1. Making best use of EQAVET - the Romanian NRP experience
27/09/2012
Making best use of EQAVET - the Romanian NRP experience
Carmen Mușat
Dana Stroie
NCTVETD - Romania

2. Presentation outline Context: 1.1. Romania’s VET system
1.2. Quality assurance in education and training in Romania
Benefits of Romania’s engagement in EQAVET developments
The management infra structure for EQAVET implementation
Customizing EQAVET to adress national realities
Lessons learnt and challenges seen

3. 1.1. Romania’s VET system Initial VET (IVET)
by the school based pathway - medium and long term oriented in support of the career perspective, having both academic and professional recognition (upper secondary TVETgraduates passing academic examination (baccalaureate) are entitled to continue studies through tertiary university education)
by apprenticeship - short term oriented for in time demand of employers
Continuing VET (CVET): short term oriented for in time demand of employers // short term duration; adapts skills and qualifications to the dynamic needs of the jobs

5. 1.2. Quality assurance in education and training in Romania
27/09/2012
1.2. Quality assurance in education and training in Romania
FRAMEWORK: the QA Law (2006) sets common regulations for quality assurance in the Education and training system (preuniversity – initial VET included, continuous VET, Higher education (HE)
QUALITY GOVERNANCE: INSTITUTIONAL ROLES:
the National Group for Quality Assurance in Education and Training - GNAC), informal structure that functions as a national reference point for quality assurance in education and training, coordinates the harmonization of quality assurance in education and training
two National Agencies for QA in education, one for HE (ARACIS) and one for pre-university education (ARACIP), responsible for:
external evaluation for authorization and accreditation of all education and training providers
external evaluation of the quality of education offered by accredited education providers , on a regular basis (every 5 years)
the county school inspectorates responsable for external monitoring and validation of self assessment reports

6. 1.2. Quality assurance in education and training in Romania
27/09/2012
1.2. Quality assurance in education and training in Romania
All education providers have to establish an internal Quality Assurance and Evaluation Commission, which:
coordinates the institutional self-assessment;
elaborates an annual self - assessment report, which must be submitted to all beneficiaries: students, parents, employers, local community
formulates quality improvement - Legal proposals to be approved by the school’s management team

7. The selff-assessment report is public, on-line

8. 1.2. Quality assurance in initial VET
quality assurance is based on self-assessment
Self-assessment sheet are three assessment areas with 38 performance indicators
A. Institutional capacity ( 23 performance indicators about material resources (facilities, equipments), human resources, security, communication system)
B. Educational effectiveness (10 performance indicators about research and methodical, financial activity, curricula, learning outcomes)
C. Quality management ( 5 performance indicators about accessibility to learning resources, database, quality assurance functionality structures, procedures functionality)
THERE ARE 5 LEVELS OF EVALUATION: unsatisfactory, satisfactory, good, very good, excellent
includes external monitoring and validation of self assessment reports

9. 2. Benefits of Romania’s engagement in EQAVET developments
Fostered a culture of cooperation, sharing and exchange of good practice at European level:
EQAVET activities and outputs (Guides, IT tools etc) inspired Romanian developments (e.g. a very succesful Sectoral based peer learning programme was implemented at VET providers level)
EQAVET provided a platform for mutual sharing and learning among Member States and facilitated the transfer of innovation (e.g. Romania applied for a LdV Transfer of innovation project from Austria, on developing a blended learning system for TVET providers QA staff)

10. Inter assistance networks
16 IVET school networks (96 schools) were set up on a sectoral base - peer learning and peer review activities are organised, a website and online platforms are developed to facilitate online communication (

11. Actions to support implementation Inter assistance networks

12. Dissemination of good practice
27/09/2012
Dissemination of good practice
Good practice examples at european and national level were be published:
Guide of institutional practices in quality assurance of vocational education and training programmes (2006) – national examples (elaborated with the support of ETF)
Toolbox for supporting quality assurance development of VET providers (LdV -2007) - examples from 4 Member States: Austria, Finlanda,Greece, Romania
Guide of good practice in quality assurance of IVET schools – 1 (2009) and 2 (2013)
Compendium of good practice - Successful Stories(2016)
Peer Learning Activities ( ) – Romania, Austria, Croatia, Finland

13. Compendium of good practice - Successful Stories
NATIONAL LEVEL
It is a best practice collection demonstrate the attractiveness of vocational education and training
The compendium was sent electronically to over 3,000 VET schools, secondary schools, VET stakeholders

14. 3. The management infrastructure for EQAVET implementation - NRP
a national QA coordination structure was set up in 2006 – the Romanian Quality Assurance Reference Point (the National Group for Quality Assurance in Education and Training - GNAC), based on Inter-institutional Agreement between the:
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Labour
Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Preuniversity Education
National Authority for Qualifications
National Centre for TVET Development
and with the participation of social partners

15. GNAC activities
keep a wide range of stakeholders informed about the activities of EQAVET
Development of the GNAC site

16. 27/09/2012
GNAC activities
provide active support for the implementation of the work programme of the framework network
Presentation of case studies to illustrate QA developments at system and provider level

17. GNAC activities
take concrete initiatives to promote further development of the framework in the national context
Development of a national strategy for implementing EQAVET in the Romanian initial VET

18. 4. Customizing EQAVET to adress national realities - Provider level
Self assessment
Self-assessment report Development
Teaching and learning process
Internal monitoring
Revision
Improvement plan Development
Quality Manual, procedures, regulation etc
Strategic and operational planning
School Action Plan Development

19. 5. Lessons learnt and challenges seen
Quality assurance and improvement is a tranversal process and should be holistically approached
Coherency of quality assurance approaches for the whole education and training system (including general preuniversitary education, IVET, CVET, HE) is important
Legal framework and instruments are needed but not enough for securing the success
Empowerment of main actors is crucial
Quality improvement is a long term construction and is giving long term return
Allocation of clear responsabilities and involvement of all parties (national authorities, local communities, school inspectorates, VET providers) is necessary

20. 5. Lessons learnt and challenges seen - 2
Ownership among all relevant actors is of crucial importance
Moving from quality asurance to quality improvement and to quality culture is a long term process; there are incentives but it can not be imposed or set up only by law
Quality assurance and improvement should be primarly secured in the teaching, learning and training process; commitment of teachers and trainers to quality is a prerequisiste of every succesful approach
European developments serve of particular inspiration, but sustainability is achievable through national solutions

21. Thank you for your attention
27/09/2012
Thank you for your attention
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