A new vice-chancellor is in post, inheriting a strategy they didn't design.
We use sector intelligence, research and analysis to identify practical solutions that drive lasting institutional change – not dependency. Our offer is to give universities the space, structures, and support to solve their own problems.
Policy.Partners works best at strategic inflection points, where the right external challenge at the right time changes the course of a decision. These are the moments we see most often.
A new vice-chancellor is in post, inheriting a strategy they didn't design.
A chair from outside higher education senses something isn't right but lacks the sector context to diagnose it.
A leadership team is halfway through its strategy cycle and wondering what's actually been delivered.
A governing body is preparing to commission a new strategy and wants the right questions on the table before anyone drafts answers.
Financial or regulatory pressure is forcing choices – and the institution needs to work out what to stop, not what to add.
A merger, partnership, or significant structural change is under active consideration.
Policy.Partners isn't a standalone consultancy. It's the advisory interface to a wider set of organisations that each bring something universities rarely get in one place – continuous understanding of the sector, deep delivery experience, and long-form research and evidence about what comes next.
Independent HE analysis, commentary, data and insight. The sharpest read on sector policy, politics and narrative in the UK.
Decades of hands-on experience across higher education and the wider cultural sector.
Long-form policy research shaping the national conversation on the future of tertiary education.
POLICY.PARTNERS
Where those strengths come together for individual institutions, at specific moments of strategic choice.
The three partners lead Policy.Partners – setting direction and leading engagements.
Partner & Co-Founder
Founder and Editor in Chief of Wonkhe, and Founder and Chair of The Post-18 Project
mark@policy.partners
Partner & Co-Founder
Editor of Wonkhe and Trustee of the National Institute of Teaching
debbie@policy.partners
Partner & Co-Founder
Senior Partner at Counterculture and Associate Editor of Wonkhe
james@policy.partnersOur advisors bring specialist knowledge in the areas that matter most to institutional strategy – from finance and governance to academic practice and student experience
Advisor
Former CEO of UCAS and an independent education expert serving in a non-executive capacity on a number of boards
Advisor
Chief People Officer at the University of East London and a member of Wonkhe's board
Advisor
Principal of The Building Crafts College and a member of Wonkhe's board
Advisor
Former Vice-Chancellor of Staffordshire University; has served on a number of university boards
Advisor
Former Partner and Head of Education, Skills and Productivity at KPMG; member of several university and public sector boards
Our associates are the practitioners we bring into engagements – specialists who bring our work to life
Associate
Founder, Favier Ltd
Higher education strategy consultant specialising in global reputation, political affairs and international partnerships, formerly Director of Global and Political Affairs at the University of Nottingham
Website
Associate
Partner, Counterculture Partnership LLP
Strategy and partnerships specialist for cultural, creative and higher education organisations; formerly Programme Director for UCL Global Engagement and a senior leader at the British Council
Profile
Associate
Partner, Counterculture Partnership LLP
Social policy expert with 18 years across UK education and charity sectors, specialising in post-16 education, student voice and housing; formerly Director of The Student Engagement Partnership
Profile
Associate
Partner, Counterculture Partnership LLP
Specialist in students' union governance, membership services and organisational development; architect of the UK's annual Membership Services Conference and co-host of the Working for Students podcast with Wonkhe
Profile
Associate
Associate Director (Governance), Advance HE
Former President of the National Union of Students (2010–11) who has led over 50 governance reviews across the UK, Australia and Ireland; chairs the board of BPP University
Profile
Associate
PR and communications professional; florist
A PR and comms practitioner with decades of sector experience across freelance and fixed-term work, who also runs a floristry business in Gloucestershire
LinkedIn
Associate
Founder, The Data Goddess
Higher education data strategist with 20+ years in the sector, supporting smaller and specialist providers with HESA returns, data fluency and the organisational changes that make data actually useful
WebsiteWhether you're at the beginning of a new strategy cycle, navigating a leadership transition, or simply want a sharper external perspective on the choices ahead – we'd welcome a conversation
Contact us