EQUASS Certification: a tool for VET providers to show compliance with the EQARF for VET

EQUASS Certification: A tool for VET providers to show compliance with EQAVET.

Guus van Beek European Platform for Rehabilitation

1 2

PRIME-project: Transfer of knowledge and experiences in the field of Quality in Vocational Education and Training.

EQARF ….. to increase the transparency, market relevance, consistency and transferability

The PRIME-project emphasizes the transfer of knowledge and experiences, the implementation and dissemination of the results of the former EQAVET–project.

The instrument for implementing the requirements expressed in EQAVET in the PRMIE project is the EQUASS Assurance certification program. In the scope of the Prime project, a cross-reference study is carried out between the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) and the quality assurance certification requirements of the European Quality Assurance in Social Services (EQUASS Assurance). This article describes the summary of the result of the cross-reference study at VET provider. Detailed information

can be found in the final crossreference report.

The EQAVET should be regarded rather as a ‘toolbox’, from which the various users may choose those descriptors and indicators that they consider most relevant to the requirements of their particular quality assurance system. The EQAVET Quality Criteria and EQAVET Indicative descriptors aim to increase the transparency, market relevance, consistency and transferability of VET qualifications across Europe.

It provides a common framework and tools to Member State VET providers to improve monitor and evaluate their quality assurance policies and practices in a manner appropriate to their institutional and national context.

2

1 2

EQUASS ‌ engaging service providers in quality and continuous quality improvement

The European Quality in Social Services (EQUASS) is a certification program based on three European Quality Frameworks: the European Quality Framework for Social Services (Social Protection Committee, 2010), the Common Quality Framework for Social Services of General Interest (Prometheus, 2010) and the European Quality Reference Framework for VET (European Parliament, 2009). The EQUASS certification programs are based on Principles for Quality and sector specific criteria.

The certification programs are offered at two levels: Assurance and Excellence.

In the EQUASS assurance level, organisations are assessed on their performances on approaches, deployment and results with 100 performance indicators.

In an independent assessment, organisations are asked to show verifiable information so performance and compliance with the indicators can be confirmed. In the Excellence level organisations must show evidence of compliance with three years trends on Key Performance Indicators for results and proof of systematic benchmarking with similar organisations in the sector.

In the cross reference study an examination is carried out if, and into what extent, the EQUASS Assurance certification program complies with the EQAVET indicative descriptions at VET provider level.

3

1 2

Compliance with EQAVET EQUASS Assurance certification requirements meet the requirements set out in the indicative descriptions of the EQAVET Quality Criteria. All requirements expressed in the indicative descriptors are included in the EQUASS Assurance requirements for certification.

The EQUASS Assurance addresses that:

certification

requirements

a. Policies and objectives are set, monitored and reflected by the service providers b. Consultation with and participation of relevant internal and external stakeholders are organised to identify and analysing specific needs and review activities in a continuous process

4

c. Responsibilities in management development have explicitly allocated

quality and been

d. Staff is involved in planning and development (including quality development), undertake regular training to support capacity building and quality improvement, and enhance over all performance e. Partnership initiatives with other service providers is a leading principle of good governance f. An explicit and transparent quality assurance system in place.

g. Resources are assigned and based on the identification of needs to achieve the targets set out in annual planning, staff competence plans and individual plans for the user. h.

Self-assessment is periodically carried out by internal audits under the EQUASS certification scheme. j. Process and result evaluation, including the assessment of service user and stakeholder satisfaction as well as staff performance and satisfaction, is carried out on regular basis. i. Internal audits and cycling mechanisms operate as early warning systems.

k. Feedback is gathered from service users, staff and other stakeholders on their individual experience and on the environment. The information is used for further actions. The outcomes of the evaluation process are discussed with stakeholders and appropriate action plans are included in further action. The procedures for feedback and review are part of a governance practice of the service provider. l. Outcome information is transparent, reported and disseminated.

5

EQAVET Indicators EQAVET proposes a comprehensive set of 10 selected quality indicators. The indicators are integrated part of EQAVET. The indicators are categorised as follows: 1. Overarching indicators for Quality Assurance 2. Indicators supporting quality objectives for VET policies 3. Context information In the scheme an overview is given between the relationship of the EQAVET indicators and the EQUASS criteria.

EQAVET …. a refrence set of selective indicators for assessing quality in VET

Note: Indicator number 7, “unemployment rate according to individual criteria” is identified as background information for policy decision-making at VET-system level and therefore not relevant in the cross-reference study at VET provider level.

6

Conclusion EQUASS assurance certification can be considered as an instrument to show compliance and satisfactory performance on all EQAVET criteria and underling indicative descriptors at the VET provider level. In three specific cases EQAVET indicative descriptors have additional clarification to the EQUASS criteria and indicators and may have a specific interpretation to context of the VET provider. In all cases there is substantial evidence that the EQUASS Assurance requirements for certification fully comply with the criteria and indicative descriptors of the EQAVET Framework.

The performance on the 10 EQAVET indicators can be selected and used as evidence in showing compliance with the criteria for EQUASS assurance certification. The EQAVET indicators therefore are considered to be relevant for its purpose in evaluating quality at VET provider level.

Prime-project REA-College Pluryn Kerkenbos 1003, 6546 BB Nijmegen www.prime-leonardo.eu

!