Quality Assurance Systems in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

ENHANCEMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN APEC MEMBER ECONOMIES
Internal QA Processes
All quality assurance practices of the APEC region emphasise and recognise the value of an
analytical and self critical process being undertaken by those who undergo the external QA
process. Usually, a set of standards and criteria, pre-determined by the quality assurance
system, forms the basis for the self-assessment report. There are generally national
consultations to ensure wide participation of the stakeholders in evolving the standards and
criteria. The institution (or program) undergoing the process is asked to do a self-assessment
and report on how it meets the standards set or criteria identified for the quality assurance
procedure.
The level of detail and analysis provided by the institution/program varies. Some systems
offer a lot of flexibility to design their self-assessment and the consequent report. Many
agencies assist HEIs by organising training programs that guide the preparation of a good
self-assessment report.
The QA agencies follow a multi-pronged approach to disseminating the QA policies and
practices. They publish manuals, guidelines and booklets on QA procedures. Many of them
run training programs, organise fora for discussions, offer consultancy services, and arrange
for briefing/ explanatory/ orientation programs.
Only in a few systems, preparation of the self-assessment reports is solely an activity of the
administrative staff. In most systems, teaching staff are involved. Mostly the self-assessment
report is the major input to the external QA process, although many QA agencies consider
government reports and reports of professional organisations. Some consider the media
reports and a few others consider information received from the public. Survey results are
also used.
External QA Processes
External review is one of the critical elements, similar to self-assessment that has evolved as
an integrated component of quality assurance in the APEC region. When the institution
submits the self-assessment report, a team of external reviewers is constituted to analyse the
report of the institution and to validate the claims made therein, generally by visiting the
institution.
Profile and Responsibilities of Reviewers
The survey indicates that the predominant profile of reviewers is subject specialisation and
expertise in general higher education. Some systems consider representatives of employers
and industry. A few others consider representatives from professional organisations. Involving
students in review panels does not seem to be in practice. A couple of the QA systems
involve graduates or alumni of the institution.
Most QA systems maintain a register or pool of reviewers from which to choose the panel for
a specific review. A couple of the QA units that carry out specific QA functions for the
ministries do not maintain a register but develop a list of reviewers depending on the need of
the review.
Identifying the Reviewers
To identify people who have the necessary abilities, the quality assurance agencies of the
APEC region seem to rely heavily on nominations and informal ways of identifying the
reviewers but supplement them with training and evaluation. For the nominations, by self or
by others such as the QA staff and governing board, some QA systems have thorough
procedures in place to ensure the academic credibility, integrity and skills of the nominees.
The survey indicates that in most cases the reviewers are appointed to the panel by the
governing board or by the Executive of the QA system.
Training Reviewers
The professionalism with which the review panel can function is very important to
uphold/maintain the credibility of the QA process. Even the most highly qualified team can be
thwarted in its work if the review panel is not oriented properly to its tasks. To address these
concerns, many quality assurance systems have in place, various safeguards and protocols
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