We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand TEO performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding a TEO may receive.

We monitor the performance of TEOs against the following Educational Performance Indicators (EPIs):

• qualification completions
• cohort-based qualifications completions
• cohort-based student retention, and
• student progression to higher level study or employment
• course completions (historical EPI), and
• student retention (historical EPI).

For further information on how EPIs are defined and calculated, please see the Educational performance section of our website.

Te Reo Māori and tikanga provision

In general we expect the same performance, progression and employment outcomes from Te Reo Māori and tikanga provision as other funded provision. However, we recognise that some learners (Māori and non-Māori) enrolled in Te Reo Māori and tikanga study may:

• be employed already
• not be employed but not seeking to improve their employment prospects through their study (for example, they may be more than 65 years old), and/or
• have a qualification at level 4 or above already, but want to acquire skills in Te Reo Māori and/or tikanga.

We recognise that these learners may enrol in Te Reo Māori and tikanga study largely for the cultural knowledge they acquire, with no expectation of progression or employment.

Therefore we monitor this provision in the context of the wider government strategy on Te Reo Māori and tikanga education. For example, in respect of funding decisions and monitoring activities, Te Reo Māori and tikanga provision EPIs will be considered separately to other provision EPIs. 

Other monitoring

In addition, we monitor TEOs’:

• achievement of EPICs and MoP delivery commitments. A TEO is responsible for notifying us of, and discussing with us, significant shifts from the agreed MoP, and the rationale, well before any such shift occurs
• achievement against any other performance standards agreed in the Investment Plan, including any minimum achievement levels
• compliance with SAC level 1 and 2 funding conditions and legislative requirements
• achievement of parity with respect to participation and EPIs for target learner groups set out in the Tertiary Education Strategy, and
• achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.

Monitoring compliance with funding conditions includes but is not limited to Condition: Benchmarking (see below).

Benchmarking

Tertiary education institutions (TEIs) must participate in benchmarking, which contributes to enhancing institutional capability, and performance and sustainability in the sector.

Using the New Zealand Benchmarking Tool, TEIs are able to measure their performance against various educational and financial performance benchmarks. See Condition: Benchmarking