Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework: Frequently Asked Questions

We believe with the conclusion of the of the ELIR 4 cycle (AY2017-22) in the university sector, and the wider educational reforms currently underway – including the recommendations of the Muir and Withers reviews – mean that ‘now’ is the optimum time to secure greater alignment and coherence across the post-16 education system. The system wide pressures on institutions’ capacity and resource has also been a driver for SFC to seek to streamline and enhance reporting on quality as part of its wider review of assurance and accountability. And while the current quality arrangements for both colleges and universities are highly regarded, we feel there is an urgent need to strengthen the outputs of both approaches to better demonstrate the value and impact of the Scottish Government’s investment in our colleges and universities.

The TQEF is a partnership between SFC, colleges, universities, the quality agencies, and students, reflecting our belief that in Scotland quality assurance should be done with and not to institutions; that institutions retain ownership of the quality of the provision that they deliver; and that students should be full partners in their own learning. SFC will have oversight of the TQEF with responsibility for ensuring that all the component parts work effectively and coherently to provide assurance on academic standards and the quality of the student experience – in line with its statutory duties.

SFC will be supported in this by an independent advisory group with membership drawn from all the TQEF partners. SFC will review and assess the outputs of the TQEF to support its accountability to the Scottish Government for the effective use and impact of public funding for learning and teaching and delivery of its statutory duties.

SFC has taken a co-creation approach to the development of the TQEF with its key partners and stakeholders from inception through to implementation. In taking forward its Review recommendation SFC has worked with its partners in developing a shared understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in both sectors, and identifying areas of commonality and differences to refine a set of shared principles that will underpin and inform every aspect of our new arrangements. Building on this shared understanding SFC has convened cross-sector workshops and workstreams to help shape different aspects of our new approach, supported by guidance from the Tertiary Quality Steering Group.

There will be five interconnected pillars of the TQEF that, taken together, will provide the assurance on quality and support institutional and sector wide enhancement. These are:

• A cycle of external peer review and follow up activity.
• Annual evaluation including institutional self-evaluation and action planning.
• Institution-led activity including review and annual monitoring of programmes and professional services.
• National thematic enhancement activity across the tertiary sector.
• The enhanced use of data and evidence for reporting.

SFC has commissioned the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) to lead on the design, planning and delivery of a multi-year external peer-review cycle for colleges and universities for implementation in AY 2024-25. QAA will work closely with Education Scotland (ES) in this work to utilise their collective experience and understanding of the college and university sectors. A series of co-creation workstreams will shape other aspects of the TQEF and make final recommendations to SFC. And while each workstream has an identified lead agency, they will be collaborative endeavours with engagement from all the TQEF partners. You can find more about the workstreams.

Effective collaboration between QAA and Education Scotland will be critical to the development and implementation of an external review methodology for the tertiary sector. Following evaluation and extensive sector engagement on a range of options, including guidance from Tertiary Quality Steering Group, SFC decided that one agency should be asked to take the lead on the development and implementation of a single external review method to meet the ambition set out in the SFC Review, and the expectations of the tertiary sector. SFC has commissioned QAA to lead this works as it is independent from government, and is a longstanding member of ENQA (European
Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education), which will ensure continued compliance with European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) in line with Scottish Government commitments as a signatory to the Bologna Process. SFC also recognises that continued compliance with ESG is necessary to maintain the reputation and standing of Scottish higher
education.

As part of its commission from SFC, QAA is required to work in close partnership with Education Scotland HMIEs in the development and implementation of a review method that has the flexibility to meet the developing needs of both sectors. Like other aspects of the TQEF, the review methodology will be an exercise in co-creation. The knowledge and expertise of ES HMIEs developed over many years will be critical to the effectiveness and
success of the new method.

Colleges already invest significant resource in their existing annual engagement and review arrangements that can be reframed and repurposed to deliver the new approach. And although suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the processes and capacities developed following the introduction of Evaluative Report and Enhancement Plan (EREP) have now become embedded practice in the college sector. Our mapping of quality assurance arrangements also shows significant commonalities and increasing alignment around an enhancement-led, peer review approach across both sectors. QAA will work with ES and College Development Network (CDN) on a development programme, preparation events, and review training for college sector colleagues in the new method. We also anticipate that colleges will be phased later in the external review cycle to enable review team members from the college sector to shadow university review teams earlier in the cycle, creating space for them to develop their understanding of the process and better prepare their colleges for external review.

The TQEF will be implemented from AY2024-25, including the introduction of a new external review cycle for colleges and universities. Some aspects of the quality assurance, including a template for institutional self-evaluation and reporting on quality, will be piloted by some institutions on a voluntary basis in advance of their full implementation.

As an enhancement-led approach, mechanisms for reviewing, assessing, and refining the TQEF will be identified as part of its development and embedded within its processes. There will also be periodic reviews of the wider approach at the end of each external review cycle – with appropriate external input and guidance – to ensure its continued effectiveness and relevance. Our intention in developing the TQEF is to create a self-sustaining ‘quality culture’ in institutions and across the sector where everyone involved in teaching, learning,
and supporting students has the capacity to reflect on and improve their performance.