1. Re-Engagement / QA Approval Community Education Network meeting Feb 2018
Walter Balfe, QQI
February 2018

2. Re-engagement Pilot 12 providers volunteered - 3 HET and 9 FET
3 Community / Voluntary Sector (FET)
10 applied
5 complete to report
4 awaiting panel visit
1 reconfiguring as part of consortium
2 yet to make application
February 2018

3. Learning for QQI to date
Communication of purpose and process need improvement
Effort expended by providers very worthwhile
Effort needs to be channelled
Many ways to skin a cat
Panel experience can be very useful
Contextualising parts of Guidelines
Tension between review and approval – past vs future
Panels need to focus on future QA
Providers need to show how they have learned from experience

4. What is the purpose of reengagement?
to get confidence that the provider has:
Done a genuine assessment of its own situation based on expertise and experience
Identified any potential areas of vulnerability – at provider level or programme level
Put resources, policies and procedures in place to address any identified vulnerabilities and to drive enhancement
Good governance in place – externality / independence/ devil’s advocate view at any area of significant decision making. Ways to avoid group think

5. What is the purpose of reengagement?
to get confidence that the provider has:
Methodology (ies) to know and act on
What learners think of programmes and services
What other stakeholders think (employers, next providers) of programmes and outcomes
What QQI and other regulators think
How comparable programmes compare and contrast (benchmarking)
What’s working and what isn’t

6. What is the purpose of reengagement?
to get confidence that the provider has:
Clarity in policy and procedure
For learners
For staff
For other stakeholders and public
Capacity to develop programmes capable of being validated and retaining validation
Separation of commercial and academic decision making

7. Typical Panel Meeting Agenda - pilot
Time
Activity
09:30
Panel arrives
09:35 – 09:45
Private Meeting of the panel
09:45 – 11.00
Session 1: Presentation of Application for Reengagement
Introductions and context setting
Presentation by provider on
Self-assessment process and report
Resourcing and Capacity – Findings
Quality Assurance – any vulnernabilities identified
QA Procedures for approval
Structure
Governance and Externality
Communication to stakeholders
Monitoring of effectiveness
Further development required
Panel to seek clarification as required in interactive discussion. Focus to be on findings of gap analysis and self assessment, particularly on how QA system will manage areas of potential vulnernability.
11:00 – 11.15
Tea/Coffee Break
11:15 – 12:15
Session 2: Meeting with <roles>
QA Policies and Procedures for
Teaching and Learning
Programme development and approval processes
Access, Transfer and Progression
Staff – Recruitment, Maintenance, Development and Supports
Assessment <in context>
Learner Information and Supports – before and during programmes
12:15 – 13:00
Session 3: Meeting with <roles>
QA Procedures for
Learner Recruitment, Learner Supports, Learner Records
Information management and Public Information
13.00 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 13:45
Private Meeting of panel
13:45 – 14:00
Session 4: Meeting with selected provider representatives (optional - if required to clarify any outstanding issues)
14:00 – 14:15
14.15 – 14:30
Session 5: Preliminary Feedback to Senior Management:
14:30
Finish

8. ‘Live’ Process 42 providers to apply in 2018 74 in 2019
Balance in 2020+
Sequenced based on scale
Approximately 40 providers working on applications to become new multi-centre providers
People with QA expertise and / or report writing skills needed to be part of panels

9. To reengage or not, that is the question …..
What is a provider?
What is a centre?
What is a programme?
What if a provider don’t reengage?
What would it mean to be a consortium?

12. Questions?