Knowledge Exchange Framework

KEF2 update from Research England

Dashboard format

The dashboard itself will be in the same polar area chart format as the first KEF, however in line with the changes we have made to the methodology results are now presented through five quintiles, rather than ten deciles.  We have provided a sample image of the new dashboard below.  For full details of the changes that we have implemented for KEF2, please see our May 2022 KEF Decisions publication.

Sample KEF2 dashboard image

As with the first iteration of the KEF, the data shows each provider’s perspective result in relation to the average for their cluster. The sample shown above is a typical outcome for most institutions – to display results both above and below their cluster average across the range of different perspectives. This is consistent with our key message of the KEF highlighting the diversity of the sector across a wide range of KE activities rather than presenting a simple league table.

Please note that the cluster averages are intended to provide context to an individual provider’s results with peer institutions who share a similar capacity for knowledge exchange, as such they are not ‘benchmarks’ to be met and our own communications will reflect this.

Comparison of KEF2 results with the first KEF

Please note that there have been notable changes to the underlying methodology used to calculate KEF2 results, with the removal of a scaling step and results being presented in five quintiles rather than ten deciles. This means it is not possible to directly compare an individual provider’s results between the first and second iterations of the KEF.  However, we would encourage providers to broadly consider their relative performance in relation to their cluster average as an indicator of whether there has been an improvement in performance.

Public & Community Engagement perspective

We would also like to flag in particular one of the methodology changes. In the public & community engagement perspective, we have not amended the original self-assessment scores and these remain displayed within the narrative statements i.e. each of the five aspects being scored between 1-5 resulting in a total score out of 25.  However, we have adapted the methodology used to calculate the perspective score as a quintile in line the methodology changes applied to the other perspectives.  [To convert the self-assessment score out of 25 into a quintile result, all providers in the sector are ordered by their total score to give a metric position (1st-135th).  All providers sharing the same total score will be given the same metric and therefore perspective position.  The sector is divided into quintiles based on their perspective positions.]

This change in methodology has resulted in some changes to how the public & community engagement perspective results appear when compared to those presented in the first KEF, however for the majority of providers, the relative performance in relation to the cluster average has remained consistent.

Looking further ahead to KEF3 to be published in 2023, we will be inviting submission of updated narrative statements for the Institutional context; Public & community engagement (with updated self-assessment scores); and Local growth and regeneration. We are currently working with the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) to revise the templates and guidance and we anticipate publishing updated guidance this autumn for a spring 2023 submission.

If you have any questions, please email kef@admin.ox.ac.uk.

KEF2 results for the University of Oxford can be viewed at https://kef.ac.uk/dashboard, by selecting ‘The University of Oxford’ under ‘Select a provider’ and clicking ‘KEF Overview’.