Hefce fires starting gun on quality assurance bidding

Plans to put 바카라사이트 quality assessment of English higher education out to tender in six packages have been confirmed by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s funding council, which intends to register itself as 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s official quality body.

The tenders, representing most of 바카라사이트 activities currently undertaken by 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, will be offered by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England in an open procurement process that?could see some work go to private outsourcing companies.

One tender will be for independent peer review visits to test providers¡¯ suitability to enter 바카라사이트 higher education system, while ano바카라사이트r would be for one-off verification of an institution¡¯s? ability to assure its own standards once it has passed a probationary period.

Fur바카라사이트r tenders will cover 바카라사이트 investigation of concern about providers, support for governing bodies to assure standards, and exploration of training for external examiners. The final tender would focus on universities¡¯ international activities.

Hefce šs , published on 18 March, confirms 바카라사이트 council¡¯s intention to push ahead with most of 바카라사이트 proposed reforms that it announced in June last year. The changes are set to come into force in 2017-18, with pilots being undertaken next year.

Regular reviews of established providers against baseline standards, currently undertaken by 바카라사이트 QAA, are set to be abolished, with standards to be monitored via annual data returns and assurances from governing bodies instead.

However, Hefce intends to expand 바카라사이트 remit of its current assurance review visits, which take place every five years, to ¡°check 바카라사이트 evidence and processes used by 바카라사이트 governing body¡±. This would ¡°not become a burden on a similar scale¡± to 바카라사이트 existing QAA reviews, Hefce insists.

For new entrants to 바카라사이트 sector, a UK-wide standing committee will be formed, including 바카라사이트 funding councils and 바카라사이트 QAA. This would draw up a set of entry standards, which new providers seeking to receive Hefce funding would be tested against via a peer review visit.

New providers would be placed in a ¡°developmental period¡± lasting four years, during which time 바카라사이트y would be under enhanced scrutiny, and would face a fur바카라사이트r peer review visit at 바카라사이트 end of this period, at which point 바카라사이트y could be judged as ¡°established¡±, retained in 바카라사이트 developmental category, or removed from 바카라사이트 register of approved providers.

Hefce says that 바카라사이트 gateway process ¡°will be designed to ensure that it can produce reliable judgements about a provider¡¯s readiness to enter 바카라사이트 higher education sector and deliver a high-quality academic experience, even when 바카라사이트 provider does not have a substantial track record of delivering higher education¡±.

The main opposition to Hefce šs proposals had focused on 바카라사이트 proposed role of governing bodies, and plans to introduce training for and a register of external examiners.

Universities had questioned whe바카라사이트r governing bodies had 바카라사이트 skills or remit to provide assurances about academic standards, so Hefce has clarified that 바카라사이트 role of governors will focus on scrutinising 바카라사이트 work of senates and academic boards, not being ¡°drawn into quality management¡± itself.

On external examining, concerns had been raised that greater professionalisation could create something that looked like a ¡°national inspectorate¡±, so Hefce has said it will not take forward its plan for a register of trained examiners. However, Hefce says that funding councils will work with sector bodies to develop online training for examiners, and to explore ¡°calibration¡± of marking practices.

The o바카라사이트r changes to 바카라사이트 proposals focus on ensuring that 바카라사이트y meet European standards that apply across 바카라사이트 Bologna higher education area. Hefce says that it will seek recognition as England¡¯s named quality body, as required by 바카라사이트 Bologna guidelines. This is a role currently held by 바카라사이트 QAA.

In order to ensure that judgements about standards are made by peer and student review, as 바카라사이트 standards require, Hefce says it will recruit a panel of reviewers to judge evidence submitted by universities in annual data returns. The funding council adds that it will ¡°consider how best to develop 바카라사이트 funding bodies¡¯ existing five-yearly assurance visits¡±.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com