# Institutional Partnership Brief

International Education Services Group | Working resource | Version 1.0 | Prepared 17 October 2026

Use this editable brief to prepare an institutional discussion. Answer the prompts in your own document, delete irrelevant prompts and identify questions that remain open. The completed brief is an institutional working record, not an agreement or an approval.

## 1. Record ownership and status

Record the document owner, responsible institution, preparation date, version, review status and people authorised to receive it. Distinguish an internal working draft from a version approved for external discussion.

## 2. Institutional identity

Record the public institution name and responsible legal entity. Include jurisdiction, relevant public registration reference, website and the accountable institutional contact. Explain a material host, group or programme-owner relationship.

## 3. Purpose of the proposed relationship

What does the institution need to achieve? Describe the intended education or operational activity, relevant learner groups or markets, and the decision this brief is intended to support.

State what is outside the proposal. Separate a long-term ambition from the specific activity under discussion.

## 4. Provision and authority

Describe the programme or service, delivery location and mode, relevant period and responsible provider. Identify the authority required to offer, represent or deliver it and where that authority can be checked.

List approvals already held separately from approvals still needed. Do not imply that an exploratory discussion establishes programme rights or academic recognition.

## 5. Partner profile

What role would the partner perform? Record the necessary capability, operating territory, audience knowledge, resources and accountable contact. Distinguish essential conditions from preferences.

What evidence is needed to assess suitability? Identify public records, authority documents, references or specialist review appropriate to the proposed role.

## 6. Contributions and resources

Describe what each party would contribute: staff time, education expertise, facilities, systems, recruitment work, information or funding. Identify resource assumptions that have not yet been confirmed.

For shared work, identify who can approve a decision, resolve a problem and communicate a change.

## 7. Responsibilities to resolve

Consider the responsibilities relevant to the activity: programme oversight, teaching, admissions, public information, fees, records, data, learner support, complaints, safeguarding where applicable, continuity and use of subcontractors.

For each, record the proposed owner and any question requiring agreement. Do not mark an item agreed until the responsible party has confirmed it.

## 8. Commercial and contractual questions

Identify who would contract, invoice and pay. Record the matters requiring negotiation, the treatment of external costs and any institutional procurement condition. Do not include sensitive commercial terms in a widely circulated brief unless their disclosure is authorised.

## 9. Decision process and timing

Record the internal decision-maker, required documents, approval sequence and proposed dates. Identify external permissions or partner decisions that affect the plan. Distinguish a planning target from an accepted commitment.

## 10. Open questions and next actions

For each unresolved matter, record the question, information needed, responsible person, intended response date and effect on the decision. Conclude with the next discussion or review that the brief is intended to support.

## Review before circulation

- The legal entity and institutional name are consistent.
- The intended activity and excluded scope are understandable.
- Proposed roles are distinguished from agreed responsibilities.
- Important claims have an identifiable source.
- The recipient is entitled to receive the information.
- Confidential or personal information has been limited to what is necessary.
- The version and institutional approval status are visible.

## Source and permitted use

IESG working aid for internal institutional use. You may adapt it for your organisation's work. Preserve this source notice when sharing an adapted version externally. It is not an ICEQC document, legal agreement, accreditation, certification or evidence of third-party approval.

Guidance: https://iepx.org/insights/guides/institutional-partnership-brief/