Evaluation of implementation of the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET)

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1 Evaluation of implementation of the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) Final report Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013)

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3 Evaluation of implementation of the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) Final report A report submitted by ICF GHK In cooperation with Technopolis Date: June 2013 Job Number 9510 ICF GHK 2nd Floor, Clerkenwell House 67 Clerkenwell Road London EC1R 5BL T +44 (0) F +44 (0)

4 Document Control Document Title Draft Final Report Evaluation of EQAVET Job number Prepared by Checked by Daniela Ulicna, Astrid Henningsen, Maria Golubeva (all ICF GHK) Astrid Henningsen, Daniela Ulicna Date June 2013

5 Contents Key Findings... I Executive summary... II 1 Introduction What is EQAVET? Presentation of EQAVET Rationale for EQAVET development and EQAVET objectives Evaluation methodology Methodology Discussion of the methodology Context: Quality assurance in VET in EU countries Overview of IVET quality assurance arrangements Overview of CVET quality assurance arrangements Relevance of EQAVET Relevance of EQAVET in the context of EU-level policies and strategies Relevance of EQAVET for national policy making Consistency of the content of the EQAVET Recommendation Choice of a Recommendation as a policy making instrument Summary of responses to the evaluation questions Effectiveness of EQAVET Contribution of EQAVET to national developments in quality assurance The roles and activities of National Reference points National quality assurance approaches Synergies with other instruments Contribution of EU-level products and activities Summary of responses to evaluation questions Efficiency of EQAVET structures EU-level governance and the European network Contributions of the EQAVET projects Summary of responses to the evaluation questions Sustainability of results achieved Conclusions and Recommendations Relevance of EQAVET Effectiveness of EQAVET Efficiency of EQAVET implementation approach Sustainability Annex 1 Country reports Annex 2 Case studies Annex 3 Additional tables and information Annex 4 Evaluation framework Annex 5 Organisations interviewed Annex 6 Data collection tools Annex 7 References

6 Key Findings Four years after the adoption of the EQAVET Recommendation, this evaluation took stock of progress in implementation of this instrument. It analysed the influence of EQAVET on national quality assurance measures and systems since 2002 and assessed relevance of EQAVET in the context of current priorities as well as other European instruments. The main positive findings of this evaluation can be summarised as follows: Directly or indirectly, EQAVET supported changes in quality assurance systems and measures in two thirds of countries analysed. EQAVET objectives remain relevant in the context of European priorities and policies in the field of education and training and beyond. The theme of quality assurance in VET also remains of relevance in the context of national developments. The fact that EQAVET was adopted in form of a Recommendation strengthened the participation of countries in EQAVET and helped to formalise the role of National Reference Points (NRP). The vast majority of countries have set up NRPs. They are hosted in very relevant organisations. A majority of EU countries have in place approaches to improve quality assurance, even though the Recommendation is vague on what constitutes such an approach. European products on EQAVET are viewed positively but their use is greater when these are translated and adapted to the national context. The EQAVET governance structure is considered to be efficient. The expertise of the EQAVET secretariat is welcomed. Of the Lifelong Learning Programme funded projects on EQAVET, the most effective ones are those that are led by system-level organisations in charge of quality assurance which have the capacity to mainstream project results. The evaluation also identified areas where further progress is needed, in particular it concluded that: There is currently very little evidence that EQAVET is contributing to the objective of making VET systems more transparent. The content of the EQAVET Annex 1 on quality cycle, criteria and descriptors does not lend itself easily for making national quality assurance systems transparent. In principle EQAVET is complementary with other European instruments in the area of qualifications, but in practice the complementarities need to be articulated more clearly. While the school-based aspects of QA in VET are well covered by EQAVET, the framework does not provide specific guidance for QA of work-based learning. The EU-level cooperation between EQAVET and European initiatives in quality assurance in other sectors of education is not systematic. Not all NRPs have a clear mandate and most NRPs do not have resources of their own. The Engagement of stakeholders in national activities of NRPs is very uneven. The EQAVET governance would benefit in greater involvement of representatives of stakeholders and representatives of organisations which have an interest in strengthening transparency of national quality assurance measures. Finally, the sustainability of changes induced by EQAVET is not yet clear. On one hand some countries are changing quality assurance systems mainstreaming certain features of EQAVET. On the other hand EQAVET does not currently have a clear lever to trigger sustainable change of providerlevel approaches to quality assurance. Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) I

