Tertiary Reforms

Proposed Quality Assurance and Monitoring System

The government has decided to move to a new system for investing in tertiary education that focuses closely on outcomes for students, organisations, and for the country as a whole. Investment decisions will be more strategic to support achievement of New Zealand’s development goals.

For the new system to be effective, the agency responsible for investment in the sector, the Tertiary Education Commission, must have the confidence to make sound investment decisions on the government’s behalf.

Specifically, the TEC needs to be sure that a Tertiary Education Organisation:

• employs comprehensive and robust quality assurance and quality improvement activities including self assessment and performance monitoring;
• has appropriate systems for engaging with stakeholders that result in valid information on tertiary education needs;
• addresses stakeholder needs through its distinctive contribution and its role in the network of provision;
• identifies appropriate performance measures;
• achieves the outcomes sought; and
• has the capability to deliver on its Investment Plan.

Quality Assurance

The new investment system requires a new way of looking at quality assurance and performance monitoring.

The key features of the proposed approach to quality assurance are:

• a self-assessment process for TEOs that focuses on outcomes, the important processes influencing outcomes, and compliance with the regulatory framework; and
• an external evaluation and review process to validate TEOs’ self-assessment.

The focus of both self-assessment and external evaluation and review will be on the quality of learning, where:

Consequently, what is sought is a systematic focus on outcomes and the key processes influencing those outcomes. There will still be a need for a TEO to comply with the regulatory framework but this will not over-ride the focus on the quality of learning.

Self-assessment and external evaluation and review

An evaluative approach to self-assessment and external evaluation and review targets the critical organisational processes that contribute to outcomes.

Self-assessment places the responsibility on TEOs to evaluate the way they deliver programmes/courses and whether desired outcomes are being achieved. This will include the careful analysis of strengths and weaknesses and the development of practical plans for improvement.

External evaluation and review (validation) is critical to ensure that TEC can have confidence in the self-assessment process of a TEO.

Indicators/criteria will be developed, in consultation with the sector, against which TEOs can judge how well they are doing and where they should target their improvement efforts. These indicators/criteria will also be used to inform external evaluation and review.

It is intended that the new approach to self-assessment, and external evaluation and review will:

• be flexible to match the individual provider’s context and size, and distinctive contribution;
• be based on underlying principles that also apply to smaller government-funded and the non-funded PTEs;
• involve a whole-of-organisation approach with sampling of departments/disciplines/subjects/courses;
• use trained and experienced evaluators for both the internal (self-assessment) and external evaluation functions.
• allow for thematic reporting approaches across TEOs or to focus on identified concern(s) within a TEO or group of TEOs;

Page updated: 24 April 2007