Responsible bodies

Higher education

Higher education, including institutions for Adult Education, are required to monitor and manage the quality of all their activities and to take all measures for effective internal self-evaluation and its follow-up. (Decree of 7 November 2013 « Landscape decree »).

The academy of research and higher education

The Academy of research and higher education (ARES) is the body that brings together higher education institutions in the French Community (Universities, University Colleges (Hautes écoles), Arts Colleges and Adult Higher Education Institutions) and is composed, among other things, of three thematic chambers for subjects specific to each form of education and permanent commissions in charge of particular missions, including the Commission for the Quality of Teaching and Research (CoQER).

The essential missions of the ARES are: to guarantee the mission of public service of general interest of higher education; to encourage the development of collaboration between institutions while respecting their autonomy; to support the institutions and ensure their overall coordination in their missions of teaching, research and service to the community; to ensure international representation; to contribute to statistics and steering of the higher education system.

The CoQER is a platform for discussion and exchange between higher education institutions in the French Community on aspects relating to the quality of higher education and research, particularly in terms of support for strengthening the internal quality of institutions and the implementation of external evaluations carried out by the AEQES, as well as contributing to quality developments in the French Community and beyond.

The agency for the evaluation of quality in higher education

The decree of 14 November 2002 (amended by the decree of 22 February 2008) created the Agency for the Evaluation of Quality in Higher Education (AEQES) organised or subsidised by the French Community. Its evaluations are compulsory for all adult education establishments recognised by the French Community that offer higher education. In addition, in 2021 AEQES received an additional mandate : to evaluate the continuing professional training centres for staff working in compulsory education. This new mission takes the form of an institutional evaluation. It will be carried out for the first time in 2026–2027.

AEQES evaluations are formative, meaning they aim to provide information and support continuous improvement, rather than to regulate the educational offer.

AEQES has the status of an autonomous‑accounting administrative service. It receives an annual allocation from the Government of the French Community to carry out its missions.
Its missions are described in point 10.2 Quality assurance in higher education.

The higher council for Adult Education

The Higher Council for Adult Education was created by the decree of 16 April 1991 organising Adult Education. This council has for mission to give its opinion to the Government, either at its request or on its own initiative, on all issues relating to the steering, improving, developing and promoting of social advancement education, in relation to its purpose. More specifically, it is responsible for drawing up the pedagogical references of any training (teaching unit), the drafting of which is governed by a decree (15 May 2014) and submitted to the Government for approval.

The Adult Education steering unit

The Adult Education Steering Unit, established by the decree of 16 April 1991 organizing Adult Education, has the following tasks :

• to propose indicators relating to any measures taken or to be taken in favour of Adult Education ;
• to analyse statistical data relating to Adult Education ;
• to monitor Adult Education and adult training in general, as well as the evolution of training needs and demands from enterprises, administrations, education and, in general, socio-economic and cultural circles ;
• to serve as a source of information for the bodies responsible for steering the various forms and levels of education.​​​​​

The inspection services for Adult Education and part-time secondary arts education

The Inspection Service for Adult Education aims to add value to the steering carried out by the Government services (macro level steering) and by the institutions themselves (micro level steering).

The service is responsible for carrying out audits in educational settings, conducting investigations and specific controls, and evaluating educational or pedagogical schemes specific to this type of education, for institutions offering upper secondary as well as higher education training linked to lifelong learning (continuing training, certificates, specific qualifications compliant with legislation, and academic degrees).

Audits focus in particular on institutions which, based on steering indicators, deviate significantly from the average of Adult Education institutions, or on institutions that voluntarily request an audit. Through an external review, the Inspection Service highlights the degree of mastery of governance activities related to these indicators and identifies the risks faced by the institution, as well as their causes, with a view to improved oversight.

Furthermore, the Inspection Service for Adult Education has a cooperation protocol with AEQES aimed at strengthening cooperation and complementarity between the two bodies in the areas for which they are responsible, in order to optimise the quality of higher education training. It defines principles and a modus operandi consistent with the legal frameworks.

The Inspection Service for Arts Education conducts investigations and specific controls, evaluations of pedagogical arrangements, assessments of teachers’ pedagogical skills, and expert missions specific to this field of education.

The General Council for part-time secondary arts education

The General Council for Part-Time Secondary Arts Education, subsidized by the French Community, was established by the decree of 2 June 1998. This form of education is intended for pupils of various ages, including adults. The approach to a variety of branches of arts training is regulated in a manner which takes account of the specific situation of the adult learner.

Forem and Bruxelles Formation

Forem and Bruxelles Formation (parastatal public bodies) are administered by a Management Committee composed half of members from employer federations, the supervisory Cabinet and the sectoral strategic committees.

In Wallonia, each EFE (Enseignement Qualifiant – Formation – Emploi = Vocational Education – Training - Job) Basin Authority is composed of a Sub regional Chamber for Employment and Training (except for the Hainaut Centre Basin, which has two Chambers, given the existence of two distinct employment and training basins in the territory).

Certain projects are also carried out jointly between Chambers, enabling exchanges on themes common to both Employment–Training Chambers.

The Employment–Training Chambers exercise, in place of the Sub regional Employment and Training Committees, the tasks of issuing opinions, recommendations or proposals as provided for by statutory provisions, notably by the organic decree of Forem (see Article 16 of the cooperation agreement establishing the EFE Basins).

Missions of the Employment–Training Chambers :

• Issue an opinion on approvals for which their opinion is mandatory by or under a statutory provision ;
• Issue recommendations or proposals relating to the alignment between employment and training policies within their territorial scope and the socio-economic needs of that territory ;
• Carry out any mission entrusted under statutory or regulatory provisions and any action delegated or validated by the EFE Basin Authority.

