Most institutions already know where their data problems are. What they don’t always have is the time, the headspace, or an outside pair of eyes to do something about them.
That’s the gap Sparkline Consulting works in.
We work with universities, colleges and smaller providers across higher and further education on the practical end of data and AI – governance, compliance, fluency, and the assessments and returns that keep the regulators satisfied and the decisions sound. The work is structured, fixed in scope, and honest about what it will and won’t deliver. No open-ended transformation programmes, no jargon for its own sake.
Here’s where most of it lands.
Knowing where you stand
You can’t fix what you haven’t measured. The Data Fluency MOT gives you a clear, honest picture of where your organisation is now and where to focus next. For data governance specifically, Bedrock – The Data Foundation Framework is a structured maturity assessment that tells you exactly where you stand, what the risks are, and what to fix first. Both start from where you actually are, not where a model says you should be.
Staying on the right side of the rules
HESA returns are their own particular kind of stress. We offer independent reviews of your governance, processes and quality assurance, or hands-on support with the return itself for smaller providers who need the expertise. On AI, the Responsible AI Toolkit covers the bit most organisations skip: if staff are already using the tools, you need a policy, and if you have a policy, you need everything that makes it actually work. Available to buy online, or as a fully supported option.
Something else in mind?
This isn’t the whole list. If you’ve got a data or AI problem that doesn’t fit neatly into any of the above, that’s usually a good sign it’s worth a conversation. Bespoke work is genuinely welcome – get in touch and tell me what you’re trying to solve.
Getting in touch
The easiest way is email: martha@sparklineadvisory.com. Tell me a bit about where you are and what’s getting in the way, and we’ll take it from there.