Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (England) 

From 2013, Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review will be replaced by a new review method: Review for Higher Education in Further Education. Details will be available from our website in autumn 2012.

Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (IQER) is a review method specially devised for higher education in further education colleges in England. It replaced Academic Review of subjects, which operated for the last time in 2006-07.

IQER is normally in two parts:

• a Developmental Engagement where QAA works collaboratively with the college
• a more formal Summative Review that results in a published report on the QAA website.

Handbook and supplementary guidance

This handbook explains how IQER works and offers guidance for those involved in the process:

• The handbook for Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review

The following supplementary notes, based on feedback from college staff and reviewers, include further information about preparing the self-evaluation and action plan:

• Supplementary guidelines on preparing the self-evaluation for Developmental Engagement in student assessment (PDF)
• Supplementary guidelines for preparing the self-evaluation for the Summative Review (PDF)
• Supplementary guidelines for preparing the action plan (PDF)
• Arrangements for Summative Review for colleges with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent students (PDF)

Online training materials for facilitators involved in Summative Review

These materials are intended for college staff who have been designated the role of facilitator for the Summative Review stage of IQER.

• Online training materials for facilitators involved in Summative Review (PDF)

Online briefing for Summative Review

For colleges that have a Summative Review during 2011-12, an online briefing is now available. These presentations offer a reminder of the information QAA has provided for all colleges during training and briefing. Each presentation is accompanied by detailed notes. Please view or print the presentations in the 'notes pages' view; to view the presentations in notes page view, right click on the link, select 'save target as' and save the presentation to your computer. Contact details are provided at the end of each presentation if you require further information.

• An introduction to Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review
• Guidelines on preparing the self-evaluation for the Summative Review
• The role of students in IQER
• The role of the awarding body in IQER
• An introduction to Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review: FAQs 

Information bulletins

Information bulletins provide an overview of the outcomes of IQER. They highlight emerging good practice and make recommendations about how colleges might improve their management of student assessment.

• Information bulletin 2011: Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (IQER) - Findings from the 2009-10 Summative Reviews in England 
• Information bulletin 2010: Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (IQER) - Assessment and Feedback 
• Information bulletin 2010: Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (IQER) - Foundation Degrees 
• Information bulletin 2010: Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (IQER) - Supporting and enhancing the student learning experience 
• Information bulletin 2010: Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (IQER) - For college governors 
• Information bulletin 2010: Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review (IQER) - Student engagement 

Guidance for students

Specific guidance for students about the IQER process and how you can get involved in IQER to help improve the quality of teaching and learning at your college is available in the students section of the website.

• Our case studies, submitted by student representatives, offer further guidance on writing the student written submission.
• What have other students written? A resource for producing a student written submission for IQER (PDF)

Other information

• A detailed evaluation of the pilot programme of IQER reviews was undertaken during 2007. It combined QAA's own internal evaluation process with an external independent evaluation jointly commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and QAA. The evaluation was undertaken in order to assess the effectiveness of the methodology, evaluate the benefits and to inform any changes or revisions to the method.
• Integrated Quality and Enhancement Review: Procedure on representations
• QAA Liaison Group and Policy Advisory Forum