Corporate Plan

CORPORATEPLAN2015 – 2017

www.britishcouncil.org

CONTENTs

FOREWORD 2

1. CONTEXT AND PRIORITIES 4

2. WORKING WITH AND FOR THE UK 17

3. ARTS 27

4. ENGLISH AND EXAMINATIONS 33

5. EDUCATION AND SOCIETY 39

6. GLOBAL NETWORK 48

6.1 AMERICAS 50

6.2 EAST ASIA 51

6.3 EU EUROPE 52

6.4 MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 53

6.5 SOUTH ASIA 54

6.6 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 55

6.7 WIDER EUROPE 56

7. PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 57

8. PERFORMANCE TARGETS 61

9. FINANCE 69

2

FOREWORD

This Corporate Plan for 2015 – 2017 has been a collective effort. Along with British Council staff, we have had advice and support from colleagues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, many Heads of Mission, from other government departments, and from partners in business, education, arts and civil society. My first message therefore is thank you to all who have helped.In addition to the normal function of an annual plan, this document is also part of our response to our recent Triennial Review. It is therefore more detailed than many equivalent plans and is so for two reasons. The first is to provide a basis for us to measure our response to the review. The second is to ensure the major themes of the review are clear and understood across the British Council. That clarity needs to exist in our business units, across our global network and throughout our corporate functions.

While there is much detail in the plan, there are also some priorities which will define how we look upon the year.

First amongst these is the implementation of three core processes across the organisation. These are a gated process by which we handle commercial opportunities, an independent complaints process to complement how we ourselves listen to and react to stakeholders, and a clear schedule of what services we provide pro bono and which we can provide at full cost recovery.

Second is progress in establishing consistent global management and financial information. While recognising this is a complex and difficult issue which will not be sorted in 12 months, it is an issue which any well-run global organisation must address to ensure internal transparency as well as external, to drive efficiency and productivity, and to make the best decisions about resource allocations.

Thirdly, our own leadership, communications and relationship management need to be excellent. This is as true across the network as it is in our head office. We should understand our stakeholders and they should understand us. For our major stakeholders and partners we should have a shared forward view which recognises different priorities but also provides us all with insight as to what we aspire to achieve – jointly and severally.

Finally and most importantly we must be true to our mission. That means we must be able to simply and consistently articulate it. We must act in accordance with it, and seek to have ever more impact. Our founding belief that the world will be a better, safer, more prosperous place if people and peoples have a ‘friendly knowledge and understanding’ of each other and that the United Kingdom’s influence, economic growth and security benefit greatly from that is as true today as it was when first articulated in the 1930s and 1940s.

CORPORATE PLAN 2015–2017 3

This is a short-term plan and is therefore a subset of what we need to do. Next year we intend to give you a shorter annual plan but to give it to you as part of a three-year plan with a five-year view. In this way we can describe our goals more clearly while being more coherent and more forward thinking internally.

Lastly, I would like to thank the staff of the British Council to whom the task of implementing this plan falls. It is my privilege to have been appointed as Chief Executive of an organisation whose employees do fantastic, expert work, often in very difficult and insecure places. Wherever you are across our network and whether you are in Arts, in Education and Society, in English and Examinations, or in our global processes and functions you have my thanks for all that has been achieved in the past year, but also for all that we will achieve together in the coming one.

Ciarán Devane Chief Executive British Council

Chief Executive Ciarán Devane meeting school principals in Cairo, Egypt.

© H

amd

y R

eda

4

1. CONTEXT AND PRIORITIEs

StrategiC Context

The UK’s place in the worldNo country is more internationally connected than the UK, or has more reasons to stay internationally connected for its future trade, prosperity and security. Global connections are vital for the UK as a ‘top table’ nation in world affairs, playing a leading role in bodies such as the G8, UN Security Council, European Union and the Commonwealth. These connections are essential to the UK’s economic success and security and contribute to the UK’s diplomatic and development goals, supporting global prosperity, international development and stability.

This Corporate Plan outlines the British Council’s corporate priorities and key areas of work over the next two years and sets out our targets for 2015 –16. The plan has been prepared in consultation with the UK government, governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and stakeholders in the education, culture and social sectors, to ensure a strong alignment with the UK’s long-term strategic priorities and reflect the devolved governance of the four countries of the UK. 1

The British Council’s purposeThe British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide. Working in over 100 countries around the world, we do this by:• Developing a wider knowledge of the UK and the English language.

• Improving cultural and educational understanding, relationships and co-operation between the UK and countries around the world.

• Changing lives around the world through access to UK education, skills, qualifications, culture and society.

• Attracting people who matter to our future to engage with the UK’s vibrant cultural and arts scene, education opportunities and diverse, modern, open society.

By delivering programmes and services in the English language, arts, education and in society, the British Council makes a long-term impact on lives and opportunities in the UK and overseas. We focus on young people in education and in their early careers, and we work with established leaders to support and shape education, cultural, social and arts policy and practices. We work with policy makers, leaders and people on issues that matter to them and their societies, including quality education, justice and good governance. All this promotes trust and opportunity in the UK and in the countries where we work.

The British Council makes a lasting impact on lives and opportunities in the UK and overseas. This builds long-term understanding, trust and relationships between the UK and the world, between people and institutions. Together this makes an important contribution to the UK’s prosperity, security and international influence.

1 Across Whitehall the British Council has worked with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to consult the Department for Education (DfE), UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), the Cabinet Office and the Department for International Development (DFID). We have also consulted more broadly across the UK and with the arts, English, education and social sectors through our external advisory groups.


The British Council’s statusThe British Council is a charity governed by Royal Charter. It is aligned with the UK’s long-term foreign policy priorities as agreed with the FCO. This Corporate Plan and the appointment of the Chair and Chief Executive are approved by the Foreign Secretary. An FCO board-level representative, appointed by the Foreign Secretary, is a member of the British Council’s Board of Trustees.

The British Council delivers the UK’s national interests, by being aligned with – but operationally independent from – UK government. We work to represent, share and present the UK’s cultural and educational assets, by being entrepreneurial and by being ‘for, from and by’ the people and institutions of all parts of the UK.

In 2014, as part of our work on the Triennial Review (described later), we defined seven guiding principles for our operation:

1 a public body Recognise in all we do, that we are a UK public body and recognise the responsibilities and expectations which flow from that.

2 Charitable purpose

Ensure everything we do fits directly and clearly with our charitable objectives.

3 Mutual benefit Deliver benefits for both the UK and overseas countries in everything we do.

4 Distinctive strengths

Focus our work on activities that build on and strengthen the distinctive assets that the British Council offers to people, institutions, governments, customers, clients, partners and other providers.

5 Creating value Seek to build value and opportunity for our UK sectors and other UK providers, as well as in areas where we are also a provider.

6 transparent and open

Ensure we are open and transparent in our operations, finances and systems.

7 Legal and compliant

Meet the fair trading requirements of UK public funding.

6

Benefit for the UK and the countries in which we workThe original founding articles of the British Council stressed mutual benefit: ‘to make the life and thought of the British people more widely known abroad; and to promote a mutual interchange of “knowledge and ideas” with other peoples’. This continues to be a core principle of the British Council’s work today.

Cultural appreciation, trust and opportunity are best achieved through co-operation and exchange. Our long-term commitment and understanding of overseas countries and networks has been built up over the last 80 years. This gives us a unique position and recognition, connecting decision makers, teachers, students, artists and cultural professionals around the world with the UK for the benefit of all parties.

Our experience tells us that our UK stakeholders and partners, and our overseas clients, value the distinct strengths that the British Council brings on behalf of the UK:• UK stakeholders and partners value us for our brand and reputation, our

ability to access high-level stakeholders overseas, our knowledge and insights about overseas markets, our presence in challenging places, our global reach and networks. Many also recognise our ability to deliver effectively and get things done in all the countries where we work – including the most challenging.

• overseas teachers, learners, customers, audiences, donors, clients, partners and governments value us for our status as a world leader in the provision of high quality English language teaching and assessment, our integrity, our commitment to mutual benefit and our ability to represent the UK on an apolitical, person-to-person basis. They appreciate our sector expertise and our ability to bring together cross-sector and cross-cultural partnerships.

The diagram shows our purpose and how our work in arts, English and examinations and education and society contributes to this and provides benefits to the UK and overseas. This is developed and explained further in the following sections.

We operate as an ‘entrepreneurial public service’ which means that we are funded by grant and earned income and use this mixed funding to maximise impact for the UK. This model in part responds to a declining grant-in-aid and the UK’s commitment to Official Development Assistance (ODA), but it also promotes enterprise, innovation, customer and market responsiveness and partnership working in pursuit of economic, social and cultural value. Through this, we set aside 20 per cent of available earned surpluses to support arts programmes and key UK ‘high impact priority’ cultural relations programmes to respond to government priorities. The remaining 80 per cent is used to fund our investment priorities. All our work, whether funded by grant, delivered by a contract or paid for by customers, supports cultural relations.


VALuE TO ThE uK

Aligned to the UK priorities: prosperity, security, GREAT Britain campaign, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Supports UK’s soft power.

Shaping attitudes to the UK as a destination for study, partnership, business and tourism.

UK policy and standards promoted.

Improved learning outcomes, skills and employability for UK citizens.

Stronger UK institutions and communities.

Sector, innovation and business growth in the UK.

Supporting the UK’s commitment to international development.

VALuE OVERsEAs

Aligned to overseas country priorities.

Improved understanding in the UK of overseas countries and their culture.

Cultural, educational, social and economic development.

Improved learning outcomes, skills and employability.

Enhanced policy insights and reform.

Sector growth, innovation, partnerships, business and trade with the UK.

Stronger overseas institutions and safer communities.

Safe spaces for dialogue and sharing new ideas.

WE CREATE INTERNATIONAL OPPORTuNITIEs FOR ThE PEOPLE OF ThE uK AND OThER COuNTRIEs AND buILD TRusT bETWEEN ThEm WORLDWIDE

Developing a wider knowledge of the UK and the English language.

Improving cultural and educational understanding, relationships and co-operation between the UK and countries around the world.

Changing lives around the world through access to UK education, skills, qualifications, culture and society.

Attracting people who matter to our future to engage with the UK’s vibrant cultural and arts scene, education opportunities and diverse modern, open society.

ENGLIsh

More widespread and better quality teaching, learning and assessment of English worldwide.

ARTs

New ways of connecting with and understanding each other through the arts.

CORPORATE PuRPOsE

sECTOR OuTCOmEs

WhAT WE DO

WhO WE WORK WITh

EDuCATION AND sOCIETY

Enhanced UK leadership of and shared learning from international education.

Societies whose young people, citizens and institutions contribute to a more inclusive, open and prosperous world.

INDIVIDuALs AND PROFEssIONALs

Students in higher and further education, schoolchildren, preschool children; young professionals; academics and young researchers; artists; teachers; senior influencers and leaders in government, business and communities; general public.

INsTITuTIONs, GOVERNmENT AND busINEss

Universities, colleges and schools; arts and cultural organisations; governments and ministries; private sector in English, education, arts and development, third sector, non-governmental organisations and social enterprise; donors and foundations.

English language.

Examinations.

English for education systems.

Schools.

Higher education.

Skills.

Science and research.

Civil society.

Rule of law.

Social enterprise.

Women and girls’ empowerment.

Arts showcasing.

Support to young artists and professionals.

Cultural skills.

8

Global context: the state of the worldAbove all, the British Council is an international organisation, we are on the ground in over 100 countries worldwide. The geopolitical context of these countries, combined with the UK’s long-term interests, frame our work: • emerging economies: include Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and

other large rapidly growing countries with increasing geopolitical influence in the world such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Mexico, Malaysia, Nigeria, Colombia and Turkey. All are managing considerable demographic or economic transitions, with growing middle classes, the potential for significant economic growth and the challenge to reduce poverty and inequality.

Countries at this stage of development are typically moving towards an increasingly external focus, providing fertile ground for building closer and mutually beneficial engagement with the UK. At a government level there is often a desire to look for international models that can be adopted to help accelerate development. This can lead to long-term institutional relationships and business opportunities. The expanding middle classes in these countries represent a large and growing market for the UK’s educational and arts services and have disposable income to travel and study overseas.

• Developing economies: include countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Wider Europe, South Asia and the Americas. Countries with less advanced economies where large youth populations could yield an enormous demographic dividend and rapid growth but could also fuel rising insecurity and conflict.

These countries are typically engaged in major institutional reform in areas where the UK has considerable expertise and a track record of openness in sharing lessons learned. This provides considerable scope to build deep and lasting relationships as UK institutions and consultants are well regarded for promoting development in a collaborative and supportive way. Many developing countries also have large and growing young populations with a strong interest in, and openness to, international opportunities for personal development.

• Developed economies: include countries in the European Union, Gulf States, North America and East Asia. There are faltering levels of economic growth, and countries emerging out of global recession. In some cases there are high levels of unemployment (especially among young people) and rapid technological change – these factors have created huge challenges as well as opportunities. Increased competition and growing nationalism fuelled by economic insecurity may pose further challenges.

These countries typically have more mature relationships with the UK and therefore may have lower appetite to learn from international models. They often face the same kind of challenges as the UK and generally have well used networks for engagement. There is scope to engage young people, in particular through the arts and the English language. In addition, with strong digital infrastructure and an outward focus, individuals have the means and interest to engage internationally.


• Conflict and fragile states: across the regions of the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and in the Ukraine populations are experiencing unpredictable, volatile and sometimes violent change.

These countries often share characteristics of developing and emerging countries but are experiencing political or economic pressures that place them at greater risk of conflict or violence. These countries are frequently in places of great geopolitical significance and the UK has an interest in their future stability. Successful support for institutional development, governance reform, civil society development, building the skills and opportunities available to young people and building strong relationships with individuals can make important contributions to more stable and secure futures.

Our response to the global contextThe British Council’s response takes the best cultural and educational assets of the UK, and tailors them to these different country contexts around the world. This includes: • Sharing english and UK-backed qualifications, skills training, educational

links and support to the development of state and public education systems.

• Sharing the UK’s creative and artistic output to support creative economies and promote exchange between cultural institutions and artists and to support cultural policy and infrastructure, skills, education and entrepreneurship.

• Developing artistic capacity in conflict and fragile territories, supporting cultural recovery and regional stability through our culture and development portfolio.

• Developing higher education, research and school links and skills for global employability including supporting the financial resilience of the UK sectors and enabling more plural, diverse, inclusive and peaceful expressions of cultural identity and developing cultural links.

• Strengthening civil society and good governance, justice and the rule of law, supporting sustainable and inclusive economic development and the empowerment of women and girls.

The British Council works to support pluralism, equality, open societies and the freest possible artistic, creative and academic expression. These are positive influences that are key features of UK society and are supports to stability both in the UK and in rapidly transforming and developing societies worldwide. The British Council is committed to presenting the UK as it is. We promote engagement not isolation and do not support educational or cultural boycotts of other countries; a stance which has served the UK well over many decades.

10

BritiSh CoUnCiL PrioritieS for 2015 onwarDS Our priorities for 2015 and beyond respond to the global context and the impact we want to bring to the countries we work in and to the UK, responding in particular to the recommendations and action plan from the Triennial Review. They have also been developed in consultation with stakeholders across governments of the UK, sector experts and the global network, as outlined earlier.

Triennial ReviewThe UK government published a Triennial Review of the British Council in July 2014, which confirmed the British Council is a vital institution supporting UK influence globally and a key element of the UK’s approach to international relations. The British Council’s ongoing presence worldwide was judged by the Triennial Review to be an important contributor to the UK’s standing as one of the world’s most attractive countries and a world leader in its soft power capabilities. The review said:

‘In a globalised, competitive world the UK needs a first class cultural diplomacy capability to further our national interest worldwide. This Review finds that the British Council has a strong brand, well established networks and committed staff: it is a valuable national asset and should be retained as the main official UK body for cultural diplomacy.’ 2

The review also challenged the British Council to work on three important areas:• Alignment with government priorities and wider UK interests.

• Transparency and accountability.

