WP5 Quality plan

1. WP5 Quality plan Prof.Dr. Andrej ŠkrabaAssoc. Prof.Dr.Matjaž Debevc MSc Karolina Anna Bucka Kustec Prof. Dr. Jernej Turk University of Maribor Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

2. Overview • Leadorganization: Universityof Maribor (withthehelpofUniversityofVienna & UniversityofMontenegro) • Establishment of the Quality Monitoring Committee (QMC) • Establishment of working groups for internal quality control  and assignment of local QC officer, the responsible person in local QC working group (at Partner members, Montenegrin and Albanian universities) • Responsible for quality control procedures • Adopted by the Steering Committee • External QC and monitoring activities / External Evaluators Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

3. WP5: QC deliverables D5.1: Quality plan adopted D5.2: Internal quality assurance reports D5.3: Tender for subcontracting external QC expert D5.4: External quality control and monitoring report Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

4. Quality MonitoringCommittee • QMC members - academic staff from each EU partner, not involved in any other capacity in the MARDS project. • Task of QMC members: • Participation at Quality Plan (QP) development – which will be presented and approved by the Steering Committee at the beginning of the project (procedures, sheets, templates, recommendations, guidelines etc.) • QMC will receive reports each six months from Local QC Officer • QMC will, after visiting each partner university, prepare yearly progress reports on activities and results and submit them to the SC for approval and decision on corrective actions. • Prepare Terms of References (TOR) and Tender for engaging two External QC Experts • Deliverables: • Quality Plan  M4 • Yearly progress report on activities and results • TOR and Tender for Ext. QC Exps. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

5. Quality Control andMonitoring– internal, local • A working group for internal quality control is to be created at each partner university in Albania and Montenegro (one academic staff, one student, and one ministry or chamber of commercess representative). • Assignment of a local responsible person for QC ~ Local QC Officer • Tasks:  • Preparation and use of all necessary material (questionnaires, forms, etc.) and guidelines. • report every six months to the QMC • The coordinator require all necessary actions, defined by SC, which should be taken in order to correct possible deviation Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

6. Local Quality ControlOfficers  Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

7. QC Structure Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

8. Tender for subtractingexternal QC experts • Two experts from non-participating EU institutions will be engaged (subcontracted) as external evaluators • International tender • Initiated from beginning of second year (M13) and completed by M16 • Terms of References (TOR) and Tender will be prepared by QMC, while announced by SC Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

9. QualityControl Plan • QC Plan (QCP) will be created by the QMC. • Include all elements related to the internal and external quality control (procedures, sheets, templates, recommendations, guidelines etc.). • QP will be used for the monitoring all activities and project flow. • Deadline: adopted by SC in M4. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

10. QualityControlPlan Preparation Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

11. AssumptionsandRisks • Involvement of students, faculty & technical staff, administration. • Well organized cooperation and communication between the project partners. • Appropriate infrastructure & technical support in partner country universities. • Mitigation measures: Quality control will start from M0. • Risks: No responses from partners, Bureaucratic procedures, Administrative delays in selecting foreign experts, the findings are not binding for domicile institutions… Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

12. Deliverables & Outcomes • The reports from the partner’s (HigherEducationInstitutions) HEI teams implementing internal quality procedures at home, involving all evaluation of all activities and deliverables according to the project proposal • The results from monitoring visits to participating Western Balkan Contries (WBC) HEIs. • Report on the overall implementation of the project activities as well as to the curricula development and implementation and include financial reports. • The Internal Mid QC Term and Yearly QC Reports will be delivered on M7, M12, M14, M24, M36. • Suggest corrective actions and will be submitted to SC for approval. • Used like milestones during the project realisation. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

13. External Evaluator • Two experts from non-participating EU institutions will be engaged (subcontracted) as external evaluators according the international tender  (D5.3). • The tender will define Terms of References (TOR) for such kind of job and it will be initiated from beginning of second year (M13) and completed by M16. • TOR and Tender will be prepared by QMC, while announced by SC. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

14. Deliverables & Outcomes(cont.) • Participating EU institutions will be engaged (subcontracted) as external evaluators and their activities will start from second half of second year. • During second year of engagement they will check all documents of internal QC. • These experts will visit each partner universities in the beginning of the third project year. • Inputs for visits will be prepared and delivered to the experts by the QMC and CPs (contact persons). • During these visits, they will have the chance to talk with all target groups identified in the project and they will have access to all documents prepared during the project implementation as well to propose measures in written form to each of CP to improve the state. • Report on external quality control by presented and discussed on the coordination meeting. • This Report will be also part of the Final project report. These activities will be subcontracted. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

15. Quality Plan Aim • Quality Plan sets out the quality assurance procedures for the MARDS project. • Its aim is to ensure that the results and of the project are of high quality and meet the specifications set in the project proposal. • The Quality Plan includes a description of quality areas addressed, quality indicators and quality assurance related procedures and methods that will be implemented throughout the MARDS project duration. • This plan will be implemented jointly by the overall project partnership. • Its implementation will be led by the WP5 Quality Assurance Manager who is responsible for all quality-related issues. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

16. Major objectivesof MARDSQualityPlan Assuranceof: • the projects methodological quality, in terms of validity of the activities carried out and project products developed, • practical applicability and sustainability of the project results, • a sound project implementation in terms of partner cooperation and collaboration and project processes. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

17. Processquality Three dimensions of process quality will be investigated in the framework of the MARDS project: • quality of partner cooperation and collaboration in general • quality of project implementation processes • quality of project partner meetings • For those aspects quality indicators will be defined and appropriate evaluation/documentation procedureswillbe provided. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

