Capacity Building for Quality Assurance and Accreditation (QAA) in Nepal

1. Capacity Building for Quality Assurance and Accreditation (QAA) in Nepal Prof. Bhola N. Pokharel Prof. Kanhaiya B. Mathema, Ph.D. QAA Division University Grants Commission

2. Context Rapid changes in higher education in Nepal. Major concerns of higher education development in the country: • ensuring quality and relevance of the higher education programs, • effectiveness and efficiency in management of the institutions, • and expansion of access with equity and inclusion.

3. Growing demand for a robust system of quality assurance and accreditation For this Nepal is endeavoring to enhance the capacity for establishing a viable QAA system in the country. This paper lists the issues of higher education development, • QAA efforts and • the capacity development in the country

4. Higher Education Development and Issue of Quality In 2009/10 UGC (2010). EMIS Report 2010

5. Higher education institutions and enrolment expansion in the country - without a system to ensure quality norms and standards. • Also, no viable mechanism to monitor the quality of higher education institutions in the country. • Obviously the concerns converge towards the issue of the lack of a QAA system.

6. QAA Efforts in Nepal • The government listed formation of Quality Assurance and Accreditation system in the 10th National Development Plan (2002-07). • Instituted University Grants Commission (UGC). • UGC formed Quality Assurance and Accreditation Committee and Quality Assurance and Accreditation Division. • A QAA Technical Committee was also formed to facilitate QAA work. • The QAA setup is permanent functional entity undertakes quality assurance and accreditation of higher education programs and institutions.

7. The Accreditation Division is responsible for regular activities related to QAA which include organizing dialogues with various stakeholders, • supporting peer reviewers, • preparing QAA criteria and benchmarks, • QAA guidelines and • manual for self-evaluation, • and planning self-assessments in various institutions.

8. QAA Approach in Nepal • QAA a new concept in Nepal • in a formative stage. • a challenging task • Universities, their constituent Institutes, Campuses and Departments, as well as the affiliated colleges are covered by the QAA system. • Motivation, • facilitation and • support are the key strategy aspects taken by UGC to ensure meaningful participation of the institutions in the QAA system.

9. Some of the QAA accomplishments • The structure and provisions for the establishment and operations of QAA system have been accomplished to a greater extent. • The QAA Committee and the Technical Committee formed. • The Roster of the Expert Panel has been prepared along with the guidelines for QAA system.

10. Experts and concerned institutions are given orientation on self study report (SSR). • Some of the institutions have already prepared SSRs. • Two institutions are accredited. • Three others are in the process of accreditation.

11. Public announcement has been made through appropriate media about the call for Letter of Intent for the new institutions. • Eighteen institutions have shown their interest for the same.

12. The UGC Board, Nepal expects much more from the participation in APQN activities as an intermediate member. • It would help promote further capacity building of the Board by way of enlightening in networking with other such QAA Boards globally.

13. Relevance to the Conference Theme • The topic has its relevance in the context of changed practices of QAA in Nepal. • It is already a core concern and focus of higher education in many parts of the world.

14. With the development of QAA system, the institutions themselves have started to show interest in upgrading their teaching- learning and research process by participating in the QAA cycle. • Thus, QAA under UGC has become successful in motivating the HEIs towards the QAA system.

15. This conference will help the QAA system development in Nepal at institutional and individual levels. • At institutional level, it will help widen our vision with respect to QAA system itself. • At the individual level, it enhances the skill of the concerned person of QAA system which ultimately would strengthen the whole system of quality assurance and accreditation in the country.

16. Final Recollections • In the previous days little was known about QAA in the regime of higher education in the country. • The development of HEIs in the country has taken place without a system to ensure quality norms and standards. • Nepal is endeavoring to enhance the capacity for establishing a viable QAA system in the country.

17. It is inevitable to emphasize that QAA system in Nepal is at the early formative stage. • Nepal is moving towards this direction with the process of ‘learning by doing’. • Therefore, motivation, facilitation and support are key aspects of the strategy to ensure meaningful participation of the institutions in QAA system.

18. Our steps are closer and closer to our goal. • These developments can rightly be taken as the changes that are being discerned towards the QAA process in the country over the decade. • However, there is a considerable way to move forward in this direction.

19. Thank you