FAQs
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Effective Involvement of Stakeholders in External Quality Assurance Activities – ESQA
Project type: project co-financed by the Erasmus + Program
No. agreement: 2018-3821 / 014-001
No. project: 607068-EPP-1-2018-1-RO-EPPKA3-BOLOGNA
Implementation period: 24 months (May 2019 - April 2021)
Coordinator: Ministry of National Education – Romania
Partners:
- National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research – ANACEC, R. of Moldova
- National Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education – ARACIS, Romania
- European Association of Institutions in Higher Education – EURASHE
- The Danish Accreditation Institution – DAI, Denmark
- European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education – ENQA
- European Students' Union – ESU
- The High Council for Evaluation of Research and Higher Education – HCERES, France
- National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency – NEAA, Bulgaria
In May 2019, NEAA became a part of the project „Effective involvement of stakeholders in external quality assurance activities” (ESQA) led by the Romanian Ministry of National Education. The project is funded by the Erasmus+ programme Key Action 3 – Support to Policy Reform.
Objectives and project activities
The project aims to support the activity of the Bologna peer group C on key commitment 3 Quality Assurance (QA) by tackling the sub-theme "the role and engagement of stakeholders in internal and external quality assurance". The project is highly relevant as it contributes to the objectives of the Bologna Peer Group C established under the BFUG and responds to the challenges identified in the Bologna Implementation Report 2018 in the context of external quality assurance in higher education. The objectives are clear, coherent and realistic. They are in line with the Paris Communiqué and based on a sound needs analysis.
The project is built on previous initiatives carried out by some members of the consortium (ESU, ENQA, EURASHE, ARACIS, HCERES) dealing with defining stakeholders in the field of QA, their role and how to engage them in external quality assurance activities. The project demonstrates its innovative character by extending the scope of such initiatives, including for example the discussions on stakeholders' expectations towards external QA, developing recommendations to the national authorities and quality assurance agencies on how to strengthen cooperation and dialogue with stakeholders in QA and, most importantly, producing the first state-of-the-art practical guidelines on the involvement of stakeholders in external QA.
The fact that QA agencies from five different countries (Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Moldova and Romania) and a number of consultative members of the Bologna Process (ESU, EURASHE and ENQA) are partners in the project brings an important added value. The partners will contribute with their expertise in the field of QA and their involvement will, thanks to their extended networks, enhance the impact and dissemination of project results at EHEA level.
While the needs analysis explains that quality assurance agencies report difficulties in engaging the labor market sector in a meaningful and systematic manner, the partnership does not include representatives of the world of work. The activities do not sufficient details on the plans on how to overcome this challenge.
Consortium
The consortium is led by the Romanian Ministry of National Education and includes five QA agencies (the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, ARACIS; the High Council for the evaluation of Research and Higher education, HCÉRES; the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency, NEAA; the Danish Accreditation Institution, DAI; and the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research, ANACEC; as well as European stakeholder organisations representing QA agencies (the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, ENQA), HEIs (the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education, EURASHE) and students (the European Students’ Union, ESU).
For additional information about the project activities visit https://esqa.ro/.
Guide for effective stakeholders’ involvement in Quality Assurance. Study on stakeholder involvement in External Quality Assurance. NEAA Analysis of the needs for change ESQA Project July 2021.
