1 st QALLL CONFERENCE on Quality Assurance in Lifelong Learning focussing on Vocational Education & Training and Adult Education Workshop 1 “Quality Culture” Peer Review as an instrument for promoting a quality culture Maria Gutknecht-Gmeiner Bled, March 23rd/24 th 2011

Peer Review What is Peer Review?  External evaluation by Peers  i.e. persons of equal standing, colleagues from similar institutions which share a common profession  Based on self-evaluation  Includes site-visit by Peers  Common in Higher Education Why Peer Review for vocational education and training?  Copenhagen process: use of Peer Review endorsed on level of VET systems, idea to use Peer Review also on level of VET institutions  Interest of VET institutions to use an external evaluation methodology geared towards improvement 1st QALLL Conference, Bled, March 24 th 2011, WS 1 „Quality culture“

The Peer Review projects Development of a Peer Review procedure for European VET  3 res. 4 European Peer Review Projects  Peer Review in initial VET ( ), Peer Review Extended (2007)  Peer Review Extended II ( )  Peer Review Impact ( )  25 transnational Peer Reviews  in 11 European countries  Evaluation and impact analysis  Main products  European Peer Review Manual  Toolbox, training programme for Peers  Website:  Lifelong Learning Award 2009 Aim  Peer Review supports VET providers in their efforts to improve their provision “improve not prove” 1st QALLL Conference, Bled, March 24 th 2011, WS 1 „Quality culture“

The European Peer Review procedure Described in the European Peer Review Manual  Definition and main features  The European Peer Review is a voluntary, formative (improvement-oriented), qualitative external Evaluation within the profession and within a network.  The process  Combines self-evaluation with external evaluation, builds upon quality assurance measures already in place (no duplication)  Follows a systematic process (4 phases)  Qualitative approach, makes use of existing (quantitative) data  The Peers  Colleagues from other VET institutions, team of 4, possibility to include a stakeholder in team  innerhalb der Profession (in der Berufsbildung) durch "kritische FreundInnen"

Peer Review promotes a quality culture Factors  Voluntary process on all levels, Peers are „invited“  Based on openness and curiosity, people-centered  Personal and „humane“ evaluation by „critical friends“  Dialogue between colleagues, personal communication  Involvement of all stakeholders  Bottom-up development of a shared professional understanding of quality  Directly understandable results  Direct reporting by Peers in feedback session  VET provider decides what to do with results 1st QALLL Conference, Bled, March 24 th 2011, WS 1 „Quality culture“ Aim and conditions Qualitative approach Peers Understandable Reporting Ownership of process

Peer Review promotes a quality culture There are five key variables that are absolutely critical in building a quality culture. They are, in order of importance: people, people, people, people, and people. (Adapted from Michael Q. Patton ) Dr. Maria Gutknecht-Gmeiner IMPULSE Evaluation and Organisational Development 1st QALLL Conference, Bled, March 24 th 2011, WS 1 „Quality culture“