Introduction
1 During the period 28 April to 26 May 2006, QAA undertook a consultation exercise on the proposed method of Integrated quality and enhancement review (IQER) of higher education (HE) in further education (FE) colleges in England as set out in the draft review handbook (CL04/06).
2 Respondents were requested to provide comment on the proposals under the following headings:
- the benefits and costs to institutions
- institutions’, students’ and other stakeholders’ contributions to the IQER process
- information and documentation requirements
- the contribution that IQER might make to the inspection of colleges and audit of higher education institutions (HEIs)
- the potential for enhancement that IQER would provide for colleges
- any operational difficulties that may be foreseen.
3 A total of 74 responses were received to the consultation. Thirty-one responses were received from FE colleges, and a further 24 from HEIs. Responses were also received from the Association of Colleges (AoC), the Council of Validating Universities (CVU), Edexcel, the Mixed Economy Group (MEG), the National Union of Students (NUS), Ofsted, the Standing Conference of Principals (SCOP) and Universities UK (UUK).
4 During the same period, QAA undertook a scoping exercise to identify the extent and nature of HE provision delivered through colleges in England. In total, 258 colleges provided information about just under 90,000 students studying on around 4,800 Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) funded programmes. Forty-three per cent of programmes were directly funded, 37 per cent indirectly funded and 8 per cent consortium funded by HEFCE. The remainder were not funded by HEFCE.
5 The comments from the consultation exercise have been considered carefully by QAA and have informed the revised version of the handbook for the IQER pilot study which will take place in 2006-07. This report provides an overview of the primary emerging themes from the consultation and the actions that QAA has taken in respect of the proposed method of review in response to the consultation.
Emerging messages from the consultation
6 Much positive comment was received through the consultation on the draft IQER handbook. In the main, the majority of support expressed through the consultation for the proposals for IQER came from colleges and their representative bodies. They welcomed IQER as a clear step forward in the enhancement of the delivery of HE within FE colleges. They considered that the IQER proposals presented an opportunity to use similar approaches to quality assurance and quality enhancement for all HEFCE- funded provision within the colleges.
7 Respondents, primarily those from colleges, also considered that the proposals represented an opportunity for colleges to assume greater responsibility and develop their own quality assurance processes. In particular, directly-funded providers and those in multiple HE partnerships, could see great benefit in the proposed method of review.
8 Although many respondents from the HEIs and colleges commented on the likely burden and resource implications generated through the proposed method, colleges acknowledged that the benefits of a uniform external quality assurance process based upon the principles of peer review, and using existing documentation, outweighed the likely additional costs. HEIs, however, were less convinced that the potential burdens for HEIs and colleges would be offset by equal or greater benefits.
9 Although there was much support expressed for the proposals, there was also opposition to the underlying principles and rationale of the proposed IQER process, predominantly from HEIs. In the main, HEIs saw the proposed method as burdensome and complex. One of the primary criticisms expressed related to the lack of clarity about the inter-relationship between IQER with Institutional audit and Collaborative provision audit. HEIs also suggested that the proposed method of IQER duplicated the function of both Institutional audit and Collaborative provision audit.
10 HEIs with multiple FE college partners highlighted the logistical and administrative burdens that they perceived they would experience as a result of the introduction of IQER. They identified a potential problem of conflicting judgements about the arrangements for managing quality and standards with partner FE colleges emerging from IQER, Institutional audit and collaborative provision audit. They were also concerned that the channels of communication were unclear.
11 Respondents expressed some confusion as to what provision within colleges fell within the scope of IQER. They were not clear whether the proposals related to only HEFCE-funded provision and, if so, whether it would be applied to all HEFCE-funded provision or just to direct and consortium funded. Further clarification was requested as to which HE provision was within the scope of the IQER proposals.
12 In the main, respondents were extremely supportive of:
- an holistic approach to the review of HE within colleges
- the emphasis upon enhancement as part of the review process
- student and stakeholder involvement in the review
- the flexibility and scope for negotiation with QAA in relation to the timing and focus of the review
- the proposed use of existing documentation to inform the review activity.
13 Although the proposal for IQER, in principle, was broadly welcomed, respondents cited areas of concern and requested clarification in specific areas. The issues identified by respondents as problematic or of concern included:
- the relationship between QAA, the college and the awarding body or HEI
- the potential burden and costs for both colleges and HEIs
- the impact upon HEI-college partnerships in the delivery of HE
- the potential conflict between IQER judgements and those judgements made through Institutional audit or Collaborative provision audit in relation to the quality and standards of provision
- achieving stakeholder and student involvement, especially in relation to students in small colleges.
14 In the main, further information and clarification was requested in respect of:
- the relationship (to include communication and responsibility) between QAA, the college and the awarding HEI and/or Edexcel
- how student and stakeholder involvement would be achieved
- the notion of risk, in the selection of Developmental engagements
- responsibility for and expectations of TQI for HE in FE colleges
- the relationship between IQER and other audit, review and inspection activities (QAA, ALI and Ofsted).
Actions taken in response to the consultation
15 QAA has made a good deal of progress with developing IQER, mainly thanks to the many valuable comments received through the consultation. This development has included meetings with representative bodies: UUK, SCOP, AoC, MEG, CVU and with the awarding body Edexcel. The handbook has been revised in the light of these discussions and a revised version was approved for use by HEFCE at the end of August.
16 The main changes to the method include:
- greater emphasis on conducting IQER within the context of each college’s partnership agreements with its awarding bodies
- amendment of the core questions and judgements to set out more clearly the responsibilities of the colleges and their awarding bodies
- clarification of awarding bodies’ involvement in IQER
- clarification of the relationship of Institutional audit, Collaborative provision audit and IQER
- greater emphasis on the evaluation of the pilot year
- the start of full implementation from January 2008 to provide more time for revision to the method in the light of the evaluation of the pilot
- the publication of a new handbook for the start of the full cycle of IQER from 2007-8 to 2011-12.
Next steps
17 QAA recognises the importance of the pilot phase of the proposed IQER process. As such, the pilot reviews will be evaluated thoroughly and reported upon. This evaluation will enable QAA to revise the method, as appropriate, and to publish a new handbook for the full implementation of IQER in 2007-08.
18 During August 2006, QAA contacted all FE colleges and their HEI partners to request volunteers for the pilot reviews, due to take place during 2006-07. We are very grateful to the 30 colleges which have volunteered to take part in the pilots. We have selected 15 of these to represent the wide variety of provision of HE in FE colleges. Meanwhile, we have started training for IQER pilots. Twelve coordinators have been trained and we are developing training programmes for specialist reviewers, institutional nominees and facilitators, as well as briefing events for the pilot colleges.
19 Following an extensive scoping exercise, identifying HE provision offered through FE colleges in England, QAA intends to publish a key statistics bulletin in November 2006 to provide details of the range and nature of HE in FE colleges.
20 We would like to thank all the individuals, representative bodies and institutions who kindly responded to the consultation exercise and to the invitation to take part in the pilot project. The revised draft handbook: The handbook for a pilot study of an integrated quality and enhancement review will be published at the end of September 2006.
Gillian Hayes
25 September 2006
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