Implementation Evaluation Workshop
FREF Postgraduate Bursary Programme
Thursday 13 March 2026 | 10:00 to 12:30 | Working Session (Hybrid)
Workshop Agenda
A focused two-hour working session. Come prepared: the session moves fast and there is no time for context-setting from scratch.
- Build a shared understanding of what worked and what needs to change
- Prioritise the 7 recommendations: actionable in 30 days vs what needs planning
- Assign named owners for each priority action
- Agree a 30-day action plan and check-in rhythm
- Review the one-page evaluation summary. Know the 7 findings before you arrive.
- Come with your team's top 3 learnings from the 2025 cycle. What would you do differently?
- Think about which recommendations matter most to your function and what can realistically be done in 30 days.
- Note any additional recommendations or concerns not captured in the evaluation report.
- Be ready to name an owner (not a team, but a person) for at least one recommendation your function can lead on.
What Worked
The 2025 pilot was a genuine proof of concept. Name these strengths explicitly before turning to what needs to improve. They are real achievements.
Findings: Student Advancement
Cohort instability, recruitment complexity, and accommodation pressure were the defining operational challenges of the 2025 cycle.
Cohort Instability
"Confirmation" was not a clean milestone. It was a prolonged, ongoing phase. 4.1.1
Recruitment Complexity
Accommodation & Capacity
Findings: Systems & Finance
Disbursement was a structured strength, but university bottlenecks, manual verification loads, and a 3x scale-up created significant operational strain.
Disbursement: A Structured Strength
R28m to R95m: A Step-Change in Complexity
Findings: Service Providers
Providers were capable and willing to adapt. The problem was not provider capability: it was programme integration and activation. 4.3.4
Findings: Universities
Strong relationships and effective fee clearance, but accommodation timing and fragmented communication created ongoing operational pressure.
Findings: Students
Funding confirmation equals stability. Coordination and timing shaped how effective the programme felt in practice, not just the existence of support. 4.5.1
Process Map: Ideal vs Reality
Where design intent and operational experience diverge, and what that means for scale. The programme demonstrated strong governance and operational commitment. To support future scale, the documented process must evolve to reflect lived adaptations, feedback loops, and volatility management mechanisms.
Risk Areas
Five systemic risks surfaced by the 2025 implementation cycle. Each requires deliberate structural response, not just awareness.
Seven Recommendations
Moving from resilience to institutional maturity. The 2025 pilot was a stress test for the FREF model. These recommendations distil the underlying lessons. For each, the workshop will decide: DO NOW | PLAN | PARK
R1 to R7: In Detail
Each recommendation includes the underlying problem, the proposed response, and a discussion prompt for the workshop.
Team Focus Areas
Each team brings a different lens. These cards frame your preparation for the workshop.
- What was the single biggest operational pain point in 2025 for your function?
- Which of the 7 recommendations would have the highest impact if implemented in the next 30 days?
- What would you need to make that happen, and what's standing in the way?
- What's one thing the evaluation missed or got wrong about your team's experience?
Prioritisation Framework
For each recommendation, the group will decide together. One classification per recommendation. Go through all 7 first (quick vote), then revisit contested ones.
Report Addendum
Click any reference to read the full excerpt from the evaluation report, organised by chapter.