Raporti vjetor 2013 annual report 2013 January 2014

SELF EVALUATION OF PAAHE PERFORMANCE in 2013

In conclusion, the Public Agency for Accreditation of Higher Education, has successfully met most of the objectives set for 2013. The key PAAHE processes as assessment, evaluation, accreditation and ranking, have taken up most part of PAAHE work.

There areJanë vlerësuar dhe rivlerësuar programet e studimit që kanë mbërritur në agjenci të shoqëruar me raportet individuale të vlerësimit teknik dhe të ekspertëve. assessed and reassessed programs of study that have been submitted to the agency associated with the individual reports of expert and technical assessment. Scheduled accreditation processesJanë kryer në kohë proceset e parashikuara të akreditimit, përfshirë këtu trajnimet e njësive të IAL-ve, vizitat në institucione, raportet e dorëzuara nga ekspertët dhe vënia në dispozicion të të gjithë dokumentacionit Këshillit të Akreditimit. were performed in time, including training of HEI units of internal evaluation, visits on site, reports submitted by experts and making all documents available to the Council of Accreditation. One of the main achievements is the performance of external evaluation by foreign experts. Logistical preparation for this purpose was a major commitment for APAAL.

The work groups set up in PAAHE have reviewed the formats of program evaluation reports in compliance with the new state standards of quality. The Accreditation Council and external evaluation experts have had at their disposal all the assistance and facilities required for the successful performance of their activities.

In line with the ongoing communications with HEIs, the agency has had steady contacts with these institutions. They have had at their disposal materials and agency publications and have been given the appropriate explaination on different processes. All external evaluation groups for the HEIs which underwent an accreditation process in 2013 were trained. At present, the information and informing system in PAAHE meets all the standards and legal obligations in this regard. The dynamic versions of PAAHE web pages not only meet these requirements but also provide detailed information on each activity and process carried out by PAAHE. Stakeholders have also been given the required information by PAAHE office.

2. Plan of PAAHE-AC Activities for 2014

The Public Agency for Higher Education Accreditation (PAAHE), is a public institution, part of the system of external quality assurance in higher education. Part of this system is the Accreditation Council, as well.

Based on the regulation of external quality assurance, amended, each year these institutions present the plan of activities for the period January to December. During 2014 PAAHE / KA will focus their activities in four main directions: licensing, accreditation, listing / ranking and analyses in higher education. Important activities planned to take place during this period will be collaborations with national and international organizations operating in the field of quality assurance, and consolidation of information transparency for associates and the collaborators.

According to these directions, the detailed activities scheduled for 2014 for each sector will be:

1. 
   WORK PLAN 2014 – SECTOR OF QUALITY PROMOTION AND EVALUATION
   

Sector objectives		Activities		Time	Institucional cooperation	Reference	Result	Description
1	Periodical evaluation in the framework of accreditation of institutiona and HEI programs of study	1.1	Training of IEG	All year round	Public and private HEIs	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Writing report of internal evaluation RIE by trained institutions in accordance with state standards of quality assurance.	Respect of time table,training according to the method ‘fit for purpose’
		1.2	Training of EEG	All year round	External experts by academic fields	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Writing report of externalevaluation by trained institutions in accordance with state standards of quality assurance	Respect of time table,training according to the method ‘fit for purpose’
		1.3	Follow-up for accreditation on condition	All year round	Public and private HEIs External experts by academic fields	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Writing of RIE on conditions by the institutions and writing of REE by experts	Improvement of weaknesses seen in HEIs in the process of accreditation
		1.4	Feedback from procedures carried out in HEI accreditation processes.	All year round	Academic staff, students, external experts,,sector specialists, etc..	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Improvement of accreditation procedures	Design of the relevant questionaires. Work improvement based on results
2	Evaluation in the framework of licensing of institutionsand HEI programs of studies.	1.1	Draft of technical reports that are in compliance with the state standards, and laws and by laws in the field of higher education.	All year round	Public and private HEIs, MES	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Technical reports for every study program	Respecting time tables
		2.2	Training of external experts and drafting of the report contents, which reflect compliance with academic standards	All year round	External experts by academic fields	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Content reports for every study program	Respecting time tables
		2.3	Following up and cooperation with external experts for the assessment and evaluation of the lab basis on site for medicine and engineering programs of study .	All year round	External experts by academic fields of medicine and engineering.	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Content reports for every study program	Respecting time tables
3	Improvement of quality insuarance system in Higher Education Albania	3.1	Workshop in cooperation with with HEIs to increase / improve the Units of Internal Quality Assurance in HEIs	October 2014	Public and private HEIs, MES	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Setting up and improvement of Internal Units of Quality assuarance	Presentation; fokus-group; conclusions
		3.2	Improvement of the Quality Assurance System in Higher Education in Albania, application of the process and methodology based on results in the framework of the TEMPUS project : "ENCHASE"	3 years 2014-2016	International partners (from EU): University of Koblenz-Landau; Gjermani, (koordinator dhe kontraktor) Quality Assurance Netherlands Universities (QANU), (Utrecht, Hollandë) Université du Maine – Le Mans; (Francë). Centro Studi ed iniziative Europeo (CSIE); Itali. College of Information Management, Business Administration and Laë Vltavska (Republika Çeke) Partners from Albania: Ministry of Education and Sport (MES) Public Agency for Accreditation in Higher Education (PAAHE), (Local coordinator) University ‘F. S. Noli’, Korçë Law Faculty, UT, Tiranë University ‘A. Xhuvani’, Elbasan University ‘A. Moisiu’, Durrës PrivateUniversity ‘Universiteti Europian i Tiranës’ Private University Higher School ‘Pavarësia’, Vlorë Private University Higher School ‘Universiteti Amerikan i Tiranës’	EU legislature	A general, national legal framework for quality assurance. Methodology for internal evaluation closely connected with external evaluation Professionally prepared actors from all partners. Steady support to creating a trend in involving students and academic staff in this process.	Workshops, training,study visits, infrastructure improvement, etj
		3.3	Organization of a Regional Workshop with the participation of the Region Accreditation Agencies in order to detail the European Standards for Internal Quality Assurance in Agencies , and to increase cooperation for mutual accreditation.	November 2014	Public and private HEIs, MES	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Agency and sector capacity raising in implementation of European evaluation standards	Presentation; fokus-group; conclusions
		3.4	SQPE will continue to work on self-evaluation of the sector and PAAHEt in the context of membership in ENQA	All year round	PAAHE sectors	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended,bylaws European Legislature	Updating of report of inner evaluation in cooperation with foreign experts.	Keeping a complete data base of the work in PAAHE Intra sector cooperation
4	Performance of promotion activities on Accreditaion System in HEIs and stakeholders	4.1	Continuous provisions of the t PAAHE webpage with new information, publication of evaluation reports, analytical reports, data of higher schools, procedures, requirements for assessment, etc..	All year round	PAAHE sectors	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Website updated with all data according to ENQA standards.	Intra sector cooperation
		4.2	Organization of a seminar with the participation of HEIs and stakeholders (students, professionals associations, representatives of the labor market, etc.)	September 2014	Students, professionals associations, representatives of the labor market, etc	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Actror awareness regarding their role in improving quality in higher education.	Presentation; fokus-group; conclusions
5	Improvement and updating of the sector performance	5.1	Improvement of report templates that are written in the context of evaluation for accreditation/licensing (Bsc, MP, MSc, PhD,)	All year round	Sector of quality promotion and evaluation	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Improved and updated models of reports.
		5.2	Establishment of the work group for the implementation of recommendations made by foreign experts about the sector work.	March-April 2014	Sector of quality promotion and evaluation	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Improved procedures and documents based on recommendations	Focus group set up, defining work methodology, feedback etc
		5.3	Improved performance of the sector through feedback from HEI, external experts, stakeholders, etc.	All year round	Sector of quality promotion and evaluation	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Continuous improvement of work in PAAHE	Design of the relevant questioners. Work improvement based on results