• Perceptions of fair competition and the handling of inherent conflicts of interest.

From July 2014 the organisation has set out to decisively address the review’s 72 detailed recommendations, with new policies in place, key actions now implemented, adopted or in the process of being embedded. During 2015 –17 a number of these changes will become fully embedded, as set out below.

2 Triennial Review of the British Council, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 22 July 2014 – p. 3.


Key initiatives to address the Triennial Review recommendations:

alignment with government priorities and wider UK interests

Corporate planning process

Greater alignment with the priorities of the FCO, Whitehall departments, devolved governments of the UK and the key sectors, including consultation on the development of our Corporate Plan.

Value to the UK To clearly explain the value to the UK, or relevance to ODA priorities that our work brings, and embedding this value in the design and implementation of our major programmes and our performance measurement.

government engagement model

A senior level lead for each government department and UK devolved government, to effect strategic alignment and co-operation. Our Chief Executive will meet regularly with ministers of key government departments and devolved UK governments to discuss priorities.

transparency and accountability

advisory committees

We are reviewing the membership, terms of reference and the appointments process of our sector and country advisory committees, and are embedding a new set of standards and constitutional arrangements.

transparency A new transparency section of the British Council website has been developed as a single gateway for information on our governance, finances and operations.

Perceptions of fair competition and handling of inherent conflicts of interest

review and extend our policy on fair trading

A new fair trading policy, together with an associated complaints procedure, has been prepared following stakeholder consultation and will be introduced during 2015.

Sharing opportunities with the UK education and english language teaching (eLt) sectors

Including a decision making framework to guide staff in sharing opportunities with organisations in the UK education and ELT sectors in a transparent and proactive manner.

future operating model

The FCO commissioned the management consultancy firm EY to evaluate future options for the governance of British Council ‘paid-for services’ to address these concerns and deliver a stronger British Council for the future. Our Board of Trustees have agreed changes to improve our transparency, economics and governance.

12

Corporate prioritiesBy 2017 we will:

1. Have further grown our reach and impact, which:• Is shared with UK partners for the benefit of the UK and the countries

where we work.

• Makes a real and lasting difference to the countries and societies where we work worldwide.

• Provides major and meaningful contribution to the educational, society, artistic and cultural sectors of the UK.

• Brings the power of cultural relations to a digital world: to promote greater connection, engagement, opportunity, understanding and trust with more people than ever before.

• Through creating trust and opportunity, supports UK objectives around security, prosperity and international influence, contributing to the UK’s soft power.

We will forge stronger, lasting institutional relationships in the countries that matter most to the UK, particularly those undergoing significant change. This means being recognised as a partner of choice in the UK and the countries where we work and delivering a consistent quality and level of impact across our network.

Our digital impact will continue to grow as we prioritise and strengthen social media and online learning platforms to share knowledge and ideas with more than 30 million people. The number of people we reach through face-to-face working and exhibitions will remain stable at 24 million.

We will continue to strengthen the quality, relevance and balance of our work in arts, English, examinations, education and society to meet the priorities and needs of the countries where we work overseas whilst successfully meeting UK priorities including soft power, prosperity, security, the GREAT Britain campaign, and the International Education Strategy.

2. Embody, represent and work with the best of the UK globally, by:• Strengthening our partnerships with the governments, cultural institutions,

education providers, social enterprises and social organisations, corporates, trusts and foundations of the UK for a greater impact than we could achieve alone.

• A more joined up approach with UK government departments and key UK stakeholders to ensure we plan and deliver together and understand and share the benefits our work brings.

• Helping the UK rise to the global demand and need for UK-backed English teaching, arts, culture, qualifications, learning opportunities, knowledge and ideas.


This means we will help UK individuals and institutions to contribute to change overseas in the areas of national priority and improve global understanding of and attitudes towards the UK. We will increase our partnerships with UK organisations with more clarity on how our work and how our programmes benefit the UK. This means making sure we have the right offer for UK English, education, social enterprise, governance and arts sectors. We will have an enhanced relationship with UK government (in the UK and overseas) through closer working, joint planning and improved communication.

3. Be efficient, effective and transparent, through:• Continuing our focus on efficiency and productivity, focusing on our

economics and cost base and implementing new models of operating across the British Council’s international network.

• Continuing to invest in technology and our business processes to release the full potential of all our staff and develop our capability for the future.

• Being open and transparent and demonstrating our value to the whole of the UK with clear reporting structures and governance.

This means successfully delivering the recommendations of the 2014 Triennial Review, with a more transparent and open culture, an independent complaints process and a transparent economic model with clarity on how we use earned surpluses. Our staff will be more globally mobile, flexibly deployed to respond to opportunity for the UK and to meet our needs as an entrepreneurial public service. We will be delivering continued financial and operational efficiencies through improved procurement, business systems and closer working with government partners. We will work towards a sustainable global network of offices, while ensuring we can resource major initiatives in the places where we have a limited, or no, physical presence.

These priorities build on our existing strengths and strategy; 2015 marks the final year of our current strategic planning cycle, approved by the Foreign Secretary in 2011. In the last five years, through a combination of investment, transformation of our physical and digital footprint and efficiency savings, the British Council has become a larger but leaner organisation, by focusing on supporting the UK’s core strengths in English, arts, education and society.

We have reduced our cost base, whilst increasing our reach and impact to create more opportunities for the UK and the millions of people we work with each year worldwide. 3 We have attracted new UK partners and paying customers to enable us to maintain a broad cultural offer for the UK but with less call on the UK taxpayer and UK government grant-in-aid.

In 2015–16 nearly 70 per cent of our core-grant funding will be targeted towards emerging, developing and fragile states as we contribute even more to the UK’s international development commitments and deliver more ODA programmes than ever before.

3 At the end of 2010, our platform costs (premises, infrastructure and support staff) were 19 per cent of our total costs, by 2016 they will be 15 per cent of total costs.

14

Delivering our priorities for 2015 onwards In order to achieve these priorities, our delivery focus will be on the following key areas of work and improvement. The first three of these are of key importance and shape the way we work:• a balanced British Council portfolio of programmes: continuing to work

with partners and investing in the core content of our programmes to ensure a vibrant offer tailored to the needs of the UK and the countries where we work. We will continue to develop our programmes to make the most of the combined strengths of the UK’s expertise across arts, English, education and society. We will also continue to invest in our paid-for services, particularly in English and examinations, and recycle earned surpluses to enable us to deliver a high quality, global arts programme, and support major festivals and seasons for the UK. We will also provide stronger and more visible education engagement with the UK sectors, as well as providing more resources to respond quickly to key UK government and wider UK priorities.

• More efficient operating models: we continue to develop new operating models for countries, business units, regions and back office services to further increase efficiencies and value for money – these include more standardisation, the reduction and consolidation of transactional activities in our successful ‘shared services’ centre in India, our contribution to the One HMG overseas agenda and further efficiencies through economies of scale. As agreed with the Foreign Secretary we are also moving to a ‘digital first’ offer in some European countries and closing our on-the-ground presence.

• Skills and talent: we will strengthen our professional skills and retain and attract talent to support our drive to be a model of a UK entrepreneurial public service. We will promote greater career and international mobility and talent management, in a highly-connected, interdependent global organisation. We will continue to explore the possibility for new remuneration structures with UK government, including the aim to rebalance pay towards salary and away from pension, to increase the attractiveness of a British Council career to more people in key areas where we are finding it hard to recruit. Further detail is provided in Chapter 7.

• Digital: we will build on a successful British Council global digital transformation, develop more personalised digital services around the world and rise to meet the exponential global demand for English and digital learning. This includes supporting key English learning communities in the Middle East on Facebook, building on the British Council’s very successful first massive open online course (MOOC) Exploring English: Language and Culture on the UK’s groundbreaking FutureLearn platform, and building on the highly successful British Council LearnEnglish suite which serves young learners, teens and adults. We will also support professional learning communities and teachers via British Council TeachingEnglish and SchoolsOnline. In arts, we will expand audience engagement especially on mobile and tablet devices for young audiences, building new platforms with UK cultural partners.


• response to the 2014 triennial review: we will publish our comprehensive response to all 72 recommendations in the 2014 Triennial Review and we will continue to develop, adopt and embed new policies. During 2015 we will implement the following organisational changes and improvements:

− a shared narrative with our UK stakeholders: this work includes extensive consultation on the development of our Corporate Plan and more time spent engaging and aligning with the FCO, Whitehall departments, governments of the UK and UK sectors.

− embedding new policies: including a fair competition and complaints policy, contract and opportunity notification, universal application of the contracts approval/decision making process, (our stage-gate approach to reviewing contract opportunities where we assess these against criteria including strategic fit, benefit to the UK, scope to partner with, or pass the opportunity to other UK providers) and sharing with UK education and English providers.

− engaging British Council people worldwide: by sharing and communicating the Corporate Plan 2015 – 2017, plus engagement on new policies and key reforms, focusing on what they mean for our people.

− Developing the transparency of our financial reporting, systems and processes: this includes cost allocations and a revised economic model, intelligent controls within a global assurance framework, a review of planning, reporting and group legal entity changes. All this will be enabled by systems enhancements.

16

LooKing oUt to 2020

This Corporate Plan provides the foundations for the British Council’s longer-term ambition to 2020 in the context of an upcoming UK general election and Comprehensive Spending Review. Our aims for 2020 are: • To continue to make a major contribution to the standing, soft power, and

strength of the educational and cultural sectors and trust in the people of the UK, supporting UK priorities relating to security and prosperity and the UK’s influence in the world.

• To make a real and lasting difference to the countries and societies where we work worldwide with partners and above all through connecting people.

• To deliver even more for the UK, strongly aligned to UK government and stakeholder priorities, supporting UK sectors to grow their impact and markets worldwide and sharing the opportunities for the benefit of the UK as well as the countries where we work.

• To be a more flexible organisation, anticipating geopolitical shocks, changing market conditions and UK government and stakeholder priorities, to share our on the ground intelligence for our major UK sectors and UK government partners, and moving staff and resources to meet the UK’s ever-changing global needs.

• To remain a trusted, transparent and accountable delivery partner for government, funders, partners and the sectors in which we work.

• To have a well-understood and sustainable ‘mixed-economy’ model which combines earning with UK government grant-in-aid: including education and society contracts work which covers their full costs, English and examinations work which meets the demands of paying customers and generates self-sustaining funding as well as modest surpluses for reinvestment in the arts.


2. WORKING WITh AND FOR ThE uK

aLigning with UK PrioritieS Globalisation affects every part of the UK, touching the lives of citizens, changing communities and shaping our economic futures. At the same time, there is an increased focus on the diversity of the UK, a drive to embrace the cultural strengths across the UK and to involve people from across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, their regions and major cities. In order to make the greatest impact, we will tailor our programmes to contribute to the policy objectives of the UK as a whole and to meet the priorities of the four nations of the UK.

Some of the key priorities of our UK government stakeholders that help frame our programmes are summarised in the table below:

uK GOVERNmENT PRIORITIEs

The use of soft power and of culture and education to shape long-term attitudes towards the UK globally.

GREAT Britain campaign, economic benefit, 2020 export drive (£1 trillion exports) and direct return to the UK.

Cabinet Office objective to make the UK the social enterprise capital of the world.

Rule of law, good governance, stability and security especially Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Ukraine.

Official Development Assistance (ODA) is 0.7 per cent of gross national income.

UK government’s International Education Strategy, Newton Fund and UK Science and Innovation Strategy.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s objective to make the UK the creative and cultural capital of the world.

Austerity, efficiencies and value for money.

One HMG: joined-up Whitehall approaches to save costs and maximise impact.

ENGLAND

Invest in skills and higher education to promote trade, innovation and productivity, and broaden economic growth across England’s city regions.

Learn from good practice around the world to help create a self-improving school-led system for England with a strong workforce and leadership.

Introduce language learning to the curriculum in all primary schools.

Make the most of England’s cultural, artistic and heritage assets.

Promote social action and social investment.

NORThERN IRELAND

International relations strategy focused on investment, trade, tourism, students and knowledge exchange. 4

Strengthen university, education, research and technological development.

Promote sport and cultural opportunity.

Share experience of peace building and conflict resolution.

International outlook as a core competence for Northern Ireland’s citizens and organisations.

sCOTLAND

Focus on Scottish government’s 2015 programme on economic prosperity, social inequality, and community empowerment. 5

International framework and country plans to be refreshed in line with economic prosperity agenda.

Stronger alignment between agencies in support of national purpose and to maximise the impact and effectiveness of international engagements.

International promotion of Scotland’s distinctive assets.

WALEs

Higher education strategy for Wales aims to create a higher education community which transforms lives and livelihoods. 6

Recognise and support the importance of the bilingual context.

Use distinctive Welsh cultural identity and assets to support economic and social outcomes.

Raise the profile of Wales within the UK and globally.

International promotion of Welsh assets that can embody the best of the UK.

4 www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/international-relations-strategy-2014.pdf5 Programme for Scotland 2014–16 www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0046/00464455.pdf 6 http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/publications/091214hestrategyen.pdf

Education and culture are devolved matters, so references to UK education and cultural priorities relate to the priorities of the governments of the UK.

18

BenefitS to the UK

Who benefits in the UK?All of the British Council’s work seeks to build trust between people in the UK and around the world. Our work helps the UK:• By giving UK individuals the chance to connect, visit and engage with people

overseas to broaden their opportunities, engage with art, culture and learn.

• Through the programmes we deliver in the UK, for example giving people in the UK learning, skills and the chance to enjoy art, festivals and culture.

• When we make introductions, connections and business opportunities for UK organisations, social enterprises and businesses, helping them to learn from overseas engagement.

• For wider UK society through the cultural, social and economic benefits from people visiting the UK for study, business or culture.

All of the above leads to an improved international outlook and greater trust – both from the UK to the rest of the world and from overseas countries to the UK, as people from the UK connect with, and inspire trust in, the people they engage with overseas. Research has demonstrated the connection between high levels of trust and a greater willingness of people to want to visit, study in, and do business with, people from the UK. 7

Key benefits that our work brings to the UK1. Soft power: cultural relations build trust between people in the UK and

overseas countries in ways which help both achieve prosperity and security.

2. Showcasing the UK’s creativity: we show the world the UK’s best arts, education and English teaching in ways which shape attitudes to all parts of the UK as a destination for business, tourism and study. For example, our portfolio of festivals, international seasons and touring exhibitions profile and promote the UK’s artistic talent to a global audience. In this way we help to deliver the objectives of the UK and devolved governments, including the UK government’s GREAT Britain campaign, raising the profile of and promoting Britain’s cultural and educational strengths in key markets such as China, India and the USA.

3. anniversary celebrations: we celebrate UK achievement and culture through global commemorations and anniversaries. For example 2015: The Year of Mexico in the UK and the UK in Mexico and Shakespeare Lives, a major global celebration of how William Shakespeare’s life and work lives on after 400 years.

7 British Council, Trust Pays (2012) www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/publications/trust-pays


8 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgsproposal9 Eligibility for ODA is dependent on gross national income per capita. Chile and Uruguay exceeded the

high income country threshold in 2012 and 2013 and will graduate from the list in 2017 if they remain high income countries until 2016.

4. new business: we help to grow cultural and education exports through market intelligence and the new business opportunities we share with our UK partners for the English, education and social enterprise sectors. We support the UK government’s International Education Strategy to promote the whole education sector, as well as the accreditation of UK English language schools.

5. innovation: we support international opportunities for the UK to innovate. This includes supporting the UK’s Science and Innovation Network and Plan for Growth by building international links for young researchers, and the Newton Fund which draws on the UK’s excellence to build strong research and innovation projects with partner countries.

6. Policy dialogue and alignment: we promote UK policy and professional standards as international benchmarks, and help UK policy makers learn from international best practice.

7. education, skills and employability: we support the improvement of learning outcomes in UK schools and help many thousands of young UK citizens develop their ideas, languages and skills. We promote foreign languages and provide international study opportunities for UK young people.

8. Stronger institutions: we help UK institutions benefit from international links, bringing to the UK people from all over the world whose ideas enrich the social and cultural fabric of our nations.

