Organisational self-assessment

The quality assurance environment

Regulatory arrangements

Self-assessment and external evaluation and review are separate and complementary elements. They are requirements of course approval and accreditation (under sections 258 & 259 of the Education Act 1989) for all TEOs that are entitled to apply. The requirements are set through the course approval and accreditation criteria and policies established by NZQA under section 253(1)(d) & (e) of the Act.

In addition, for registered private training establishments (PTEs), the criteria and policies for their registration require self-assessment and external evaluation and review at an organisational level in addition to the individual courses they own or provide. These criteria and policies are set by NZQA under section 253(1)(ca) of the Act.

NZQA is responsible for ensuring TEOs continue to comply with the policies and criteria after initial approval and accreditation of courses and/or registration is granted. However the new Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee (NZVCC) has statutory responsibility for university compliance, and the Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics Quality (ITPQuality) is responsible, under delegated authority from NZQA, for polytechnic sector compliance.

Quality Assurance Framework

These policies and criteria are gazetted under the Education Act 1989. They provide a quality assurance framework established by NZQA comprising four components:

• initial entry processes of course approval, accreditation to deliver a course, registration of PTEs and accreditation to assess standards on the National Qualifications Framework
• self-assessment
• external evaluation and review (EER)
• managing the consequences of a TEO's poor performance.

The quality assurance framework uses the theory and practice of evaluation in order to focus on the quality of educational outcomes and key contributing processes. Evaluation as a discipline provides a systematic basis for answering questions about quality and value.

Evaluative quality assurance draws on a wide range of international theory and practice, in particular mixed method and participatory approaches, to arrive at a robust process for reaching consistent and comparable judgements.

The following principles underpin the quality assurance framework.

a. High trust and high accountability

Evaluative quality assurance operates in an environment of "high trust and high accountability" throughout the tertiary sector with the relationship between government agencies and TEOs based on good communication and collaboration.

A high trust environment recognises that a TEO has autonomy over its own processes, with minimal crown intervention except in relation to undertaking its regulatory roles.

Government recognises that quality is the direct responsibility of each individual TEO. Every TEO is accountable for the educational outcomes it achieves and the ongoing improvement of educational performance.

In return for greater autonomy, the crown needs to have a high level of confidence in each TEO. External evaluation and review is the mechanism that will determine those levels of confidence. However, if the performance of a TEO falls below an acceptable level, that organisation will be monitored more closely by central agencies.

b. Quality as a dynamic concept

Quality is dynamic and will look different in different contexts. In tertiary education, what matters is the value that learners gain from their learning experience, the utility of their qualifications and the extent to which positive longer-term outcomes occur.

This dynamic concept of quality is consistent with international trends, where there is a shift from quality control (meeting input standards) to quality enhancement and striving for excellence. With this approach, the emphasis is on the aspects of an education experience that create better outcomes.

Every TEO will have an understanding of quality which will vary according to the purpose and goals of the organisation. In the TEO context, quality relates to how well learners actually achieve and the extent to which that achievement meets both their needs and those of the wide range of groups and individuals that have a direct, formal and often economic interest in the work of TEOs.

c. Focus on outcomes

Traditional quality assurance has focused mainly on inputs, systems and activities. This assumes that doing these well provides an assurance of quality.

Evaluative quality assurance is focused on the outcomes of tertiary education and the key processes that contribute to these outcomes. A key difference from traditional approaches is that while evaluative quality assurance also looks at processes, it does so from the perspective of the utility or impact of these processes on what is done and achieved - the "valued outcomes" of tertiary education.

Outcomes are clearly affected by contextual inputs such as student characteristics, staff and resources. An important indicator of quality in practice is evidence that a TEO is taking all reasonable steps to maximise learner achievement.

Table 1 outlines the difference between inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes. These terms are used throughout this document.

Table 1: An Outcome-focused Approach (E.J. Davidson, Workshop 2009)

This example uses baking a cake to illustrate the distinction between a systems-based audit and an outcomes-focused evaluation.

Page updated: 01 September 2009