Higher education | PA Consulting

In our 2023 survey of higher education senior leaders, 90 percent of participants felt the sector has never faced greater threats. Our higher education experts meet these challenges by drawing on decades of experience working with leading UK and international universities to develop impactful solutions at pace.

Working together

We support higher education institutions through a range of capabilities including operating model design, academic restructuring, digital transformation, student experience, research optimisation, cost efficiency, and large-scale technology implementation. Our teams bring fresh global insight from within and outside of the sector to help higher education leaders navigate change and unlock opportunities.

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Digital transformation

Define future staff and student experiences that benefit from digital and AI opportunities.

Cost optimisation

Identify how services can be delivered more effectively and efficiently, and define risk-based, service-level options to align costs with strategic priorities.

Large programme delivery

Successfully deliver large-scale technology transformations, underpinned by end-to-end programme management, technology, and governance support.

Sourcing and procurement

Navigate the commercial, technical, and procedural challenges of large complex procurements – for example student record or ERP systems – and transform procurement departments.

Operating model and organisation design

Place students, staff, and partners at the centre of organisational design, defining the target experience, identifying required capabilities, and charting the most effective course to deliver an optimal operating model.

Agile

Transform institutions by scaling new or existing agile practices, increasing collaboration across teams, improving team culture, and maximizing the effectiveness of change delivery.