9. Stronger communities: we help to build stronger communities in the UK through supporting language teaching including English as an additional language, support for social enterprise and cultural development.

10. Support to stability and good governance in strategically important countries and helping the UK to meet its oDa priorities: we contribute to the UK government’s commitment to international development support for stability, economic development, reduced inequalities and good governance in developing, fragile and conflict-affected countries around the world, including those vital to the UK’s strategic interests. Our work will continue to align with the emerging Sustainable Development Goals, in particular around quality education, gender equality, rule of law and good governance, strengthening civil society and sustainable development, including through social enterprise. 8 Going forward, we will need to manage the challenge of changing ODA eligibility, with less ‘untied’ grant to spend in non-ODA places, for example Chile and Uruguay may lose ODA status during this plan period. 9

20

oUr worK in anD for the UKWe outline below key areas of work which are of particular importance in the UK, because the work is delivered in the UK as well as overseas (e.g. Study Work Create), because UK partners play a key role in the delivery overseas (e.g. arts showcasing), and because the work overseas is designed to bring benefits to the UK (e.g. GREAT Britain campaign).

GREAT Britain campaignThe British Council’s programmes enhance the UK’s overall reputation and therefore contribute to GREAT Britain campaign objectives for tourism, business and study with the UK. The British Council also supports these objectives more directly through its active engagement with the GREAT Britain campaign. The campaign focuses on specific UK strengths such as entrepreneurship, knowledge, education and skills, creativity, culture, innovation, sport, countryside and heritage.

The British Council leads on international student recruitment. Our campaign supports the UK government’s International Education Strategy and promotes the UK as a destination for study in a number of key target markets. We work closely with the FCO in each country and also with the UK sector. We reach out to prospective international students through a range of face-to-face and digital channels, such as Education UK and through engagement with international media.

We are growing our focus on cultural engagement as a way of changing perceptions of, and promoting, the UK. In 2015 we will work with a Thomas Heatherwick exhibition touring East Asia and India, a Year of Cultural Exchange between the UK and Chinese governments and the UK–Mexico Year of Culture to help promote the wider objectives of the GREAT Britain Campaign. The British Council is leading across all the GREAT partners and the UK culture sector on Shakespeare Lives, the strongest cultural soft power opportunity for the UK since London 2012.

We will continue to play an important role in the development of the Culture Diary, which gives information on a range of cultural events involving British cultural organisations, both in the UK and around the world. The Diary will be used by UK cultural institutions to identify opportunities for integrated activity with the GREAT Britain campaign around specific high profile cultural events for the benefit of UK.

More broadly we will continue to work in partnership and promote British brands overseas – from our work in sports with the English Premier League and Premiership Rugby to our partners across the UK in the arts such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Edinburgh and Hay Festivals.


Stability and international development overseasWe support UK policies and commitments to international development and building stability overseas, helping to change lives in line with the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals and contributing to broader regional and international security which benefits the UK. We focus on education systems, the rule of law, cultural skills, access to justice, improving governance, promoting active citizenship and advancing the empowerment of girls and women. Through arts culture and development work we give a voice to marginalised and displaced communities strengthening civil society and supporting the growth of creative economies.

Seventy per cent of our core grant is targeted to ODA. We also work as partners and contractors with DFID, the European Union and a number of trusts and foundations to achieve these goals.

Education, research and schoolsin higher education and english language we will work with UKTI, BIS, DfE, devolved governments and other UK sector stakeholders to ensure our products and services which promote UK education are provided on a fair and competitive basis, are clearly aligned with government support and priorities and are delivered with consistency across our global network. This is in direct response to the 2014 Triennial Review.

Through this work, we will continue to strengthen our services to the UK sector with a focus on building partnerships and supporting the UK government’s £1 trillion export target:• Our support to English language training providers in the UK will include

market intelligence, sharing innovation, learning and research, and providing access to new contracts. Working with English UK, we will continue to manage Accreditation UK, quality assuring over 550 English language teaching institutions in the UK to enhance the reputation of the UK as the most popular global destination for quality English learning.

• We will develop and relaunch Education UK in a new model with a key stakeholder advisory group, supporting the GREAT Britain campaign to attract more students to the UK.

• We will connect UK and international partners through policy forums such as the Going Global conference and Education World Forum.

• We will work with over 70 UK examinations providers, from universities to professional bodies, helping them to secure fees of £80 million as well as creating life-changing opportunities and enhancing trust in the UK worldwide.

22

Science and research will continue to be a priority. Our management of the newton fund will build research and innovation relationships between the UK and emerging powers. This will include delivering programmes to support PhD mobility, research and innovation collaboration, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education projects, skills and professional development.

Our support to schools across the UK, delivered through Erasmus+, Connecting Classrooms and the International Schools Award, enriches educational quality, standards and outcomes. This includes contributing to skills development, core knowledge and cultural capital, language learning, social and cultural development and to career-long professional learning. We will continue to help our schools sectors learn from the best in the world, sharing policy insights and increasing international professional development opportunities for school leaders and teachers.

We will champion the importance of learning foreign languages as a means to further the opportunities of individuals and the UK’s prosperity and global standing. British Council Language assistants placed in schools across the UK will enable an estimated 400,000 pupils each year to gain confidence and fluency in a second language and develop their intercultural skills. During 2015 we will review how we can provide research focus and facilitate debate in light of increasing demand for foreign languages at primary school level and promote the benefits of multilingualism. We will continue to work with partners in the UK to support children and adult learners for whom English is not the first language.

Study Work CreateOur Study Work Create programme provides access to international opportunities for UK students and young professionals. The cultural value of broadening horizons and opening international opportunities is acclaimed by the wider cultural and education sectors. Businesses value our programmes to strengthen future employees’ ability to work with individuals and organisations from different cultural backgrounds.

Over the next two years we will increase the number of international opportunities for young people in the UK for international education, skills and professional development. Opportunities we will provide include:• erasmus+: the EU programme to promote and support education, training,

youth and sport in Europe. 10 It provides higher education opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to study in Europe. Through the youth chapter of Erasmus+, we will focus on young people and those active in youth work and youth organisations, developing their skills and knowledge and strengthening European opportunities in non-formal learning.

• generation UK: our campaign to boost the number of UK students participating in study and internship programmes beyond Europe. We will offer study placements in China and India, countries where stronger ties are particularly important for our mutual understanding and prosperity.

10 The British Council is the UK national agency for Erasmus+ in partnership with Ecorys UK.


• Language assistants: providing opportunities for UK graduates to be English Language Assistants in schools and universities around the world. The scheme gives practical help to the host schools and, for the Language Assistants, strengthens language attainment and boosts personal resilience – good for the UK and for the individuals.

• artists’ international Development fund: Support for emerging UK artists and arts professionals to develop work and collaborate internationally through the funds we manage with the Arts Councils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

• research: We will enable more than 2,000 UK early career researchers each year to establish links and build their capacity and careers in international science and research collaboration, through various programmes developed with partners (such as research councils and national academies) and funders including BIS and the European Commission. These include initiatives such as Researcher Links, the Newton Fund, the Euraxess UK information portal, and the bilateral Britain–Israel Research Exchange Initiative in Regenerative Medicine.

In 2015–16 we will agree an overarching strategy for our work in internationalising UK young people. This will build on the Study Work Create campaign showcasing the full global range of opportunities we offer, and our collaboration with the International Unit at Universities UK to support the UK Strategy for Outward Mobility and related strategies in the devolved administrations.

Arts and cultureWe will create a wide range of platforms to support access to global markets for the best of the arts from across the UK to maintain and further enhance the UK’s reputation as an open, creative society with a world leading cultural and creative sector. This will include:• A focused range of showcases and cultural exchanges across the UK in

partnership with the UK Arts Councils, Creative Scotland and others, including at the Edinburgh Festivals, London Book Fair, Hay Festival and British Dance Edition 2015 in Cardiff.

• Bilateral cultural seasons between the UK and other countries, providing opportunities for UK artists and the creative industries in emerging economies, with a new focus in particular on Mexico, Nigeria, Indonesia and South Korea, complementing our ongoing work with China, India and Brazil.

• Cross-cutting cultural relations programmes around UK anniversaries and events: marking 150 years of Wales–Patagonia links and the Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary in 2015; First World War and centenary commemorations including the Somme and the Easter Rising in 2016; also in 2016, Shakespeare Lives, and working on international links with Hull UK City of Culture 2017.

• The rollout of a global cultural skills offer to share world class UK expertise in delivering professional training across areas such as festivals, audience development, heritage management and live and digital production.

24

• Providing information and advice on EU opportunities by developing our Creative Europe Desk UK partnership with the British Film Institute and all four UK countries to enable more UK arts organisations to benefit from Creative Europe funding awards.

• Planning with Scottish and UK-wide partners towards the next biennial Edinburgh International Culture Summit for Ministers of Culture in 2016.

Social enterpriseIn the social enterprise and civil society sectors, we will help more UK organisations to work internationally. Hosting international visits, sharing market research and intelligence, engaging in dialogue overseas and bringing back new business links and learning increases UK organisations’ capacity to build stronger communities across the UK by creating new content and good practice. With our global network focused on creating market opportunities in emerging countries, we will reach UK audiences through key partners including Social Enterprise UK and UK universities with strong civic missions, and look for opportunities to grow this work in partnership with the Cabinet Office and the wider sector.

Working with citiesOur recent partnerships around Derry-Londonderry City of Culture 2013 and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games demonstrate the unique value we can add by bringing our global network and expertise to city-scale initiatives. In the next two years we will create new relationships with major city authorities in England and Wales to run cross-cutting internationalisation campaigns. We will also jointly invest with the UK core cities group, which represents ten of the largest UK cities, in research on areas of common interest around how internationalisation can support economic and social development. We will develop a partnership with Hull UK City of Culture 2017, working together to develop innovative international exchanges and programmes designed to have lasting cultural, social and economic impact.

new PartnerShiPS

We will strengthen our value to the UK through new partnershipsBy building strong relationships and trust with existing partners, we will increase the number of meaningful strategic partnerships that bring innovation, influence, impact and income benefits to our delivery and to the UK.

We are extending our business development approach to global partners, including trusts, foundations and corporates. We will use research to identify and understand prospective sectors and partners (for example, telecoms, online learning sectors) and develop a tight strategic range of collaborations. We will continue to grow capability in our global network to ensure we have the skills we need for managing and stewarding relationships.


We recognise how important it is for the British Council to work with trusts and foundations that have strong reputations in the areas in which we work. With a growing understanding of trusts and foundations we will develop our profile and establish ourselves as a partner of choice.

Having developed our technical understanding of how sponsorship works and an associated strategy for arts sponsorship, we will build on and develop new relationships with major corporates interested in becoming partners in high profile seasons, festivals and bilateral programmes that feature UK assets in priority overseas markets.

There is a growing recognition across the organisation of the non-financial benefits of working with partners. We will extend our corporate scorecard system to capture the full value of our partnership activity and further embed this understanding in the organisation. By 2016, partnering will be one of our principal business models. This will enable us to grow impact fast without growing ourselves at the same pace, and most importantly will demonstrate effective collaborative working, particularly with UK organisations.

Staying connected to UK governments and our stakeholdersTo make sure we stay relevant and connected, we will develop and maintain more systematic engagement with the UK sectors and government stakeholders.

• We will embed an updated UK government relations framework, investing in a closer relationship with our sponsor department the FCO and other relevant departments in Whitehall, and the devolved UK governments.

• Reflecting the changing governance of the UK, guidance and briefing will be rolled out to our global network on the diversity of the UK: its varied demographics, priorities, policies and our approaches to working with governments in the four UK countries.

• We will work with key stakeholders in all parts of the UK to improve our global understanding of the distinctive strengths and assets the UK has to offer in education and culture, to help us make the most of the diversity of the UK as an asset in itself.

• We will develop our long-term UK partnerships including with the UK Arts Councils and Creative Scotland; with Universities UK, Scotland and Wales; and with OFSTED and Education Scotland.

• As noted earlier, our advisory groups and UK country committee structures will be developed to ensure more transparency and balanced representation, and we will engage closely with national governments, authorities and sector bodies through our UK-wide Cultural Diplomacy Group, UK Education Departments meetings, and the Erasmus+ Sector Consultative Groups and devolved country Advisory Groups.

Our Brazil Transform and Mexico 2015 programmes will establish new connections for a wide range of UK arts and culture organisations.

UK design is set for a further boost with a Thomas Heatherwick (British Pavilion in Shanghai EXPO) exhibition in East Asia in 2015, visiting Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Mumbai.

The UK–Russia Year of Culture in 2014 reached more than seven million people with 150 events in 80 venues in seven cities and generated 10,000 media mentions.


3. ARTs

new wayS of ConneCting with anD UnDerStanDing eaCh other throUgh the artS

Through our work in the arts we aim to: • Increase the prosperity of participating arts professionals and institutions

through enhanced artistic quality, financial sustainability and global reputation.

• Develop skills among arts professionals and institutions.

• Attract arts lovers worldwide and increase audiences for UK work globally and for international work in the UK.

• Enhance the UK’s international reputation as a creative, diverse and relevant destination for students, business leaders and tourists.

What we doWe work primarily with arts professionals in the UK and across the world (both arts practitioners and enablers), as well as policy makers, to develop mutually beneficial connections and projects. This allows us to extend UK influence worldwide through exhibitions, performances, screenings, social media, digital platforms and publications.

We are trusted for our focus on artistic quality, innovation and partnership. We have invested in new talent, building a global management team of arts professionals based in our core regions. We have introduced a new funding model to ensure financial sustainability and a balanced arts offer over the next five years.

All this has led to a renewed confidence in our work in the arts. An example of this is our ambitious plans in Mexico in 2015, planned to be the biggest celebration of British creativity in arts, culture, innovation, education, science and business ever to take place in the country. Other examples include new developments for the creative economy, cultural skills and visual arts programmes and a sustained and enhanced culture and development portfolio.

28

We have established a strong basis to deliver our priorities, through:• Digital innovation: piloting platforms to showcase and promote portfolios

of artistic work sourced through a series of partnerships with UK cultural institutions including the Tate, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Film Institute. This provides a way to develop new audiences and enrich existing audience engagement in our arts programming and a way to provide a strong cultural legacy in our priority markets.

• Major partnerships with both cultural and economic agencies including Arts Council England (ACE), the BBC, British Film Institute, UKTI and the Southbank Centre. Our partnership with ACE has enabled us to work collaboratively with them to develop their £18 million Cultural Export Fund to link with our resources and networks globally for the benefit of the English arts sector. Our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UKTI identifies major areas of collaboration including a high-value creative opportunities programme; festivals and creative weeks; and showcases and seasons, and sets out a framework for achieving this. Our Creative Europe Desk UK is jointly led by the British Council and the British Film Institute, in partnership with ACE, Creative Scotland, Welsh Government and Arts Council of Northern Ireland, with support from the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the European Commission.

• Development of our cultural skills portfolio building on the UK’s existing expertise as providers of continuing professional development and providing a service to artistic practitioners and cultural institutions internationally, in areas such as arts management, cultural heritage and creative economy.

• The establishment of the artists international Development fund, jointly with ACE, enabling UK artists to access artistic partnerships and networks in their chosen global location and explore new markets abroad to extend and enrich their artistic practice. We have also collaborated with ACE on our support for No Boundaries, a State of the Arts event on the role of culture in 21st century society.

• Implementation of our arts funding model which now includes funding from core grant and funding from British Council earned surpluses, facilitating a more balanced portfolio of cultural activity across countries and regions internationally. This is complemented by a deeper understanding of the impact our work brings, making our achievements both qualitatively and quantitatively more visible.


PrioritieS for the next two yearS:

Up to 2017 we will focus on the following challenges and opportunities:• Planning and delivering Shakespeare Lives to commemorate Shakespeare

400 years after his death, with an ambitious international programme of artistic and educational events representing a global celebration of his life and work.

