Quality Assurance
Our quality assurance
Quality assurance lies at the heart of the work of VLUHR QA. As a quality assurance agency and centre of expertise, we safeguard and enhance the quality of our activities through clear processes, continuous improvement and active stakeholder involvement. In doing so, we are guided by our mission and vision, and by the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG).
External QA through international recognition
VLUHR QA is both a member of ENQA and registered with EQAR.
These international credentials confirm that our review and quality assurance processes comply with the European quality standards for higher education. They apply to all programme reviews and European Approach reviews conducted by VLUHR QA as an agency. Other services provided by VLUHR QA fall outside this scope. To safeguard the independence and integrity of its quality assurance activities, VLUHR QA applies a Code of Conduct that clearly separates activities related to ENQA membership and EQAR registration from our other services
To maintain this accreditation, VLUHR QA undergoes an external review by an international panel of independent experts every five years. During this peer review, our entire organisation is examined, including governance, independence, procedures, stakeholder involvement and quality enhancement.
Preparing for such a peer review is an intensive process of reflection and self-assessment. We critically analyse our own operations while actively involving stakeholders, including higher education institutions, students, panel members, policymakers and international partners. Their experiences and feedback provide valuable input for our self-evaluation and ongoing development.
The findings and recommendations resulting from external reviews are systematically integrated into VLUHR QA's internal quality assurance system. They serve as an important source of input for the further development of our organisation and are translated into concrete improvement actions.
ENQA's website contains an overview of the review procedures that VLUHR QA is going through and has completed. A few relevant reports are listed below:
Internal QA as a continuous improvement cycle
VLUHR QA operates a quality assurance system that is embedded in its day-to-day activities. At its core is a continuous PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act), through which we systematically plan, implement, evaluate and improve our activities. This enables us to ensure that our work remains aligned with our mission, vision and strategic objectives while responding to developments in the Flemish and European higher education landscape.
Plan
To ensure the quality and consistency of our services, we work with clear and transparent procedures. These are laid down in publicly available documents, including manuals, appeals and complaints procedures, and a Code of Conduct for panel members. In addition, our internal Quality Assurance Handbook brings together the procedures and systems that underpin our activities. The handbook is reviewed annually to ensure that it remains current and relevant.
Our key procedures, guidelines and review frameworks are publicly available, enabling institutions, panel members and other stakeholders to understand how we carry out our activities.
Do
Our activities are implemented in accordance with established procedures and quality frameworks. To ensure their consistent application, our staff members are supported by internal manuals and working documents. We also safeguard the quality and continuity of our collaborations by appointing a dedicated contact person for each project, supported by a second staff member who follows up the assignment in line with the four-eyes principle.
Regular formal meetings ensure that knowledge and experiences are shared, collaborations are monitored and opportunities for improvement are identified in a timely manner. In addition, the small scale of our team encourages frequent informal consultation, enabling us to respond quickly to new insights and challenges.
Check
We systematically collect feedback through online surveys, targeted consultation meetings and other forms of stakeholder input. In doing so, we listen to programmes, institutions, panel members, students, partners and other stakeholders. Through our Advisory Council, international networks, conferences, workshops and informal contacts, we continuously gather information on expectations, challenges and developments within the quality assurance landscape.
The information collected is inventoried, analysed and discussed within the team. Relevant findings are subsequently reported to the VLUHR Quality Assurance Board, our Advisory Council and, for matters relating to domain-specific learning outcomes, the Learning Outcomes Steering Committee.
Act
Feedback and evaluation results form the starting point for concrete improvement actions. Minor issues are directly incorporated into existing procedures and working arrangements. When more structural developments or challenges are identified, we work together with the Advisory Council and the Quality Assurance Board to determine which adjustments are needed to our operations, methodologies or documentation. In doing so, we always assess proposed changes against our mission, vision and strategic objectives.
Improvement actions are systematically monitored by the VLUHR QA team through an action plan that defines responsibilities, timelines and progress. In the longer term, we also use the insights gathered to periodically review our mission, vision and strategic objectives and translate them into an updated strategic plan. In this way, quality assurance extends beyond individual processes and contributes to the continued development of VLUHR QA as an organisation.
Working together on quality
As outlined above, continuous dialogue with stakeholders is an essential pillar of our internal quality assurance system. VLUHR QA consults its partners on a regular basis and uses the feedback collected to further strengthen its services. For programme reviews, this includes annual surveys, supplemented by focus group discussions whenever specific themes require further exploration. For other collaborations, the quality cycle is tailored to the nature and objectives of the project.
In addition, members of our stakeholder groups, including higher education institutions, students and the international quality assurance community, actively contribute to the work of VLUHR QA. Governance is entrusted to the VLUHR Quality Assurance Board, which consists of experienced external quality assurance experts. Our Advisory Council includes representatives of Flemish higher education institutions and registered institutions, the Flemish government, students and the professional field. In this way, a diversity of perspectives is structurally embedded in our organisation.
The expertise and professional development of our staff also contribute to the quality of our services. Through a comprehensive professional development policy, VLUHR QA continuously invests in the further development of its team, focusing on:
- keeping knowledge up to date;
- broadening expertise; and
- supporting the personal growth and well-being of our policy advisers.
As part of this approach, all team members actively monitor national and international developments in quality assurance (policy) and regularly participate in conferences, workshops and networking events, where they acquire and exchange new knowledge and insights.
This combination of stakeholder involvement and professional expertise enables us to continuously evaluate and further develop our work. In this way, we shape the quality of VLUHR QA together.
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