regarding pilot status	Additional pilot communication strategy
Emergence of unapproved pilot-like behaviour	Pilot awareness training
Permanent dependence on pilot reduction pilots	Deferred review at later pilot stage

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7. Staff Guidance

During the pilot period, staff are advised to:

• Continue participating in existing pilots unless informed otherwise
• Avoid initiating unauthorised pilots
• Clearly label any experimental activity as:
  • Pilot
  • Pre-pilot
  • Post-pilot transitional pilot
  • Pilot-adjacent exploratory initiative

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8. Closing Remarks

The University recognises the important role pilots play in fostering innovation, experimentation, and strategic uncertainty management. At the same time, we acknowledge the need for a more intentional approach to pilot sustainability.

The Pilot Programme to Reduce Pilots represents an important first step in piloting a future in which pilots may eventually become less necessary, subject to pilot outcomes.

Further updates will be provided following completion of the preliminary pilot evaluation phase.

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Kind regards,

Office of Strategic Innovation and Experimental Initiatives

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Attachment: Pilot Reduction Pilot Timeline (Draft Version – Pilot Use Only)

Policy for Retiring Policies (Pending Replacement Policy)

Internal Communication

Policy Lifecycle Management Unit

Subject: Policy for Retiring Policies (Pending Replacement Policy)

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Colleagues,

In recognition of the University’s commitment to agile governance, adaptive frameworks, and the sustainable management of legacy documentation, we are pleased to introduce the Policy for Retiring Policies (PRP).

This policy establishes a clear and consistent approach to the retirement of policies that are no longer fully aligned with current institutional priorities, while ensuring continuity through the anticipation of their eventual replacement.

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1. Purpose

The PRP provides guidance on:

• Identifying policies suitable for retirement
• Managing the transition from active to retired policy status
• Maintaining operational continuity in the absence of a confirmed replacement policy

This ensures that all policies are either:

• Active,
• Retired, or
• Pending retirement pending replacement

No policy will be considered simply “no longer used,” as this category is not currently recognised.

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2. Definitions

• Active Policy (AP): A policy currently in force
• Retired Policy (RP): A policy formally decommissioned following due process
• Pending Replacement Policy (PRP): A policy identified for retirement, contingent on the future development of a replacement policy
• Interim Interpretive Framework (IIF): A temporary set of guiding assumptions used in the absence of an active or replacement policy

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3. Criteria for Policy Retirement

A policy may be considered for retirement if it is:

• No longer reflective of current practice
• Superseded in principle but not in documentation
• Operationally ambiguous
• Excessively clear in ways that limit interpretive flexibility

All retirement proposals must be supported by a Policy Retirement Justification Statement (PRJS).

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4. Retirement Process

Step 1: Submission of PRJS to the Policy Lifecycle Review Panel (PLRP)

Step 2: Preliminary assessment of whether the policy can be retired without immediate disruption

Step 3: Determination of whether a replacement policy is:

• Required immediately
• Required eventually
• Conceptually desirable but operationally deferrable

Step 4: If a replacement policy is not yet available, the policy is designated as Pending Replacement (PRP)

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5. Status: Pending Replacement

Policies in PRP status:

• Remain notionally in effect
• May be selectively applied, interpreted, or referenced
• Should not be relied upon as definitive guidance
• Must be acknowledged as transitional in all formal use

Staff are encouraged to exercise informed discretion, supported by local interpretive practices and retrospective alignment.

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6. Replacement Policy Development

Replacement policies will be developed:

• When sufficient clarity emerges
• When operational need becomes unavoidable
• When prompted by audit, incident, or sustained confusion

Until such time, the existing policy remains in a state of provisional retirement readiness.

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7. Communication and Documentation

All policies designated PRP will be:

• Clearly labelled as “Pending Replacement”
• Accompanied by a disclaimer noting their transitional status
• Included in the Register of Policies in Anticipated Transition (RPAT)

Staff accessing these policies will be prompted to confirm awareness of their provisional nature.