• Consolidating our culture and development portfolio focusing on cultural work in fragile and conflict territories including Ukraine, Syria, Liberia and Burma, for example our Artists in Recovery programme supporting and enabling the work of displaced Syrian artists and the Libyan street theatre performances.

• Continuing to support and develop the representation of UK artists at the Venice Biennale, an unparalleled showcase for international contemporary arts, through curating exhibitions and commissioning artists for the British Pavilion, including the representation of the internationally renowned artist Sarah Lucas in 2015.

• Rolling out an innovative digital platform, showcasing and promoting a portfolio of artistic UK work, piloted in China as a digital complement to the UK Now festival and the 2015 Year of Cultural Exchange.

• Empowering a network of business development managers to attract cultural contracts and partnership funding to continue to deliver current levels of arts work, with lower reliance on grant funding.

• Clarifying our offer to the sector and our presence across the UK including a partnership presence in the north of England in addition to existing Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland offices – diversifying culture across English regions and the UK.

• Delivering major collaborations with agencies designed to deliver economic benefit to the UK in education, business and tourism, including UKTI, GREAT and Visit Britain, for example in the Heatherwick Touring Exhibition and in the UK–Mexico Year 2015.

• Developing our track record in promoting equity and supporting and showcasing performance by disabled artists through the Unlimited brand and building an international audience for such performances recognising the unique talent disability brings to the arts.

• Supporting strategic alignment across the British Council through major events and programmes.

In 2015–16 we will work with:• Over 730,000 artists, art lovers and, cultural leaders face-to-face.

• More than ten MiLLion exhibition, festival, event and performance attendees.

• over 700,000 artists, art lovers and participants in online communities.

• oVer 12 MiLLion digital online audiences.

• Well in excess of 130 MiLLion viewers, listeners and readers.

30

Summary of our Arts programmes and activities for 2015 onwards

title Detail Benefits to the UK

Showcasing We demonstrate the extraordinary quality and diversity of UK arts through showcase events and digital channels in the UK and overseas to audiences and promoters in international markets.

Through this we create new connections and lasting relationships between UK arts and the world. For example, events such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Great Escape Music Festival, the Venice Biennale and Architecture Biennale.

We also create major seasons such as in Mexico, Nigeria, Indonesia, South Korea and forthcoming programmes including Shakespeare Lives and the Guadalajara International Book Festival.

UK content gets recognised overseas resulting in profile raising, introductions and business opportunities for UK artists and arts practitioners.

Culture and development

Through arts and culture, our work in this area aims to ensure that:

• civil society is strengthened from the ground up

• marginalised people are able both to express themselves freely and advocate for their rights successfully

• the creative industries are able to contribute to the alleviation of poverty.

Our work is divided into two main areas: Voices and Spaces, which focuses on the creation of safe spaces for debate and exchange; and Artists in Recovery, a programme supporting artists who are working in areas of conflict and upheaval.

UK artists and partners get connected to new international development and learning opportunities.

In particular, this work helps to create a new space for the UK arts and creative sector around the world, supporting social and economic development, including in fragile and conflict affected states, contributing to wider security aims.

Support for creative professionals and artists

We build relationships, connections, partnerships and networks between UK arts professionals and global contacts online and in person, for example through the Creative Entrepreneur development scheme.

We also provide financial support for artists in the early stage of their careers, for example through the Artists International Development Fund.

We provide a range of support services through our management of the EU’s Creative Europe Desk for Culture in the UK.

UK artists get career benefits and support through learning, introductions and entry into new markets to boost their professional development and success.

Skills and knowledge exchange

We share the UK’s policy experience, particularly in skills development and in the creative and cultural industries. This may be through our Cultural Skills programme; within cultural seasons such as Transform Brazil; through collaboration in the No Boundaries, a State of the Art event; or as part of international events such as the European Creative Hubs Forum for cultural centres.

Together these programmes develop the futures of artists and the sector, leaving a lasting legacy.

the UK arts sector gets learning and knowledge through international exchange, learning from their counterparts across the world.


How we achieve impact in Arts

1. WhO WE WORK WITh

Ministers of culture, arts policy makers and local government.

artists and cultural leaders (festival directors, curators, producers and programmers from the UK and overseas).

art lovers and arts students in the UK and overseas, international audiences for UK work and UK audiences for international work.

2. WhAT ThEY EXPERIENCE

international arts events, arts policy dialogue, publications, research and consultancy.

Professional development workshops, arts awards, arts forums and networks, collaborative creation, exchange of ideas, work in other countries.

inspiring, entertaining and transformative international arts events (exhibitions, showcases, festivals, fairs, performances).

3. WhAT ThEY TAKE AWAY increased knowledge and skills to work internationally.

increased knowledge of UK and international arts administration and policy.

improved knowledge and skills in the creative sector overseas.

Knowledge and skills to support tolerance, respect and diversity.

improved perception of the diversity of UK art.

4. WhAT ThEY DO Develop artistic practice by working internationally.

Collaborate in developing arts policy and practice internationally.

work on joint creative projects.

Develop new markets.

engage with peers in the UK and internationally.

Develop creative and cultural institutions overseas and in the UK.

influence international conversations.

recommend and talk about their experience to others.

5. LAsTING ImPACT artists prosper.

Skills develop.

institutions prosper.

the UK’s reputation grows.

a more diverse and larger audience around the world experiences UK arts.

NEw wAys of CoNNECtINg wIth AND UNDErstANDINg EACh othEr throUgh thE Arts.

The British Council administers around 1.2 million examinations in East Asia on behalf of UK examination boards. This contributes enormously to the reputation of UK education and qualifications as well as bringing over £20 million of earnings to the boards.

The English UK Fair in Antalya in November 2014 was the first time an English UK regional event was held in partnership with the British Council, UKTI and Visit Britain. The Fair promoted English UK as a quality brand and introduced 30 English UK providers to 30 leading education agents in the region with the aim of establishing commercial sales partnerships for UK providers. It was accompanied by a GREAT Britain digital competition in Turkey which aimed to promote English language teaching in the UK. The competition received over 20,000 entries and attracted a further 86,000 visitors to the Turkey pages of the EducationUK website.

25,000 Gulf students choose to study in the UK after taking IELTS courses with the British Council.

In South Asia, two million examinations are administered every year, bringing around £22 million to UK partners.


4. ENGLIsh AND EXAmINATIONs

More wiDeSPreaD anD Better qUaLity teaChing, Learning anD aSSeSSMent of engLiSh worLDwiDeEnglish language teaching and assessment are central to our cultural relations mission, creating international opportunities and building trust, especially with the UK, by promoting English as a common language for trade, diplomacy, debate and access to a lifelong world of education and employment. We provide people worldwide with access to the life-changing opportunities that come from learning English and gaining valuable UK qualifications. Our work helps to maintain the UK’s profile and expertise in English language teaching and assessment worldwide.

In addition to our work in English, we work with over 150 UK academic and professional examination boards and universities to help people around the world access UK qualifications, and the opportunities that derive from these.

What we doWe have a global network of high quality teaching centres, with 83 centres in 50 countries and have seen growth of over 30 per cent in the number of people learning English with us since 2011. We deliver examinations in over 850 towns and cities worldwide. We have extended our range of self-access English language learning products offered through digital and mobile technology, tripling our digital social media and learning audiences, and including the launch of our first massive open online courses (MOOCs) on the leading UK platform FutureLearn. We have expanded our work with overseas governments to transform whole education systems and increase opportunity and employability through English.

Our work in English and Examinations makes a major contribution to the UK’s International Education Strategy, building recognition of UK expertise in this area and, through this, developing international opportunities for UK English language teaching (ELT) organisations and UK qualification awarding bodies. Through Accreditation UK we support the promotion of the UK as a leading destination for English language learners (a market worth in total £3 billion annually to the UK economy). We also support the UK assessment and English language teaching sector, as well as academics, through research, publications and market intelligence.

34

PrioritieS for the next two yearS:• In collaboration with policy makers, education ministries and donors, contribute

to the development and quality of english learning and teaching in schools worldwide, supporting effective English language teaching policy and English teacher development.

• Support the English language learning and training needs of students and teachers in international further and higher education systems.

• Support the delivery of the UK’s international education strategy by working closely with UKTI Education, and UK providers, to identify and develop programmes that support English language learning and assessment opportunities in key markets.

• Expand our portfolio of self-access english language learning products offered online and through mobile technology, as well as through print and broadcast media, working with UK partners for content, platforms and channels.

• Invest in and expand our global network of high quality english teaching centres.

• Through our teaching network and award-winning digital self-access learning portfolio, increase the number of people exposed to the UK’s vibrant culture as an aid to English language learning.

• Contribute to the promotion of the UK as an English language learning destination and to the promotion of english as a gateway to international education opportunities.

• Increase access to English language, and other UK academic and professional qualifications, providing evidence of progress, helping improve standards and helping individuals secure opportunities in further and higher education and in employment.

• Support cultural relations between the UK and key current and successor generations of overseas leaders, and support overseas national education systems, continue to invest in our high-performing British Council bilingual, bicultural primary and secondary school in Madrid, and begin the process of developing a global network of similar British Council schools. Malaysia is the most likely location for a school opening, with other locations to follow.


All of our activity in English and Examinations builds trust between people overseas and the UK in two primary ways:

• Providing a common language through which cultures can communicate, understand and ultimately trust each other.

• Being exposed to UK expertise (UK teachers, materials, valuable test products, UK experiences – all in which they can trust and often which help people access opportunities for advancement, in education and work).

This is described in detail overleaf.

In 2015–16 we will work with:• 340,000 policy makers, teachers and coaches.

• 450,000 learners in teaching centre classes.

• three MiLLion examinations candidates.

• 80 MiLLion online audience and 13 MiLLion online social media and learning users.

• 134 MiLLion viewers, listeners and readers.

36

Summary of our English and Examinations programmes and activities for 2015 onwards


english language assessment

Working with partners and through direct delivery, creating and distributing English language assessments which support the effective learning of English and allow individuals to prove their English language ability to employers, education institutions and other organisations.

• UK language sector recognised as a global leader in English language.

• Language assessment providers learn from international debate which improves the quality of the UK language assessment offer.

Distribution of UK examinations

Services to UK examination boards in over 100 countries providing:

• secure examination administration

• business development support.

• UK examinations boards get access to overseas markets for their product.

• UK qualifications regarded as high quality and trustworthy.

• UK examination boards receive over £80 million of income direct from our work.

english for education systems

Work with ministries, policy makers, donors and UK partners to improve the quality of English teaching worldwide and the use of English to teach subjects across the curriculum, in schools, further and higher education institutions.

Through support to policy and research, curriculum development and teacher training programmes we will help strengthen the quality of English language teaching and the understanding of language in cultural relations and development.

• english language sector gains partnering opportunities to design English programmes for education systems overseas.

• UK sector receives market intelligence and insight on market needs to help understanding of, and entry into, these markets for business.

• English language providers in the UK have their expertise promoted in overseas markets through accreditation UK websites and resources.

• The UK sector’s reputation is strengthened for excellence in English language teaching and delivery.

face-to-face and blended english

Provide over 400,000 individual and group learners of English with a range of face-to-face and blended courses in our 80 plus centres worldwide.

Continue to invest in our network of teaching centres, expanding our reach into new markets and developing new products to respond to audience demands.

• The UK’s profile is built as a leading provider of English language teaching to learners in local markets.

• UK expertise in English language teaching is showcased.

• UK creativity and eLt expertise through themed partnered centres is showcased.

english for self-access learners

Provide online courseware, social media learning, mobile, broadcast and print resources for learners to improve their English, as well as website tools and global online training resources for teachers of English.

• UK research and innovation in English enjoys a wider reach around the world.


How we achieve impact in English and Examinations

1. WhO WE WORK WITh

english language policy makers and influencers, academics, teachers and teacher educators.

individual and organisational learners of english worldwide who invest time and money to improve.

Learners of english worldwide.

individuals: learners worldwide looking to achieve an internationally recognised qualification. organisations: examinations/ qualifications providers.


Policy dialogue, research, consultancy, accreditation, teaching resources, curriculum advice, training courses, development, networks.

face-to-face training courses (classroom and on-site), learning materials, resources, support, advice, access to learner networks, testing and accreditation.

training courses, learning materials, resources, support, advice, access to learner networks, testing and accreditation, (delivered via non face-to-face channels).

internationally recognised examinations, rigorous testing and assessment processes, quality standards and integrity of process.

3. WhAT ThEY TAKE AWAY

global good practice; evidence of what works; design and implementation advice; improved teaching skills and capacity.

improved english skills, enhanced perceptions of the quality of UK resources and materials.

increased understanding of their abilities relative to international standards, greater confidence and self-esteem. Understanding of good practice.

4. WhAT ThEY DO implement new

policies, processes, systems; new approaches or new models of training, learning or assessment.

Pursue their employment, educational and social goals with greater confidence, ability and a higher chance of success.

institutions implement good practice.

5. LAsTING ImPACT english for education

systems: english policy worldwide is developed and implemented in response to needs/ evidence and reflects international good practice. this results in improved teaching and learning.

face-to-face and blended learning: More people gain confidence and the opportunity to study, work and develop a career in a globalised world through face-to-face and online english tuition with the British Council.

Self-access learning: More people gain confidence and the opportunity to study, work and develop a career in a globalised world through cost-effective and flexible access to quality British Council english learning resources.

examinations: More people gain confidence and the opportunity to study, work and develop a career in a globalised world as a result of taking an internationally recognised qualification with the British Council.

MorE wIDEsPrEAD AND BEttEr QUALIty tEAChINg, LEArNINg AND AssEssMENt of ENgLIsh worLDwIDE.

RENKEI is Japanese for ‘collaboration’ and also stands for Research and Education Network for Knowledge Economy Initiatives. The British Council arranged for 11 universities in the UK and Japan to form a partnership scheme, which encourages knowledge transfer and research collaboration, not only between the universities in the two countries but also between higher education and industry as a whole.

Over 1,000 UK undergraduate students have visited India under the Study India Programme – creating a more globally competitive UK workforce.

We will promote the international reputation for excellence, social contribution and community engagement of the Premier League and Premiership Rugby through our expanding Americas sports programmes.

44,000 students from South Asia studied in the UK last year which brought £880 million to the UK economy.


5. EDuCATION AND sOCIETY

enhanCeD UK LeaDerShiP of, anD ShareD Learning froM, internationaL eDUCation anD reSearCh.

SoCietieS whoSe yoUng PeoPLe, CitizenS anD inStitUtionS ContriBUte to anD Benefit froM a More inCLUSiVe, oPen anD ProSPeroUS worLD.

What we doWe support the UK’s global leadership in education and research and promote and deliver international study and collaboration opportunities for education and research professionals as well as people at primary, secondary, tertiary and postgraduate level. This improves learning outcomes and boosts employability, whilst building trust in the UK’s education and research expertise.

Our society work shares the UK’s values and expertise in rule of law, good governance, and active citizenship. This helps lay foundations for good trade relations with the UK and builds safer, inclusive and more prosperous societies. We also promote the UK’s leadership in social enterprise as a powerful tool to bring economic and social transformation, and we build international sport partnerships for the UK to inspire young people to fulfil their potential.

How we workWe deliver our activities directly and increasingly with UK partners. Our stakeholders, clients and partners range from UK government departments such as the Cabinet Office, DfE, BIS, the FCO, the DFID, the UK devolved governments, overseas governments, to sector mission groups such as associations of British international schools, Association of Colleges, skills councils, Universities UK and companies including Ecorys, HSBC, Premier League, Microsoft, Social Enterprise UK and Skype.

By delivering through partnership and contract work (through transparent tendering and open competition) we extend our reach beyond work funded by the taxpayer but remain aligned with the priorities of UK government departments on international development, economic growth and stability building.

40

PrioritieS for the next two yearS:

Our priorities are to:• Focus on internationalising education, by supporting the UK’s position

at the heart of the global English-speaking education community; promoting excellence of the UK’s teaching and learning, delivering large-scale mobility programmes (e.g. Erasmus+), celebrating what young people from around the world achieve for themselves and their societies as UK alumni.

