NVAO

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Internal quality assurance

Since NVAO's major activitiy consists of assessing the quality of others, NVAO attaches great importance to its own quality and deems it necessary to give an account of its internal quality system. From the outset, NVAO has developed a system for its internal quality assurance. Initially, this system had a more thematical approach than a structural one. As the organisation gradually took on a more structured form, the system for internal quality became more structured as well (2006) and a more systematic approach for evaluation was developed (2007).

Starting points

NVAO has developed a system for quality assurance that:

• allows an integrated approach of the organisation and its working processes by applying the nine criteria of the EFQM-model,
• allows frequent evaluation of the results and a structured plan for improvement (by following the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle),
• is transparent, simple and non-bureaucratic due to the application of a limited number of instruments),
• provides the basis for an external (international) evaluation by the adoption of international standards in the development of the internal quality assurance system, 
• stimulates involvement of all staff members, and moreover,
• guarantees involvement of all stakeholders by means of an open dialogue with these stakeholders.

NVAO independently determines its priorities and pace within the framework of international agreements on quality assurance.

Elaboration

NVAO distinguishes 13 quality areas within the internal quality assurance system:

• Strategy, Policy and Leadership
• Accreditation
• Initial Accreditation - including Research Master's Programmes
• International Affairs
• Communication
• Legal Affairs
• Support Services
• Additional Tasks
• Quality Assurance
• Human Resources
• General Services
• Finances and ICT

For each quality area, a Quality Area Working Group has been formed consisting of NVAO staff members and a quality area coordinator. A member of the Executive Board is appointed as primarily responsible for each quality area. The ‘Working Group Quality Assurance' (the quality group pertaining to the quality area of Quality Assurance) coordinates all tasks regarding quality assurance.

For each quality area, strategic objectives and target figures are set on an annual basis.

In addition, evaluation data is gathered by each Quality Area Working Group on a systematic basis and at least once a year. The character and  level of completion of the evaluations are prepared by the quality coordinator of that specific quality area. The starting point is that primary processes (Accreditation, Initial Accreditation and International Affairs) are subject to a more thorough evaluation in comparison with other processes. The Working Group Quality Assurance facilitates the process and steers the evaluations for the whole organisation.

As of 2007, each Quality Area Working Group will draw up an annual quality report concerning its own quality area. The separate quality reports will be integrated into the annual quality report of NVAO. The Working Group Quality Assurance will draw preliminary conclusions and will formulate possible measures for improvement. Subsequently, the Executive Board and the director will discuss the quality report. They will develop it into an annual management strategy that refers back to the different quality areas. The strategic targets per quality area are the steering factors in this process.

Figure: Blueprint of the outline of quality areas

Implementation

Since the beginning of 2006, a structured system of internal quality assurance was developed and implemented: the quality assurance model (based on EFQM) was developed, quality areas were defined, quality coordinators were appointed and a budget was drawn up.

By the end of 2006, a protocol had been drawn up for each quality area that included the strategic objectives and target figures for 2006 and 2007. For the primary processes, the objectives and target figures were also linked to set periods of evaluation.
As of spring 2007, the protocols have actually taken effect and the process of systematic evaluation has been put into operation.

Prior to the implementation of the quality protocols, NVAO organised a large number of quality assurance activities that had a more thematical and incidental character. Examples of external activities were the evaluation among panel members of the initial accreditation procedure and the subsequent ‘round table conference' with panel chairs and the evaluation among quality assessment agencies in the Netherlands on the occasion of their annual listing. Internally, an inventory of weak points was drawn up among NVAO staff concerning NVAO's functioning regarding (initial) accreditation and a evaluation was made regarding the assessment of ‘Associate degrees'.