Best Practices in Quality Assessment

To seek best practices in quality assessment, institutions and agencies may adapt the following nine PRACTICES principles namely; Purpose, Readiness, Accountability, Communication, Team, Implementation, Continuous Improvement, Evaluation and Sustenance:

Purpose

The purpose of the quality assessment must be clearly defined so that the roles and accountability of the stakeholders can be established. Is the purpose of the quality assessment is for compliance, improvement or public accountability?

Readiness

The stakeholders who are involved in the quality assessment must be ready before embarking on the quality assessment journey. This may include legal framework, assessment framework, assessment processes, appointment of assessment panel, training of assessors and staff of  institutions to be assessed.

Accountability

The accountability of various stakeholders should be well articulated and documented. Policies on governance and ethics should form part of the accountability.

Communication

Communication about the quality assessment, within the assessment team, and among the institution, agency and ministry should be well established. Communication, promotion and education plan should be established to ensure that all stakeholders are well informed and educated.

Team

Appointing the right assessment team to carry out the quality assessment is crucial to the success of the actual assessment. The composite of the team and the criteria for appointing the assessment team members and their roles should be clearly established. 

Implementation

Implementation is an important phase in making the assessment plan into reality. What is the implementation plan? Is it going to be on a pilot phase before the big bang or is it going for a particular sector/entity? What are the activities to be implemented before-during-after quality assessment.

Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement is the key to best practices in quality assessment. Policies, assessment framework, assessment processes, practices adopted by institutions and agencies and human capacity should be continuously improved as quality assessment is a dynamic process.

Evaluation

For quality improvement, there must be an evaluation plan established to seek innovative and best practices through self-evaluation, peer review and benchmarking.

Sustenance

Quality assessment is a journey and not a destination. To keep the momentum, recognition and reward schemes should be established to motivate the institutions and agencies. Nurturing a quality culture and building capacity in institutions, agencies and ministries are crucial in sustaining the quality assessment journey.