• Promote international aspects of global skills for employability and vocational education and skills co-operation with the UK.

• Support policy makers, school leaders, and practitioners in the UK and overseas to improve student learning outcomes through professional development, policy and curriculum reform, award schemes such as the International School Award, technology assisted learning and research.

• Support international collaboration in science and technology, aligning activity with the BIS Science and Innovation Network, UK government strategy and working with other UK international science stakeholders to support mobility and build research and innovation partnerships, especially with emerging powers through the Newton Fund.

• Develop further our alignment with the UK’s international education Strategies work in partnership with UK governments – UKTI (education exports), Cabinet Office (GREAT Britain campaign), DfE and DFID (internationalisation and benchmarking of the curriculum, support for language learning) – the devolved administrations, and sector groups.

• Provide a national level platform for our work with others in promoting the UK education system as a study destination. education UK will be positioned at the heart of our international student facing work and our services to promote the UK higher education sector will continue to offer market intelligence and other support in over 50 countries.

• Contribute to building stability overseas by supporting governance reform, rule of law and access to justice for those people most excluded, and providing opportunities for the development of skills for employment and enterprise.

• Promote UK values of volunteering and open society, helping people (including women and girls) and local institutions to work together in their communities and internationally on issues that matter to them.

• Support the development of a more sustainable economy worldwide and in the UK by building links between social entrepreneurs and policy makers, helping to promote the UK as a global hub for social enterprise and social investment.


• Seek synergies between our work in Education and Society, particularly in relation to access to education for disadvantaged groups, curriculum development in support of open society and to address the barriers to international opportunities faced by young people in the UK from poorer families.

• To support greater inclusion, particularly helping empower women and girls to contribute to and benefit from development of their societies and countries.

• Expand our partnership working across the private, public and third sectors to develop, deliver and fund programmes in the UK and internationally.

• Work more through digital channels and by building relationships with existing and new clients to increase our scale and impact.

• Use the transformational power of sport to strengthen communities and promote inclusion, for example through Premier Skills, Try Rugby and a new project in Pakistan: DOSTI, Sports for Peace and addressing violence against women and girls by engaging young people through football.

In 2015–16 we will work with:• More than Six MiLLion policy makers in education, labour and

justice, academics, researchers, school leaders, teachers, community and business leaders.

• two MiLLion education and society exhibition and fair attendees.

• Over Six MiLLion teachers, academics, college and higher education leaders in online communities.

• 20 MiLLion people online.

• Over 150 MiLLion viewers, listeners and readers.

42

SUMMary of oUr eDUCation anD SoCiety PrograMMeS anD aCtiVitieS for 2015 onwarDS

Education


Schools We support educators in the UK and worldwide to work together to enrich the quality and outcomes of education in schools and equip young people to live and work successfully in a global society.

We do this through policy and curriculum reform, professional development, school links, accreditation and technology-assisted learning.

Example programmes include: Connecting Classrooms, delivered in partnership with DFID, and Erasmus+.

We will encourage British international schools to seek accreditation through the DfE’s British Schools Overseas inspection scheme and support those that are successful by, for example, including them on our website. Through this, we help schools improve quality and help them to adhere to British standards.

• UK schools get learning and international engagement opportunities which improve quality and international outlook of UK schools, teachers, and schoolchildren.

• The UK schools sector’s reputation for quality is enhanced around the world.

higher education We promote international mobility, create the conditions for high impact international research and innovation partnerships, conduct research and convene policy dialogues that help shape the future of international higher education.

We support the recruitment of international students and marketing of international higher education through national campaigns such as the GREAT Britain campaign and through our services to UK institutions and the Education UK brand and website.

Example programmes include:

• Higher education institution, business and government partnerships: UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), UK–China Partnerships in Education, RENKEI Japan–UK initiative.

• Policy development, dissemination and analysis: Shape of Things to Come reports; regional Global Education Dialogues; our annual Going Global conference and publications.

• Mobility: Erasmus+, Tullow Oil Scholarships, Study Work Create website of international opportunities for UK young people; support for national outward mobility strategy.

• Support for international student recruitment: British Council Services for International Education Marketing, market intelligence and student recruitment services for UK institutions.

• UK academics, students, and higher education institutions get access to research, partnership opportunities and the chance to travel and engage. through this comes learning, business opportunities and improved quality within the sector, for example promotion of the UK’s reputation for excellence in science and research.

• More international students choose the UK for study or attend UK courses overseas, generating economic benefits for providers.

• More international researchers and academics are linked to the UK and attracted to work with the sector.



Skills We support the development of skills to meet labour market demands and learner needs, particularly in countries with large populations of young people.


• Skills for Employability to increase collaboration between educators, government and business to better align skills education with labour needs and promote awareness of the importance of skills education. This includes International Skills Partnerships and UK Skills Seminars to support skills development globally and share UK good practice.

• Vocational education institution, business and government partnerships: UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), UK–China Partnerships in Education, Newton Fund.

• The UK skills sector plays a key part in delivering our work internationally, boosting business and learning for these providers.

• More generally, this work builds trust in the UK from people who have learned and achieved individual or organisational success through these programmes.

Science and research

We link scientists globally and provide information for international researchers on jobs and funding in the UK. We encourage grassroots discussion of science and sustainability and the development of research communication skills.


• The Newton Fund, funded by BIS, where we deliver a number of programmes focusing on capacity building and mobility of researchers, as well as supporting the STEM pipeline and skills development, with the ultimate aim of supporting development in our partner countries.

• Other international collaborative research initiatives such as the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership (BIRAX) in Regenerative Medicine, and Researcher Links focusing on early career researchers.

• Euraxess UK, funded by BIS, which provides information to researchers in the UK and overseas to help them pursue an international research career.

• FameLab which gives talented science communicators the opportunity to inspire the general public through national communication competitions and an international final.

• the UK science sector enjoys the benefits of international connections that we facilitate. This leads to improved reputation, learning and innovation and partnership opportunities overseas.

• Early career researchers gain international mobility and collaboration which enhances their learning and careers in research.

44

How we achieve impact in Education

1. WhO WE WORK WITh

education policy makers. teachers and academics, school, college and higher education leaders, researchers.

Primary, secondary and tertiary students.


Policy dialogue and research, for example, international higher education regional policy forums. Sector advisory and market intelligence services.

Professional development and training, peer networks, qualifications recognition and benchmarking.

Joint education programmes. Collaborative research.

Competitions and joint projects, work and study placements, exchanges, education fairs, scholarships.


improved understanding of different agendas and policies in education, the workplace and wider society.

increased understanding of the differences and similarities between cultures.

improved skills, motivation and confidence.

4. WhAT ThEY DO Develop shared solutions to

educational issues.

Share best practice in education and educational reform.

improve curriculum and assessment.

improve institutional practice and impact.

Select the UK and UK institutions for partnership, study and examinations.

Collaborate with students in other countries and use this experience to study and work with peers.

5. LAsTING ImPACT increased recognition of the UK as a source of

expertise and a partner for education and skills development.

increased capability in international co-operation that supports the development of educational institutions and their social impact.

increased economic value and benefits to the UK.

increased UK contribution to, and benefits from, international co-operation in education and research.

greater educational and employment opportunities for individuals in the UK and overseas through increased knowledge and skills, including intercultural understanding and access to education.

ENhANCED UK LEADErshIP of, AND shArED LEArNINg froM, INtErNAtIoNAL EDUCAtIoN.


More than 6,000 Russian students registered for the British Council’s new online English course, Exploring English; Language and Culture, in the first week.

Generation UK in China and Thailand English Teacher project (TET) enables hundreds of young British graduates to have a first international experience in internships in China and teaching in Thai communities and companies.

In January 2015, the Prime Minister announced eight new projects under the British Council and British Embassy’s BIRAX (Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange) programme, a £10 million research partnership programme in regenerative medicine. At this time, four of the UK’s leading medical research charities joined 13 founding partners to fund collaborative research between scientists from UK and Israel universities that will help tackle some of the world’s most challenging health problems such as Parkinson’s, heart disease, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.

46

Society


Civil society and governance

We support the development of open societies, through good governance, voice and accountability. Example programmes include:

• Active Citizens which works with civil society, organisations and their leaders to make a positive difference in their communities and globally, including through international exchange with the UK.

• Pyoe Pin in Burma, which is funded by DFID and other partners and helps to build coalitions of interest at community level around issues that matter to people, thus helping to build a stronger civil society.

• Premier Skills which uses football to develop life skills for young people in partnership with the Premier League.

• UK providers play a key role in the development and delivery of this work, leading to business and income as well as professional development and learning from international work.

• Delivery is focused in overseas markets, which results in more people who understand and trust the UK.

• Safer, more sustainable and inclusive societies overseas contribute to international trust and UK soft power objectives for example, through our alignment with UK policies and delivering outcomes for the FCO, DFID and the Cabinet Office.

• the UK is promoted as a global hub and centre of excellence for social enterprise and social investment, further building the UK’s reputation and creating opportunities for UK social enterprises to engage and work internationally.

rule of law and access to justice

We work with DFID and the European Commission to deliver large justice sector reform programmes in a range of countries, including Nigeria, China and Vietnam. We will build on this and on partnerships established through the Global Law Summit to develop new programmes with the UK legal sector and stakeholders.

Social enterprise We work with business, the Cabinet Office and the UK social enterprise sector to promote the international strategy for UK social enterprise. We collaborate on research, policy dialogues, inward visits to the UK and training for social entrepreneurs. This helps develop the global social enterprise ecosystem and promotes the UK as the global hub for social investment.

empowering women and girls

We facilitate dialogues and networks to raise awareness and support initiatives that address the continuing inequalities that girls and women face in society.


• Springboard, which provides personal development opportunities for women in the Middle East.

• Contracts delivered in partnership with the EU for example, Women in Public Life in the Middle East.

• Promoting the participation of women and girls in peace building in Nigeria, through the DFID-funded Stability and Reconciliation programme.


How we achieve impact in Society

1. WhO WE WORK WITh

Leaders and policy makers of international and national organisations, governments, civil society, philanthropists and business.

Senior stakeholders and practitioners in non-governmental organisations (ngos), social entrepreneurs, civil servants, youth and community leaders.


Policy dialogue, technical advice and consulting, research and publications, exchange of experience and knowledge, visits to the UK.

Capacity building, training, personal development, internships, networking, mentoring and exchanges.


new relationships and networks within the social sector, and between the social sector, governments, the judiciary, civil society organisations, social enterprises.

Better understanding of international policy agenda and processes, international good practice and how to tailor to local contexts.

increased understanding and capabilities in judicial, social and government reform.

greater knowledge of the range of skills and expertise available from the UK and international experience.

enhanced capacity to effectively contribute to more open, secure and inclusive societies.

improved leadership and intercultural skills.

Skills to use tools for voice and engagement through advocacy and policy dialogue.

4. WhAT ThEY DO Share plans and strategies to

address social problems.

work with customary legal authorities, police services, judiciary and civil society to develop new policy and practice for judicial systems, legal services and the rule of law.

enable access to services for women and girls.

work with policy makers and practitioners to develop the role of education in civil society.

engage with international experts, peers and partners from the UK and other countries to address local and global issues. Build stronger community based organisations, ngos and communities of practice.

Design and implement social change programmes and new business plans.

Create and sustain new enterprises and models of business.

Share experience and capability to advocate and represent citizen needs effectively.

5. LAsTING ImPACT More stable and peaceful societies with increased safety and access to justice, particularly in fragile and conflict

affected areas and for the most marginalised people.

More open and accountable government and education systems: more citizens actively engaged, more effective institutions, more representative participation of citizens.

More women and girls participate and benefit from social change and are empowered to lead government, business and communities.

More supportive environment for social enterprise to flourish with new networks built between social enterprise, business, government, domestically and internationally.

increased recognition of the UK as a source of expertise and an effective international partner.

soCIEtIEs whosE yoUNg PEoPLE, CItIZENs AND INstItUtIoNs CoNtrIBUtE to, AND BENEfIt froM, A MorE INCLUsIVE, oPEN AND ProsPEroUs worLD.

48

6. GLObAL NETWORK

We have an extensive overseas network in over 100 countries – being close to the needs of these countries, responding to those needs and interpreting them for the benefit of the UK is crucial. The British Council network continues to evolve both in its reach and in the nature of our presence in each location. In some difficult operating environments, like Pakistan, despite the risks we are increasing public access, opening libraries as safe spaces in which people can convene and engage with the UK. Across our operations we are increasingly blending digital content, learning and communities with face-to-face teaching and working, as well as delivering work with and through partners. This helps us operate more flexibly, adapt to changes in global and country contexts and meet market demand on the ground.

Within the context of declining UK government grant and a much higher proportion of this grant required to be spent on ODA, we continue to reduce levels of government grant in non-ODA countries and in EU Europe in particular. In EU countries we are responding in practical terms to a 58 per cent reduction in available government grant by reducing our physical presence and developing a new regional operating model to continue to respond to the aspirations of millions of young Europeans with an enhanced digital offer. Grant as a percentage of turnover will be down to less than ten per cent in EU Europe and East Asia by 2014 –15. Levels of earned income and of government grant by region are illustrated in the chart.

The British Council network is split into seven regions, each managed by an overseas-based regional director. Our highest priority country operations are highlighted in bold in each of the regional sections that follow. The strategic importance, value to the UK of each country and its potential for cultural relations impact determines its priority. Our country plans are developed with FCO Heads of Mission to support alignment and connectivity on the ground and to help ensure that the benefit of our work to the UK is co-ordinated and communicated effectively. We work positively to align with the One HMG overseas agenda and are co-located in 40 locations with the FCO or other HMG bodies.

The British Council network includes countries in all of the following four categories: developed, developing, emerging economies, and fragile states. In all regions we aim to respond to the most pressing need such as demographic changes in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, youth unemployment in the Middle East and North Africa, or a growing middle class in the Americas. Emerging economies such as China, India, Mexico and Nigeria continue to be high priority, reflecting their huge importance to the UK’s economic future.

Equally we also attach a high priority to our work in the most fragile and conflict affected environments, such as Afghanistan, Syria, North Africa and the Middle East. English is expanding across the British Council network and the impact we will achieve through English in public education systems in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa will grow over the next two years.


Income by overseas regions for 2014–15 and 2015–16, in £ millions

2015–16

2014–15

2015–16

2014–15

2015–16

2014–15

2015–16

2014–15

2015–16

2014–15

2015–16

2014–15

2015–16

2014–15 14AMERICAS

EAST ASIA

EU EUROPE

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

SOUTH ASIA

SUB-SAHARANAFRICA

WIDER EUROPE

29

15

23

23

12

9

18

19

20

21

16

16

11

13 22

22

76

63

86

81

101

91

124

119

228

211

32

FCO grant 2014–15

Other earned income 2014–15

FCO grant 2015–16

Other earned income 2015–16

Wherever the British Council operates, even where we are not setting up a permanent office, we have to make sure our status and our tax position are stable and meet the varied requirements and regulations of host country governments.

A total of 79 countries were regularised in the past seven years as part of a formal Status and Tax change programme, but we have now created a permanent governance team to support this work, since changes in local legislation and our own business mean that our legal status needs regular updates to remain compliant.

The Status and Tax programme has already resulted in 21 wholly-owned subsidiary entities in a group structure, with 27 projected by 2017. These will greatly enhance our ability to operate, but also increase the complexity of our governance given the requirements in some countries for directors, local boards and dedicated reporting. Our guiding principle in all cases is to have the simplest governance possible with line of sight to the British Council Board of Trustees as the prime tier of governance.

The section that follows provides a summary of activity in our overseas regions. For each region we set out the context showing the operating environment and challenges, together with our response and priority work in these areas.

50

6.1 AmERICAs

We will support education exports from the UK with the publication of detailed research into English language teaching policy in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Ecuador and by promoting record numbers of UK education institutions at our Education UK exhibitions and recruitment activities in Canada, USA, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Chile.

