Review of Programme Background From April this year the Learning and Skills Council will take over from the DfEE the lead role in securing information advice and guidance for adults. The role the Government wishes the Council to play is set out in paragraph 48 of the Remit Letter from the Secretary of State in November 2000. As part of this role, the Council will be responsible for contracting and working with the IAG partnerships. The Remit Letter goes on to say that "In due course, the Council should bring forward proposals for contracting adult IAG services on a geographical basis that is co-terminus with Connexions partnerships. I would also wish to see proposals for further development of adult IAG services, based on stronger links with those provided by Connexions partnerships for young people, whilst maintaining the particular focus on each age group". In preparation for the LSC assuming its new role, the DfEE is reviewing progress with the new service of IAG for adults, which was launched from April 1999 with funding for three years up to March 2002. The intention is to provide an up-to-date assessment of progress, and of possible approaches to developing the service, which would be shared with the Council and which would help inform its consideration of its remit in this area. The review will look at Progress to date in achieving the original objective to provide a locally-available free and high quality service of information and advice for adults in every part of England; The operation of the main features of the service. This will include looking at how well the arrangement of delivery through the IAG partnerships has operated; the funding and contracting arrangements for the service both nationally and locally; the quality assurance arrangements; links to other publicly funded sources of IAG for adults; and management information and reporting; and Identify possible ways in which the service might be improved and developed for the future, taking into account the points set out by the Secretary of State in his Remit Letter. The review will be led by Tim Down and Millar MacDonald from the Access to Learning for Adults Division of the DfEE with LSC colleagues involved throughout. We anticipate that a note of its findings will go to the LSC in April. Access to Learning for Adults Division February 2001