Launching
The Ministry of National Education, through the Unit for the Management of Externally Financed Projects, started the implementation of the project The effective involvement of stakeholders in external quality assurance activities ESQA, code 607068-EPP-1-2018-1-RO-EPPKA3-BOLOGNA, approved by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, for the co-financing of the ERASMUS+ Program: Higher Education – Knowledge Alliances, Bologna Support, Jean Monnet, the Key Action Support for the implementation of reforms in the European Area of Higher Education (EHEA).
The project runs for a period of 2 years and is implemented in partnership with the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education ARACIS, as well as with quality assurance agencies in Bulgaria, Denmark, France and Moldova, but also with the European Student Organization. ESU, the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education ENQA and the European Association of Higher Education Institutions EURASHE.
The main objective is on aiming to identify ways to deepen and make more effective the stakeholders’ involvement in the Quality Assurance Process, at EHEA member countries level, according the provisions of the Standards and Guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) 2015.
Through its activities, the project supports the Bologna Process Monitoring Group (Bologna Follow-Up Group / BFUG), quality assurance being one of the key reforms targeted by it.
In order to achieve the objectives proposed, first a study at EHEA member countries level will be elaborated, mapping the involvement of stakeholders in external QA activities and identifying examples of good practices. The five quality assurance agencies members in the consortium will participate to peer review and peer-learning activities, to identify the strong and weak areas in what concerns the involvement of stakeholders, as part of the diagnose activities.
Based on the results of the study, including inputs from the agencies’ level peer review activities, a peer-learning activity will be organised, as part of one of the meetings of Group C.
Building on the results achieved in the preparatory phase, a Guideline on involvement of stakeholders will be developed, that will mainly define the profile and role of different stakeholders, procedures for their recruitment, in accordance with the profile defined, effective ways for their involvement in external QA activities, including approaches for increased communication, and specific training outlines, in accordance with the profile and role of different categories of stakeholders. Finally, each partner agency will analyse how the provisions of the Guideline on involvement of stakeholders can be applied in its own Quality Assurance Process.
