A new vision for quality and qualifications in Ireland

QQI has launched its new statement of strategy for the period 2022-21.  This strategy contains QQI’s vision for the next three years across for quality and qualifications across the tertiary education landscape.

Chief Executive, Dr Padraig Walsh, outlined the new strategic direction in the following key areas:

• information – better information and opportunities for learners
• protection – implementing strengthened regulation to protect learners
• development – driving and stimulating provider development
• insight – publishing authoritative analysis and insight

He outlined some of the measures currently planned to deliver on these ambitions and how QQI aims to achieve these goals through creating a culture of excellence and partnership across the tertiary sector.

‘If there is one thing we learned during the past 20 months, it is the importance of strengthening strategic partnerships to effect system change – whether that was the efforts of all those involved in the National Tertiary Education System Covid-19 Steering Group or the information provided by individual further and higher education providers and learner representative bodies that allowed QQI to analyse the impact of Covid-19 on teaching, learning and assessment in Irish post-secondary education.’

Dr Walsh also launched an important new initiative underpinning the strategy – the Irish Quality and Qualifications Forum.  The forum will be a key driver of an integrated approach to quality and qualifications across the further and higher education and training sectors. It will encourage and stimulate system-wide collaboration, engagement and insight-sharing on all things quality and qualifications.

‘We also want to use the launch of this strategy to highlight the establishment of the Irish Quality and Qualifications Forum (IQQF) – we know that changing the qualifications system or even preserving strengths within it involves concerted efforts by a multitude of entities. We can easily forget that even the simplest qualifications require continual efforts by many diverse actors to maintain the necessary underpinnings for standards and relevance.’

Ms Joanne Harmon, Chair of the QQI Board, welcomed the new strategy, saying

‘The period 2022-24 will be challenging but I believe it will also be an exciting time for QQI. As Ireland and the World continues to battle with the COVID-19 pandemic, QQI will use the three year period covered by the strategy to implement the expanded role afforded to it by the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Amendment Act 2019.’