Case Study

Establishing Strategic Partnerships for Professional Certifications and Qualifications

We partnered with one of the largest higher education institutions (HEI) in the ME region to align its academic offerings with global standards and national priorities. The institution sought to enhance its accreditation and improve graduate employability by establishing partnerships with internationally recognized certification organizations. This initiative was aligned with the HEI country National Agenda and strategic plan, focusing on equipping fresh graduates with 21st-century skills.

Challenges

The client faced several critical challenges in achieving its strategic goals:

  1. Lack of Global Accreditation:

    Strengthening the global standing of academic programs through internationally recognized professional certifications.

  2. Graduate Employability:

    Addressing the gap in key 21st-century skills and industry-recognized certifications, limiting graduates' job market competitiveness.

  3. High Costs:

    Forecasted costs for embedding professional certifications were prohibitively high, requiring innovative cost management strategies.

  4. Complex Negotiations:

    Securing mutually beneficial agreements with certification organizations while aligning terms with institutional priorities.

  5. National Alignment:

    Ensuring partnerships supported the HEI’s country’s national agenda and strategic objectives for workforce readiness and economic priorities.

Solution

To address these challenges, we developed a comprehensive strategy that not only enhanced academic offerings but also implemented innovative cost reduction measures:

Program Development Cost Reduction and Management Strategies

We implemented both direct negotiation and indirect cost management strategies, delivering substantial financial benefits for the client:

  1. Direct Negotiation:

    By leveraging the institution’s unique advantages, we secured highly favourable terms with certification organizations:

    • Institutional Scale:

      Highlighted the institution’s extensive student population and geographic coverage, presenting it as an ideal partner for awarding bodies to expand their certification reach.

    • Federal Funding:

      Negotiated reasonable cost schemes by emphasizing the institution’s federally funded model and its commitment to free education for nationals.

    • Commercial Arm Collaboration:

      Partnered with the institution’s commercial arm to provide potential market penetration opportunities for new entrants like.

    • Strategic Value:

      Positioned the institution as a gateway for technology vendors to establish sponsorship bases across government entities through certified graduates.

  2. Indirect Cost Management:

    We applied a meticulous approach to minimize costs for embedding PCQs:

    • Resource Optimization:

      Used existing institutional resources for PCQ training and assessments, reducing operational costs.

    • National Synergies:

      Capitalized on synergies with national initiatives to sponsor certifications for students.

    • Career Pathways Design:

      Embedded only the most feasible PCQs into undergraduate programs while creating awareness of lifelong certification pathways with awarding bodies.

    • Multiple Agreements Structure:

      Strategically combined free agreements with a cap of one blanket and one variable-cost agreement for programs involving multiple PCQs to maintain cost efficiency.

Highlight of Cost Savings

Our cost reduction and management strategies delivered substantial financial benefits:

  1. Forecasted Annual Savings:

    Reduced forecasted annual PCQ embedding costs by USD 16 million across the entire PCQ pipeline of 20 PCQ Awarding Bodies.

  2. Operational Cost Savings:

    Saved approximately USD 28 million over four years for 16 PCQ projects that moved to operations, compared to the average market cost for similar PCQs.

Results

The initiative delivered outstanding results, enhancing the institution’s reputation, financial sustainability, and graduate outcomes:

  1. Global Accreditation:

    Secured partnerships with 16 internationally recognized certification organizations, elevating the institution’s global standing.

  2. Graduate Employability:

    Enabled over 8,000 students to obtain professional certifications within two years, significantly increasing their competitiveness in the job market.

  3. Enrolment Growth:

    The enhanced program offerings and partnerships drove a 15% increase in student enrolment.

  4. Cost Efficiency:

    Delivered USD 44 million in total cost savings, demonstrating the financial impact of strategic negotiation and cost management.

  5. National Alignment:

    Successfully supported the HEI’s country’s national agenda and strategic objectives, skilling graduates with essentials for economic development.

  6. Sustainable Model:

    Established a replicable framework for ongoing cost management and expansion of PCQ partnerships.

Conclusion

This case study exemplifies the transformative power of strategic partnerships combined with innovative cost reduction measures. By aligning academic programs with global standards and national priorities, we not only enhanced the institution’s reputation and financial sustainability but also empowered thousands of graduates to thrive in the 21st-century workforce. This achievement underscores the value of a collaborative and strategic approach in higher education.