2. 
   WORK PLAN 2014 – SECTOR OF STATISTICS AND ANALYSES
   

Sector objectives		Activities		Time	Institucional cooperation	Reference	Result	Description
1	Rranking of institutions and programs of higher education	1.1	Preliminary analysis of the current situation in higher education at home.	January-February	Ministry of Education and Sport, PAAHE, International experts in the context of evaluation/accreditation/ranking.	Quality state standards. External regulation of quality assurance in higher education. European quality standards.	Detailed information on the current situation in higher education	There will be analyses and discussions with the stakeholders, further objectives will be presented.
		1.2	Notification of institutions, presenting the criteria for the process, discussions.	January-March	MES, external experts, PAAHE, public and private HEIs.	External regulation of quality assurance in higher education. European quality standards.	Indicators, approved criteria and standards to carry on with the process.	Respecting the time table, Defining the methodology to follow.
		1.3	Data collection, on site visits in higher education institutions, discussions.	March-May	MES, external experts, PAAHE, public and private HEIs.	Procedures and documents of international associates.	Updated data form all public and private institutions at home.	Conclusions on the data and their analyses. Comparison to criteria set.
		1.4	Analyses, data processing	May-June	MES, external experts, PAAHE, public and private HEIs.	Quality state standards. External regulation of quality assurance in higher education. European quality standards.	Comparative results for HEIs. Curriculums	Data processing, discussions, summary of the final results
		1.5	Result publication	July	MES, external experts, PAAHE, public and private HEIs.	Quality state standards. External regulation of quality assurance in higher education. European quality standards.	Ranking final results. Module for personalized research.	Publication of the results of the new students and publication in general. Final Results.
2	Analysis of compatibility of study programs offered by public and private HEIs with the labor market and the real capacities of employment	2.1	Draft of technical reports that reflect compliance with state standards and legal acts in the field of higher education	January-December	Public and private HEIs, MES, INSTAT, work offices.	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Final report for study program orientation nationally. Recommendations for study improvement and reorganization	- Programs by fields of study - Analysis of labor market - Data basis for each HEI
3	The analysis of electronic information systems for public information and transparency from HEIs.	3.1	Data collection from official web sites, print and visual media for any HEI in connection with the information published and its accuracy	January-December	PAAHE, public and private HEIs.	Higher Education Law no. 9741/2007/i amended, No. 8503, dated 30.6.1999, for the right to information on official documents	Final report on the methodology for each institution and the information provided to the public and its accuracy. All the results obtained from the above analysis will be published in the two PAAHE websites.	Data collection throughout 2014 on procedures followed by higher education institutions for public information. Transparency of activities developed by them.
4	Updating the database in the management system "PAAHE Management”	4.1	Updating in electronic data base and making it available to the panel of international experts in the context of evaluation / accreditation / ranking to be held by MES.	All year round	PAAHE sectors	Regulation of external quality assurance for Higher Education, as amended	Reliable electronic data for all public and private institutions of higher education	The use of electronic management system "PAAHE Management”
5	Cntinuous public information through both official websites of PAAHE	5.1	Public information, as a legal obligation, with new information, brochures publication of evaluation reports, analytical reports, data of higher schools, procedures, requirements for assessment, etc.	All year round	PAAHE sectors	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, bylaws	Real time and reliable information. Transparency about the activities of PAAHE, AC, experts and PAAHE associates	Updating web pages constantly. Publications of PAAHE activities and procedures. AC decisions publications
6	Aplication for PAAHE international recognition by IREG	6.1	PAAHE will apply to join the IREG (IREG Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence), initially passing the evaluation procedure of this organism	July-December	Sector of Statistics and analyses	Standards and criteria of IREG, External regulation of quality assurance in higher education.	Performing external audit by the IREG and PAAHE international recognition as a body which performs ranking processes.	Application for membership Following up procedures, Developing documentation to IREG standards, cooperation in activities in the field of analysis / ranking.