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8. Monitoring and Review

The status of PRP-designated policies will be reviewed annually, or more frequently if:

• Circumstances change
• A replacement policy becomes available
• The absence of a replacement becomes unsustainable

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9. Closing Remarks

The University recognises that policies, like the environments they govern, must evolve. The PRP ensures that this evolution occurs in a structured and transparent manner, even where the future state has not yet been fully defined.

Staff are reminded that the absence of a replacement policy should not be interpreted as an absence of guidance, but rather as an opportunity for context-sensitive decision-making within a formally recognised state of transition.

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Kind regards,

Policy Lifecycle Management Unit

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Attachment: Policy Retirement Flowchart (Version 0.9 – pending replacement)

Implementation of the Annual Review of Reviews (ARR)

Internal Communication

Office of Reflective Oversight and Iterative Assurance

Subject: Implementation of the Annual Review of Reviews (ARR)

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Colleagues,

In alignment with the University’s commitment to continuous improvement, reflective practice, and the optimisation of evaluative ecosystems, we are pleased to announce the formal introduction of the Annual Review of Reviews (ARR).

This initiative ensures that all reviews conducted across the institution are themselves subject to systematic review.

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1. Rationale

Recent audits have identified that while the University produces a high volume of reviews—including:

• Performance reviews
• Course reviews
• Programme reviews
• Policy reviews
• Review reviews (pilot phase)

—there has been limited oversight of the quality of the reviewing itself.

This has led to variability in:

• Depth of reflection
• Consistency of critique
• Appropriateness of recommendations
• Confidence in the tone of evaluative language

The ARR addresses this gap by introducing a review layer above all existing review layers.

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2. Scope

The ARR applies to all formal reviews completed within the previous review cycle, including but not limited to:

• Annual staff performance reviews
• Student feedback summaries
• External examiner reports
• Internal audit findings
• Reviews that concluded no further review was necessary

Each review will now be assigned a Review Integrity Score (RIS).

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3. The Review Integrity Score (RIS)

The RIS is calculated based on the following criteria:

• Clarity of evaluative intent
• Consistency between findings and recommendations
• Appropriate use of constructive ambiguity
• Alignment with institutional tone guidelines
• Evidence of reflexive awareness in the act of reviewing

Scores will be categorised as:

• Exemplary Review (ER)
• Satisfactory Review (SR)
• Review Requiring Review (RRR)
• Review Requiring Immediate Re-Review (RRIRR)

Reviews falling into the latter categories will be escalated.

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4. ARR Process

Step 1: Identification of all reviews conducted in the previous cycle

Step 2: Allocation of each review to a Review Reviewer (RR)

Step 3: Completion of the Review Review Form (RRF)

Step 4: Submission to the Panel for the Evaluation of Reviews (PER)

Where discrepancies arise between reviewers of reviews, the matter will be referred to the Adjudication Committee for Divergent Review Interpretations (ACDRI).

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5. Timeframes

We recognise the importance of timely review. The ARR will therefore operate within the following indicative timeframes:

• Review of reviews initiated: within 4 weeks of review completion
• Review of review of reviews (if required): within 6–8 weeks
• Final confirmation of review status: within 10–12 weeks

Please note that these timeframes are subject to review.

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6. Training Requirements

All staff involved in reviewing activities must complete the new professional development module:

“Reviewing Reviews: Principles, Practices, and Reflexive Frameworks”

This module includes:

• Recognising effective reviewing behaviours
• Identifying under-reviewed reviews
• Maintaining neutrality while evaluating evaluation

Completion will be recorded and may be reviewed as part of future reviews.

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7. Key Outcomes

The ARR is expected to deliver:

• Greater confidence in institutional review processes
• Improved alignment across review outputs
• Enhanced visibility of evaluative quality
• A sustainable culture of recursive reflection

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8. Closing Statement

The University recognises that reviewing is a cornerstone of academic life. By reviewing our reviews, we ensure that our commitment to evaluation remains itself rigorously evaluated.

Staff are encouraged to engage proactively with the ARR and to view it not as an additional layer, but as a necessary extension of existing layers.

Further guidance will be provided following the first cycle of review reviews.

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Kind regards,

Office of Reflective Oversight and Iterative Assurance

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Attachment: ARR Workflow Diagram (Version 1.0 – under review)