Another way lies through partnerships, between provider and learner, between providers and examining bodies such as UCLES, and amongst the representative bodies themselves.

Rhodec, who earlier helped set the pace amongst ODL QC-accredited colleges in developing a presence on the web, have cultivated a wide range of partnerships, both in this country and abroad. The results, set out in Michael Dwyer's piece, provide not only a clear link from the School's provision to a fully-fledged degree, but provide a framework for recognition not just in the UK but in the USA, and through them worldwide, as well.

It has been, as anyone who has talked to Michael in the past year, a long slog; he is to be congratulated on his success.

ODL QC too has been developing a range of partnerships. The preliminary work of a year ago, involving BAOL and ourselves with the then transition team at the University for Industry, has led to a more formal partnership between BAOL and ourselves, through which we are advising UfI on a quality regime for its burgeoning developing network of hubs and Learning Centres.

This is important, both to help to ensure excellence in this rapidly-developing area of provision, and because it will help to knit together a sector which has, alas, for all the strength of its individual voices, produced rather more clamouring than concerted lobbying in the past.