Quality Assurance and Accreditation Division

Quality Assurance & Accreditation Division

Quality Assurance and Accreditation Division, under the Department of Adult and Higher Education, Ministry of Education was established to ensure quality higher and tertiary education. Based on the Tertiary Education Policy of the Kingdom of Bhutan 2010, all universities in Bhutan shall be required to create and maintain an effective quality assurance system that covers all programmes and related degrees. The quality assurance system shall cover the integrity of policy, programmes, delivery, assessment, certification, and services, among others. The division serves as the Secretariat to the Bhutan Accreditation Council which is the national autonomous body for accreditation, quality assurance and recognition of qualifications. 

Therefore, the division has the mandate to ensure provision for pursuit of quality higher education both within Bhutan and abroad with systematic mechanisms in place. The Quality Assurance and Accreditation Division (QAAD) is mandated to “Ensuring quality higher learning”. It has been created to serve the nation by assuring that every aspiring Bhutanese receives a quality higher education. Therefore, it aspires to ensure provision for pursuit of quality higher education both within and abroad with systematic mechanisms in place.

To meet this crucial mandate the division caters to the following core business:

  • Secretariat to Bhutan Accreditation Council.
  • Quality assurance and accreditation of higher education institutions (and programmes in future).
  • Recognition of qualifications both within and abroad based on Recognition Guidelines.
  • Registration and regulation of Educational Consultancy and Placement Firms (ECPFs) for quality higher education.

Mandates:

Ensuring the provision and pursuit of quality higher education within and outside Bhutan through:

  • Accreditation:
    • Develop tools of accreditation
    • Accredit the tertiary education institutes
  • Recognition:
    • Develop and implement guidelines for recognition of qualifications
    • Provide recognition services
    • Interpret Bhutan Qualifications Framework
  • Collaboration:
    • Liaise and collaborate with international quality assurance agencies/networks

    • Facilitate establishment of Education Consultancy and Placement Firms and monitor their activities

    •  

      Explore capacity building support from relevant agencies

    • Participate to facilitate the establishment of private colleges

  • Secretariat to BAC:

    • Serve as secretariat to Bhutan Accreditation Council

The Services and functions:

  • Register and issue educational license for higher education institutions and programmes
  • Ensure quality and accredit higher education programmes and services
  • Certify degrees for both university and college from both within and abroad based on Bhutan Qualifications Framework
  • Develop regulations and guidelines for establishment of higher education institutions.
  • Facilitate the establishment of private colleges and institutions using private operators from within and outside the country (e.g. international schools/colleges)
  • Monitor and evaluate tertiary education programmes in the country.
  • Issue clearance and regulate the private educational consultancy firms in Bhutan.
  • Advise on accreditation, affiliations and national qualification recognition and regulatory authority for higher education.
  • Review and develop the Bhutan Qualifications Framework.
  • Liaise with international quality assurance agencies/networks.
  • Serve as the secretariat to the Bhutan Accreditation Council (BAC).

Some of the major achievements:

  • Established QAAD as per Tertiary Education Policy of the Kingdom of Bhutan 2010.
  • Developed ToR and constituted Bhutan Accreditation Council.
  • Developed and launched Accreditation Principles and Bhutan Qualifications Framework.
  • Developed the Accreditation Manual.
  • Modified the guidelines and monitoring tool for the Education Consultancy & Placement Firms (ECPFs).
  • Developed the guidelines for recognition of qualifications.
  • Participated to facilitate establishment of private colleges.
  • Participated in professional development activities.
  • Attained membership to International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies for Higher Education (INQAAHE 2013) and Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN 2014).
  • Organised professional trainings for ECPF Counselors and accreditors.
  • Accredited RTC and GCBS, provisionally accredited RAHS.
  • Collaborated with external quality assurance agencies/ networks and joined International Network in Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) & Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN).
  • Collaborated with HEPD in the development of “Rules and Regulations for the Establishment of Colleges 2012”, “Funding and financing mechanisms of TEIs”, “Tertiary Education Roadmap 2016-2026” and “Rules on establishment of Universities and Autonomous institutions”.
  • Developed the concept of autonomy for Bhutan Qualifications Authority.