The SAMOA QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY  provides QUALITY ASSURANCE services to enhance the quality and relevance of PSET learning and skills development.

QUALITY ASSURANCE in education is defined as: “ All activity which ensures that the educational services of an organization are being delivered effectively and efficiently and are in line with published goals and objectives.”

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF QUALITY ASSURANCE

A. Quality in education and training is best assured by those primarily responsible for providing the education and training

• It means therefore that the provider of PSET should have in place a robust Quality Management System (QMS)

B. The effectiveness of internal quality assurance processes needs to be externally evaluated to provide assurance to students and stakeholders

C. Focus on continuous improvement

QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESSES

THERE ARE THREE MAIN PROCESSES IN QUALITY ASSURANCE

1. PSET Provider Registration
2. Programme Accreditation
• Evaluation of a provider’s capability to deliver education and training to the required standard
  • Registration of Qualifications on SQF
3. Quality Audit
• Examination of a provider’s processes, documents and records to confirm compliance with quality standards
• Permission to set itself up as a legitimate education and training provider provided that its policies, processes and procedures meet the quality standards

PROVIDER REGISTRATION is an evaluation of the capability of an organisation to provide and maintain a well organised, sound and stable learning environment encompassing all its modes of delivery. It is a process that examines the basic organisation ensures that it is established for:

• educational purposes,
• has suitable management structures and systems ,
• has the necessary financial resources, staff, equipment and materials to provide educational programmes

PROVIDER LISTING

All PSET Providers must fill in the PROVIDER LISTING FORM as the first stage of their Registration.

This Form is filled in once by all Providers . The PROVIDER LISTING FORM comprises of Sections A to D of the Provider Registration Application Form requiring the Provider to provide information on;

1. Organisation Details
2. Contact Details
3. Nature of Intended Education and Training
4. Intended Learner Profile

SQA will enter the above information into the Registration Application Form which is then returned to the PSET Provider for completion

REGISTRATION PROCESS

1. Provider fills and sends PROVIDER LISTING FORM to SQA
2. PROVIDER LISTING FORM received, logged and acknowledged by SQA
3. SQA enters Provider details on Full Application for Registration Form - Within 1 week
4. SQA sends Full Application for Registration Form to Provider - Within 1 week
5. Provider completes the Full Registration Form with relevant evidence and submits to SQA
6. SQA Quality Assurance Officers visits the Providers delivery site and prepares Report - Within 3 weeks
7. Report submitted to CEO SQA - Within 5 weeks
8. Report sent to SQA Board
9. SQA Board decides and informs the Provider of Registration status -First available

EVALUATION PROCESS

1. Provider submits Application Form and check by SQA’s Quality Assurance Division for compliance with requirements set out in Section 4 of the Guidelines.If the application is not complete, the provider will be informed to submit additional information required.
2. SQA’s Quality Assurance Division conducts a preliminary evaluation against Registration Criteria.
3. The Quality Assurance Division staff member arranges a meeting for the Provider and the SQA CEO or equivalent and senior staff to verify documentary evidence
4. After the meeting, the staff member compiles a draft report summarizing findings and making recommendations to the SQA Board to approve or decline registration as a PSET Provider
5. SQA Board considers the draft report and makes a decision with regards to recommendations
6. SQA notifies the Provider through a letter of the decision with the final SQA Board approved report attached.
7. If the Board’s decision is not to register the Provider, the latter can resubmit the application to SQA as soon as the issues in question have been addressed satisfactorily.
8. The Quality Assurance Division will then write and submit a supplementary report to the SQA Board.

PROVIDER REGISTRATION CRITERIA

The criteria for PROVIDER REGISTRATION are set under SQA Quality Standard Element 1 - Organisation.

• It is a legally established or recognized enduring body
• The name is appropriate and does not mislead learners about the nature of the organisation.
• It has a clear statement of educational purpose, goals and objectives
• There is adequate and appropriate governance and management procedures in place to achieve goals and objectives.
• There is a coherent quality management system that covers all elements of the SQA Quality Standard, as listed below:
1. Programme development and review;
2. Programme delivery
3. Financial resources;
4. Personnel;
5. Learner information, entry and support;
6. Physical and learning resources;
7. Assessment and moderation;
8. Reporting learner achievement; and
9. Research (where appropriate).

QUALITY AUDIT

SQA through Quality Audit evaluates an organisation’s effectiveness against the SQA Quality Standard, and to ensure that it continues to comply with registration and programme accreditation criterias. The purposes of Quality Audit are to assure both the audited organisation and its clients and stakeholders that the service provided by the organisation consistently meets the SQA Quality Standard; and to identify for the organisation opportunities for improvement.