7 Executive summary What is EQAVET? The European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) is a European instrument to support development of national systems for quality assurance in VET. EQAVET comprises a quality assurance and improvement cycle (planning, implementation, evaluation/assessment and review/revision) based on a selection of quality criteria, descriptors and indicators applicable to quality management at both VET-system and VET-provider levels. The aim of EQAVET is not to introduce new standards, but to support Member States efforts in developing quality assurance, whilst preserving the diversity of their approaches. It is a meta-framework which is underpinned by the rationale that quality assurance in VET should entail processes that embrace the whole policy-cycle as well as continuous improvement at the level of providers. EQAVET is an instrument developed and implemented through the Open Method of Coordination in the field of education and training. It was adopted in 2009 in form of a Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council 1 (referred to as the EQAVET Recommendation). The development of EQAVET dates back to early 2000 s. It takes roots in the 2002 Copenhagen Declaration of European Ministers in charge of Vocational Education and Training (VET) which states that European cooperation in VET should, among other things, promote cooperation in quality assurance with particular focus on exchange of models and methods, as well as common criteria and principles for quality in vocational education and training 2. The adoption of EQAVET in 2009 was preceded by years of EU-level work engaging country representatives in working groups, projects and common analytical work. This cooperation resulted in the formulation of the EQAVET Recommendation Annexes which present the framework and core features of EQAVET. The EQAVET Recommendation has two parts: The core document which comprises the recitals stating the intentions and objectives of EQAVET and which defines the activities that countries and the Commission should put in place in order to implement EQAVET; The Annexes that contain the EQAVET framework: The quality cycle supported by quality criteria and a set of specific descriptors for each phase (planning, implementation, evaluation and review). Descriptors are defined for system-level quality assurance and provider level quality assurance; A set of 10 indicators to monitor quality in VET. The Annexes are expected to be used as a toolbox, to fit the needs and realities of existing VET systems. The core of the EQAVET Recommendation invites countries to: Use and further develop the EQAVET framework to improve and develop their VET systems and support lifelong learning as well as the implementation of the European Qualifications Framework; Devise an approach aimed at improving national quality assurance systems by 2011; Take part in the EQAVET Network; Establish an EQAVET National Reference point; and Review implementation of EQAVET every four years. The EQAVET Recommendation defines two main objectives for this European tool: EQAVET should contribute to improve national quality assurance systems and measures through provision of guidelines and mutual learning; and EQAVET should increase transparency of VET with a view to promote mutual trust among VET systems and support mobility and lifelong learning. 1 European Parliament and of the Council (2009) Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training in Official Journal of the European Union; European Ministers of Vocational Education and Training (29-10 November 2002) Declaration of the European Ministers of Vocational Education and Training, and the European Commission, convened in Copenhagen on 29 and 30 November 2002, on enhanced European cooperation in vocational education and training The Copenhagen Declaration Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) II

8 Objectives of this evaluation The EQAVET Recommendation asks for an evaluation of EQAVET implementation four years after the adoption of the Recommendation. In this context the European Commission, DG Education and Culture, commissioned an external evaluation of EQAVET implementation. The evaluation questions were divided into four main areas that can be summarised as follows: Relevance To what extent does EQAVET remain a relevant instrument in the context of current European and national priorities? Effectiveness To what extent is EQAVET meeting its objectives? Efficiency To what extent are the structures and measures put in place to implement EQAVET appropriate given the results achieved? Sustainability Are the changes influenced by EQAVET leading to sustainable results? Each of the four areas was divided into several evaluation questions which are presented in the core of the report. The following important distinction was made when designing the evaluation: The focus of the evaluation is to understand whether and how EQAVET influences national quality assurance (QA) systems and measures; The evaluation does not assess the national QA systems or measures and their implementation. Summary of the methodology The methodology used was designed to provide evidence of: What changes to national quality assurance systems/ measures were influenced by EQAVET; How do these changes fit into the broader context of national quality assurance reforms and the context of other European tools and policies; What are the views of key informants about the measures taken to implement EQAVET; and Are the recommendations formulated in the EQAVET Recommendation being followed? To this end the evaluation collected data on: National quality assurance measures and their evolutions in 33 countries. This information is summarised in country reports and it is based on combination of desk research and interviews with key persons in charge of quality assurance and EQAVET in the countries; More in-depth analysis of specific examples of changes to national QA systems in selected six countries case studies - focusing on what motivated these changes and the role of EQAVET in this context; Additional interviews with EU-level experts and national stakeholder representatives; and Review of EQAVET projects funded through the Lifelong Learning programme and review of other sources. In total 140 persons were interrogated (over the phone in most cases) as part of the data collection: 78 interviews were carried out to draft country reports and 5 responses to questions were received in writing; Legislations, rules, requirements etc. for quality assurance were reviewed in 33 countries; 37 stakeholders were interviewed 3 ; 9 persons were interviewed for the 6 case studies in addition to data from country reports and stakeholder interviews; 11 EU-level interviews were carried out. Interviews were mainly carried out with people who had at least basic understanding of EQAVET though some stakeholders interviewed did not know about it. Interviewees were a combination of people directly engaged in the EQAVET process (national representatives) and people who are not directly taking part represented employers associations or chambers, 10 represented VET provider associations, 9 came from trade unions (of which 4 from teachers unions) and two student associations Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) III

