JOINT QUALITY INITIATIVE      Credo: learning from doing

FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

1 Results of Maastricht
In Maastricht, 24/25 September 2001, we discussed developments in quality assurance in perspective of the Bologna declaration: Transparency in first and second cycle higher education in Europe implies the search for bachelor and master standards, criteria for assessing quality and developments regarding accreditation. We are facing common problems, for which various resolutions are chosen in various countries. Characteristics of these resolutions are presented in different terms on similar issues. It is therefore essential to identify common ground and to exchange information.
Various elements for action were mentioned. It was decided to form a working group from representatives of participating countries to elaborate an action programme and organisational framework. Furthermore a web-site will be established to facilitate communication.

2 Organisational framework
For the organisational framework the following premises are suggested: The action programme fits in the planning of the work-programme as elaborated by the Bologna follow-up group; it elaborates on the issue of co-operation concerning quality assurance, including developments with respect to accreditation. Once or twice a year a meeting comparable to that in Maastricht

• to monitor the realisation of the action programme and discuss future actions,
• To inform each other on national developments relevant for internationalising quality assurance.

• Organisation and presidency of meetings circulate between participating countries
• At national level care is taken that all stakeholders can take part in actions to internationalise experience with quality assurance.
• The working group members relate international and give feed back to participants and stakeholders at the national level.
• Actions covering elements of the action programme are organised by those that have interest in results.
• Care is taken to incorporate earlier experience and to follow up developments in other fora on a European level.

3 Action programme
Elements for action are listed thus:
a. Cross border quality assessment possibly followed by accreditation of (new) BaMa programmes
b. Sharing experience and discussing standards of BaMa
c. Initiate cross-national benchmarking
d. Franchising and quality assurance
e. Comparison of conceptualisations of accreditation

Based on information, discussion and suggestions made in Maastricht one could think of the following actions and participants regarding the various action elements:

ad a Cross border quality assessment.
1. The cross border assessment of physics education programmes (pre-BaMa) has just been finalised. ZEvA, VSNU, and VLIR participated in this process.
Results and observations will be discussed in a broad group (there are also other examples).
Flanders took the initiative to organise a meeting 26th November, Leuven.

2. ZEvA invited QAA and other quality assurance agencies to seek out Bachelor and master programmes that can be reviewed jointly. This could result in selection of various programmes in various countries. The range of participating countries could become very broad and may well include programmes in countries that were not present in Maastricht.
(Prerequisite for the action is an assessment, by an external review team, which will be published.)
Possible actions:

• An inventory of possible programmes.
• Decisions on new cross border initiatives.

ad b Sharing experience and discussing standards of BaMa
1. Standards are described in a few countries. The descriptions could be compared to identify common ground and differences and to discuss the meaning of observations by doing this.
Such an action could be started soon.
At the meeting in Maastricht QAA, Netherlands, Flanders and the Accreditierungsrat appeared to be involved in development of standards for Bachelors and Masters. It follows from this that they initiate comparison and welcome others to join the discussion. Denmark also expressed interest
QAA is willing to host a meeting; to be seen after the Leuven meeting.

ad c Initiate cross-national benchmarking
Based on the discussion in Maastricht actions are possible in two ways.

• Benchmarking quality assurance systems by, and as a result of, actions described in ad a and ad b.
• Benchmarking of bachelor and master programmes by the institutions/programme responsible. It could relate to content and end-qualifications, like is done in certain fields by the "tuning programme", subsidised by the EC. It could also relate to newly formulated standards for bachelor and masters.

ad d. Franchising and quality assurance
The discussion in Maastricht indicated that institutes that provide programmes abroad have been addressed with the request to watch their quality assurance. In the UK willingness was expressed to respond to this request and it was indicated that QAA had taken action to this end.
An action could be to become well informed on what is going on precisely; perhaps followed by a broader informative brainstorm. QAA is willing to do so.

ad e. Comparison of conceptualisations of accreditation
In various countries accreditation is done, or will shortly be introduced.
An action could be to scrutinise the elements of accreditation, such as application of criteria and standards by an independent body. Independence, how is it shaped? What kind of criteria on what issues are applied?… In short: scan the items that shape the concept of accreditation and search for commonness and variance in realisation.
Based on the Maastricht meeting, participants could be Germany, Netherlands, Flanders, Spain and possibly others, also from where there is no accreditation though standards are applied. Denmark expressed interest and the Accreditierungsrat tries to schedule a meeting in December

4 The website
For the web-site one could think of the domain www.jointqualityinitiative.org and of three elements:

• Data of participants, addresses
• General information on products of the joint quality initiative
• Country specific information on policies and other relevant developments