Regional contextStrategy is tailored to the demands of this diverse region. Economic growth, an emerging middle class demanding better quality education services and more social inclusion, democratic political stability and a growing voice on the world stage all characterise the major economies in Latin America. The importance of Brazil, Mexico and other high growth economies such as Colombia and Chile for global trade and dialogue is increasing through stronger international outlooks. The demand for both English, education and training services and support for creative economies is growing everywhere. Cultural relations remains central to the development of people-to-people links with Argentina, while support for education and the arts are integral to progress in the Caribbean. The US market remains a priority for our UK partners but many people in North America have deeper ties with Latin America and Asia than with Europe, creating opportunities to refresh transatlantic relationships through cultural relations for a new generation.

Our response is to:• Support English language teaching policy development,

innovating and partnering to support better quality English teaching and learning at scale.

• Develop new international partnerships in higher education and share experience through skills and sports.

• Support the empowerment of women and girls, the growth of social enterprise and access to justice and security.

• Grow the UK’s reputation for outstanding artistic creativity and position the UK as a partner for creative economy development, particularly in Latin America.

• Increase our impact by working with major partners such as Microsoft.

• Expand our network, following our recent office opening in Peru in 2014, and reach bigger audiences directly and online in cities across the region.

Our prioritiesOur top priority in Latin America is english. We are implementing a large-scale teacher development strategy, using remote teaching technologies. In Uruguay, by 2015 our partnership with Plan Ceibal will bring remote English teaching to 130,000 primary school children and support the development of almost 5,000 teachers. We will launch digital resources for more flexible English teaching and learning across the continent and open a dedicated English remote teaching hub in Buenos Aires. Our examinations and testing operations will expand significantly to establish the UK as the strategic partner for English language assessment.

Our arts programmes will reach new and bigger audiences, supporting the UK’s reputation for creativity and enhancing international cultural understanding. Priorities include:

• The UK–Brazil Transform 2012 –16 festival in the handover between London 2012 and Rio 2016.

• UK in Mexico/Mexico in the UK festivals in 2015.

• More collaboration and exchange with arts organisations from across the UK, including Festivals Edinburgh, CCA Glasgow, Outburst Belfast, and our partners for Wales in Patagonia 2015.

In higher education we will increase the market for UK providers. This includes a campaign for mutual accreditation of awards, new links between higher education, government and industry, support for the internationalisation of higher education institutions across the Americas and new higher education partnerships in the humanities. In science we will work closely with the UK and national governments to ensure a long-term legacy from Newton-funded research collaborations, mobility and STEM support in basic education in Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. In education and society we will develop leadership programmes for teachers and expand Premier Skills into the USA and Try Rugby into Colombia. New partnerships will support access to justice, community development through sport and social enterprise, and the empowerment of girls and women in the Caribbean, Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, building on our recent successes in partnerships with the Inter-American Development Bank and the EU.

Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, USa, Venezuela


6.2 EAsT AsIA

The Guardian reported in November 2014 that ‘86 per cent of Vietnamese MPs voted in favour of revisions to Vietnam’s Enterprise Law which for the first time provides a legal definition of social enterprise and grants social enterprises a number of specific rights’. The British Council in Vietnam has played an important supportive role in securing this outcome [through] advocacy at a policy level and the introduction of social enterprise concepts to key government institutions.

Regional contextEast Asia is a mix of developed and emerging economies, with changing demographics, increased competition, rapid economic development and integration, as well as environmental challenges and frequent natural disasters. The region shows strong energy to innovate and transform societies and citizens into high performers in highly competitive global markets. Education and English are essential to the achievement of these goals, and countries in East Asia are focused on improving their domestic capability in these areas. The arts can help these countries flourish by developing their cultural identities and supporting creative economies. Increased wealth and technological development have led to more mobility for business, education and leisure, and increased connectedness through digital media. Increasing political tensions mean the benefits of building trust and international collaborative solutions are stronger than ever. China is a large and important partner for the UK in East Asia. This is reflected in extensive programmes responding to the demand for educational and judicial collaboration, in artistic engagement through a year of cultural exchange and a large number of creative partnerships, including joint celebration of the Shakespeare anniversary in 2016. We also provide strong support to the teaching of Mandarin in the UK.

Our response is to:• Increase the scale, relevance and impact of programmes,

through strong partnerships with UK, local and international organisations, development of our digital and social media offer and extending programmes to locations where we do not have offices.

• Meet the demand for skills and internationalisation by increasing paid-for services in English, education, the creative industries, cultural skills and UK qualifications.

• Ensure UK engagement with policy transformation in East Asia in education, English, the arts and society, through policy dialogue and large-scale agency funded projects.

• Increase the level and visibility of our partnership with UK individuals and institutions, to create greater impact for the UK in East Asia and to increase the transparency of our programmes and operations to stakeholders.

Our prioritiesIn education and society, we will increase UK–East Asia collaboration in research, particularly in science and technology through the Newton Fund (China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam) and new initiatives in South Korea and Japan. We will support the UK education sector through educational marketing services and by supporting two-way student and staff mobility. We propose to open a British Council school in Kuala Lumpur, offering a high-quality bilingual and bi-cultural curriculum to Malaysian families, which will be values-based, promoting tolerance and respect for other cultures. We will transform communities through social enterprise. We will expand project work in Indonesia, Vietnam, Burma, China and the Philippines, to respond to demand for co-operation in the areas of justice, education and civil society.

In english we will increase our face-to-face teaching by opening new teaching centres targeted at adults and young learners. We are working in partnership with Aardman Animations to develop a language programme for young learners. We will train all teacher trainers of English in Burma, deliver programmes in China with UK institutions, and are developing new online English programmes for teachers and learners. In assessment we aim to provide secure and reliable examinations, through the partnership product IELTS, as well as examinations administered on behalf of a wide range of UK professional bodies and examination boards.

In the arts, we are developing a digital platform to extend arts work from galleries and venues to communities across China and Hong Kong. We are also conducting five key programmes:

• South Korea cultural season 2015 to 2017.

• Heatherwick tour of East Asia with a British Inventors Forum dimension.

• Japan 2020 cultural celebration in the run up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

• Indonesia programme orientated to mobile platforms, youth audiences and mutual arts collaboration.

• A year of cultural exchange in 2015, building on the UK Now campaign in China.

East Asia markets: Australia, Burma, China, Hong Kong, indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, thailand, Vietnam

52

Regional contextThe EU remains the UK’s largest trade partner and is vital to UK interests. Many eurozone countries continue to experience debt and low market confidence, though some priority countries such as Poland and Germany remain resilient. Austerity measures have put pressure on social cohesion and there is rising nationalism, fuelled by growing pressures of migration, in many parts of Europe.

There are great opportunities to deliver cultural relations work on a large scale, partnering with major corporates, government and civil society partners, and under contract from the European Commission. As a leading partner in the network of EU institutes for culture we can influence cultural policy in the EU. The arts provide a route to connect, understand one another, explore difficult issues and find solutions to shared problems.

We are reducing our physical presence in some countries, developing a stronger digital presence and a new regionally-based operating model to support smaller countries.

Our response is to:• Mobilise European partnerships for the benefit of the UK.

• Maximise opportunities for young people in the UK to connect with their peers in Europe and take part in European mobility programmes.

• Grow and diversify income-generation opportunities, particularly in more economically resilient priority countries, to become self-sustaining by 2017.

• Pursue opportunities from the European Commission and member state governments for cultural relations work.

• Invest in our English digital portfolio to meet demand, so that by 2025, half of all under-35s, around 100 million young people, will have benefited from a British Council-inspired international learning opportunity.

Our prioritiesOur top priority is English, providing end-to-end paid-for teaching and assessment services and supporting all teachers, learners and language policy makers. We will work with public education bodies and UK partners to raise the quality of English language teaching and assessment. We will invest in digital channels and content providing paid-for and free-to-download resources. We are delivering more flexibly through the myClass approach and we will have digital registration and payment facilities in all countries from 2015. The Madrid School, which offers a much-valued bilingual liberal education and a British curriculum to young Spaniards, will remain a priority and will expand our work in early childhood English.

In arts we will promote and scale up our innovative digital offer including the Unlimited Experience using our disability arts and diversity expertise. Creative Economy and Cultural Skills are a focus. Through the EC Creative Europe programme we will operate the UK desk, enabling the creative sector to access funding and connect internationally, while developing new work in audience development and video game production. We will maintain our presence at major EU showcases such as Venice Biennale, Frankfurt Book Fair and Berlin Film Festival and encourage engagement in countries where we have withdrawn or reduced our permanent presence through, for example, the Stockholm Festival and London Book Fair Baltic States Market Focus initiative.

In education and society we will internationalise higher education and re-engage with universities on shared policy challenges. We will promote global education market intelligence products and encourage mobility and employment opportunities for young people. We will help young people in the UK to gain the skills they need to compete in today’s global economy. We will also focus on schools and early childhood education to develop innovative teaching practices. We are able to achieve impact even where we do not have an office, for example by delivering EC science projects across the region and running a young leaders project in Belarus from Poland.

Cultural relations programmes in Demark, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden are now managed from the region without a permanent physical presence in those countries (from 2015).

European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, france, germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland

6.3 Eu EuROPE

Together with a UK partner we have launched a new English product called Academic Teaching Excellence, to meet demand from over 400 European universities to teach subjects in English.

UK institutions received £11 million in examination board fees in 2013–14.


Regional contextMENA is of vital strategic interest the to UK’s prosperity, security and influence. The Gulf is a major market for education, health and the creative industries. Insecurity threatens regional stability, particularly in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen, and terrorism is increasing. Resolving the Syria crisis and supporting refugee and displaced communities, the Middle East Peace Process, and countering Islamic State are absolute priorities for the UK.

Youth unemployment is a major risk to social and economic development. MENA is the world’s most youthful region with a median age of 22, but one in four young people are unemployed. This creates significant opportunity to collaborate with governments trying rapidly to grow and diversify their economies and give their young populations the skills to work. Young populations create demand themselves, as they seek to improve their lives through learning English, deepening engagement with the arts and culture, accessing educational opportunities and developing creative skills.

Our response is to:We will work towards our longer-term aim of giving 75 million young people across the region access to the UK’s language, education and culture, skills and support for more open and prosperous societies, by 2020.

We will do so by:• Supporting young people’s access to English, skills,

qualifications and exchange with the UK.

• Increasing opportunities for the UK to share its expertise with governments and institutions looking to reform education, training and the cultural sector and representing the best of the UK’s education and cultural sectors.

• Investing in new digital products and services.

• Improving stability in insecure and fragile states through our work in justice, culture and development, civil society, and gender.

Our prioritiesIn english we will expand our own face-to-face, digital, UK qualifications and training offer, and connect UK English language teaching providers to opportunities. We will work with governments to improve learning, teaching and assessment of English in schools.

We will work with civil society and strengthen the role and engagement of women and girls. In North Africa, the Hammamet Conference Series remains the only forum that connects emerging and established leaders from North Africa and the UK, helping to inspire a new generation of leadership, by connecting them to new ideas, creating relationships and empowering action on critical issues. We will prioritise our work in Egypt, recognising its critical importance to the region. The Newton Fund provides significant opportunities to link higher education institutions with the UK, and strengthens opportunities for research and collaboration.

In the arts, Voices and Spaces for Social Change programmes support human rights, freedom of expression and social cohesion and provide spaces where differences can be explored to foster stable and prosperous societies. We will continue our Artists in Recovery programme, supporting Syrian artists working in areas of conflict and upheaval. We will support the development of creative hubs that will cultivate creative start-ups and social enterprises. Working with partners, we will continue to showcase the very best of Britain in the region. Our partnership events, such as the Arts and Disability Conference and Exhibition in the Gulf connect the region with the UK, support the GREAT Britain campaign and project the UK’s profile as a leader in the arts and creative industries.

In the Gulf, we will help the UK to partner governments and organisations as they develop and invest in education, training and the creative industries. In the Levant and Iraq we will assist governments and host communities to deliver education and support to displaced and refugee children. We also work with schools in Iraq and Lebanon, providing teacher training and supporting artists and civil society.

Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Bahrain, egypt, iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, occupied Palestinian territories, Qatar, Saudi arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United arab emirates, Yemen

6.4 mIDDLE EAsT AND NORTh AFRICA

By 2020 we will generate £100 million revenue for UK education organisations through sharing of insight and assists.

Three million English learners in a vibrant, active British Council Facebook community.

54

Regional contextSouth Asia is a fast moving and turbulent region with strong demand for services from us and from our partners. The region has a young population and growing middle class, and there are over four million people in the UK of South Asian heritage with powerful diaspora connections to the region. The region is at the centre of an emerging network linking countries of South Asia with the Middle East and Africa, so we must work hard to maintain the UK’s relevance to this region. Nevertheless, the British Council plays a key role supporting international stabilisation in fragile states which supports wider UK efforts. Iran remains a closed society but President Rouhani’s government offers prospects for an improvement in the UK–Iran relationship.

Our response is to:• Create opportunities for the UK to strengthen the

relationship with South Asia by sharing knowledge and identifying opportunities for collaboration and partnership.

• Invest in new digital products and services, as well as opening and re-launching libraries.

• Explore models for new ways of delivering in Iran and develop new partnerships with UK organisations interested in working with Iran.

Our priorities• Expand our reach and impact across key countries in the

region, including the successful re-invention of our physical and digital libraries. In Iran, a new operational model will grow engagement between UK and Iranian partners.

• English is core to the UK’s educational and cultural offer to South Asia. It will remain our top business area priority.

• To ensure that we can position the UK as a partner of choice for South Asia, we will further invest in market intelligence and research which we will share with UK partners, particularly for India, which is of key interest for UK government and partners.

In english and examinations we will develop new approaches to help transform English language teaching and learning across the region. We will reach out to disadvantaged youth and girls through interventions and partnerships in mobile and e-learning, particularly in English Skills for Employability. We will restructure our examinations businesses across the region to achieve greater efficiencies and better customer experience.

In education our primary focus is on higher education (policy dialogues, thought leadership, joint research links and student mobility), international school partnerships and school leadership and, through contract working, education reform. Our society programmes have an emphasis on youth in the region and have two main strands; governance and civil society and social enterprise. Women and girls empowerment is a cross-cutting theme and we look to embed this as a priority in all our projects. We will continue to build our contracts portfolio with a stronger focus on skills and capacity building of civil society organisations.

We will strengthen UK collaboration with the region in the arts and creative industries, supporting work in culture and conflict, engaging audiences in high quality contemporary UK culture, improving leadership and skills in the creative sector and influencing cultural policy development. Re-Imagine India will embrace two high-profile seasons of creative work bringing together Indian and British partners and engaging over 10,000 creative professionals and 30 million people.

We will invest in our library network in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh, ensuring they are well integrated across our programme areas. In Pakistan, we will re-open libraries in Karachi and Lahore, to provide liberal spaces for the exchange of ideas in a country that is under increasing pressure from extremism. Across the region, we will re-launch our libraries with improved premises, customer services, up-to-date digital and print materials and a broader cultural relations offer.

South Asia: afghanistan, Bangladesh, india, iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

6.5 sOuTh AsIA

More than 250,000 people in the UK engaged with South Asia’s art through the British Council’s contribution to Alchemy the Southbank Centre’s annual festival for showcasing the contemporary arts and culture of South Asia.

25,000 exchanges of academics, researchers, staff and students creating stronger links for the UK with India, the worlds’ fourth largest economy.


6.6 sub-sAhARAN AFRICA

In 2014 –15 we will bring £3.7 million to the UK in board fees for examining bodies.

As part of Connecting Classrooms in 2013–14 we issued over £1 million grants to 750 UK schools to engage with their counterparts on global citizenship and international learning across the region.

Regional contextSub-Saharan Africa has a young population and growing consumer class. Public and private sector investment is increasing, providing a platform for sustained growth. Growth is uneven across countries, inequality is rising and unemployment continues to rise. Countries remain vulnerable to economic shocks, social unrest and the increasing threat from international terrorism.

As the largest recipient of UK ODA, the client-funded contract market for education, society, justice and governance work is expected to remain strong.