9 In terms of temporal scope the evaluation looked at changes to national quality assurance systems/ measures since The EQAVET development phase was inherent to the nature of EQAVET and a number of countries were influenced by EQAVET before the actual adoption of the Recommendation. Therefore it was agreed not to focus solely on the period since the EQAVET official adoption. Main findings EQAVET objectives remain relevant in the context of European priorities and policies in the field of education and training and beyond. Recently adopted strategies and policy documents at European level confirm that the theme of quality of VET is an important topic for the EU2020 strategy and related initiatives. In this context quality assurance is recognised as having an important role to play in strengthening quality of VET. The transparency of quality assurance is also a continuously relevant objective for the development of the European Area of Skills and Qualifications. Transparency of quality assurance is one of the preconditions for mutual trust and recognition of skills and qualifications of mobile persons as well as for lifelong learning. The theme of quality assurance in VET remains of relevance in the context of national developments. In the past decade the vast majority of countries analysed have reformed their quality assurance systems and measures. Nine countries have adopted fully fledged quality assurance frameworks (some are for VET only while others cover also other sectors of education). Another ten countries are currently in the process of consolidating their quality assurance approaches. Even those countries where there is no consolidation of quality assurance measures going on (in some cases this is due to the division of responsibilities between different authorities) have reformed or adjusted their QA measures. The fact that such reforms are ongoing at national level shows that a European exchange of the theme of quality assurance in VET remains of relevance for the countries. In principle EQAVET is complementary with other European instruments in the area of qualifications, but in practice the complementarities need to be articulated more clearly. EQAVET is one of a series of European tools in education and training. The evaluation looked more closely at its complementarity with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and European Credit System for VET (ECVET). The analysis shows, as recognised by the EQAVET Recommendation, that both of these tools need to be underpinned by solid QA arrangements in order to be credible and trusted. In principle these tools are complementary meaning that the existence of QA procedures should reinforce the implementation of EQF and ECVET. However, a more in-depth analysis shows that the EQAVET framework (in particular the descriptors and the indicators) do not provide sufficiently clear guidance on some aspects key to EQF and ECVET, namely: The design and award of qualifications, including assessment, validation and recognition; and Lifelong learning and progression within education and training systems. There is currently no EU-level document explaining how the different tools fit together. This was negatively perceived by stakeholders interviewed. While the school-based aspects of QA in VET are well covered by EQAVET, the framework does not provide specific guidance for QA of work-based learning. In principle EQAVET should cover both school-based and work-based learning VET. The EQAVET cycle, is very general and is applicable to any educational process independent of its nature. However, the evaluation found that the framework is mainly used to inspire changes in QA of school-based VET. In most countries that have VET systems with important proportion of work-based learning, the latter is covered by somewhat different QA arrangements than the school-based part. The EQAVET descriptors and indicators do not explicitly mention any specificities of QA for workbased learning. Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) IV

