12 February 2020 
Ashley Shelbrooke, HEPA and Project Specialist
Welcome to the February edition of the HEPA digest.
Procurement Value Survey (PVS)
This is the final call for PVS submissions for the 2018/19 financial year: the extended deadline is close of business on Friday 14 February 2020. In order to help with your submission we have a number of resources available on the HEPA website including a recording of the introductory webinar that we ran last year in advance of the PVS opening, as well as a comprehensive help suite. Every institution that submits a PVS return is provided with a consolidated and anonymised report from which you can benchmark your performance with peer institutions. The benchmark data includes:
PVS submissions can be made here; if you have any questions then please do not hesitate to get in touch with Ashley.
Upcoming Training Events
The HEPA Learning & Development Group – a collaboration between the UK University Purchasing Consortia, HEPA regional representatives and BUFDG have a series of training courses coming up in March, including:
We are also planning on running a webinar aimed at taking users through the basics of buying from the family, designed to demystify the process of procuring services from organisations embedded in the HE sector. We will be running the webinar in March / April at a date to be confirmed. The content will include training on what a framework is, what the Teckal exemption is, how to direct award and how to conduct a further competition. The webinar will be aimed at colleagues across the University who need to use frameworks such as users in Estates and ICT teams (so not just procurement). Anybody interested in joining the webinar can contact Ashley to be sent the joining instructions in due course.
E-learning through HEPA
There are 11 free e-learning modules available to all HEPA members and a further 12 to colleagues in institutions who have subscribed to the additional BUFDG Pro service. This is a low cost way of staying informed, professional and compliant without leaving your institution, so make sure you visit the e-learning pages to make the most of your subscription. We are issuing a challenge to all members to have completed the Criminal Finances Act module by the end of the academic year – will your institution be the first to achieve 100% completion?
Tuition Fee Fraud
The sector has unfortunately seen an increase in tuition fee fraud, primarily targeting Chinese students, with fee payments being made via fraudulently obtained credit cards. From information provided by WPM, we believe that to date over £2m of fraudulent card payments have been identified and at least 19 institutions affected.
There are resources available including an upcoming webinar and a summit in Manchester, with further details available on the HEPA discussion boards.
In addition to this, the Dedicated Card & Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU) at the City of London police have provided two flyers that they have put together – one in English, and one in Mandarin – for distribution to all Chinese students in advance of enrolment periods.
Fraud is now Britain’s most common crime. We thought this article by Marianna Hunt in the Telegraph provided an insightful look into how the City of London police are dealing with fraud through Operation Otello, the UKs first national crackdown…
The HEPA counter-fraud working group is planning its activities for the coming year under the new leadership of Andy McGoff of Edinburgh Napier University. Would you like to be involved in the group, or do you have any thoughts on how the sector should be working together to tackle fraud? Please get in touch with Ashley if so.
A guide to understanding university finance
Hopefully by now you have had the chance to read the excellent BUFDG guide to understanding university finance. The document helps users understand university annual reports and financial statements in an accessible fashion and is a fantastic resource for you and your teams to help improve understanding of these crucial documents. Please distribute widely and send any comments that might improve the next edition to Matt.
Save the date: HEPA Conference 2020!
Finally, we are happy to announce that the HEPA Conference is being held at the University of York on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 September 2020! The HEPA Board members are currently pulling together an exciting agenda with a strong focus on leadership. Please save the dates in your diary and look out for the booking link to secure your place in the coming months.
As ever, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Ashley via ashley@hepa.ac.uk or 07739 659 497 should you have any questions or comments on how HEPA can assist you, your team or colleagues in your institution more widely.
