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Consultation outcomes
Principles and objectives for the future of the quality assurance system.
Future of quality assurance
We are working together with other stakeholders to discuss the future development of the quality assurance system. Together we have produced a joint statement setting out the shape of this work.
The quality assurance system
The term 'quality assurance system' refers to to the way we evaluate and assess the quality of higher education in England and Northern Ireland. This includes audit and review carried out by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), external examining arrangements, the Academic Infrastructure, and institutions' own internal systems for quality management.
In winter 2009-10 HEFCE, DEL Northern Ireland (DEL NI), Universities UK (UUK) and Guild HE ran a consultation on the future of quality assurance in parallel with two consultation seminars. We were pleased to receive 169 consultation responses from universities and colleges and other bodies. We considered their full and helpful comments carefully in finalising the proposals. These are explained in detail in the consultation outcomes document.
Following the consultation we are agreed that all developments to the quality assurance system should meet the following objectives:
- provide authoritative, publicly accessible information on academic quality and standards in higher education
- command public, employer and other stakeholder confidence
- meet the needs of the funding bodies and of institutions
- meet the relevant needs of all students
- rely on robust evidence-based independent judgement
- support a culture of quality enhancement within institutions
- work effectively and efficiently.
Institutional audit from 2011-12
A key part of this work involves the development of a new institutional audit method to apply in HEFCE- and DEL- funded higher education institutions from 2011-12. We are leading this jointly with DEL NI, UUK and Guild HE, but the QAA, Association of Colleges and NUS are also closely involved. We have agreed that the method should have the following characteristics:
- greater flexibility so it can respond to issues as they arise
- a dual approach in which each institution will receive the same 'core' audit but the auditors can then look at a greater variety of aspects called 'themes'
- clear assurance to the public that threshold standards are being maintained
- more formal consideration of the information that universities and colleges publish about themselves
- clearer, less technical terms to describe judgements
- student members in all audit teams
- a greater concern for addressing public understanding of quality and standards.
With our partner organisations, we have now commissioned QAA to develop an operational description for the new audit method that takes these characteristics into account. QAA will consult on this operational description in late 2010.
Letter to the QAA
[ Download Letter to the QAA as Adobe PDF 122K | Download Letter to the QAA as MS Word 382K ]
Summary of consultation seminar breakout discussions
[ Download Consultation on the future of the quality assurance method: Summary of breakout discussions for funding as Adobe PDF 63K | Download Consultation on the future of the quality assurance method: Summary of breakout discussions for funding as MS Word 100K ]
News item launching the consultation
Other areas of work
Other areas of work include:
- A review of public information about higher education (HE), looking at how Teaching Quality Information (including Unistats and the NSS) is currently used, and the needs of the information users (including potential students, the wider public, and HEFCE).
- A UK-wide review of the Academic Infrastructure, led by the QAA.
- A review of external examining, led by UUK and GuildHE.
In taking this forward we have formally assessed its impact on the HE sector in terms of regulatory burden, equality and diversity, and sustainable development.
Sector impact assessment of revising the English quality assurance system
[ Download Sector impact assessment of revising the English quality assurance system as Adobe PDF 32K | Download Sector impact assessment of revising the English quality assurance system as MS Word 115K ]
Formation of new group to manage quality assurance
HEFCE, DELNI, UUK and GuildHE have set up a new Quality in Higher Education Group. The group has been set up to manage and develop the new quality assurance system. The QAA will be its principal adviser. It will be chaired by Professor Philip Jones, Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University.
The group's first role will be to consider the responses to the current consultation on the future of the quality assurance system (HEFCE 2009/47) and make recommendations for improvements. The first meeting of this group took place in February 2010. Any questions should be directed to Emma Creasey at HEFCE, Helen Gartley at DEL NI, Fiona Hoban at UUK, or Helen Bowles at GuildHE.
- Further information about the group (including its terms of reference and membership and meeting papers)
Last updated 8 July 2010