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QA / QI Office

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Quality Assurance (QA)?
2. How does QA differ from other review procedures?
3. What is Quality Improvement (QI)?
4. How long does the QA/QI process take?
5. Who is involved in QA?
6. What is my role and how might I contribute?
7. What does internal assessment involve?
8. Who is the facilitator? What is their role?
9. Can I speak openly and raise a concern without fear of judgement or penalty during the QA process?
10. How is the QA process supported?
11. Who decides who is involved in external assessment?
12. How are students involved in QA?
13. Is a questionnaire the primary means of obtaining feedback from students?
14. What is the alternative to a questionnaire?
15. Who will design the questionnaire?
16. Who will analyse and collate information?
17. Is the information gathered anonymous and confidential?
18. If an internal report is written, who sees it?
19. If an external report is written, who sees it?
20. When QA is finished, what will happen?

1. What is Quality Assurance (QA)?

"Quality cannot be an absolute, it is a dynamic".

QA is a framework and process to help Departments/Faculties and staff members to better understand what it is we, as educators, artists and designers do, in order to plan and improve for the future. It does not involve individual assessment, it does involve an assessment of the systems, policies and structures that are in place to support and enhance learning. The key questions addressed during the QA process are:

• What are we trying to do?
• How are we trying to do it?
• How do we know it works?
• How do we change in order to improve?

2. How does QA differ from other review procedures?

Unlike external review procedures, QA is a 'root and branch' review involving all members of Departments/Faculties in the process of critical reflection, self-reflection, discussion and analysis. It results in a balanced and objective assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of a Department/Faculty. Staff members are encouraged to actively participate throughout the QA process.

3. What is Quality Improvement (QI)?

QI is the process of addressing the issues that arise during the QA review. Recommendations for improvement tend to fall into three categories:

1. Changes which can be addressed internally by the Department/Faculty such as teaching methods, communication, organisation and administration.
   
   
2. Improvements in College services, procedures and facilities which are outside the control of the Department/Faculty, but can be addressed on a College-wide basis.
   
   
3. Improvements which require additional funding or resources.

4. How long does the QA/QI process take?

The complete process should ideally take about 15 months at the end of which a quality improvement plan will be published.

5. Who is involved in QA?

The staff of Department/Faculty going through the review process should all have an input into the review process, thereby taking ownership of the process and the outcomes. Students within the Department/Faculty will also be involved through a feedback mechanism. A facilitator from another area in College can be selected to help drive the process and the QA/QI Officer will liaise with the area under review.

6. What is my role and how might I contribute?

All staff members are encouraged to participate in the self-assessment process by thinking about and discussing what they do and how they do it. Lecturing, technical and administrative staff all have important roles within their area and can contribute by assessing their role, attending meetings and communicating their views within the framework of the self-assessment procedure.

7. What does internal assessment involve?

The self-assessment process provides the opportunity for the Department/Faculty as a whole to reflect on, and analyse what it does. It can be a driver for change and strategic development. The self-assessment process can commence with the appointment of a facilitator from another Department/Faculty within College. A series of staff meetings should be initiated, chaired by the Head of Department/Faculty. The facilitator and QA Officer will be invited to attend each meeting. A SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) is a useful way to start the process and can be important in informing the assessment report. Student feedback questionnaires will be issued and the results analysed centrally to form part of the report. The Department/Faculty will appoint a staff member to draft the final report – this is normally the Head. Supporting documentation should be collated throughout the academic year.

8. Who is the facilitator? What is their role?

The facilitator can be a full-time staff member from another Department in College. Their role is to facilitate discussion and involve everyone in the self-assessment process. They should support the process by clarifying the tasks involved, driving the process forward. The facilitator should attend each meeting, maintaining impartiality and confidentiality, remaining focused and closing each session with a summary of agreed actions.

9. Can I speak openly and raise a concern without fear of judgement or penalty during the QA process?

The self-assessment format encourages open discussion and any concerns raised should form part of the report. As stated above, QA does not involve individual assessment, it does involve an assessment of the systems, policies and structures that are in place to support and enhance learning. Open debate is an integral part of the process.

10. How is the QA process supported?

The QA Office has been established to provide support in planning the process, establishing guidelines and timeframes, clarifying objectives and identifying goals. The QA Officer will liaise with areas commencing or undergoing review, help in the design of documentation, assessment forms and report formats. The Officer will work closely with staff involved in QA/QI through the different stages of the process and will provide project management to groups engaged in reviews.

11. Who decides who is involved in external assessment?

Peer review will be carried out by a group of three/four individuals, an independent Chair, an academic practitioner, a professional practitioner and an internal reviewer.  The QA/QI Steering Group will be responsible for selecting the Peer Review Group but will be advised by the nominations forwarded from the area engaged in the review process

12. How are students involved in QA?

Student feedback is integral to the continuous development of quality improvement. All Departments/Faculties should put feedback mechanisms in place, not just as part of the review process, but prior to a review and after a review has taken place. It is important to close the feedback loop so that students are made aware that their views have been considered and acted upon.

13. Is a questionnaire the primary means of obtaining feedback from students?

Yes. A questionnaire ensures student participation and a high response rate. It can cater for numerous students and handle sensitive issues confidentially.

14. What is the alternative to a questionnaire?

Focus groups can provide in-depth analysis of an area and form the basis of a student survey. Consensus can be reached by a group of students.

15. Who will design the questionnaire?

A template has been designed by an external consultant. The QA/QI Officer will set up the questionnaire following discussion with the Department/Faculty on topics to be addressed. An interactive approach is taken to the development of the questionnaire between the QA/QI Officer and the Department/Faculty. A bank of questions has been collated from which any area under review can select in future years (see http://www.ncad.ie/about/qastudent_feedback.shtml).

16. Who will analyse and collate information?

The QA/QI Officer draws up a report and present the results to the area under review. Since NCAD has moved to web-based surveys, the process has been substantially simplified with the survey tool providing the basic analysis. The QA/QI Officer can drill down into the variables and combine a number of questions for a more in-depth analysis of results.

17. Is the information gathered anonymous and confidential?

Yes, there should not be any names on the questionnaire, or information that can point to a particular student. The questionnaires are disseminated by the QA/QI Officer so confidentiality is ensured. The results of the questionnaire will be presented in such a manner as to preserve anonymity.

18. If an internal report is written, who sees it?

The SAR should be read and agreed by the Department/Faculty as a whole.  A copy will be issued to the QA/QI Steering Group for endorsement.  This report will not be published.  The peer reviewers will read the report prior to their on-site visit.

19. If an external report is written, who sees it?

Following approval by the QA Steering Group, the PRG report will be recommended to Academic Council for publication. The external reports will be accessible and available on request for other reviews taking place. The report or a summary of the report will be published on the website.

20. When QA is finished, what will happen?

Following review, the Department/Faculty prepares a quality improvement plan for implementing the recommendations of the review process. Some recommendations will already have been implemented by the Department during the QA process. Others will be implemented on a College-wide basis. Recommendations will be implemented subject to the required resources being available to the College.