EUROPEAN UNION SUPPORT TO HIGHER
EDUCATION IN THE ASEAN REGION
SHARE Project Management Office
ASEAN Secretariat, 70A Jl. Sisingamangaraja, Jakarta 12110, Indonesia
Phone: +62 (21) 726 2991, Email: info@share-asean.eu, Web: www.share-asean.eu
Call for Application
PILOT INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENTS for ASEAN Higher Education Institutions
SHARE offers selected higher education institutions (HEIs) in the ASEAN region the
opportunity to benchmark their internal QA mechanisms according to regional standards
and in view of international good practice. Profit from this newly developed regional QA
tool and make use of a unique learning experience via systematic internal and external
evaluation of your IQA system!
The SHARE pilot assessments will be conducted by a mixed team of ASEAN and European
higher education experts and are built on the standards for Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) as
laid down in the ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework (AQAF). The institutional assessment
process includes a self-assessment report prepared by the participating HEIs, a site-visit by the
team of external assessors and a report which provides recommendations for improvement and
follow-up. The whole exercise is shaped as development-orientated learning experiences and
therefore does not apply a pass-fail methodology.
BACKGROUND
The European Union Support to Higher Education in the ASEAN Region – SHARE
SHARE is an EU Grant funded project with an overarching objective to strengthen regional
cooperation and convergence of ASEAN higher education, contributing to an ASEAN
Community beyond 2015. A consortium led by British Council, comprising the German
Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), EP-Nuffic, Campus France, the European Association for
Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), and the European University Association (EUA)
will be working between 2015 and 2018 with ASEAN counterparts to implement SHARE. There
are three main components (called Result Areas), as follows:
Result 1 – Policy Dialogues: Led by British Council
Result 2a and 2b – ASEAN Qualifications Reference Frameworks and ASEAN Quality
Assurance: Led by DAAD together with ENQA and EUA
Result 3a – ASEAN Credit Transfer System (ACTS) and Result 3b – ASEAN-EU Credit
Transfer Systems (AECTS): Led by Campus France
Result 3c – ACTS & AECTS Student Mobility with Scholarships: Led by EP-NUFFIC
SHARE’s activities addressing QA are coordinated by the DAAD together with ENQA and EUA
and in cooperation with ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN), ASEAN University
Network (AUN) and SEAMEO Regional Center for Higher Education and Development
(SEAMEO-RIHED). A comprehensive package of measures is geared towards the further
development of the AQAF which has been drafted by a Taskforce led by AQAN with support
from SEAMEO-RIHED, AUN and selected representatives from External Quality Assurance
Agencies (EQAAs).
In close cooperation with its ASEAN counterparts, SHARE’s activities in Result Area 2b are
geared towards the further development and dissemination of the AQAF.
SHARE is a four-year initiative by the EU and ASEAN, launched in Jakarta in May 2015.
The ASEAN Quality Assurance Framework (AQAF)
Against the backdrop of creating a common space for higher education in Southeast Asia, the
AQAF was developed by AQAN in 2013 to provide a regional reference point for EQAAs and all
HE Stakeholders in ASEAN Member States (AMS). It provides examples of good practice and
consists of four quadrants and sets of interrelated principles, namely:
1. External Quality Assurance Agencies (EQAA)
2. External Quality Assurance (EQA) Standards and Processes
3. Internal Quality Assurance (IQA)
4. National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
AQAF is a neutral device which does not force the national systems to adhere to it. In doing so,
the AQAF promotes convergence of quality assurance systems while at the same time
respecting national sovereignty and autonomy of HEIs. Its generic principles are meant to foster
confidence and to build a zone of trust, facilitate the recognition of qualifications and credits,
and mobility of learners across the region. (See annex III)
The IQA quadrant
A fundamental principle in QA of HE is that quality primarily rests with the HEIs themselves. The
statements following the draft AQAF designated to IQA define the role of the HEI as building
and assuring quality to its stakeholders. The drafted statements clarify the processes and
quality systems through which HEIs demonstrate their accountability and safeguard the
interests of students and society.
SHARE PILOT INSTITUTIONAL ASSESSMENTS
The overall goal of the assessment is to provide an opportunity for regional benchmarking as
well as to promote the creation of quality culture in order to enhance quality in teaching and
learning, research, services and management of the institution.
More specifically, the objectives of the institutional assessments conducted in the SHARE
project are to:

Developing the capacity of participating HEIs in taking charge of their IQA systems and
providing them an opportunity for benchmarking against regional standards and in view of
international good practice. An assessment report will be submitted by the team of ASEAN
and European assessors and make recommendations for improvement.

Putting the IQA quadrant of the AQAF to test and provide feedback for its further
development. Feedback by the participating HEIs shall be collected in form of a summary
report which will be fed in the process of further developing the regional framework.