10 The EU-level cooperation between EQAVET and European initiatives in quality assurance in other sectors of education is not systematic. Higher education, general education as well as adult learning have developed or are developing principles for quality assurance that are promoted at EU-level. The most advanced of these, in terms of implementation, are the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) for quality assurance in higher education. Comparison with EQAVET shows that there are certain similarities in the technical features of these two frameworks. At the same time the EU-level support to ESG implementation is quite different to that of EQAVET. While most EU-level activities related to EQAVET are about mutual learning and exchange among countries, ESG are used also for peer-review of QA systems in view of supporting transparency. There is at the moment no systematic exchange between EQAVET and organisations involved with the ESG. There is also no systematic EU-level cooperation with organisations active in QA in general education. At national level, however, in a number of countries VET at upper-secondary level follows the same quality assurance rules as general education. When it comes to the EU-level developments in quality assurance in adult learning this cooperation is for the moment less mature than EQAVET. It is still in development. The influence and inspiration is rather from EQAVET to the adult learning sector than the other way around. The content of the EQAVET Annex 1 on quality cycle, criteria and descriptors does not lend itself easily for making national quality assurance systems transparent. While interviewees mostly agree with the value of the EQAVET cycle, descriptors and indicators for inspiration and mutual learning, in practice this structure of EQAVET is not easily comparable with the quality assurance measures in the countries. Number of EQAVET descriptors concern features of VET systems rather than features that are captured in quality assurance systems. Furthermore, the cycle is not the main structuring element of many QA systems. Consequently it is not straightforward to describe what quality assurance measures a country has in place using the EQAVET Recommendation Annex. Most countries differentiate between quality assurance measures regarding four different aspects of VET: Internal review of VET providers; External review of VET providers; System level evaluation that feeds into future decisions; and Qualifications design and award. The cycle can be more easily described at the level of these four QA spheres. This lack of comparability between how national QA measures are structured and EQAVET is an obstacle for use of EQAVET as basis for transparency of QA systems and measures. The fact that EQAVET was adopted in form of a Recommendation strengthened the participation of countries in EQAVET and helped to formalise the role of National Reference Points (NRP). There were other alternatives to the adoption of EQAVET in form of a Recommendation. Other tools for example ECTS or ESG are not subject to a Recommendation of the Parliament and the Council. Consequently the evaluation was asked to analyse what difference does it make having the EQAVET Recommendation compared to promotion of EQAVET through other soft means. It was found that: Since the adoption of the Recommendation countries participation is more even as not all countries took part in the voluntary activities that preceded the adoption of the EQAVET Recommendation; Though some countries nominated NRPs before the adoption of the Recommendation more did so afterwards. Furthermore, the mandates of NRPs were clarified and formalised as a result of this legal document; The Commission was in a position to provide sustained support and resources to this initiative. Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) V

11 Directly or indirectly, EQAVET supported changes in quality assurance systems and measures in two thirds of countries analysed. EQAVET is supporting countries in their development of national quality assurance systems or measures. Existence of EQAVET does make a difference to the quality assurance systems of most countries analysed: In eight countries (BG, CZ, EL, HU, MT, RO, FYROM, HR) the contribution of EQAVET can be considered as high. In these countries the development of national quality assurance approaches would not have taken the same shape in the absence of EQAVET and its predecessor CQAF 4 ; In 14 countries (AT, BE fr, BE nl, CY, DE, EE, ES, FI, FR, IE, IT, LV, LT, SI) it can be considered as medium. However, in this number are included countries where evolutions clearly inspired by EQAVET are currently in development. If these are adopted and implemented the influence of EQAVET could be considered as high. These are: BE fr, ES, IT, LV, LT, SI. In 12 countries EQAVET is reported as having had only little indirect influence. This comprises countries where there were no strong developments in quality assurance (in IVET) over the past years and VET reform focused on other aspects such as LU, PL or SK. The group also comprises countries where the reform in quality assurance was mainly driven by general education (PL or SK) as VET and general education part of the same system. There are also some countries where quality assurance has been high on the policy agenda but where the developments were not necessarily related to the European agenda such as DK, NL or UK. When it comes to indirect influence of EQAVET, interviewees report the following examples of influence: EQAVET was an inspiration for national bodies in charge of quality assurance; It enhanced the visibility of the topic of quality assurance; It formed an encouragement and a confirmation that the topic of quality assurance was important; The EQAVET framework provided an opportunity to question some existing national practice critically; It triggered the development of a national network on quality assurance; Helped to develop consensus at national level that a framework for quality assurance was needed; It clarified the terminology in quality assurance in VET. However, it has to be recognised that these statements are mainly made by people involved in EQAVET and who are likely to have a more positive view of its influence. There is currently very little evidence that EQAVET is contributing to the objective of making VET systems more transparent. Countries are not taking any measures which would make their QA systems more transparent based on EQAVET. The country reports show that QA measures remain largely described in a fragmented manner across a range of documents and legislations. Very few countries make an effort to present in a comprehensive manner the QA measures they have in place in VET. Most of those that do have such descriptions, are not easily comparable to the structure presented in the EQAVET Annexes (cycle, criteria, descriptors, indicators). There is no clear reference in the EQAVET Recommendation which would encourage countries to focus on the transparency objective. The development of national approaches could play this role if its nature is clarified (see below). The vast majority of countries have set up NRPs. They are hosted in very relevant organisations. Not all NRPs have a clear mandate and most NRPs do not have resources of their own. NRPs are mostly hosted in organisations which have system-level responsibility for quality assurance in VET. Therefore the NRPs are closely integrated into national developments in QA. This strengthens their capacity to influence developments in the countries. At the same time only very few NRPs have a 4 CQAF was the name of the instrument while it was still in development. Several documents were published and disseminated in this period referring to the CQAF. CQAF contained a methodology for provider self-assessment which was quite influential in the period before EQAVET adoption. This methodology is not part of the EQAVET Recommendation. Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) VI