3. 
   WORK PLAN 2014 – SECTOR OF SERVICES AND PUBLICATIONS
   

Sector objectives		Activities		Time	Institucional cooperation	Reference	Result	Description
1	Conducting financial transactions HEI, external evaluation experts and AC associates		Payment and social insurance fees. Membership fees, operative expenses Financial transactions with third parties	All year round	PAAHE, AC, experts, HEI, state and private institutions and international organizations operating in the field of quality assurance .	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, Regulation of external system of quality assurance Mutual instruction No. 29/1, dated 16.08.2011 (MF & MES)	Performing finacila activity of PAAHE and AC	-
2	Continuation of external evaluation procedure within the PAAHE for membership with full rights in ENQA	2.1	Visit to PAAHE by the group of international experts of external evaluation	January-March 2014	PAAHE, ENQA	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, Regulation of external system of quality assurance Statute of ENQA	The final report of the external evaluation designed by the expert group. Continuation of procedures for membership with full rights.	The final report of the external evaluation of PAAHE is available for review by the board of directors of ENQA in the context of membership with full rights in this organization as well as PAAHE listing in EQAR
3	Full reconstruction of facilities of PAAHE and logistical infrastructure improvement	3.1	Full reconstruction of facilities of PAAHE including the part of corridors belonging to PAAHE. Buying new electronic equipment.	July -September	PAAHE	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended,	Suitable working environments for PAAHE staff, experts and AC	-
4	Publication of main PAAHE documents	4.1	Manuals, procedures and other official documents by PAAHE, AC will be published. .	All year round	PAAHE, AC	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, Regulation of external system of quality assurance	Transparency and information on PAAHE and AC procedures and documents	-
5	Support the activity of the Accreditation Council (AC)		Five AC meetings are planned to be held: 11 February 2014; 13 May 2014; 15 July 2014; 16 September 2014; 16 December 2014;	-	PAAHE, HEI, AC	Law of Higher education no 9741/2007, amended, Regulation of external system of quality assurance	AC decisions

3. Report Index

Activity:

• 
  Training of the Internal Evaluation Group of HEI for the report of the Institutional Evaluation and the study programs.
  
• 
  Compiling of Standard-Evaluation, designed in compliance of the directions given in the private HEI monitoring platform.
  
• 
  Compiling of “Booklet for internal evaluation of programs and Doctorate schools”
  
• 
  Writing the relation on the arguments for accreditation tariffs for Doctorates school and third cycle study.
  
• 
  Monitoring visits to private HEI, in the framework of the Monitoring Group, raised by the Ministry of Education and Science , under direct order from the Minister of Education, dating 04.01.2013.
  
• 
  Translation from Albanian to English of SWOT analysis of the programs in the process of accreditation and lincensing of public Institutions.
  
• 
  Report completion on “The Mechanisms of conflict of interest control” for the High Inspectorate for Control and Declaration of Wealth
  
• 
  Filling of final charts for Institutions and programs in the accreditation process. Filling of the final charts according to the timelines planned by the Accreditation Council, for private Institutions and their programs.
  
• 
  Updating of the database hardcopy with VKM/U-MASH opened for public and private HEI.
  
• 
  Taking part in the work group for creating the Regulation of Inspection and Supervision of Institutions of Higher Education, with the order no. 499, dated 04.12.2013 of the Minister of Education and Sports.
  

Statistical data

Contact Information

	Drejtori Prof.Dr Avni Meshi Tel [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]		Sektori i Promocionit dhe vlerësimit Tel [phone]
	Sektori i Statistikave dhe Analizave Tel [phone]		Sektori i Shërbimeve dhe Publikimit Tel [phone]

Agjencia Publike e Akreditimit të Arsimit të Lartë

Public Accreditation Agency for Higher Education, PAAHE

APAAL

Rruga e Durrësit, Pranë Gjimnazit Qemal Stafa, Tiranë

Tel [phone]

Fax [phone]

ëëë.aaal.edu.al, ëëë.albranking.com, E-Mail: [e-mail], [e-mail]

Janar 2014