Performance Agreements and Reporting



Higher education institutions set out their contribution to the achievement of institutional and national strategy in Performance Agreements with the HEA. Performance Agreements have been developed through engagement and dialogue between HEIs and the HEA. The publication of these Performance Agreements is intended to promote the transparency of the System Performance Framework process and ensure accountability across the system.

Performance Agreements took effect from September 2024 and span four academic years. Higher education institutions report annually against their Performance Agreements in the form of self-evaluation reports, and these are reviewed and discussed in a process of strategy and performance dialogue between the HEA and institutions.

Self-Evaluation Reports

A Self-Evaluation Report (SER) capturing performance in relation to the objectives and targets set out in the institution’s Performance Agreement is due for submission annually. This report focuses on performance in the previous academic year (e.g. the 2025 report was focused on the academic year 2024/25) and comprises two parts:

Part A — Performance Indicators

Part B — Performance Evaluation and Strategic Reflection

HEI reporting adheres to a fixed template over the four years. Templates are pre-populated with Performance Agreement data and annual SER data and issue to HEIs in April. Further information on the process can be found in the Strategy and Performance Dialogue 2025–2028 Information Pack (pdf).