12 budget and resources of their own. They are integrated into the national structures, are part of their operational budgets and have hardly any own resources they can use to implement activities described in the EQAVET Recommendation. The EQAVET Recommendation is vague on what constitutes an approach aimed at improving quality assurance systems at national level. This evaluation shows that a majority of EU countries have such approaches but these were not necessarily triggered by the existence of EQAVET. Thirteen countries have devised an approach which may be considered in line with the text of the EQAVET Recommendation definition of an approach (i.e. focusing on improving quality assurance). Additional eight countries are working on the development such approach, of which two were close to completion by the closure of data collection. However, the Recommendation does not provide clear criteria about what such approach consists of. This evaluation considered as such approach an explicit document which has a strategic nature and which describe steps for improvement of national quality assurance systems or at minimum clearly state the intentions to strengthen quality assurance in VET. This strategic document can cover other issues of VET policies than quality assurance. The nature of these approaches varies greatly: some are rather short statements embedded in other strategic documents, others are much more detailed and focus on QA only. Their scope is also varying when it comes to coverage of IVET and/or CVET, provider level and/or system level. European products on EQAVET are viewed positively but their use is greater when these are translated and adapted to the national context. Respondents generally consider the EU-level products (documents, guidelines, IT tool) of added value however indications of their use are greater in countries where they were translated and adapted to the national context. The EQAVET governance structure is considered to be efficient. The expertise of the EQAVET secretariat is welcomed. The governance would benefit in greater involvement of representatives of stakeholders and representatives of organisations which have an interest in strengthening transparency of national quality assurance measures. Respondents had predominantly positive view of the EQAVET governance structure which is seen as open and efficient. Critical voices were very rare, preferring the past arrangements (before the adoption of the EQAVET Recommendation) but this preference was only echoed in a very small number of responses. Some respondents noted that as the cooperation evolves there is a need for more targeted activities which would also better take into account the fact that QA systems in countries are at different levels of development/ maturity. The support provided by the secretariat was also positively appreciated. A negative point highlighted by certain interviewees and confirmed by the analysis of participants is that stakeholder representatives represent only a small number of members of the EQAVET Network. While the EU-level stakeholders take part, national representatives are mostly from public administrations. Furthermore, the voice of those organisations which would be interested in strengthening the transparency aspect of EQAVET is not present in the group. These are for example organisations/ persons in charge of qualification recognition. This can explain why the transparency objective has not been paid sufficiently strong attention in the work of the network in the past. Engagement of stakeholders in national activities of NRPs is very uneven. Interviews with stakeholder representatives at national level in fifteen countries selected show very diverse situation regarding their awareness of EQAVET. In some countries stakeholders are informed and engaged in NRPs activities while in others all stakeholders interviewed had hardly any knowledge of EQAVET. This is in particular the case for stakeholder organisations representing labour markets (employers or employees). Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) VII

13 Even in those countries where national stakeholders have some contact with EQAVET NRPs, the persons interviewed, mostly from national umbrella organisations, considered that the knowledge of EQAVET among their member organisations to be minimal if any. Of the LLP projects on EQAVET, the ones which are led by system-level organisations in charge of QA which have the capacity to mainstream project results are most effective. The Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) funded a number of projects which had EQAVET for topic. Those that show system-level results are projects which were led by organisations that have the competence in the area of quality assurance. These projects were also embedded in a broader context of initiatives to improve quality assurance. The sustainability of changes induced by EQAVET is not yet clear. On one hand some countries are changing QA systems mainstreaming certain features of EQAVET. On the other hand EQAVET does not currently have a clear lever to trigger sustainable change of provider-level approaches to QA. As explain above, EQAVET is influencing national systems for quality assurance. Countries choose those elements of the EQAVET framework that fit their national needs. It can hence be expected that these changes will be sustainable. At the same time EQAVET has very limited influence on whether and how these changes are implemented on the ground in VET schools and training companies. To achieve sustainable results in the actual VET provision (not just at the level of systems) EQAVET relies on national efforts to promote and implement quality assurance. The sustainability of this type of change has therefore not been assessed in this evaluation. Recommendations Based on the above findings, the evaluation results in fifteen recommendations which are presented below. Nbr Text Relevance 1 Given the relevance of the theme of quality assurance at European and national level, continue European cooperation on quality assurance in VET focusing on both EQAVET objectives: enhancement of national quality assurance measures and enhanced focus on transparency of quality assurance 2 Clarify and strengthen the quality assurance of qualification design and award, including the learning outcomes approach and assessment in the EQAVET framework 3 Develop an explanation and argumentation on how the different tools (EQF, ECVET, EQAVET but also others) complement each other 4 Strengthen the lifelong learning dimension in EQAVET by developing the descriptors and/or indicators to emphasise quality assurance in view of learners (vertical or horizontal) progression 5 Strengthen coordination between EQAVET and other European instruments on quality assurance in education and training 6 Strengthen the work-based learning dimension in EQAVET 7 If the transparency objective is to be more strongly pursued, the Commission together with the representatives of the countries should consider reviewing the main structural features of EQAVET without abandoning the idea of the cycle and the principles anchored in the descriptors and indicators. These can be integrated in the reviewed structure Effectiveness 8 Consider strengthening the EQAVET recommendation on how countries should use EQAVET to make national quality assurance systems more transparent. 9 Encourage countries to clarify the mandate of NRPs and provide these with adequate resources 10 Clarify the EQAVET Recommendation requirement for countries to develop approaches to enhance quality assurance should be provided 11 Consider options for funding of translation of EQAVET tools and products through national and/or European sources Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) VIII