Our response is to:Our longer-term aim is to connect 200 million young Africans to the UK and provide them with life-changing opportunities to secure a safe and prosperous future for both Africa and the UK by 2020, by:

• Supporting entrepreneurs through skills, qualifications and exchange with the UK.

• Connecting students, scholars and academics to information and study opportunities in the UK.

• Improving the quality of school leadership, education systems and assessment.

• Connecting young Africans to enhanced English language learning opportunities.

• Improving stability in insecure and fragile states through our work in justice, security and conflict prevention.

• Inspiring young people in both the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa to connect with each other in new and innovative ways through the arts.

Our prioritiesentrepreneurial africa offers new ways for young Africans to connect with the UK, creating businesses and jobs. This programme will incorporate social enterprise, skills for employability and creative entrepreneurs; and will engage with the African diaspora in UK. The newton fund in South Africa will link higher education institutions with the UK, and strengthen opportunities for research and collaboration. We will provide an innovative approach to international scholarship management in partnership with Tullow Oil.

There is enormous potential for IELTS and school examinations to grow in existing markets such as Nigeria and South Africa, as well as developing markets such as Rwanda and Sudan. We currently have six teaching centres in the region – Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania. We have opened up teaching in Ethiopia, and are assessing potential in Nigeria and Angola.

Connecting Classrooms, our schools partnership programme with DFID, reaches thousands of schools and dozens of national bodies in the UK and Africa, improving educational outcomes and encouraging international awareness. We have established 170 ICT hubs servicing 1,200 schools and two million teachers and learners with a range of private sector partners, including Microsoft and Airtel.

We manage large-scale education contracts with Ministries of Education in basic education and English language improvement in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Sudan; and will create opportunities for UK education providers.

Our strong track record in good governance and civil society programmes in difficult environments brings new contracts in Sudan, South Sudan, and across the Horn of Africa. We will focus on women and girls across all our work.

Connect ZA, and Nigeria arts Programme in 2015, offer seasons of UK work and collaboration. There will be a renewed focus on East Africa through music and the visual arts. Voices and Spaces will provide capacity building activities supporting human rights, freedom of expression and social cohesion in conflict affected countries in the region.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

56

Regional contextAs the region where Europe meets Asia and the Middle East, Wider Europe is important to the UK, the EU, Asia and the Middle East.

One third of the total population of 350 million are under the age of 24, born after the end of the Cold War. They are among the biggest users of social media anywhere in the world and are far more internationally aware and connected than older generations. With many countries emerging from a period of isolation, the ability of these young people to prosper will be critical for the future success of their societies and economies, as will their resilience against new forms of isolation.

While many are looking to develop new international partnerships, some are becoming increasingly suspicious of the rest of the world, and the Russia–Ukraine crisis is fuelling suspicion between ‘East’ and ‘West’. The need and opportunity for the UK to reduce the knowledge and trust gap have never been greater. Engagement with Wider Europe through education and culture, based on mutual benefit can help to foster people-to-people links, break down stereotypes, and contributes to building trust and promoting stability. Knowledge of the English language opens up access to international sources of information.

Our response is to:• Broker partnerships that enable institutions across the

region to draw on UK experience and expertise in the pursuit of education reform, science and innovation, EU accession, civil society development and the employability of young people.

• Support the training of English language teachers, promoting UK examinations, showcasing excellence through our teaching centres and teaching contracts work and investing in new digital channels.

• Share the UK’s arts and creative industries and deliver training programmes to develop cultural skills.

Our prioritiesWe will reach more than 12 million people face-to-face and digitally through an arts programme in all 15 countries that will contribute to the prosperity of artists, the growth of audiences and the enhancement of the UK’s reputation for innovation. We will provide access to higher level cultural skills training in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Ukraine, sustain long-term partnerships with cultural institutions and ministries in Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Israel, Kosovo, and Macedonia. We will grow audiences in Turkey by expanding our work in eight Anatolian cities by 2020, and digital development of the arts and creative economy programme in Russia, plus multi-country programmes around Shakespeare Lives, Unlimited and World Voice.

We aim to establish the UK as the ‘go-to partner’ for science and innovation, and for agencies wishing to reform or internationalise higher education by continuing to run large-scale partner-funded higher education and research programmes; in Turkey and Kazakhstan through the Newton Fund, in Israel through BIRAX and in Ukraine through a new ODA programme. In Turkey we will also contribute to the UK–Turkey Year of Science and Innovation 2015 –16 and the GREAT Britain campaign.

We will share UK expertise and experience to enable effective reform in skills, employability, social inclusion, gender equality, and public administration for EU accession. We will create opportunities for young people in the region and in the UK to develop 21st century skills through entrepreneurship training, volunteering, work placements and information about international education opportunities.

We will promote english by exploring new teaching models, looking for opportunities such as a Year of Language and Literature in Russia in 2016, and re-opening an examinations business in Russia. We will rationalise our platform and align it with our work in education and society so that English becomes an essential component of any reform programme. By making the most of digital channels we will extend the reach of our public education work and give every teacher access to online and face-to-face teacher education courses and resources.

Wider Europe: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, israel, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, russia, Serbia, turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

6.7 WIDER EuROPE

We are working with the Government of Kazakhstan to roll out a new model of pre-course English for 300–400 scholars each year who choose to study in an English-speaking country under the President’s Bolashak Scholarship Program. Scholars will be able to access up to six months’ full-time pre-course English language training in Kazakhstan, delivered by the British Council jointly with a range of other UK ELT providers.


7. PEOPLE AND ORGANIsATIONAL DEVELOPmENT

The impact of the British Council relies on the quality, skills and expertise of our people. We need to constantly evolve our culture and ways of working in order to be effective at delivering transformation in the places where we work.

In 2011 we set out our ambition to:• Improve our global balance: re-shape the organisation so that more of our

global/specialist roles are located outside the UK.

• Build on our talent and skills to provide the capability we need in partnership working and digital solutions.

• Keep equipping our people to understand and navigate cultural difference and diversity which are central to our work in cultural relations.

• Further develop our approach to leadership, mobility, global teams and performance management.

We have made good progress, including:• A review of our global operating framework to ensure that we achieve our goals

of global balance and effective matrix working.

• Developing programmes to refresh and invest in our global corporate services to ensure they meet the twin demands of an expanded operation and our goal of more transparent and effective reporting.

• Continued investment in our graduate and intern schemes to introduce new recruits across the network.

• Introduction of a new senior management ‘broadband’ structure (removing pay grades) and revised deployment processes to enhance mobility between roles.

• Development of new induction programmes to equip managers moving into senior country roles for the first time.

• Support to black and minority ethnic colleagues in the UK to help with career development.

• Development of a co-ordinated response to address the issues highlighted in our 2014 employee survey.

• Targeted work to ensure that we are continuing to support those working in fragile states effectively.

• Investment in core compliance and training to enhance our risk management and operational control frameworks.

• Development of major change programmes in teaching and examinations to take advantage of advances in technology to enhance delivery of many of our service offers.

• Development of a new platform and governance structure for digital development.

58

LooKing aheaD

Our priorities are:• Developing an increased capability and culture of working effectively with

UK partners to deliver partnered cultural relations across the British Council global network.

• Enhanced engagement, performance management and workforce planning to support the culture of greater alignment and consistency in ways of working.

• Continued work to increase international mobility and broaden opportunities for national and locally appointed staff to maximise the diversity of our workforce.

• Improved understanding and management of our customer base and markets and enhanced customer service capability.

• Continued development of the global operating framework to enable continued improvements to our working practices, efficiency and value for money – this includes embedding standard frameworks and simple processes across our corporate functions, our teaching and examinations operations and continuing to develop our digital platforms to support effective working, manage risk and improve resource allocation.

• As agreed with the Foreign Secretary we are also moving to a ‘digital first’ offer in some EU countries and closing our on-the-ground presence.

• Support to the One HMG overseas agenda to deliver cross-government efficiencies on the overseas platform.

• More transparency and sustainability in the economic model of the British Council that enhances stakeholder understanding and transparency of reporting and enables more effective decision making in support of the British Council’s goals.

• Development of our technology and digital frameworks and platforms to enable new products and service offers for our markets.

• Embedding system and process changes to deliver the core management data sets that inform better decision making reporting.


How will we know we’ve got there?We will successfully implement the recommendations of the 2014 Triennial Review, with a more transparent and open culture, an independent complaints process and a transparent economic model with clarity on how we use earned surpluses. Our staff will be more globally mobile, flexibly deployed to respond to opportunity for the UK and to meet our needs as an entrepreneurial public service. We will be delivering continued financial and operational efficiencies through improved procurement, business systems and closer working with government partners. We will have a sustainable global network of offices.

The work to improve the quality of our data and our financial transparency will enable us to have improved understanding of our financial and non-financial performance. It will also enable better global tracking of key management information relating to early indicators such as absence levels and turnover metrics.

We will also conduct Engage 2015, a staff ‘pulse’ survey to focus in more depth on key issues highlighted among staff in 2014, and with a particular emphasis on employee wellbeing.

Over four fifths of staff are locally appointed and 60 Per Cent are women.

The British Council employs approximately 8,800 PeoPLe worLDwiDe with teachers being the largest single group.

In January 2015 over 100 UK higher education institutions took part in a UK education fair in Thailand, with an estimated 15,000 visitors. This supports over 6,000 Thai students currently in the UK.

In Turkey, Anish Kapoor in Istanbul was visited by 125,000 people. With a comprehensive visual and narrative experience of the exhibition and the artworks, we engaged another 75,000 digitally in seven cities, with a further 2.2 million connecting through social media.

In South Asia, we deliver English language training to Afghan army officer cadets, which supports the UK’s post-2014 military effort in Afghanistan.


8. PERFORmANCE TARGETs

MeaSUring iMPaCt

Our performance management and measurement of impact is guided by our strategic framework presented at the outset of this plan:We evaluate and measure our performance against our corporate purpose and outcomes, to understand how our programmes change people’s lives and provide value both to the UK and countries where we work. We measure scale by counting the number of people who benefit and participate in our programmes and we assess the quality of our work through customer surveys. To understand our impact in the UK and overseas – i.e. what happens to lives, trust and opportunity because of our work – we use project evaluation, our global impact survey and bespoke surveys such as the Trust Pays research.

As part of our commitment to transparency, to our public purpose and benefit to the UK we are in the process of reviewing and improving our measurement systems. During 2015 –16 we will:• Work with our stakeholders to develop our corporate level research and

surveys to provide a more rigorous assessment of how our work builds trust and opportunity.

• Work with the FCO to improve how we are evaluated by Heads of Mission.

• Improve how we measure and report the value of our work to the UK.

• Develop our approaches and targets to ensure a consistency of focus and quality across our global network.

62

who we worK with

We deliver products, services and programmes:• Directly to individuals and professionals, for example students, pupils and

examination candidates.

• Directly to institutions, government and business, for example universities, schools and colleges, museums and galleries.

• And more than ever, in partnership with organisations, brands and institutions to extend our reach, for example working with community leaders to reach into the heart of communities or through universities to reach and teach their students.

bRITIsh COuNCIL TO INDIVIDuALs AND PROFEssIONALs

Preschool children

Schoolchildren

Students in higher/further education

Young professionals

Young researchers and academics

Artists

Teachers

Senior influencers and leaders in communities, sectors and government

General public

PAR

TNE

Rsh

IP

AN

D C

AsC

AD

EbRITIsh COuNCIL TO INsTITuTIONs, GOVERNmENT AND busINEss

Universities and colleges

schools

Arts and cultural organisations

government and ministries

Private sector

International donors, foundations

third sector, charities, social enterprise

Our work is often focused on young people in education and in their early careers and with established leaders and influencers in societies to support and shape education, cultural, and arts policy and practices. This contributes to trust, security and opportunity in the UK and the countries where we work.

We work with people in the following ways:• face-to-face: people participating in activity where they come into personal

face-to-face contact with others, including: teaching centre students, examination candidates, teachers and leaders.

• Digital social media and learning: through digital professional, educational and English learner communities on social networks.

• exhibitions, festivals, fairs and performances: people attending exhibitions, live arts performances, arts and education fairs, and festivals.

• Digital and online: audiences to British Council digital arts, education and English (including teaching and examinations) content – through websites, mobile devices and applications.

• Broadcast and publications: people participating by watching, listening to, or reading British Council produced or co-produced content in television series, via radio, and in print.


As a result of this engagement our work cascades to many millions more, for example our work to improved English in public education systems helps thousands of teachers and education leaders, but through them benefits many millions of learners in these education systems.

Participation targets to 2015–16In 2011 we set out our targets for participation growth to 2014 –15. We are on track to meet most of those targets and to extend this growth into 2015 –16. • face-to-face participation: we are exceeding projections set out back

in 2011 but as we plan for 2015 –16 numbers are starting to reduce slightly. This is due to a focus on digital growth attracting more people through the next generation of MOOCs and digital online learning platforms.

• We are also seeing some reductions in face-to-face participation, as we move towards increased working with institutions and organisations, especially in education and society work. The main types of people working face-to-face with us include nearly four million teachers and students participating in our English and education programmes and over three million examination candidates. Of the people participating in our English and education programmes, this includes 1.5 million young people learning languages through contact with British Council Language Assistants, 0.5 million students and learners on Erasmus+ scholarships, and 0.5 million people learning in our English teaching centres in 50 countries worldwide.

• Our social media engagement includes nearly 15 million people teaching and learning English. TeachingEnglish Facebook is a rapidly developing site bringing together over three million English teachers to share content, approaches and professional experiences. In MENA there are three million people learning English through LearnEnglish Facebook. New products also continue to grow such as our MOOCs on the FutureLearn platform – Exploring English: Language and Culture and Understanding IELTS: Techniques for English Language Tests – with an anticipated 500,000 learners in 2015 –16.

• exhibitions, fairs and festivals. We project that in 2015 –16, 12 million people will engage with us in this way. This represents growth beyond our original plans at the start of the strategy period. This growth is supported in large measure by recycling surpluses earned from our English work to support a vibrant global arts offer. It includes over two million people participating in our international education exhibitions and over ten million participating in seasons, festivals and exhibitions like the UK–Mexico festival and Shakespeare Lives.

• Digital: by 2015 –16, with 23 million people in learning communities on our social media sites and 118 million people projected to visit our websites worldwide we will continue to strengthen our digital offer. This will allow us to meet the ever growing global demand for English and digital learning, bringing cultural relations to the digital world.

64

• Traditional broadcast and publication audiences – people who watch, listen to and read our television and radio broadcasts and print publications. The anticipated figures for these audiences have been revised below original projections. The main reason for the lower growth is the rise in digital publication instead of traditional printed documents. This channel includes television programmes such as Word on the Street – an exciting English language teaching programme co-produced by the BBC which looks at how English works in everyday life and presents lively aspects of young British culture. It is broadcast around the world.

Participants in millions achieved Planned

2011 –12 2012 –13 2013 –14 2014 –15 2015 –16

Previous revised

face-to-face 12.5 10.8 10.9 12 12.5 11.8

Digital social media and learning

5 8 16 * 23 23

exhibitions, festivals, fairs and performances

9.5 12.8 11.6 9 12 12

Digital online audience 69 82 100 * 110 118

Broadcast and publication 485 440 465 465 475 427

Note: exhibition attendance is uneven due to major events that led to high volumes in some years, (e.g. UK Now in 2012 –13 which had four million attendees). The face-to-face target for 2015 –16 is 12.5 million (rounded to 13 million). * Digital targets were not split between social medial and learning and website visitors for the 2014 –15 plan. Digital online audience includes people participating through websites, mobile devices and applications. There is likely to be duplication between the channels shown above, for example a single person could attend a teaching centre, visit an exhibition, engage in social media and visit one of our websites and this participation would be counted in each of these channels.


the qUaLity of oUr worK

We measure the quality of our work in two main ways, and use this insight to inform and shape what we do:• A customer satisfaction survey distributed at face-to-face events and online.

• A net recommendation score which is a measure of the readiness of people we work with to recommend others to work with us or to use our services.