18. DeliverablesQuality • Deliverablesquality assurance will primarily be implemented by defining quality indicatorswithwhichdeliverables (primarily deliverables prepared for publication such as reports, guideliness, training) must comply with. • Review process for project deliverableswill be provided. • Particular quality assurance procedures will be outlined for events. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

19. Project Sustainability • Cross-cutting through project processes and deliverables. • Investigation ofthe project performance in terms of measures to assure project sustainability. • Sustainability indicators will be defined and appropriate evaluation/documentation procedureswill be provided. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

20. Quality indicators of partner cooperation and collaboration • Continuous and efficient communication among partners is assured. • Ongoing and coherent information management is assured with appropriate tools. • Partners have access to all information relevant for the overall project implementation. • Partners have a coherent understanding of the project, its methodical approach and terminology used. • Partners are actively involved in all relevant project processes. • Partners’ interests and needs are continuously considered and integrated into the project's implementation. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

21. Quality indicators on the ImplementationProcesses • Agreement and decision making on workpackage (WP) implementation plans. • Methodological approach and assignment of tasks (in order to incorporate the individual WP into the overall project with its aims and objectives and to ensure necessary links between WP’s). • Agreement and decision making within WP implementation (in order to incorporate individual WP implementation steps into the overall WP and to ensure necessary links other WP and project elements). Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

22. Quality indicators on the Realization / Methodology • Implementation drafts/proposals are in coherence with the overall projects and the specific WP/deliverable aim and objectives. • Links and interfaces with other workpackages are considered in the implementation of a specific WP and/or WP step/element. • Specific interests and characteristics of the different partners involved in the project/ WP/ step/element implementation are considered. • Project and project results validity and sustainability are assured. • Stakeholders (Universities, Ministries, Chamberof Commerce, Students, Industry) are involved to a high extend at all possible and defined stages of project implementation. • The applied procedures and instruments are critically reflected regarding their objectivity, reliability and validity. • The methodological approach applied is appropriate for the involved Universities and stakeholders and reflects the state of the art in doctoralstudies. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

23. Quality indicators of project partner meetings • Project meetings are prepared and managed in the most (resource) efficient way in order to make best use of the available meeting time. • Partner representatives (special) needs are considered and addressed within the overall meeting realization. • All partners are actively involved and actively contribute to the project partner meetings. • (Inter-)Cultural aspects are sufficiently considered in the meeting realization. • Meeting documentation is sufficient to ensure comprehensibility of meeting discussions, decisions and decision making processes also beyond the group of partner representatives attending the meeting and over the whole time of project implementation. • The meeting makes a considerable contribution to the overall project realisation and success. • The meetings make a considerable contribution to team building and smooth interaction between and among partners also besides the project meetings. • All partners (if applicable, those concerned) send representatives to the meetings. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

24. Quality indicators ondeliverables preparedfor publication Thedeliverables: • complies with the formal criteria displayed in the provided templatesregarding its layout and structure • is in coherence with the deliverable description in the project proposal and fulfils its planned purposes in the framework of the WP and the overall project • sources of data/information are clearly described • proves objectivity, reliability and validity in terms of data provided and used, analysis results, argumentations, reasoning and conclusions • reflects the recent status of development in terms of its content • is structured and/or written in a way that facilitates its (results) use by its target group(s) • contains relevant information for the target group • provides an added value to the current status of development/discussion on its topic • contains innovative elements to an extend that can be expected from its description in the proposal • overall concept and results promise high potential for sustainability. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

25. Quality indicators for events(seminars, workshops, conferences) The event(s) … • is structured/ implemented in a way that meets the target groups needs • provides relevant and reliable information to the target group. • provides an added value to the current status of development/discussion on its topic • contains innovative elements that are of relevance for its target group • overall concept and implementation promises high potential for sustainability • has a clear European and intercultural dimension • provides information that it is part of the project MARDS project and has been funded by the ERASMUS+ programme Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

26. Quality indicators on project sustainability • Relevant stakeholders (Universities, Ministries, Chamber of Commerce, Students, Industry) are actively involved in project activities throughout the overall course of the project and are regularly consulted in the project implementation. • Relevant stakeholders are regularly informed about project activities and results via appropriate communication channels. • Project results are of use for and provide an added value to stakeholders in the area ofdoctoralstudies. • Project results are of use for and provide an added value to the project partner organisations. • Project results and information about project activities are regularly disseminated within the partners own organisations and connected to the regular activities of the organization. • Partners develop individual and joined strategies for further use, development and dissemination of project results beyond the projects framework. • The quality assurance measures in the MARDSquality plan are continuously implemented throughout the overall project duration. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

27. QP - Overview Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

28. QCM members - tasks • Implementation of questionnaire at local institution Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

29. Importantdocumentfor monitoringthequalityofimplementation • The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in theEuropean Higher Education Area. • A key goal of the Standards is to contribute to the common understanding of quality assurance for learning andteaching across borders and among all stakeholders. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

30. ToDo (cont.) • Sendthe name oftheQuality Monitoring CommiteeMember to karolina.bucka@um.si (one academicstafffromeach EU partner, not involved in anyothercapacity in the MARDS project). • MembersofMontenegrinandAlbanianuniversitiesshouldappoint a workinggroupsforinternalqualitycontrol (local QC officers already assigned) • AnswerKickOff Meeting Survey: https://goo.gl/forms/mmWhLYciNj8fFh9f1 (byallparticipants) Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019

31. Literature, sources • ESG (2015) Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurancein the European Higher Education Area ESG 2015. • Claudia Ball, DEKRA Akademie GmbH (2015) Quality Assurance Plan,Erasmus+ Trans2Work project. Kick-off Meeting, Montenegro, February 2019