IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL AND SECTORIAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS IN ARMENIA HERE seminar Qualifications Frameworks: What are they, how do they work, what is their impact? Warsaw, Poland 19-20 September, 2016 Kristina Tsaturyan, HERE Armenia

Historical overview 2009 - Development of NQFA (WG created by the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia) 2011- First of version of NQFA adopted by the Government of RA 2012- Self-certification process 2012- Report of external experts on NQFA implementation in Armenia

Main issues NQFA doesn’t focus on the needs and realities of HE NQFA doesn’t serve as a transformation tool for changes Should promote flexibility of educational structures and new progression roots Should provide reference points for revision of existing qualifications and development of new ones Descriptors are not consistent with QF- EHEA Authority in charge of NQFA should be established Tools and procedures should be developed for the alignment and placement of qualifications Main issues

One difference is that the NQFA is of domestic origin and has to be developed, approved and owned by domestic stakeholders. Outside suggestions can contribute to the internal debates and can help make the result more understandable to an international audience but cannot be construed as any sort of international approval… Stephen Adam and Eva Gonczi, December 2012

What’s next? 2012- MoES created WGs to review the NQFA consisted of HE institutions representatives The WG working on levels 6,7,8 held wide consultations and fully revised the NQFA HE levels based on the Dublin Descriptors 2013 to have the NQFA system wide application with the support of MoES the Project ARMENQA (Implementing National and Sectorial Qualifications Frameworks in Armenia) has been developed by the WG and submitted to EACEA for funding in the frame of TEMPUS Capacity Building Project

Challenges Stakeholders’ involvement (MoES, HEIs, QA agency, employers, students) Defining aims and objectives of NQFA Number of levels to be accommodated in NQFA (Researcher, Doctor of Sciences) New terms/notions that need further explanation Whether Sectorial Qualifications are needed to guide the process for the HEIs Further implications of NQFA What kind of further support is needed for the HEIs

TEMPUS ARMENQA PROJECT… Holistic approach to the implementation of NQFA and SQFs in Armenia Wide consultations and involvement of stakeholders: HEIs, employers, students and ARMENIC (National recognition center) External insight and reflection on NQFA: EU partners

As a result… Policy and guidance at national level Authority responsible for NQFA Approved NQFA (2015) NQFA implementation strategy and plan Information and implementation Manual on NQFA Procedures for development and placement of new qualifications into NQFA Self-certification report National model of SQF and SQFs in 5 areas (Education, Physics, Law, Civil Engineering, Agriculture) Policy and guidance at institutional level NQFA information and implementation manual, Toolkits for employers, students and HEIs, Policies and guidelines for curriculum development in line with SQFs, Two level sample programs referenced to SQFs Wide consultations with stakeholders and capacity building Extensive workshops, tet-a-tet meetings and round table discussions with HEIs representatives, employers and students to gather feedback on NQFA Numerous trainings and capacity buidling activities for the HEIs staff

Further thoughts for consideration Wider consultations and awareness raising among the stakeholders are still on the agenda, Commitment of HEIs to the introduction of LO based study programs referenced to the NQFA and SQFs is highly prioritized, Placement of other, non degree qualifications into the NQFA is still challenge, Recognition of prior learning is still to be considered and widely promoted, Some misconceptions regarding the placement of medical degrees into the NQFA, discussions are still underway, Development of mechanisms for the involvement of employers, students and HEIs in the process (regularly/not one time events)

THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION! Any questions? Kristina Tsaturyan HERE Armenia Head of International Cooperation Unit Armenian State Pedagogocal University You can find me at kristina.tsaturyan@gmail.com