A time of change and complexity
Further education in the UK is accelerating. Colleges are merging at a higher rate than ever before, providing the opportunity for innovation and exciting advancements. With these structural changes fundamentally changing how the sector operates, agility and the ability to deliver at pace has become essential.
For large FE groups, particularly those formed through recent mergers, bringing strategy and operations together under one roof can be a challenge. Multiple systems, estates and decision-making frameworks have to be aligned before change can really take hold.
That was the landscape facing Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC) at the start of 2025.
A group with ambition
HRUC is one of the biggest further education providers in the UK, bringing together three colleges across multiple campuses. With an extensive portfolio of investment planned over the coming years, the direction of travel was clear. But like many newly formed groups, they realised they were missing some of the tools needed to deliver at scale.
The group lacked a centralised programme management office. Procurement was fragmented. And while the digital ambition was strong, there wasn’t yet a shared roadmap to guide sequencing or investment. Senior leaders knew what they wanted to achieve, they just needed the right means and mechanisms to get there.
A phased approach to building delivery capability
Over several months, HRUC shaped and delivered a series of projects designed to lay the foundations for longer-term change. Each phase responded to emerging needs and built momentum for what came next.
Phase 1. Mapping the ambition: The starting point was clarity. Working with internal leads, HRUC catalogued and assessed over 15 digital initiatives, creating a prioritised roadmap and identifying resource and capability gaps. A prototype PMO model was developed in parallel, designed to bring light governance to programme delivery while a more permanent structure took shape.
Phase 2. Establishing structure: To support more consistent decision-making and accountability, HRUC moved to design a full PMO function. Using the DECA framework to understand delivery complexity, a scalable team model was created, focused on providing the right governance without adding unnecessary overhead. Flexibility was built in from the start, with a view to future growth and adaptation.
Phase 3. Strengthening procurement: With new legislation placing greater demands on compliance and transparency, HRUC turned attention to its procurement function. In just four weeks, the team developed a full options appraisal, business case and implementation plan – enabling the group to move away from fragmented decision-making and towards a safe, strategic, organisation-wide approach to procurement.
HRUC sought support that would lay the foundations for their ambition to become a digital-first, leading FE institution in the UK, comprising of:
- A clear, prioritised plan for digital investment
- A tailored PMO design aligned to current and future needs
- A compliant procurement model with a route to implementation
- Over 20 practical tools and templates to support governance and delivery
- A more confident internal environment for making investment decisions
These were not theoretical outputs. They were working artefacts — created in partnership with internal teams and designed to be used immediately. Each one built capability, alignment and momentum.
A collaborative foundation for what comes next
HRUC didn’t need an off-the-shelf solution. Co-designing working artefacts with internal teams and stakeholders meant that HRUC built capability, alignment and momentum quickly, ready to move into the next stages of change. Now, the conditions for transformation to happen with confidence are in place.
If you’re interested to hear more about our work in education, get in touch at hello@the4oc.com.