14 Nbr Text Efficiency 12 Maintain the European level activities and exchanges and continue supporting these with appropriate expertise 13 Considering strengthening the engagement of national VET stakeholders and those with interests in transparency of VET quality assurance systems in European cooperation and governance on VET quality assurance 14 If project funding is maintained, target projects that fit national approaches on quality assurance. Countries should consider using this funding for developing sustainable and strategic interventions 15 Strengthen engagement of national stakeholders in the activities of NRPs Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) IX

15 1 Introduction This final report for the evaluation of the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) is the third deliverable for the contract EAC The Terms of Reference define the following requirements for the draft final report: This document should deliver the results of all tasks covered by these Terms of Reference, and must be clear enough for any potential reader to understand. The structure of the report should follow a broad classification into three parts: Executive summary: It sets out, in no more than 10 pages, a summary of the evaluation s main conclusions, the main evidence supporting them and the recommendations arising from them. It should include a ½ page summary statement on the main evaluation issues covered by the evaluation (i.e. one or two sentences per evaluation issue). Main report: The main report must be limited to 75 pages and present, in full, the results of the analyses, conclusions and recommendations arising from the evaluation. It must also contain a description of the subject evaluated, the context of the evaluation, and the methodology used (including an analysis of its strengths and weaknesses). Country fiches: The country fiches should summarise the state of play of the implementation of the Recommendation in each country. Distinction between IVET and CVET and system/vet provider level should be made. Annexes: These must collate the technical details of the evaluation, and must include the Terms of Reference, questionnaire templates, interview guides, any additional tables or graphics, and references and sources. The structure of the draft final report was agreed in the interim report meeting and is as follows: Section 2 Contains a description of EQAVET, how is it expected to influence national developments as well as a description of the implementation approach; Section 3 summarises the methodology used for this evaluation; Section 4 gives an overview of the quality assurance arrangements in VET in EU countries; Section 5 presents the evaluation findings regarding the relevance of EQAVET; Section 6 presents the evaluation findings regarding effectiveness of EQAVET; Section 7 presents the evaluation findings regarding efficiency of EQAVET implementation approach; Section 8 discusses the sustainability of results identified; Section 9 summarises the conclusions of the evaluation; and Section 10 develops the recommendation for future development of EQAVET. The report is supported with the following annexes: Annex 1 Country reports; Annex 2 Case studies; Annex 3 Additional tables and information; Annex 4 Evaluation framework Annex 5 Organisations interviewed; Annex 6 Data collection tools used; Annex 7 References Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) 1

