New Agency
Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
Marie Gould
Provider Relations Manager Designate, Quality and Qualifications Ireland
Head of New Awards and Standards, Further Education and Training Awards Council
Presentation to POBAL
Local and Community Development Programme Manager’s Seminar
4th October 2012
Government Announcement
October 2008 (as part of budget)
“Amalgamation of NQAI, HETAC and FETAC. The new
organisation will also take responsibility for the external
quality assurance of the universities, a function currently
performed by IUQB and the HEA.”
National Qualifications
Authority of Ireland
(NQAI)
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Responsible for the 10 level National Framework of
Qualifications (NFQ) – established 2003
Responsible for external quality assurance of DIT and
RCSI
Responsible for accreditation of English Language
Schools (ACELS)
NFQ covers
o General (school) education – levels 3-5
o Further (vocational) education – levels 1-6
o Higher and professional education – levels 6-10
Further Education and
Training Awards Council
• Responsible for Further Education and Training
• Agrees QA procedures with and periodically reviews
providers (>1000)
o Vocational public post-secondary
o Community and voluntary sector
o Public and private training providers
• Develops standards
• Validates programmes (through its common awards
system - CAS)
• Makes awards at Levels 1-6 in NFQ (certification)
Higher Education and
Training Awards Council
• Responsible for Higher (non-university) Education and
Training
• Agrees QA procedures with and periodically reviews
providers (>50)
o 13 Public Institutes of Technology
o Private HE providers
o Private training entities
• Develops standards
• Delegates authority to providers to make awards
• Makes awards at levels 6-10 in NFQ (certification)
Irish Universities
Quality Board (IUQB)
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Funded by HEA (funding body) and 7 public universities
Responsible for periodic audits of universities
Mix of mission-based and standards (ESG) based
evaluations
IRIU review cycle 2009-2012 (5 of 7 universities evaluated)
Universities offer Programmes at levels 7-10 in NFQ
Legislation
• The Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and
Training) Act (2012) (“the Act”) was signed by the President on
22nd July (2012)
• New agency, Quality and Qualifications Ireland QQI is
expected to be formally established in October
• FETAC, HETAC, NQAI will cease to exist
• QQI will take over functions of the legacy agencies
New Agency Functions
• Quality assurance and Qualifications responsibilities
• Custodian of the National Framework of
Qualifications
• QQI will develop a code of practice and an
International Education Mark (IEM)
• For the first time; a statutory body is charged with
external quality assurance of the universities and
their associated colleges
• New agency provider base spreads across all areas
of post-secondary education
• Staff compliment of 20% smaller than legacy bodies
in 2009
• No longer a monopoly awarding body for Further
Education and Training
Parallel changes in further
education landscape
• Abolition of State training agency (FAS)
• Establishment of further education and training
funding body (SOLAS)
• Amalgamation of 33 regional Vocational Education
Committees into 16 Education and Training Boards
Parallel changes in higher
education landscape
• Implementation of recommendations in 2011 National
Strategy for Higher Education
• Publication of HEA “landscape document”
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Development of regional clusters of HEIs/FEIs
Mergers of Institutes of Technology
Closure/merger of small HE institutions
Establishment of Technological Universities
‘Strategic Dialogue’ with HEA on ‘system’ priorities
Amalgamation consequences
• It is neither possible nor desirable that QQI acts as a
monopoly awarding/certifying body for FET in the
manner that FETAC was
• QQI has a responsibility to recognise the awards of
other awarding bodies (such as universities) within
the National Framework of Qualifications in addition
to making its own awards
• Public sector reform agenda – cost recovery,
requirement to charge fees
QQI Functions
• Registration of Providers and Programmes
• Agreeing QA and ATP procedures
• Quality Review and monitoring of QA and ATP
• Validation of programmes
• Making awards
• Quality Enhancement
Organisational Structure of QQI
• Two Main Business Areas
• Qualifications Services (NFQ development, guidelines,
standards, recognition, programme registration)
• Quality Assurance Services (registration, monitoring,
review, validation, certification)
New
• Provider Relations Service - a network of Relationship
Managers to collaborate with the business areas
QQAI Organisational Structure
Provider Relations
Function
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to support providers in transition to new agency
to consult and with providers on policy development
communicate and provide information to providers
establish and maintain sub-board
governance structures for provider services
complaints and concerns
don’t intent to interfere in operational/day to day running
issues but engage with providers as appropriate
QQAI legislation
what will it mean for FE providers?
• Legislation largely merges current legislative
responsibility of 4 existing bodies
• New Functions – International Education Mark (to)
providers
• Legislative abolition of separation between further and
higher education
• Register of programmes placed or aligned on NFQ
What might QQI look like for FET
providers?
• Phase out of FETAC Brand
• Award of International Education Mark (to providers)
• Code of Practice for International (non-EEA) Learners
• Review of the provider registration criteria for HETAC
and FETAC to look at an integrated model
• Possibility of delegated authority for new Education
and Training Boards (ETBs)
What might QQI look like for FE
providers?
• Review of the fee system for registration, validation,
certification and review based on integration of the
current HETAC and FETAC models (while recognising
the nature of public (where mandatory) and private
engagement with QQAI)
Next Steps
• New quality and qualifications body will come into operation once
a Board has been appointed and establishment day confirmed
• FETAC, HETAC, and NQAI will be legally dissolved and the
relevant section of Universities Act will be repealed
• New organisation name and brand will be announced soon after
establishment
• All providers with an existing relationship with the four
amalgamating bodies will transition to the new body
• Review of functions and development of policies and procedures
in consultation with providers and other stakeholders
Next Steps
• Further information and communication with providers will be
undertaken as process evolves
• Series of e-zines will be produced by Provider Relations – monthly
basis updates
• Assignment of individual provider relations managers to provider
groups/sectors
QQI details
• interim website: http://www.qualificationsandquality.ie
(legislation page provides a link to the Act)
• October 2012 – Expectation that QQI will be established
• December 2012 – QQI Headquarters [Denzille Lane
(HETAC) annexed by Lower Mount St. (IUQB)] expected to
be occupied