Shaping Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework

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SFC worked in collaboration with the sector to develop Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework, through the project Steering Group, sector workshops, consultations with key stakeholders and sector groups and management of the workstreams.

This overarching workstream aimed to:

Maximise opportunities for shared learning, innovation and improvement across both sectors.
Share mapping and practice to create common understanding of similarities and difference.
Promote alignment of networks, forums, structures and processes to inform the development of the new TQEF.

Key questions

Do the areas we have identified so far as key principles resonate as key areas in each sector?
How can we best connect quality practitioners and educators across both sectors?
Would tertiary networks enhance or diminish the distinctiveness and diversity of the sectors?
How will the sectors organise and manage co-creation of future processes once the development phase is finished?

Lead agency

The lead agency for this workstream is the Scottish Funding Council.

Progress update

SFC has developed the Guidance on Quality for Colleges and Universities AY 2024–25 to AY 2030-31, which informs our colleges, universities, and key stakeholders of the new arrangements for quality assurance and enhancement of provision delivered at funded institutions.

The guidance covers the first cycle of the Scotland’s Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF), which will take place across AY 2024-25, but will cover all the way to AY 2030-31.

Since the release of the new quality guidance, members of the Tertiary Quality Steering Group have agreed to remain in place across the first year of the cycle to support the TQEF’s implementation. In addition, we have adjusted and expanded the group’s membership to increase the range of sector expertise and skills, and the student voice on the group.

SFC continues to engage with our partners across the college and university sector to support them to engage with and adapt to the new framework. Following the recent sector wide drop-in sessions, supporting the launch of the quality guidance, we have updated our Frequently Asked Questions and are developing additional resources which will be available in the TQEF toolkit. We will continue to develop resources as we progress through this implementation year.

Discussions continue internally within SFC, to ensure that the TQEF aligns to the ongoing development of the Outcomes Framework and Assurance Model (OF and AM).

Next steps

SFC is currently developing its approach to evaluation of the TQEF and will look to review the guidance and other key elements to ensure its continued relevance and usefulness.