Effective curriculum and financial planning with our software tool designed to model the funding methodology. 4CAST allows you to monitor curriculum performance, assess and improve curriculum viability quickly and easily.
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Key benefits
- Project out-turn at a multiple levels | Both Learner and Employer Responsive SLN and funding yield can be projected at institution or course level plus any point in between.
- Evaluate costings and contribution | Contribution can be derived at individual course level to highlight the least efficient provision and to model any remedial action.
- Perform sensitivity analyses on key variables | "What-if?" modelling can easily be undertaken on such variables as recruitment, retention, achievement, remission, disadvantage, funding levels, staff pay and fees among others.
- Compare actual performance against targets | Variance analyses provide key information on actual curriculum performance as well as testing the accuracy of the target setting process.
Product features
- Simple to use | Despite the complexities of the funding methodology, the central principle is to make it simple to use with a minimal understanding of funding required.
- Minimal data entry and maintenance | Flexible import and update options ensure that valuable time is not wasted manually entering and updating course, costing and actual performance related information.
- Links to LSC software | Links to the Learning Aim Database (LAD) to automatically draw down correct funding data.
- Flexible and customisable | Full range of data filtering and sorting as well as allowing institution specifics to be set (including user-defined course, costing and other income fields).
- Multiple output options | PDF, Snapshot, RTF and HTML formats as well as export to Excel and Access options allowing custom reports to be written.
Value for money
Licensing costs are simple and transparent with no hidden charges.
- single price per institution regardless of the number of users
- unlimited software upgrades are included during the 12 month period of the license
- initial purchase price includes a half-day on-site session to cover basic training and to assist with implementation
Pricing details...Software pricing is based on the 2008-09 provider LSC funding allocation with each band having a maximum allocation limit as shown:
| Maximum allocation | £2.5m | £5m | £10m | £15m | £20m | £30m | Unlimited |
| Price band | A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| Initial purchase | £2,995 | £3,245 | £3,495 | £3,745 | £3,995 | £4,495 | £4,995 |
| Relicense | £995 | £1,095 | £1,195 | £1,295 | £1,395 | £1,495 | £1,595 |
For detailed information please see our current standard charges (pdf).
