Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC)

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) Policy Orientation The quality of higher education, its responsiveness to the needs of the age of globalization and information technology, and the competitiveness of its institutions are at the forefront of the concerns of policy-makers and stakeholders Sudan.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) Higher Education in Perspective The history of quality assurance in higher education in Sudan goes back to the founding of the first institutions during the years of the first half of the past century, most of which were affiliated to partner institutions in the United Kingdom. They were subject to the same kind of quality control as were British institutions, including external examiners and other aspects of their systems. However, it is important to note here that despite the affiliation the institutions were enjoying institutional autonomy and quality assurance was primarily the responsibility of their governing bodies and faculty. This practice continued after the independence of the country when affiliation came to end.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research A number of higher institutes and colleges were founded after the independence of the country with two more universities and few colleges in the 1970 s. The country witnessed during the years of the 1970 s, for the first time, the creation of central bodies to be in charge of the higher education sub-sector. The decade of the 1990 s and the early years of the new millennium witnessed a remarkable expansion in higher education in Sudan. ( from 17 institutions “ 6 universities and 11 institutes” in 1990 to 105 “ 39 universities and 66 colleges” in 2009; enrollment grew from about 25, 000 to over half a million during the same period). This remarkable expansion in the sub-sector and rapid growth in enrollment amidst inadequacy of financial capacity the need for review and a new policy orientation has become imperative.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) With the challenges of globalization, the unprecedented advances in ICT, proliferation of private universities and colleges and emerging new forms of delivery (open, virtual and e-learning), policy-makers are becoming more conscious than ever of the need to improve the quality of higher education, reassure the public about the quality of public and private providers and the importance of ensuring the universities and colleges in the country conform with the international standards in their conduct.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) EVAC The need for quality higher education and effective quality assurance mechanisms led to the establishment of a national quality agency in Sudan in 2003, the Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC). It was founded by a ministerial decree in the year 2003 as a coordinating technical organ within the frame of the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) Vision EVAC intends to excel as premier pioneer commission, leader and driver of quality assurance project in higher education in Sudan, following a systematic, fair and transparent approach and adopting robust quality assurance system. It strives to be one among the commissions renowned in its chosen field of endeavor, nationally, regionally and internationally.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) Mission Assuring that higher education institutions are performing their tripartite functions (teaching, research and community service) effectively, efficiently, and with high quality producing knowledge and necessary skills for sustainable development in the country and excel as regional and international recognized institutions distinguished by quality provision.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) Goals and Objectives - Establishing stakeholder confidence that higher education in Sudan fulfils expectations or measures up to minimum requirements. - Developing an excel quality framework and delivering effective quality-enhancing processes for institutions at the 3 rd level of education Objective - Disseminating the culture of quality across higher education community and enhances its rhetoric among stakeholders and society at large.

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research - Developing the necessary mechanisms and coordinate processes and activities needed for ensuring that higher education institutions are fulfilling their purposes as well as the standards that apply to higher education (institutional/program) - Assist higher education institutions in conducting institutional/program evaluation exercises before accreditation. - Assist higher education institutions in the process of implementing the institutional evaluation project and help them in developing necessary institutional mechanisms sustained by a sound quality culture. - Enhancing human capacity in universities and colleges (train reviewers) - Seek external assistance for enhancing HEIs capacities in quality assurance processes (self-evaluation, peer-reviewing etc, . . )

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) EVAC Activities (2003 -2009) - Dissemination of culture of quality across higher education institutions in the country (literature on QA in different forms of publications) - Organizing events such as seminars and workshops on QA related issues. - Training and capacity enhancement for HEIs staff (see following slide) - Developed the National Standards Guide for QA in Higher Education in Sudan - Assisting HEIs establishing their QA units (see following slide) - Maintaining up-to-date literature and information on quality assurance, standards and benchmarks

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) - Developed an up-to-date comprehensive QA analytic glossary. - Participated in national, regional and international events on QA including: - The annual conference of Asian-Pacific Network for QA (Malaysia) - General Conference of UNESCO (Paris) - Regional Meeting of Arab Countries on Joint Work on QA (Dubai) - Meeting of Expatriates pre to the 11 th Conference of Ministers of Higher Education in Arab Countries

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) - General Conference of UNESCO (Paris 2009) - ANQAHE workshop (Damascus 2009) - ANQAHE and DAAD workshop (Cairo 2009) - Creating and developing regional and international links - Member of Global university Network for Innovation (GUNI Barcelona)/ - UNESCO chair of higher education - Member of the Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE)

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) Training and capacity enhancement - Assisting universities and colleges in establishing their QA units (61 units) (functioning) - EVAC organized 13 training workshops in different HEIs. - Over 500 of HEIs participated in these 13 training workshops

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) -The Training Package meant to equip participants with QA necessary skills - definitions and meanings of QA concepts and terminologies - thorough understanding of basic elements of mechanisms’ procedures of evaluation and its field and standards - conceptualizing and understanding the purposes of QA systems and the role QA play improving the performance and conduct of HEIs - Understanding the basic concepts behind terms such as standards, indicators, benchmarks, audits etc, . . - develop the necessary skills in QA implementation processes - coping with international trends in QA movement

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) Institutional Evaluation (IE) Project The process of IE is believed to be the most valuable aspect of quality assurance reviews because: - It helps institutions to identify their own strengths and weaknesses, while generating awareness of key performance indicators - It helps institutions to build capacity from within (capacity-building function) - It is the backbone for a viable quality assurance system -Has positive effects on the culture of quality within an institution - It fosters social cohesion and teamwork among staff - It enhances staff accountability of the results of the process - It empowers institutions and their staff to take charge of the quality of their performance - It is a preparation for accreditation

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) National Standards Guide - The National Standards for QA in Higher Education in Sudan have been the subject of extensive work of EVAC for the current and last three years. The standards have been - developed through considerable consultative process. The Standards developed include the following: - The Institutional Frame (vision, mission, goals & purposes, strategies) - Governance and Management/Administration (leadership, councils and committees, Systems, legislations and administrative regulations, graduates, administration of university services)

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) - Financial Resources (vertical financial administration/management, financial planning, auditing and risks assessment) - Physical/Infrastructure Structures ( sites, spaces, buildings) - Human Resources ( teaching staff, assistant teaching staff, technicians, administrators and rest of personnel) - Students Affairs (administration of student affairs and their services) - Learning Resources (programs, curricula, libraries, laboratories etc, . . ) - Research (administration of research, graduate studies, research laboratories) - Community Service Administration - Quality Assurance Administration

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Evaluation and Accreditation Commission (EVAC) Constraints/needs - Weak Human Capacity: -Training for staff in HEIs (evaluation, reviews, audits, accreditation) -Training for staff in HEIs QA Units and EVAC ( system - conceptualization, methodologies, QA processes implementation) - Limited Funding: -Adopt stepwise Approach (institutional evaluation- program evaluationthen accreditation) -Regional collaboration and contribution of donor community - Quality Enhancement Fund