16 2 What is EQAVET? This evaluation assesses the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the EQAVET Recommendation after 4 years of implementation. It analyses the experience gained and implications for the future. It particularly focuses on assessing the influence the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) has on policies and practice in vocational education and training (VET) at national and European level. This section gives an overview of what is EQAVET and how is it expected to influence national policy and practice. It also gives an overview of the implementation approach and of the EU-level support to the implementation of this instrument. 2.1 Presentation of EQAVET EQAVET is a European instrument to support development of national systems for quality assurance in VET. It is a meta-framework which is underpinned by the rationale that quality assurance in VET should entail processes that embrace the whole policy-cycle as well as continuous improvement at the level of providers. EQAVET provides a common set of principles to guide countries quality assurance systems but also to support transparency of quality assurance systems at European level. Countries can use EQAVET to make changes to their quality assurance systems but they can also use it to present their existing quality assurance systems in a common manner. It is not a quality assurance system as such. EQAVET comprises a quality assurance and improvement cycle (planning, implementation, evaluation/assessment and review/revision) based on a selection of quality criteria, descriptors and indicators applicable to quality management at both VET-system and VETprovider levels. The aim of EQAVET is not to introduce new standards, but to support Member States efforts in developing quality assurance, whilst preserving the diversity of their approaches. EQAVET is an instrument developed and implemented through the Open Method of Coordination in the field of education and training. It was adopted in form of a Recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council 5 (referred to as EQAVET Recommendation in the text, see also below). Such Recommendation is a non-binding piece of legislation and its use and implementation in the countries is fully voluntary. It is up to the countries to decide to work with EQAVET. The EQAVET Recommendation has two parts: The core text which defines the recommendations for Member States as regards the use and further development of the European quality assurance framework and the endorsement of the intentions of the Commission with regards the support and follow up it intends to provide; and The Annexes (see below). The core text of the Recommendation states that Member States should: Use and further develop the EQAVET framework to further improve and develop their VET systems and support lifelong learning as well as the implementation of the European Qualifications Framework;; Devise an approach aimed at improving national quality assurance systems by 2011; Take part in the EQAVET Network; Establish an EQAVET Reference point; and Review implementation of EQAVET every four years. The recitals of the Recommendation state that: 5 European Parliament and of the Council (2009) Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training in Official Journal of the European Union; Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) 2

17 Quality assurance frameworks at national level should comprise the quality assurance circle of planning, implementation, evaluation and review. These dimensions should be applied to the level of systems as well as providers; The quality assurance frameworks should be based on quality criteria, descriptors and indicators; They should comprise external and internal evaluation mechanisms. In addition to the use of the cycle and external and internal evaluation as outlined above, EQAVET is composed of several technical components that are described in the Annexes. The Annexes comprise a set of descriptors for quality assurance processes and indicators to monitor quality and quality assurance (see below). Countries can use the descriptors and the indicators as appropriate to inspire their national quality assurance practices. They can use these items as a toolbox by choosing those that suit them most. As introduced above the main principle of EQAVET is the quality cycle of planningimplementation-evaluation and review. According to the logic on which EQAVET is based, countries (policy making and implementation bodies/ stakeholders) as well as providers should continuously use information on past performance to inform future decisions and actions. Implementation of measures should be based on clear planning, the implementation process should be monitored and evaluated and continuously improved based on feedback. A key idea underpinning EQAVET is that countries should put in place provisions that require existence of: Quality assurance systems at the level of VET providers; and At system level measures should exist that ensure the quality of VET. Provider level quality assurance should entail both internal and external review. Each provider should monitor its performance and use this information to improve its activities, processes and ultimately outcomes. Complementary to providers internal quality assurance measures, providers performance should be monitored and assessed externally. To support these processes, EQAVET offers countries a set of indicative descriptors and indicators. The descriptors distinguish between system level and provider level (see Table 2.1). The descriptors provide indications of processes for each phase of the EQAVET cycle. They are meant to make the EQAVET cycle more concrete and to provide guidance on what the cycle means in practice. They are statements that countries can use to self-assess their systems against and reflect upon how they can ensure better alignment of national systems with these statements. The descriptors are not required to be taken up and translated directly into national quality assurance systems as such. The EQAVET Recommendation also contains a series of indicators (see Table 2.2). These concern areas of VET policy that are considered of relevance 6 to the issue of quality and quality assurance of VET. According to the EQAVET Recommendation countries are not expected to report on these indicators at European level. They can choose to use them to monitor their VET systems but they can also use other indicators. The important aspect that EQAVET wants to strengthen is the use of indicators and of data for VET policy decisions. When it comes to the scope of EQAVET application, the instrument is expected to cover all types of VET: initial VET and continuous VET as well as school-based, work-based or mixed systems. Beyond the actual technical content of EQAVET (i.e. the circle, criteria and indicators), EQAVET is meant to have an agenda setting effect on countries. The fact that quality assurance has a prominent place in the EU-level discussions and policies is expected to be reflected in an increased interest and activities at national level (see section 2.2.2). 6 by Member States representatives involved in the elaboration of EQAVET Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) 3

