The purpose of providing a monitoring and evaluation policy is to create a framework from which to maintain and develop processes by which feedback on Careers Service delivery is collected and acted on.
The aim of evaluation is to ensure that the Careers Service provides a high quality and appropriate service to its clients and stakeholders by enabling this group/these groups to provide feedback in a variety of ways.
The target groups from whom we gather feedback are current students, alumni, employers and the academic community. To develop a monitoring and feedback strategy it is recognised that each user group has different needs and will, in many cases, be targeted individually. We also realise the importance of closing the feedback ‘loop’ through disseminating details of action which has been taken arising from feedback.
Collection of feedback
A range of formal and informal methods are used to collect feedback from:
Collection of feedback
- An annual feedback survey is sent to all current Imperial College London students (users and non-users) each year to gather responses on all aspects of service delivery e.g., information, guidance, events.
- A feedback questionnaire for 40-minute consultations is emailed to students and postdoctoral researchers, at regular intervals, following their meeting with a careers consultant.
- Feedback is also sought from students who attend specific events organised by the Careers Service where the activity is either being piloted or is a substantial ‘stand-alone’ event outside of day to day provision.
- Informal feedback – positive and negative feedback is also collected from emails and other interactions with students. There is an ‘unmet’ needs book on the Information desk which provides an additional way in which feedback on the Service can be captured and responded to.
- An annual meeting takes place with the new Student Union President and the Deputy President Education.
- The Careers Service monitors national surveys (e.g., National Student Survey (NSS)) and internal surveys (e.g., Student Online Evaluation (SOLE)) in relation to feedback about student and careers services.
- Feedback questionnaires are regularly sent on an annual basis to all those employers who are registered with JobsLive. The questionnaires are designed to elicit their views on all aspects of the Service.
- Patrons of the Careers Service meet the Director and Employer Liaison Manager regularly, throughout the year. Part of the purpose of these meetings is to gather feedback from the Patrons on their use of the Service and their ideas on future developments.
- Meetings with employers. The Director and other Careers Service staff meet with a wide range of employers throughout the year. The nature of these meetings can vary but all can provide an opportunity to gather informal feedback on the work of the Service. The Careers Service is a member of the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) and the Director regularly attends the annual conference and other activities which again provide an opportunity for the exchange of views and information.
- Organisations who participate in events arranged by the Careers Service are regularly surveyed for their experiences.
- Feedback on services and activities is sorted through a network of Departmental Careers Advisers (DCAs) (typically a nominated academic in each department). Individual meetings between DCAs and careers consultants take place on a regular basis and provides an opportunity to gather informal feedback. Details of the action which the Careers Service has taken in response to feedback are also disseminated through these interactions either informally or in the minutes of the DCA meetings.
- The Careers Service Annual Report is presented at Senate and provides an opportunity for senior academic staff to comment on the work of the Service over the past year and to raise issues for further development.
- The Director of Service is invited to attend Employer Liaison Panels within the Graduate School and reports annually to Senate. The Director also sits on the Education Strategy Operations Group Student Experience which is co-chaired by the Vice Provost Education and
Vice President Education from the Imperial Students Union. This forum enables feedback to be received and to present future developments to academic and professional staff as well as student representatives.
Analysis and action
The resulting information from the range of feedback methods is analysed and acted upon in a variety of ways.
- The Careers Service Annual report provides details, where appropriate, of changes made in response to feedback received from students, employers and academic staff.
- Changes to service delivery, as a result of feedback given, can be viewed on the Careers Service 'You said...We did' webpage.
- Feedback on all aspects of the work of the Service is passed to the Management team for action and development where appropriate.
The Careers Service at Imperial is a member of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) and as such adheres to their codes and practices.