Finding Common Ground – engagement with Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies

QQI continued its programme of engagement with the professional statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRBs) on Monday, 20th February with the first in-person Finding Common Ground event since 2019.

The professional, statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRBs) are essential actors within the qualifications system and valued partners and stakeholders for QQI. Many PSRBs provide important contributions to QQI’s work – for example, through their membership of standards development groups or through input to the development of statutory QA guidelines.

Chaired by Dr Padraig Walsh, QQI’s CEO, February’s Finding Common Ground event brought together representatives of 13 PSRBs to hear updates on:

• The National Academic Integrity Network (NAIN) and the forthcoming Framework for Academic Misconduct Investigation and Case Management from Dr Yvonne Kavanagh, NAIN Steering Committee member; Assistant Registrar, SETU (Carlow); and Vice-President and Trustee of the Institute of Physics.
• A collaborative approach by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) and Atlantic TU (ATU) to align the professional and academic accreditation processes from Dr Louise McBride, Head of the Department of Nursing and Healthcare, ATU and President of NMBI; and Carolyn Donohoe, Director of Education, Policy and Standards, NMBI.

Attendees also heard updates from QQI on:

• The Rethinking Assessment project,
• QQI’s evolving approach to academic integrity regulation, and
• Upcoming plans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

The next Finding Common Ground event will take place online in May 2023.