Strengthening institutional monitoring, self-evaluation and reporting on quality

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SFC sought to co-create quality processes and reporting mechanisms as part of developing the TQEF, that would be effective, meaningful, and proportionate.

Feedback collated from our stakeholder engagements suggested there was significant scope for streamlining the reporting on quality processes and outcomes and for capitalising on the outputs of institution-led annual monitoring processes.

In addition, we heard from stakeholders of the need to develop capacity to undertake institution-led self-evaluative work.

SFC was interested in optimising reporting outputs from across quality processes – to SFC, its partner agencies, and where possible, to awarding bodies – to secure greater impact, support transparency and accountability and ensure that self-evaluation, as a key part of our quality arrangements in Scotland, was used as effectively as possible in the new TQEF.

Key questions

How can we support sector and institutional capacity for effective self-evaluation that supports assurance, improvement, and enhancement?
How can we ensure stakeholders, including SFC, get the reporting and assurance needed, avoiding duplication of effort and resource?

Lead agency

This work will be co-ordinated by SFC, and the relevant sector quality networks – The Quality Forum and the College Quality Network.

Progress update

The final version of the Self-Evaluation and Action Plan (SEAP) guidance and template was published within the SFC Guidance on Quality for Colleges and Universities AY 2024–25 to AY 2030-31. This version is the sum of extensive collaboration across AY 2022-23, the support of the five institutions who volunteered to pilot an early version and further feedback gathered via our Steering Group members.

Following the release of the new Quality Guidance, work has continued both internally and externally, with the tertiary education sector in preparation for the submission and analysis of the institutional SEAPs.

SFC is finalising its process for collating and analysing institutional SEAPs and working with our quality agency partners to ensure that their review and input will inform SFC’s assessment of the quality of learning and teaching in colleges and universities and meeting the Outcomes Framework and Assurance Model “High Quality Learning & Teaching” outcome.

The SEAPs will also be integral to the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Review.

Next steps

Institutional SEAPs were due to be submitted by 30 November annually. As this fell on a Saturday in 2024, the first submissions were due on 2 December 2024. Following the evaluation of the SEAPs and the associated processes, SFC will undertake a review of the guidance and publish an updated version in spring 2025.