Collecting good practices and providing material for a toolbox for the entire IQA community.
A collection of good practices will be published under the SHARE Project to guide HE
stakeholders in terms of improving and harmonising IQA systems in the ASEAN region.
The assessments will be implemented based on newly developed Guidelines which are being
developed by a SHARE expert team composed of ASEAN and European QA experts. The
criteria to be used are formed by the third quadrant of AQAF, which outlines the key principles
for IQA in the higher education institutions of the ASEAN region. The Guidelines which spell out
methodology and criteria of the entire assessment process will be handed out to the selected
HEIs prior to the Preparatory Training in February/ March 2017.
THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS
The procedure of the SHARE institutional assessment follows the common methodology of (1) a
Self-Assessment Report (SAR), (2) a Site-Visit by external assessors and (3) a Report which
provides recommendations to the assessed HEIs for improvement.
All selected HEIs participating in the SHARE pilot assessments will be invited to attend a
preparatory training to make them familiar in in greater detail with criteria and procedures of the
pilot assessments. The event takes place in Southeast Asia (country to be defined), in
February/ March 2017, lasts for 2,5 days and pursues the following two main goals.
 Understanding the IQA standards and what kinds of evidences are supporting the fulfilment
of them.
 Informing on the self-assessment process in the university and explaining how to elaborate
a report with the participation of all staff and the stakeholders’ involvement.
(1) SAR
Each university participating in a SHARE institutional assessment is invited to appoint a contact
person that is responsible for coordinating the evaluation process in collaboration with the
DAAD Regional Office Jakarta, the panel of assessors and a group of selected stakeholders at
institutional level which represents the major constituencies in the institution (academic and
administrative staff and students).
The self-assessment process results in a Self-Assessment Report (SAR) which mainly analyses
the strengths and weaknesses of the IQA system in light of the IQA standards of the AQAF. The
SAR which serves as the starting point for the panel of assessor’s work should be sent to DAAD
Regional Office Jakarta by 31 August 2017.
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(2) Site-Visit
The primary objective of the site visit conducted by a panel of ASEAN and European assessors
is to discuss the findings of the SAR with the self-assessment group as well as a large number
of external stakeholders and institutional members: e.g. institutional leadership, administrative
staff, academic staff, students, etc. The purpose of these meetings is, first and foremost, to
allow the assessor team to collect additional information from all participants and to come to a
collective view about the status of the IQA system.
The panel is composed of two ASEAN and two European assessors as well as a representative
from the national QA agency as observer. The schedule of the site-visit (duration: around 2
days) will be agreed and fine-tuned with the participating universities.
(3) Report
The report includes an analysis of the institutions’ IQA systems discussing each criterion oneby-one. It summarises the key findings of the panel and offers specific recommendations to
remedy weaknesses and to develop strengths further. The assessment report will be treated as
confidential by the panel of assessors and the SHARE consortium partners. The reports will,
however, be used as basis for identifying good practices and trends in IQA systems, which will
be compiled into a summary report towards the end of SHARE project.
All steps of the assessment, i.e. reporting, training events as well as overall communication will
be conducted in English.
TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
SHARE covers all main costs related to the institutional assessment:
 Preparatory training, i.e.
- Travel costs and accommodation for all participants (max. 2 per selected HEI)
- Meeting package: Meeting venue, meals
 For the site visits, i.e.
- Travel costs, accommodation and honoraria for ASEAN and European assessors
The participating university is expected to contribute to the overall costs by providing necessary
staff in order to fulfil the tasks as specified below as well as by covering expenses for local
transfer, catering and meeting rooms (to be agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding with
DAAD after the selection).
The DAAD supported by the ASEAN-EU Expert Working Group on QA is responsible for
coordinating the whole assessment exercise. This includes:
 Overall coordination of all activities related to the assessments (selection, preparatory
training, assessor seminar, site visits, reporting and follow-up)
 Selecting and contracting ASEAN and European QA experts as assessors
 Preparing the assessors (incl. booking etc.)
 Scheduling the site-visits (in close coordination with the selected HEIs)
 Providing all necessary templates and information material such as the Guidelines
 Submitting the final assessment report to the participating HEIs
Selected HEIs
 Appointing a contact person to coordinate the assessment process
 Nominating two participants (one representing the university leadership and the other who
coordinates the assessment) to attend the Preparatory Training for HEIs February/ March
2017
 Carrying out the self-assessment and submit the SAR according to the requirements of the
Guidelines
 Preparing the Site-Visits on site according to the requirements of the Guidelines, particularly
getting university leadership involved, scheduling of the whole site-visit programme,
ensuring participation of relevant HE stakeholder groups for the interviews, etc.
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 Offering logistical support for conducting the site visit, including accommodation, meals and
local transportation for assessors during the two-day site visit, and provision a venue for the
site visit and the related interview sessions
 Factual checking of the draft assessment report
 Providing feedback to the organisers of the intuitional assessment by participating in an
online survey after the site-visit
Assessor panel
 Analysing the self-assessment report carefully and preparing for the site visits
 Active participation in the site visits
 Writing the assessment report; finalising the draft report within 4 weeks after the site visit
After the selection a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be set between the DAAD
and the individual HEIs in order to formally agree on terms and conditions for participating in the
SHARE institutional assessments.
Attached is an overview of the timeline for the entire assessment process (see annex I).
HOW TO APPLY
All higher education institutions in the ASEAN region that have a system of Internal Quality
Assurance in place are eligible to apply for the SHARE pilot institutional assessments. A
maximum number of 8 HEIs will be selected for the SHARE pilot phase.
Please send a letter of intent (template appears as annex II), elaborating on the reasons to apply,
briefly describing the profile of your institution and its IQA system and signed by the university
leadership.
SHARE
DAAD Regional Office Jakarta
Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Kav. 61-62, Summitmas 2, 14th Floor
Jakarta 12190
Email: liermann@daadjkt.org
Deadline is 30 September 2016!
Selection
SHARE’s ASEAN European Expert Working Group will take a decision on the selection in
October. The following key criteria for selecting the HEIs are





Justification of the applicant’s motivation
Support by the university leadership
Comprehensive and significant information on the IQA system
Making adequate personnel available to coordinate the assessment process
Compliance to the tasks and responsibilities as outlined above
Apart from assessing the quality of individual applications, the Expert Working Group will take
into consideration that institutions with different profiles and stages of development are
represented and regional coverage is well balanced as far as possible.
The results of the selection will be announced by the end of October.
For any questions, please contact DAAD Project Manager Dr. Susanne Liermann (Email:
liermann@daadjkt.org)
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