Competence makes the difference! Project co-financed by the European Social Fund, through the Operational Programme Administrative Capacity 2014 - 2020
The project
Improving public policies in higher education and enhancing the quality of regulations by updating quality standards QAFIN
Project beneficiary: Ministry of National Education – The Unit for the Management of Externally Financed Projects
Partner: The Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS)
Title: Improving public policies in higher education and enhancing the quality of regulations by updating quality standards QAFIN
SIPOCA code/SMIS2014+: 16
Implementation period: 29.05.2017-28.11.2020
Project start date: 29.05.2017
Financer: The project is co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the Operational Programme "Administrative Capacity" 2014-2020, Priority Axis 1: Efficient public administration and judicial system, Specific objective 1.1: Developing and introducing common systems and standards in public administration that optimize decision-making processes oriented towards citizens and the business environment, in line with the Strategy for strengthening of public administration 2014-2020.
Total value: 16.070.930,24 RON, of which 13.496.988,01 RON non-reimbursable financial assistance from the ESF and 2.573.942,23 lei contribution of the applicant
The aim of the project is the achievement and implementation of evidence-based public policies, respectively the correlation of strategic planning with programme budgeting, in the field of financing of higher education institutions, through the enhancement of regulations regarding external quality assurance, classification and ranking of higher education institutions and study programmes. Also, the project aims at the improvement of administrative capacity of the Ministry of National Education and of ARACIS, by adapting structures, optimizing processes and training human resources, and enhancing the use of transparent public consultation mechanisms that ensure citizen participation in decision-making and by applying European quality standards.
The project activities will be implemented with technical assistance from the World Bank experts.
The specific objectives of the project are:
A) Optimisation of strategic planning and program budgeting by:
a. providing the necessary tools, methodologies and guidelines for external quality assurance in higher education, respectively classifying and ranking of higher education institutions and study programmes, for informed decisions regarding the way money is allocated to higher education institutions and to their study programmes,
b. clarifying the role and mandates of institutions involved in quality assurance processes in higher education.
B) Implementation of the methodology and of the guidelines for classification and ranking of higher education institutions, respectively of study programmes, based on clear and transparent sets of indicators and data;
C) Improvement of the administrative capacity of the Ministry of National Education and ARACIS at system level, by developing managerial instruments on internal organisation and operation, procedures for internal use, manuals, guides of best practices and by training its own staff, as well as staff from higher education institutions for the implementation of the developed instruments and with regard to European practices in the field.
The envisaged project results are the following:
- Methodology and guidelines for external evaluation of quality in higher education institutions from Romania;
- Improved methodology for the evaluation of universities with the purpose of institutional classification and ranking of study programmes. Report regarding the classification of universities and study programmes;
- Study on data and good practices at European level regarding quality assurance and classification in higher education as well as on the impact of current practices, at national level;
- Updated internal regulation for organisation and operation of ARACIS and development of the manual of internal procedures;
- Manual of procedures regarding the role and competences of the Ministry of National Education and its subordinated councils, respectively of ARACIS, regarding quality assurance and the ways of collaboration between the two institutions;
- Staff of the Ministry of National Education and its subordinated councils, of ARACIS and higher education institutions that was trained regarding the implementation of the developed methodologies, including for ensuring an adequate sustainability
- Staff of the Ministry of National Education and ARACIS that participated in exchanges of good practices with other higher education quality assurance agencies listed in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR).
This webpage is co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the Operational Programme "Administrative Capacity" 2014-2020
For detailed information regarding the other programmes co-financed by the European Union, please visit the website: www.fonduri-ue.ro
- website of the Operational Programme "Administrative Capacity": www.fonduriadministratie.ro
The content of this website does not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Union. The responsibility for the correctness and consistency of the presented information lies entirely with the initiators of the webpage.
