QAA launches consultation on a revised handbook for Quality Enhancement Review (Wales)

QAA is inviting contributions to a consultation on a revised handbook for Quality Enhancement Review (QER), the method by which higher education providers in Wales are reviewed as part of Quality Assessment Framework for Wales. The revised method will be implemented in 2023-24. The review method has been updated to take into account the requirements of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales’ (HEFCW) requirements for external quality review, updated and published in March 2022.

QAA has worked extensively with the higher education sector in Wales in the review and revision of the handbook. QAA has arranged workshops open to providers and their validated partners, their student representatives, and QAA reviewers. Meetings have also been held with individual providers and progress discussed with the Universities Wales Learning and Teaching Network. The process has been overseen by an External Quality Review (Wales) Method advisory group made up of key stakeholders, across the UK and internationally, to advise QAA on how to use findings from these workshops and meetings.

Through this process QAA has taken account of sector views to deliver a more effective and focused review process while at the same time reducing burden on providers and strengthening the focus on enhancement.

The areas of development 

The key areas of development and change of the review method are outlined on page 5 of the draft handbook.

How to respond 

The revised handbook is available below and responses should be submitted via our online survey. 

Please note, as the survey needs to be completed at one time, we have provided the consultation questions in a separate document for your reference.   

The consultation will close at 5pm on 9 June 2023.

We plan to publish the finalised handbook in June along with the key findings of the consultation.