Overview of National Qualification frameworks - Project-Nqf-Sqf

4 Quality management / Quality assurance__ Which forms of quality management / quality assurance do exist? Which measures are used to avoidmislinkings between the NQF and the EQF?Forms of quality management / quality assurance in the Austrian qualifications system:Manifold and partly systematic quality efforts exist in the different segments of the Austrianqualifications system. Some are directly in line with European principles for quality assurance: ‘On thebasis of wide public debate, a large number of projects and pilots since the mid-1990s, qualitydevelopment and quality assurance have established themselves as key educational policy objectives inthe school sector over the past five years. In line with the international trend, the focus in Austria hasalso shifted from central input control towards process and mainly output control. From this followfundamental changes in the conception of control levels’ (Tritscher-Archan & Mayr [eds.] 2008, 35).Such initiatives include, for example, the initiative Quality in Schools (Q.I.S.) or the VET QualityInitiative (QIBB).General Education:VETHigher EducationCVET/Adult EducationMeasures used to avoid mislinkings between the NQF and the EQF:The EQF referencing process will be closely linked to the process of allocating qualifications to theAustrian NQF. A methodological approach is being developed to support an objective and unambiguousclassification of qualifications to the respective NQF levels. This approach will be presented in the“NQF Manual”. This Manual will provide support throughout the entire NQF classification process.Classifcation in the NQF is voluntary. For a qualification to be placed on the NQF it is necessary thatthe authority that governs this qualification (for example the Ministry of Education or the Ministry ofEconomics) applies for it.__ Have you already identified any mislinkings between qualifications within the NQF and the EQF? Ifso, please describe briefly.NQF development process is still ongoing: qualifications have not been classified in the NQF so far andthe NQF has not been referenced to the EQF so far.__ Which strengths and which weaknesses do you see concerning the NQF? In what way do thesestrengths/weaknesses influence the referenceability to the EQF?- Development is based on a top-down and bottom-up approach.- Development process is coordinated by the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture(bm:ukk) and the Federal Ministry for Science and Research (bm:wf)..