Customer satisfactionFor 2015–16 our target for customer satisfaction is: 80 per cent for paid-for services and 85 per cent for free services (out of 100)We will maintain our customer satisfaction scores in line with prior years’ performance. To reflect the different perceptions of our customers when using our services we will distinguish between our paid-for services (teaching, examinations and British Council Services for International Education Marketing) and our free services where there is no charge to the participant or recipient. Customer satisfaction scores above 80 per cent are considered to be good to excellent.

Net recommendationFor 2015–16 our target net recommendation is: +47 for paid-for services and +65 for free services (from -100 to +100)The Net Promoter methodology is widely used in retail, utilities and the private sector and allows us to benchmark our scores externally. The net score is calculated from advocates minus detractors, according to international benchmarks. Net Promoter scores (NPS) can be as low as -100 (everybody is a detractor) or as high as +100 (everybody is a promoter). An NPS that is positive (i.e., higher than zero) is considered to be good, and an NPS of +50 is considered excellent.

These scores compare well with industry averages (from 12 for health insurance, 21 for travel websites, 27 for online entertainment, 30 for airlines and 40 for UK universities) and with highly rated (‘star’) brands such as Amazon at 69. 11

Digital assessment: social media monitorWe have developed a social media monitor to provide a qualitative and real-time assessment of our work through social media channels. It is made up of nine metrics which cover the areas of reach, engagement and quality. All the metrics represent industry best practice and include a range of elements such as brand, frequency of posts and relevance of content. They include measures such as numbers of fans, retweets, Klout and Facebook engagement scores.

To ensure a level of consistency across the network in 2015 –16 we are piloting a minimum overall score of 50 per cent combining reach, engagement and quality. We will review this during the year to develop more ambitious targets. 12

11 Satmetrix NPS Benchmarks 2013 based on a survey of 24,000 US adults.12 Klout Score is a numerical value between 1 and 100. It is based on the size of a user’s social media

network and correlates the content created to measure how other users interact with that content.

66

the iMPaCt of oUr worKUnderstanding the impact of our work is essential. It helps us learn, develop and improve our portfolio and is crucial to demonstrating our value for money to UK taxpayers and organisations and to those we work with around the world. In line with good practice we use a mixture of evidence, from quantitative analysis, qualitative case studies and independently commissioned reports. At the top level we measure impact through the IPSOS/MORI Annual Impact Survey.

Annual Impact SurveyWe measure impact through an annual survey of the most influential people who have taken part in our programmes and by external evaluations of the larger programmes which we run with, or on behalf of, others. During 2015 we will pilot new approaches to the Annual Impact Survey to further strengthen the evidence base. We have also introduced separate targets for UK and overseas participants to improve our reporting of impact in the UK.

In 2015–16 the targets for our Annual Impact Survey are:• Positive impact on participants’ professional lives: more than 90 per cent of

participants agree in the UK and overseas.

• Positive impact on their organisation: more than 80 per cent of overseas participants and 85 per cent of UK participants agree.

• Positive impact on strengthened links with the UK: more than 80 per cent of overseas participants agree.

These targets are in line with, or above, the targets set for 2014–15.


Trust in the UKIn order to measure the impact of our work on UK stakeholders we:• Survey over 1,000 influential UK stakeholders within our Annual Impact Survey

to assess the impact of our work on personal and professional lives.

• Operate a Profile and Participation tracker to assess the extent of key target audiences’ knowledge and appreciation of the value we bring.

In addition, we undertake bespoke research to augment our understanding of audiences and impact. Research published in 2012 tells us that participation in British Council cultural relations activities such as learning English, or taking part in education or the arts is associated with a higher level of trust in people in the UK (ranging from +15 percentage points in Brazil, Poland and Spain to +41 percentage points in Turkey).

This increased trust links to greater interest in doing business with the UK (ranging from +9 percentage point increase in Pakistan to +29 percentage point increase in Russia) and a higher likelihood of recommending the UK as a place to visit, study, live and do business compared with other international competitors. 13

In 2015–16, we will continue to look at our measurement and targets, research and monitoring, to ensure that we measure what matters and create the insights that we need to assess and shape delivery, in particular around value for the UK.

Heads of Mission SurveyThe FCO Heads of Mission survey has been carried out annually to obtain their view of our performance and provide us with valuable feedback. There was no survey in 2014 due to the extensive consultation on the 2014 Triennial Review. In 2015–16 we will work with the FCO to ensure we have an appropriate survey or consultation in place.

13 British Council, Trust Pays (2012) www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/publications/trust-pays

68

other organiSationaL goaLS

The target for our diversity assessment framework is: 8 out of 10The British Council Diversity Assessment Framework is a widely admired and externally validated framework to assess how well the British Council supports equality, diversity and inclusion in all its functions and operations worldwide. The framework consists of ‘good practice’ indicators which demonstrate awareness, leadership and sustained action to support and promote diversity, equality and inclusion which are scored out of 10. We report against this tool biennially. In 2013 –14 our overall score was 6 out of 10 although over 30 per cent of submissions scored 8 or higher. The target for 2015 –16 is 8.

The target score on our environmental framework is: 4 out of 5We are implementing a sustainable environmental action plan. In 2012–13 all our UK offices maintained the International Standard for Environmental Management (ISO14001). Overseas, we have an Environmental Framework which uses a 5-level scale. In 2011–12 we set a challenging target of all offices achieving level 3 – ‘making a difference’. A total of 50 per cent of our overseas offices achieved this level in 2012 –13. For 2015 –16 the target rises to level 4.


9. FINANCE

The Corporate Plan financials are for 2015 –16 only, pending the expected Comprehensive Spending Review post the UK general election in 2015, which will shape the British Council’s core government grant for 2016 –17 onwards.

IncomeTotal income is projected to reach £971 million by 2015–16:• Our FCO grant will be £164 million, six per cent higher than in 2014 –15.

This is due to an additional £10 million ODA funding for 2015 –16.

• Earned income is planned to increase to £807 million which is eight per cent higher than 2014 –15, but slower growth than forecast for 2014 –15. Earned income will be 83 per cent of total income by 2015 –16.

£ in millions 2013 –14 2014 –15 2015 –16

growth rate 2013 –14 to

2014–15


2015–16

fCo grant 161 154 164 (4%) 6%

earned income 669 748 807 12% 8%

total income 830 902 971 9% 8%

2013 –14 is based on period 14, 2014 –15 is based on Q2 Forecast adjusted, 2015 –16 is based on Business Plan.

70

BritiSh CoUnCiL finanCiaL PLanTotal income is projected to increase by eight per cent in 2015 –16. Within this there is projected strong growth for teaching, examinations and contracts (at nine per cent, ten per cent and 11 per cent respectively), but flat growth for partnership income and a decline in other paid services.

£ in millions 2013 –14 2014 –15 2015 –16

growth 2013–14 to

2014 –15

growth 2014 –15 to

2015–16

fCo grant 161 154 164 (4%) 6%

teaching 181 189 206 4% 9%

examinations 281 300 330 7% 10%

Partnerships 40 61 61 53% 0%

Contracts 136 160 178 18% 11%

other paid services 28 37 31 32% (16%)

Bank interest 3 1 1 (67%) 0%

income 830 902 971 9% 8%

Contract expenditure 117 134 154 15% 15%

Direct costs 543 601 644 11% 6%

operating costs 660 735 798 11% 8%

Platform costs 127 139 142 9% 2%

total costs 787 874 940 11% 7%

gross surplus (deficit) 43 28 31 (36%) 35%

investments (including capital)

56 56 45 – –

Depreciation and other adjustments

3 (9) (9) – –

net surplus (16) (19) (5) – –

2013 –14 is based on period 14, 2014 –15 is based on Q2 Forecast adjusted, 2015 –16 is based on Business Plan.


ExpenditureOperating costs are planned to increase from £735 million to £798 million between 2014 –15 and 2015 –16, growth of eight per cent which is consistent with the projected income growth.

Within this, contract expenditure is projected to increase by 15 per cent to £154 million and direct costs by six per cent to £644 million.

Platform costs (premises, infrastructure and support staff) are projected to increase by two per cent to £142 million, equating to 15 per cent of total costs (compared with 19 per cent in 2010).

A key factor influencing our cost base locally is the new legal status which we are implementing for some of our overseas operations. As part of this, as we agree new legal status of operations overseas our cost base has increased through payment of local taxes above previous projections. We are also reclassifying expenditure in our income and expenditure account. Our reclassification results in moving expenditure previously included in investments into business as usual costs, providing a more accurate representation of our overall cost base.

We continue to focus on efficiencies and value for money to the UK taxpayer. We are managing key projects to drive efficiencies across our business support services, teaching and examinations businesses and overseas network and we continue to work with government partners in support of the One HMG overseas agenda to deliver economies of scale through improved co-ordination of the overseas platform.

InvestmentIn 2015 –16 our investment programme will promote business growth, increase our impact, reduce costs and increase the effectiveness of our operating platform and support services. Continuing reinvestment of earned surpluses in essential upkeep and maintenance of key buildings and teaching centres, assuring the security and integrity of core business systems and developing our English learning platforms, particularly for more challenging environments.

We are planning an investment programme of up to £45 million in 2015 –16 to strengthen our cultural relations activities and programmes. This investment is almost entirely financed by surpluses from our paid-for services.

72

The diagram below illustrates the key delivery areas for 2015 –16, grouped into our three main delivery areas plus cross-cutting projects such as the GREAT Britain campaign and Shakespeare Lives. For each of the main workstreams we describe the main outcome from our work and then show the scale of activity based on direct operating costs. This is funded by the FCO grant (dark blue circles), by earned income from customers, clients and partners paying for services (grey circles) or by reinvesting surplus earned through our teaching and examinations activities (light blue circles). For example, arts showcasing has approximately £5 million funded by core grant, around £5 million from sponsorship and partners and around £5 million funding from British Council earned surplus, reinvested into our arts programmes.

activity outcome Scale of activity

alignment with UK government

great Britain campaign and other UK high impact priorities

Delivering UK priorities through flexible funding.

arts

arts showcasing More diverse and larger audiences around the world have access to UK arts and culture.

Culture and developing economies

Meeting international development commitments through arts and culture.

arts professionals and cultural institutions

Supporting professional infrastructure development using UK expertise.

english

english language assessment (aptis, eSoL, ieLtS)

Achieving English language qualifications for study, life and work.

Distribution of UK professional, university and schools examinations

Getting UK qualifications for study, life and work.

english for educations systems Improved English teaching and learning.

face-to-face blended english Improved English skills and confidence leads to more opportunities to study work and develop.


activity outcome Scale of activity

Bilingual schools Improved English skills and confidence leads to more opportunities to study and develop.

Digital and self-access learning Improved English skills and confidence leads to more opportunities to study and develop.

education and Society

higher education Strengthening international education and partnership. Increased access to education.

erasmus+ Access to European practice, education and research for young people and students.

Science and research Improved international science and research collaboration and public engagement.

Skills Enhancing the skills and employability of young people.

Schools Enriching the quality of education in schools.

Civil society (including sport and governance)

Improving governance, sustainability and accountability.

rule of law and access to justice Strengthening the rule of law and access to justice.

Social enterprise Increased employability and sustainable enterprise.

women and girls’ empowerment Women and girls participate and benefit from social change.

Equivalent to approximately £5 million of activity funded by earned surplus

Equivalent to approximately £5 million of activity funded by core grant

This analysis is work in progress based on estimates from an ongoing operating plan and is likely to be updated before the plan is finalised.

Equivalent to approximately £5 million of activity funded by earned income

Semi circles are equivalent to less than £3 million

Circles are based on funding to the nearest £5 million (rounded). Analysis excludes investment, platform and corporate costs.

74

DeVeLoPing anD eMBeDDing oUr MixeD eConoMy ‘entrePreneUriaL PUBLiC SerViCe’ MoDeL

Partial recovery plus additional funding from grant, partnerships and surplus

DEVELOPED COuNTRIEs

DEVELOPING COuNTRIEs

FRAGILE sTATEs

suPPORTING/ENAbLING sERVICEs

EmERGING ECONOmIEs

EDuCATION AND sOCIETY

Surplus earning

ENGLIsh AND EXAmINATIONs

Surplus earning plus additional funding from surplus, grant and partnership

funding required from surplus, grant and partnership

funding required from surplus, grant and partnership

funding required from surplus and grant

ARTs

grant in aid

In general red shows activity that requires funding, green shows work that generates a surplus and amber shows activity that can partially recover its costs (partial recovery). Arrows show the flow of funding throughout the organisation. In ODA countries we use grant to fund English for education systems work and associated delivery projects in developing countries and fragile states (for example British Council Life Players in Sub-Saharan Africa).


Our ‘mixed economy’ model means that as is the case in large parts of the modern economy we have increasingly multi-dimensional relationships with our partners, other providers and stakeholders: sometimes we are a convener, sometimes a collaborator, sometimes a promoter and sometimes a provider of services.

To make this model work the British Council is reliant on a range of different funding and income sources. These include:• Fees from customers, where there is a willingness and ability to pay for

our services.

• In other cases, where an end customer paying is not appropriate but the activity is still desirable in terms of its cultural relations impact, we will use as appropriate: bidding competitively for contracts, re-investing surpluses we have generated elsewhere, sponsorship, partnership or co-funding and only where legal, appropriate and unavoidable consider the use of UK government grant.

Whatever the funding model, we will always look for opportunities to partner with relevant UK organisations in designing our programmes and in responding to client requests for commercial and contract proposals.

The economic model opposite shows how we deploy different sources of funding to support the different economic parameters of different sectors and geopolitical contexts to maximise impact for the UK. It demonstrates how the British Council reinvests earned surpluses. This model in part responds to a declining grant-in-aid and the UK’s commitment to ODA, but it also promotes enterprise, innovation, customer and market responsiveness and partnership working in pursuit of economic, social and cultural value – we call this model ‘entrepreneurial public service’.

The principles of our ‘entrepreneurial public service’ model are:• Setting aside 20 per cent of available earned surplus after reserves to support:

− arts programmes (ten per cent of available surplus)

− key UK ‘high impact priority’ cultural relations programmes to respond to government priorities (ten per cent of available surplus).

• Reinvesting 80 per cent of available earned surpluses after reserves in line with our investment priorities.

In 2015 we will continue to develop financial systems, reporting and the clarity of our economics: setting out the way we earn and use resources to provide greater clarity and transparency on the paid-for services and funded aspects of our work.

76

offiCiaL DeVeLoPMent aSSiStanCeWe continue to contribute to the UK’s international development targets through the government grant. The proportion of our resource grant which we are required to spend as part of the UK government’s aid commitment will go up to 69 per cent by 2015 –16. Our targets for ODA will increase from £95.9 million in 2013–14 to £112.7 million by 2015–16.

British Council FCO grant and ODA

£ in millions 2013 –14 2014 –15 2015 –16growth rate 2013 –14 to

2014 –15


2015 –16

fCo grant 161 154 164 (4%) 6%

oDa target 96 100 113 4% 13%

oDa target as a percentage of income

60% 65% 69% 9% 6%

Looking forward, it will be increasingly important to find new ways to manage and maintain work in countries which are targets for UK exports and prosperity, but which do not count towards the UK’s ODA targets. Demand for UK culture and expectation of the UK are high in many of these countries notably Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and many EU states. These countries are important to the UK, but given several are English-speaking and offer little opportunity for UK-backed English teaching or examinations, these are particularly challenging to support with less grant, more of which is ring-fenced for ODA. There is also a significant longer-term risk that a number of large countries which are currently on the OECD’s Development Assistance Countries list – notably India, China and Brazil – will soon achieve a level of development which leads them to be reclassified and removed from the ODA list. This would have a very major impact on the British Council’s economics and ability to work in ‘developed’ countries. Our funds for activities which are not directly contributing to international development have reduced from £89 million in 2011–12 to £51 million in 2015 –16.

78

All enquiries or requests for further information to:

Strategy, Performance and Insight British Council 10 Spring Gardens London SW1A 2BN

+44 (0)20 7389 3014 [email protected]

© British Council 2015 / e440 the British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.

Corporate Plan

Documents

Transcript of Corporate Plan