Quality review in higher education in the Netherlands and in Belgium (Flanders)

Report ID: 18

The Dutch and Belgian Court of Audit found in a joint examination that quality review in higher education both in the Netherlands and in Belgium is highly developed. However, the functioning of quality assurance in educational institutions themselves could be improved in several aspects.

The process of accreditation by the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation organisation (NVAO) has been duly set up. The appraisal contained in inspection reports remains, however, often too procedural by nature and the evidenced-based approach is not always sufficiently elaborated. However, the NVAO is left to base its accreditation decision on these inspection reports.

(Report in Flemish)

Quality review in higher education in the Netherlands and in Belgium. Joint follow-up report

Report ID: 19

The innovations in the quality education system in higher education introduced in the Netherlands and Flanders give the opportunity to focus more attention on the content aspects of the education quality and at the final level of students. However, the review reports, which assess a program, are not always appropriate in terms of compliance and substantiation of judgments. This implies that the poorly scoring aspects of a program remain invisible. The accreditation organization NVAO can easily find additional information to be more critical. However, the differences in quality surveillance between Flanders and the Netherlands are increasing. This sets the Dutch Court of Auditors and the Belgian Court of Auditors in the joint research report Quality Assurance in Higher Education in the Netherlands and Flanders, published on September 12, 2013. This is a follow-up to similar joint research from 2008.

(Report in Flemish)

Abstract of the Joint Audit Report on Quality review in higher education in the Netherlands and in Belgium

Report ID: 277

The important implications of the Bologna Process, which aims to create a European Higher Education Area, have been highlighted by the Court of Auditors and the European Court of Auditors.

Court of Auditors to undertake a joint review of the operation of the system of quality assurance in higher education. The quality of higher education is important for the development of the knowledge economy and thus for the international economic position of the Netherlands and Flanders.

The aim of this research was to contribute to the good functioning of quality assurance in higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders

The audit questions addressed were:

- Is there a system of internal quality assurance that is aimed at measuring, improving and thus maintaining the quality of the higher level education as found in the accreditation process?

- How does external quality assurance work and does it lead to well-founded quality assurance accreditations?

- Do the institutions involved in the accreditation have an insight into the costs of quality assurance?

- Does the Minister supervise internal and external quality assurance?

35 study programmes were selected for this study: 18 in the Netherlands and 17 in Flanders, each divided between three universities and three colleges.

Source: https://www.ccrek.be/EN/Publications/Fiche.html?id=72338820-a787-4361-8eeb-e87adf02c5e8

Auditoría coordinada sobre indicadores de educación - Resumen Ejecutivo

Report ID: 248

El resumen presenta los resultados de las auditorías de desempeño sobre la generación de estadísticas educativas, realizadas por 11 Entidades Fiscalizadoras Superiores (EFS) latinoamericanas: Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Panamá y República Dominicana. Esta auditoría contó con el apoyo de la cooperación técnica alemana a través de la GIZ.

La auditoría trata de la producción de estadísticas educativas y tiene en cuenta la necesidad de controlar y seguir los objetivos y metas establecidos a nivel nacional, así como los compromisos internacionales asumidos por los países miembros de las Naciones Unidas.

En cuanto a las buenas prácticas, se concluyó que de las doce unidades administrativas auditadas, dos mostraban una adhesión baja a las prácticas recomendadas por la Oficina Estadística de la Unión Europea (EUROSTAT), cuatro mostraban una adhesión media y seis, una adhesión alta.

La fiscalización tenía por objeto evaluar tres cuestiones:

1) La adopción de buenas prácticas internacionales por parte de las unidades administrativas encargadas de generar estadísticas sobre educación;

2) La capacidad de producción de estadísticas para el seguimiento del sistema educativo en cada país, la entrega de datos e indicadores a los organismos internacionales, la oportunidad de estas actividades, así como la forma de difusión y divulgación de estos datos e indicadores;

3) El progreso de los países en relación con la meta 2 de los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM) y en relación con los objetivos del Marco de Dakar del Programa de Educación para Todos (EPT) de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO).

Fuente: https://www.olacefs.com/resumen-ejecutivo-auditoria-coordinada-sobre-indicadores-de-educacion/

Joint Study Main characteristics, findings, messages of the coordinated audit of the Graduates’ Career Tracking Systems

Report ID: 278

In 2015, as one of the subprojects of the Network on Europe 2020 Strategy Audit, the State Audit Office of Hungary (as coordinator), the Bulgarian National Audit Office and the Romanian Court of Accounts decided to carry out a coordinated audit to allow for better use of shared knowledge for competitiveness – revealing the good practices of graduate career tracking systems. 

The objective of the audit was to reveal good practices of career tracking systems, with special regard to tracking the careers of graduates employed in another Member State.

The cooperative audit was a performance audit focusing on effectiveness. The Romanian Court of Accounts also focused on efficiency in its country-specific audit. The State Audit Office of Hungary, besides carrying out the audit, performed an analysis as well.

The final product of the cooperative audit was a joint study with four conclusions and messages supported by the experiences and audit findings of all three SAIs; as well as three good practices that the participating SAIs collected over the course of the audits and which they would like to draw to the attention of other countries.

In addition, all three SAIs have summarized the main characteristics and findings of their national audits with special regard to those which may provide useful lessons for other Member States in developing graduate career tracking systems.

Source: https://www.aszhirportal.hu/en/international-relations/international-experience-about-graduates-career-tracking