Quality Assurance Agency

We have a statutory duty to make provision for the assessment of the quality of provision that we fund. Like the other UK funding bodies, we carry out this duty by contracting the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) to devise and apply quality assurance methods, in cooperation with the sector.

The QAA is therefore responsible for reviewing the quality of all publicly funded higher education (HE) provision in England on behalf of HEFCE, in higher education institutions (HEIs), further education colleges (FECs) and other settings.

Areas of review

From 2012-13 the QAA undertakes three main areas of review work:

reviews of HEIs, including their collaborative arrangements with third-party providers, using the method known as Institutional Review in England and Northern Ireland (IRENI)
reviews of HE delivered in FECs, known as the Review of College Higher Education (RCHE)
educational oversight reviews of private higher education providers wishing to recruit students from overseas, known as Review for Educational Oversight.

The QAA's role includes providing advice to the Minister for HE when institutions make applications for the grant of degree-awarding powers and university title. Guidance for applicant organisations is available.

The Government's recent HE White Paper, 'Students at the Heart of the System', has proposed changes to the process and criteria for granting degree-awarding powers and university title.

Contract with the QAA

We have an annual contract with the QAA. This sets out which institutions will be reviewed in the coming year. It also includes details of the regular information the QAA provides to us and the standards of conduct expected by the two organisations.

Contract for Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

Download the QAA contract for services as PDF (308 KB)

QAA review

An external review of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) was carried out in April 2008. The next review will take place in 2013.

The review was a requirement for continued membership of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) and for inclusion in a register of quality assurance agencies. Both require members to conform to the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area.

The full report along with the QAA's self-evaluation document prepared for the review
European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Further information

Further information about the QAA is available on the QAA web-site or can be obtained from Tish Bourke, e-mail t.bourke@hefce.ac.uk, tel 0117 931 7219.