The Making the Most of Masters project ended in 2016. This website is no longer updated, but it is available here as an archive.

Quality Commitment

QUALITY COMMITMENT FOR MSC WORK BASED PROJECTS (WBPS)

Responsibilities of the Employer Organisation

  • To provide an Organisation Supervisor to act as the main point of contact for the student.
  • To manage the Student’s delivery to ensure they receive their intended outputs from the project as agreed in the initial project plan.
  • To indicate which data sources and information provided are confidential and should be suppressed in the final report, allowing the Student time to amend the project output accordingly. Confidential data provided by the company should be marked as such when provided to the Student.
  • To provide on-site day-to-day supervision of the Student; or an agreed number of hours or guidance meetings during the project period.
  • To provide the Student with an induction and relevant training, where applicable, and if based in the workplace, ensure that the Student is made aware of and complies with workplace regulations relating to quality environmental standards, health & safety.  A separate health and safety checklist is available if necessary.
  • To provide appropriate liability and insurance cover.
  • To monitor the Student’s project inputs on an on-going basis, whilst ensuring that the project remains exclusively the work of the Student.
  • To engage with the University Supervisor to provide feedback, which may or may not form part of the Student’s final assessment, as agreed at the outset.
  • To contact the University Supervisor immediately, if there is a problem, complaint or grievance.
  • The Student is not allowed to complete any tasks for the Organisation during the contracted period, except those which directly contribute to delivery of the titled project.  In cases where other tasks are being undertaken, the Student must be paid in accordance with statutory UK law/minimum wage legislation.
  • Provision of expenses – the Organisation should meet any expenses associated with the project / incurred by the Student during the project. This should be agreed at the project preparation stage.

Responsibilities of the Student

  • Delivery of the project in the format determined either by the programme requirements or as agreed after discussion between relevant parties.
  • The Student, in conjunction with the Organisation, will be responsible for appropriate sourcing and referencing of data, and handling commercially sensitive or confidential data in accordance with any required standard imposed by the Organisation.
  • To act in a professional manner and be respectful of the culture and working practices of the Organisation, whilst representing the University.
  • Attendance at the Organisation’s premises and other locations, as required, in order to complete the project.
  • Compliance with all legal workplace standards as advised by the Organisation relating to quality assurance, environmental standards, health & safety, etc. 
  • Awareness of any issues relating to confidentiality, data protection, and intellectual property (IP) rights.
  • If not based in the workplace, the Student should be aware that they may be expected to attend meetings as part of their project, to ensure delivery is on track with the Organisation’s expectations.
  • Make the Organisation aware of any special requirements (e.g. relating to medical or additional support needs).

Responsibilities of the WBP Staff

  • Review the project scope with the Organisation to ensure it meets academic requirements and learning outcomes.
  • Engage with the Student during the project to offer appropriate guidance.
  • Engage with the Organisation in the case of concerns, where issues have been brought to attention by the Student or Organisation.  
  • Initiate communication with the Organisation Supervisor to coordinate an interim meeting or correspondence in order to assess the progress of the project.

It is essential that students undertaking WBP seek information and comply with policy and procedures of the individual HE Institution. This may include, for example:

  • Safety and Health Whilst Travelling on University Business: 
  • Overseas Travel Risk Assessment: 
  • Fieldwork Risk Assessment: 
  • Code of Practice for Taught Postgraduate Programmes: 
  • Tier Four Census for Attendance Confirmation

Responsibilities applicable to all parties

Project Ownership, Intellectual Property and Confidentiality

  • After discussion, it should be defined whether the ownership of the project, final report and any associated intellectual property will be held by the Student or the Organisation.
  • Publication by either party in relation to the WBP shall be subject to the other party’s consent, such consent should not be unreasonably withheld.
  • If the Student relies upon any intellectual property rights that belong to the University as part of their WBP, the Organisation may not use such rights without the consent of the University’s representative in writing. If use is permitted of any material then the Organisation uses such material at their own risk, all implied warranties are excluded. The Student and the University shall have no liability if such material is used by the Organisation.
  • A separate confidentiality agreement is available if necessary.

Liability

  • It is recognised that there will be instances where the original project plan may change throughout the project life cycle.  Such delays and changes need to be discussed with the Student and, if required, the University Supervisor as soon as possible to avoid further delays and possible project failure.  Unforeseen and extenuating circumstances do happen, but it is essential that the Organisation and Student seek to avoid these where possible.
  • The Organisation has a duty to manage the Student’s delivery to ensure they receive their intended outputs from the project as agreed in the initial project plan. If the project cannot be completed, and following discussions a new project cannot be designed and undertaken in the time period, the Student and the University cannot be liable if the Organisation’s deadlines are not met. Conversely, the Organisation cannot be liable if the student’s deadline is not met and the idealised project outcome cannot be achieved due to reasons beyond their control.
  • Any party may terminate the WBP if another party shall be in breach of their commitments. In such instances there is a mandatory one week notice period and it is necessary for either the Student or the Organisation Supervisor to notify the University’s representative by written communication.

Disclaimer: This toolkit has been developed based on the advice and guidance available at the time of publishing. Users of the toolkit should ensure that they are familiar with guidance and regulations in their own institution at that time. All resources can, and indeed should be tailored to meet the requirements of individual student groups. Your local Careers Service may be able to provide advice and guidance on this. Where material is adapted due credit should be given to the original authors, ie. Making the Most of Masters, by either maintaining the name, logos and watermarks or alternatively, by using the following text:

"This material has been adapted from resources produced by the Making the Most of Masters Project."