INQAAHE GUIDELINES OF

1

• INQAAHE GUIDELINES OF
• GOOD PRACTICE
• A FOUNDATION TO ESTABLISHING
• QUALITY ASSURANCE
• AGENCIES
• 17 MAY 2006
• THE HAGUE
• Facilitator Dr. Marjorie Peace Lenn
• Executive Director
• Center for Quality Assurance in
• International Education
• Washington, D.C.
• www.cqaie.org

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GGP 1 MISSION STATEMENT

• WRITTEN STATEMENT
• INCLUDES
• CULTURAL/HISTORICAL CONTEXT
• CLARIFIES EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE AS CORE
  FUNCTION
• REFLECTS IN POLICIES AND MANAGEMENT

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GGP 1 SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

• MISSION STATEMENT
• POLICY/STRATEGY OF AGENCY
• MANAGEMENT PLAN
• LEGISLATION
• http//www.neasc.org/neasc/
• mission.htm New England Association of Schools
  and Colleges

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GGP 2 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
AGENCY AND HIGHER ED INSTITUTIONS

• RECOGNIZES THAT QUALITY IS PRIMARILY
  RESPONSIBILITY OF INSTITUTIONS THEMSELVES
• RESPECTS AUTONOMY, IDENTITY INTEGRITY OF
  INSTITUTIONS
• APPLIES STANDARDS DEVELOPED IN CONSULTATION WITH
  INSTITUTIONS
• HAS DUAL PURPOSES ACCOUNTABILITY AND IMPROVEMENT

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GGP 2 SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

• POLICIES MANUALS
• FEEDBACK FROM INSTITUTIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS
• AGENCY SELF REVIEWS
• REPORTS FROM EXTERNAL REVIEWS OF AGENCY
• Example Declaration of Good Practice, National
  Commission on Academic Accreditation and
  Assessment, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Draft Policy
  Statement)

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GGP 3. DECISION-MAKING

• INDEPENDENCE OF DECISION-MAKING
• IMPARTIAL, RIGOROUS, THOROUGH, FAIR
• CONSISTENT JUDGEMENTS

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GGP 3 SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

• MANUALS
• INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMMISSION MEMBERS
• LEGAL AND ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS STATEMENTS
• TRANSPARENT ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK CRITERIA
• Example Handbook, National Quality Assurance and
  
• Accreditation Commission (Egypt)
  http//www.qaap.net/test/public.htm
• Manual Academic Accreditation Commission, United
  Arab Emirates

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GGP 4 THE EXTERNAL
COMMITTEES (PANELS, TEAMS, COMMITTEES)

• COMPOSITION IN COMPLIANCE WITH TRANSPARENT
  POLICIES
• NO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
• EXTERNAL REVIEWERS TRAINED WELL
• EXTERNAL REVIEWERS ACT INDEPENDENTLY IN
  JUDGEMENT

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GGP 4 SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

• TRANSPARENT PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENT
• TRAINING MATERIALS AND POLICIES
• CLEAR DELINEATION OF STAFF, COMMISSION AND
  EXTERNAL REVIEWER ROLES
• Examples Policy Statement Hungarian
  Accreditation Council Workshop Notebook NCAAA
  Saudi Arabia Conflicts of Interest and
  Accreditation publication

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GGP 5 PUBLIC FACE

• INFORMS AND RESPONDS TO PUBLIC THROUGH
• PUBLICATION OF POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA
• REPORTING OPENLY ON ITS REVIEW DECISIONS

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GGP 5SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

• WEBSITE AND SITE MAP
• LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
• PRESS RELEASES
• OTHER MEANS OF COMMUNICATION
• NEWSLETTERS
• RESPONDING TO EMAILS
• Examples
• CHEA Newsletter
• Australian Universities Quality Agency website
  all institutional reports published

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GGP 6 DOCUMENTATION

• CLEAR DOCUMENTATION
• 1. SELF-EVALUATION
• Transparent purposes and process
• Clear distinction between recommendations and
  requirements what is expected from the
  institution
• 2. EXTERNAL REVIEW
• Clear distinction between recommendations and
  requirements
• Appropriate to core activities of an institution
  of higher education
• Assurance that institutions/programs will be
  evaluated in an equivalent way even if the
  reviewers are different

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GGP 6 SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

• MANUALS
• GUIDELINES
• PROTOCOLS
• EVALUATION FRAMEWORKS
• PROOF OF ADHERENCE TO INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED
  GUIDELINES AND CONVENTIONS
• Examples
• Handbook, Hussein Fund for Excellence (Jordan)
  modeled on Quality Assurance Agency UK
• Manual, AAC, United Arab Emirates
• UNESCO Guidelines for Transnational Education
• European/Asian Convention on Academic Recognition

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GGP 7 RESOURCES

• AGENCY HAS
• ADEQUATE RESOURCES
• HUMAN
• FINANCIAL
• EFFECTIVENESS
• EFFICIENCY

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GGP 7 SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

• BUDGET
• ACCOUNTS
• ACTIVITIES, TASKS, WORKLOADS
• FEE STRUCTURE FOR INSTITUTIONS/PROGRAMS
• FEES FOR EXPERTS
• AVERAGE COST OF EXTERNAL REVIEW
• HUMAN RESOURCES PROFILES
• BOARD
• SECRETARIAT
• Examples Fee Structure, Commission on
  Institutions of Higher Education, Northwest
  Association of Colleges and Schools (USA)

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GGP 8SYSTEM OF APPEAL

• AGENCY HAS
• APPROPRIATE
• METHOD FOR
• APPEALS AGAINST
• ITS DECISIONS

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GGP 8 SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

• TRANSPARENT POLICY PROCEDURES OF APPEAL
• MULTIPLE YEAR RECORD OF APPEAL ACTIVITY
• Example Appeal Process, Higher Learning
  Commission, North Central Association (USA)

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GGP 9QUALITY ASSURANCE OF
THE QA AGENCY

• AGENCY HAS SYSTEM OF CONTINUOUS/PERIODIC QUALITY
  ASSURANCE OF ITS OWN, RESPONSIVE TO CHANGING
  TIMES AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS
• EVIDENCE THAT RESULTS OF REVIEW ARE USED

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GGP 9 SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

• QUALITY ASSURANCE PLAN/POLICY
• FORMER SELF REVIEWS
• REPORTS FROM EXTERNAL REVIEWERS
• EXAMPLES OF FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
• INTERNAL EXTERNAL FEEDBACK
• Examples
• CNAP, Chile
• Middle States Association (USA)

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GGP 10COLLABORATION WITH
OTHER AGENCIES

• Examples of Collaboration
• Exchange of good practice
• External review decisions
• Providers of transnational education
• Exchange of external reviewers
• Joint projects
• Staff exchanges

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GGP 10 SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

• Records of meetings with and visits from and to
  other agencies
• Staff exchanges
• Record of contact between agencies working on an
  issue
• Participation in projects, conferences and
  workshops
• Membership in networks and organizations
• See list of regional QA networks