18 Table 2.1 EQAVET Descriptors Planning Implementation Evaluation Review System level Provider level System level Provider level System level Provider level System level Provider level Goals/objectives of VET are described for the medium and long terms, and linked to European goals European, national and regional VET policy goals/objectives are reflected in the local targets set by the VET Implementation plans are established in cooperation with social partners, VET providers and other relevant stakeholders at the different Resources are appropriately internally aligned/ assigned with a view to achieving the targets set in the A methodology for evaluation has been devised, covering internal and external evaluation The relevant stakeholders participate in setting VET goals and objectives at the different levels Targets are established and monitored through specific indicators (success criteria) Mechanisms and procedures have been established to identify training needs An information policy has been devised to ensure optimum disclosure of quality results/outcomes subject to national/ regional data protection requirements Standards and guidelines for recognition, validation and certification of competences of individuals have been defined providers Explicit goals/objectives and targets are set and monitored Ongoing consultation with relevant stakeholders takes place to identify specific local/ individual needs Responsibilities in quality management and development have been explicitly allocated There is an early involvement of staff in planning, including with regard to quality development Providers plan cooperative initiatives with other VET providers The relevant stakeholders participate in the process of analysing local needs VET providers have an explicit and transparent quality assurance system in place Source: EQAVET Recommendation levels Implementation plans include consideration of the resources required, the capacity of the users and the tools and guidelines needed for support Guidelines and standards have been devised for implementation at different levels Implementation plans include specific support towards the training of teachers and trainers VET providers responsibilities in the implementation process are explicitly described and made transparent A national and/or regional quality assurance framework has been devised and includes guidelines and quality standards at VETprovider level to promote continuous improvement and self-regulation implementation plans Relevant and inclusive partnerships are explicitly supported to implement the actions planned The strategic plan for staff competence development specifies the need for training for teachers and trainers Staff undertake regular training and develop cooperation with relevant external stakeholders to support capacity building and quality improvement, and to enhance performance Stakeholder involvement in the monitoring and evaluation process is agreed and clearly described The national/regional standards and processes for improving and assuring quality are relevant and proportionate to the needs of the sector Systems are subject to self-evaluation, internal and external review, as appropriate Early warning systems are implemented Performance indicators are applied Relevant, regular and coherent data collection takes place, in order to measure success and identify areas for improvement. Appropriate data collection methodologies have been devised, e.g. questionnaires and indicators/metrics Selfassessment/selfevaluation is periodically carried out under national and regional regulations/frame works or at the initiative of VET providers Evaluation and review covers processes and results/outcomes of education including the assessment of learner satisfaction as well as staff performance and satisfaction Evaluation and review includes adequate and effective mechanisms to involve internal and external stakeholders Early warning systems are implemented Procedures, mechanisms and instruments for undertaking reviews are defined at all levels Processes are regularly reviewed and action plans for change devised. Systems are adjusted accordingly Information on the outcomes of evaluation is made publicly available Learners feedback is gathered on their individual learning experience and on the learning and teaching environment. Together with teachers feedback this is used to inform further actions Information on the outcomes of the review is widely and publicly available Procedures on feedback and review are part of a strategic learning process in the organisation Results/outcomes of the evaluation process are discussed with relevant stakeholders and appropriate action plans are put in place Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) 4

19 Table 2.2 EQAVET indicators EQAVET Indicators Relevance of quality assurance systems for VET providers: (a) share of VET providers applying internal quality assurance systems defined by law/at own initiative (b) share of accredited VET providers Investment in training of teachers and trainers: (a) share of teachers and trainers participating in further training (b) amount of funds invested Participation rate in VET programmes: Number of participants in VET programmes, according to the type of programme and the individual criteria Completion rate in VET programmes: Number of persons having successfully completed/abandoned VET programmes, according to the type of programme and the individual criteria Source: EQAVET Recommendation Placement rate in VET programmes: (a) destination of VET learners at a designated point in time after completion of training, according to the type of programme and the individual criteria (b) share of employed learners at a designated point in time after completion of training, according to the type of programme and the individual criteria Utilisation of acquired skills at the workplace: (a) information on occupation obtained by individuals after completion of training, according to type of training and individual criteria (b) satisfaction rate of individuals and employers with acquired skills/competences Unemployment rate according to individual criteria Prevalence of vulnerable groups: (a) percentage of participants in VET classified as disadvantaged groups (in a defined region or catchment area) according to age and gender (b) success rate of disadvantaged groups according to age and gender Mechanisms to identify training needs in the labour market: (a) information on mechanisms set up to identify changing demands at different levels (b) evidence of their effectiveness Schemes used to promote better access to VET: (a) information on existing schemes at different levels (b) evidence of their effectiveness Evaluation of the Implementation of EQAVET (June 2013) 5

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