How to boost the power of quality assurance in recognition

Quality assurance in education is widely acknowledged as a prerequisite for the recognition of foreign qualifications. By creating trust between education systems, it provides an essential foundation for international student mobility.

It plays a less visible role in recognition processes but is an equally essential foundation for fair recognition in the European area. The results of two recent studies, the analysis of 10 years of quality assurance in the ENIC-NARIC Networks and the updated Spotlight tool for higher education institutions, provide a useful basis for discussion.

Both illustrate the role of quality assurance in the consistent implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention (LRC) by competent authorities at the national (ENIC-NARIC) and institutional (higher education) level, contributing to fair, transparent and reliable recognition practices that underpin international mobility.

10 years of ENIC-NARIC Networks peer reviews

Following the publication of the European Area of Recognition (EAR) Manual in 2012, ENIC-NARIC centres developed with Erasmus+ programme funding, a quality assurance tool tailored to assess their LRC implementation which was finalised in 2016.

It combines a self-evaluation based on six standards grounded in the LRC with an external peer review by two experts from one or more centres as well as a national expert.

Adopted in 2019 by the ENIC-NARIC networks, it remains a voluntary quality assurance mechanism to support transparency, accountability and continuous improvement in line with the LRC.

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the tool this year, the Erasmus+ Technical Support Team (TST3.0) project produced a report reflecting on its impact since its first use. The analysis was based on reflections from 21 ENIC-NARIC centres that have participated in the peer review process since 2016.

These were collected via a survey focusing on reasons for participating, implementation and challenges and the added value of the self-assessment process.

A major outcome has been the discovery of unexpected blind spots through the peer reviews, including areas that centres had either overlooked or considered to be among their strengths. Many participants also reported a better understanding of how the Lisbon Recognition Convention is implemented in practice.

In terms of implementation, most respondents acted on the recommendations provided by the peer review team. However, a majority of 17 centres (80.9%) implemented them gradually due to resource constraints and legislative hurdles, reflecting a long-standing challenge within the ENIC-NARIC Networks.

The report also showed that peer review outcomes provided evidence of where improvements and support were needed to fulfil their responsibilities under the LRC. This was also used by centres in their discussions with policymakers, strengthening their centre’s position. Concrete examples include securing funding during organisational reforms, obtaining a formal legal status and expanding operations.

One of the conclusions after 10 years peer reviews is that the tool is actively embraced by ENIC-NARIC centres as a continuous quality assurance mechanism supporting the implementation of the LRC while strengthening transparency and accountability. This autumn, the ENIC centres of Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Georgia and Greece will carry out self-assessments and peer reviews of their centres’ operations as part of the TST3 project.

Spotlight on quality assurance: a companion to recognition

Inspired by the ENIC-NARIC peer review system and driven by the necessity to support higher education institutions in making the recognition part of their admissions procedures LRC compliant, the Spotlight self-assessment tool was developed in 2022 by a European University Association-led consortium.

In doing so the project also provided a practical tool for institutions to demonstrate to what extent they comply with the standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) standard 1.4, which requires LRC-compliant recognition procedures.

In the Erasmus+ AR25 project, a group of 43 institutions from seven countries used the Spotlight tool for the first time to evaluate their admissions processes. The main findings are similar to those of the ENIC-NARIC instrument, showing appreciation for a fit-for-purpose tool rooted in the LRC, rather than a generic quality assurance tool.

Other outcomes included a better understanding of the LRC and its application, uncovering areas for improvement in a systematic way and an evidence base for starting a dialogue on improvements within institutions.

Conducting the assessment together with other institutions provided an exchange of expertise and practices with peers at a national level that was also reported to boost the national dialogue. Overall, even despite a reported limited capacity to participate, the tool was seen as an effective time investment to achieve the internal goals of and empower the admissions office.

One of the main updates resulting from the first round is the development of a light-touch version, the “companion”, for institutions that do not have the capacity to conduct a full-scale assessment.

This version will be used this autumn alongside the updated full tool, when the Erasmus+ AR2030 project launches a new series of peer counselling sessions to support institutions to benefit from the tool together.

Sustaining quality assurance in recognition

The above illustrates the essential role of quality assurance in the recognition process and also the potential to further expand and cement its implementation. However, there are practical limitations, such as the capacity of both ENIC-NARIC and higher education institutions to engage. This points to a more systematic issue that quality assurance is still considered an add-on rather than an integral part of the LRC framework, making implementation inconsistent and not as effective as it could be.

One way forward could be to further explore synergies with the work of the LRC Committee and to further align efforts in this area. This could also contribute to the work of the ENIC-Bureau and NARIC Advisory Board to support a quality culture in the ENIC-NARIC Networks.

Another avenue is to further prioritise quality assurance in recognition within the framework of the European Higher Education Area, where the LRC provides a foundational framework for student mobility.

When looking at the momentum recognition is gaining globally, it may be worthwhile for the Global Convention as well as other regional Convention Bureaus, and Networks of National Information Centres and Structures, to consider to what extent quality assurance of recognition procedures can be taken on board as a strategy to secure implementation of their Conventions. This could also be a topic for further exploration between regions. The full benefits of quality assurance in recognition are yet to come.

Merlijn van Dierendonck is a credential evaluator at Nuffic, the Netherlands organisation for internationalisation in education and home of the Dutch ENIC-NARIC. He is an expert in several
European cooperation projects focusing on recognition policy, quality assurance and capacity building within the ENIC-NARIC Networks, and author of the publication “A decade of peer reviews in the ENIC NARIC Networks” analysing 10 years of peer reviews.

Jenneke Lokhoff is a senior policy officer at Nuffic. An expert in the recognition of foreign qualifications, she has coordinated numerous international recognition initiatives, including the development of the ENIC-NARIC self-evaluation and peer review system. She was president of the ENIC Network and a member of the NARIC Advisory Board and is currently vice-president of the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee Bureau.

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.