9 November 2007 Cecilia de la Rosa Head of the Internal Quality Unit How to prepare for an external review Current trends in the European Quality Assurance and the situation in the SEE region

1. ANECA: How we are 2. ANECA. An international review 3. Discussion Table of contents

1. ANECA. How we are

ANECA. How we are Spanish Universities Act6/2001 Spanish Universities Act 6/2001 laid down the basis for the setting up of a national agency in order to ensure the quality assurance of the Spanish Higher Education system ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Acreditation of Spain) Was set up on 19 July 2002

Mission ANECA. How we are Contributing to the quality improvement of the higher education system through the assessment, certification and accreditation of university degrees, programmes, teaching staff and institutions.

ANECA. How we are 63 people work in ANECA

2. ANECA. An international review

not any regulations 1. There was not any regulations in Spain for this kind of assessment ANECA. An international review creditibilityprofessionalism 2. Ensure the Agency´s creditibility and professionalism Share 4. Share good practices among agencies reference 5. Be a reference of this kind of evaluation at a European level evaluation processes 3. Achieve recognition of its evaluation processes at a national and international level W hy an international review? In order to:

Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area Board of directors and staff ANECA. An international review Director´s implication T ools Advisory board

Main idea Participative process Information Dissemination ANECA. An international review

Appointing a person responsible for the process Appointing a Working Group (3 people) Setting-up a Self-evaluation Committee (12 people) ANECA. An international review F irst steps Considering the assessment as a strategic objective Asking the Advisory Board for recomendations about the process and the methodology

The Working group designed the project by: Fixing the schedule Studying and analysing the Standards and Guidelines Elaborating a self-evaluation guide to traslate the Standards and Guidelines into ANECAs vocabulary ANECA. An international review S econd steps

Self-evaluation Committee The Self-evaluation Committee worked with the designed guide and Analysed the information of the guide (standards and guidelines) and possible evidence to be provided in each section Attended the different meetings Studied the first draft of the self-evaluation report ANECA. An international review T hird steps

The Self-evaluation Committee had to: Set up and circulate the information on time Collaborate in the spreading of the information to the rest of the staff The Working group had to: Analyse the information of the sheets handed by the Self-evaluation Committee Collect the evidence and organise it Traslate the documentation Draw-up the self-evaluation report Prepare the site visit Internal communication: Breakfast with ENQA, meetings, … Parallel work ANECA. An international review

Board of Trustees Advisory Board Board of Directors Technical Committee Evaluation Committees ANECA staff Self-evaluation Committee Working group P rocedure followed during ANECA´s self-evaluation Preparation of the self-evaluation guide Setting upof the self-evaluation committee Analysis of criteria and search for information First draft of the self-evaluation report drawn-up Summary of the information provided First draft of the report is reviewed Suggestions incorporated Report endorsed Review of the report proposal Approval of final report Second draft of the report reviewed Suggestions incorporated Suggestions analysed Third draf of the report reviewed Suggestions incorporated Dates Sep. 06 Oct. 06 Nov. & Dec. 06 Jan. 07 Mar. 07 Third draft of the report reviewed

After the self-report and before the site visit ENQA Appointed the panel of experts 6 international experts (professors and a student): England, France, Portugal and Belgium ANECA Accepted the external panel Asked ENQA for a national expert or an expert from the south of Europe to be member of the panel Invited the stakeholders for the interviews Team of experts Contacted each other and ANECA Studied the self-evaluation report Asked ANECA for information to prepare the site visit ANECA. An international review

ENQA ANECAExternal Panel P rocedure followed during ANECA´s external review Appointment the external panel Dates February 07 April & May 07 June 07 August 07 September 07 Send the information to ANECA Informed the Board of Trustees Accepted the panel Prepared the visit Sent to ANECA the programmePrepared the visit according to the programme Site visit of ANECA Prepared a draft report Comment to the external report Produced the final report Informed the panel Sent the report to ENQA Analysis report Comunicated the decisionPrepared the improvement plan October 07

Site visit The team of experts had to: Follow the agenda Meet all the groups Analyse the evidence Not to disturb the daily work of ANECA ANECA had to: Inform everybody about the internal and external process carried out Follow the agenda in a very rigorous manner ANECA. An international review

Facing the weaknesses found during the internal and external evaluation Finding comprehensible vocabulary to everybody Dealing with International experts Coordination Involvement of staff ANECA. An international review Challenges

Internally Improving during and after the project Better knowledge of the institution and its stakeholders Working as a team Externally International recognition National recognition ANECA. An international review What has ANECA achieved?

Conclusions The assessment is the combination of different points of view. Each group in ANECA (Board of Trustees, Board of Directors, Technical commission, Adisory Board, staff, etc.) plays their role. ANECA. An international review

1. 1.What would you do to get the staff involved in the project? 2. 2.How would you choose the best Self-evaluation Committee? 3. 3.What should you take into account when adapting the Standards and Guidelines to your context? 4. 4.Do you think an international committee should count on a national expert? (advantages and disadvantages) 5. 5.How do you communicate the progress of the project to the staff and the stakeholders? ANECA. An international review How to prepare for an external review

You should… 1. 1.Obtain self and general motivation (directors and staff) 2. 2.Choose right people to be members of the Self-evaluation Committee – representatives of all staff 3. 3.Make a good interpretation of the Standards and Guidelines 4. 4.Organize evidence 5. 5.Choose good attendants for the interviews 6. 6.Pay attention to the internal and external communication 7. 7.Write a clear and short self-evaluation report 8. 8.Identify yourself with the external expert 9. 9.Not stop during the project Not focus the review in the external panel and their enquiries, take advantage of the opportunity that your institution has to improve. ANECA. An international review

Thanks for your attention