Educational consultancy including, strategic and policy advice to government agencies, preparing Scottish colleges for external quality review, evaluating and facilitating professional reflection on how to enhance the quality of learning and teaching, and training senior educationalists in strategic and operational planning.

From 2004, HM Assistant Chief Inspector with responsibility for: the network of District Inspectors engaged in the follow-through inspections of schools and liaison with Directors of Education; the inspection of Community Learning and Development (CLD) and the development of a revised quality framework and proportionate inspection methodology for CLD; and HMIE’s communication strategies. From the end of June 2005, additional responsibility for the inspection of the educational functions of local authorities and education psychology services.From 2006, HM Assistant Chief Inspector with responsibility for: the external review of Scotland’s colleges and inspection of learning skills and employability (LSE) in Scottish prisons; professional advice to the Cabinet Secretary, Scottish Ministers and Government directorates on post-school education and training; and extensive liaison with other agencies, including the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC). Set the strategic direction and managed the team that developed the current framework and methodology for externally reviewing colleges in Scotland.

From August 1999 Lead Inspector with particular responsibility for: policy advice to the Scottish Executive Education and Lifelong Learning Division; quality management, the review of colleges and the design of a new review methodology from 2004; dissemination of good practice, self-evaluation, and the evaluation of leadership and management elements in college reviews; professional standards and initial training and CPD of college lecturers; research in the college sector and equality of opportunity (particularly ethnicity).From February to August 1999 seconded by HMIE to lead Reid Kerr College, Paisley, in successful recovery from its financial, management and industrial-relations crises.

This was a second-tier post with areas of responsibility which included: open and distance learning, quality assurance, staff development, the study centres, ICT, multimedia, the Internet, MIS, audio visual services and the Departments of Learning Support, Computing and Office Technology, Library and Information Science, and Science, Health and Care. Member of the senior management team with budget responsibility of £2m.

Member of the college senior management team with particular responsibility for MIS and Quality Management.

Assistant Director and, later, Director of the Quality assurance unit that was the first in the world to achieve BS5750/ISO9000 for the total educational provision of an institution of Further or Higher Education.