In Brussels, the Basins of Qualifying Education – Training – Labour play an analogous role. The social partners are also involved in the management of sectoral training funds.

The Basins of Qualifying Education – Training – Labour is a consultation body set up in 2015.

It brings together the stakeholders involved in education, training, employment and the social partners, and has the following missions :

• Consultation between stakeholders to develop partnerships and joint projects ;
• Support for the steering of the training and education offer, so that it best meets the needs of the basin's companies and the needs of the public.

There are 10 basins on the territory of the French Community.

The higher council for further education

The Higher Council for Further Education issues opinions on the development of action of further education in the field of associative life (decree of 17 July 2003 modified on 14 November 2018).

Approaches and methods for quality assurance

External quality assurance

Higher education

AEQES implements two main approaches in adult higher education :

• An external evaluation of higher‑education programmes (initial training), conducted every six years.
  The methodology includes two formats :
  • Initial programme evaluation : applied during the first evaluation of a programme;
  • Continuous programme evaluation : applied during subsequent evaluations.
• Since 2019, AEQES also implements institutional evaluations in adult higher education, which also follow a six‑year cycle.

Each evaluation is based on its own reference framework, and all evaluations follow a similar structure (see 10.2 Quality assurance in higher education).

The inspection service for Adult Education

The Inspection Service is authorised to audit Adult Education institutions.

The Intermediate Coordination Unit (CIC - Cellule intermédiaire de coordination), created within the Ministry of the French Community, ensures coordination between the General Inspection Service and the General Steering Service for Schools, as well as between these two general services and other services and directorates within the General Directorate for Educational System Steering.

The CIC defines objective criteria on which it validates requests for school audits.

Auditing provides the institution with assurance regarding the degree of mastery of its activities, recommendations for improvement, and helps create added value. It enables the evaluation—through a systematic and methodical approach—of institutional strengths and weaknesses, risk  and asset management procedures, control mechanisms and governance, offering recommendations to improve their effectiveness while contributing to fairness within the education system.

SGI–AEQES Cooperation Agreement

The cooperation agreement between AEQES and the General Inspection Service aims to improve the quality of higher education in adult continuing education. Although their missions and methodologies differ, it organises their complementarity and sets out principles of action consistent with legal frameworks.

Internal quality assurance

Higher education

Higher education, including institutions for social advancement, are required to monitor and manage the quality of all their activities and to take all measures for effective internal self-evaluation and its follow-up. (Decree of 7 Nnovember 2013 « Landscape decree »).

Adult Education

The internal quality assurance system for Adult Education, steered by the General Council, aims to guarantee the quality of the training provided by Adult Education institutions and the mastery of the learning outcomes achieved by the students, in accordance with the legislation in force. With respect to the aims of this education, the quality management system brings together the stakeholders around the Adult Education guidelines.

To achieve this objective, specific human resources have also been devolved to networks and institutions by the legislator (network quality agents; quality coordinators within institutions, pedagogical advisors).

The adult education quality management system is formalized in a Quality Guide common to all institutions, and by associated tools.  The guide is devised as a means of initiating dialogue between the various stakeholders with regard to evaluation and the continuous improvement of teaching and training activities in institutions and their organisational aspects. Its aim is to provide an underpinning for a quality approach which integrates a reflective practice with respect to the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities facing the institution, in the light of its goals.

This guide is the subject of an ongoing process of development and evaluation, supervised by the General Council.

The quality management system is supported by a working group (Quality WG) whose aim is to establish a shared quality culture and processes in adult education, in particular through the development of tools, training, exchanges, etc.

The evaluation of further education associations is based, depending on the type of recognition they have received, on a general report regarding the evaluation of the current multiannual period which includes quantitative and qualitative criteria prescribed by the government. The report includes, among other things, the results of their self‑evaluations.

Recognised organisations must submit an annual report and balance sheet relating to the previous calendar year by 30 June every year.

The Higher Council for Further Education issues opinions on the recognition of organisations in the non-profit sector whose project and action plan correspond to the criteria defined by the decree of 17 July 2003, modified on 14 November 2018.

Forem

Forem is ISO 9001 certified specifically for its training activities.

Forem’s various roles are carried out in accordance with a management contract whose execution is the subject of annual evaluation reports drawn up by the management committee and government commissioners. Forem may enter into partnership agreements under certain conditions, including an evaluation clause : ‘The agreement must stipulate that no renewal will take place without an evaluation of the actions that have been performed, and set out the criteria according to which this evaluation will be conducted’. Likewise, the role of the consultative committee for the integrated integration scheme is to devise proposals intended to organise the coordination of the integration scheme, including evaluation criteria for assignments per category of operator. The decree on training incentives is evaluated every year by the Economic and Social Council of the Walloon Region.

Through its training voucher scheme, the Walloon Region subsidises part of the training costs for workers to help them remain competitive in the labour market. To be eligible for this support, workers must undertake their training with a training provider approved by the Walloon Region. The SPW EER (Service Public de Wallonie - Économie Emploi Recherche)’s Vocational Training Directorate therefore ensures the quality of the training courses it funds.

Bruxelles Formation

In the Brussels-Capital Region, the main focus is on discrimination on the grounds of gender, handicap, ethnic origin, including the inclusion in training of groups most distant from employment due to hardship or skills gaps, including basic or digital skills. The system for validating and certifying skills acquired in training has developed considerably over the last years.

The management contract of Bruxelles Formation, for the period 2023-2027, sets out the commitments of the French-speaking Government of Brussels in terms of subsidies and other non-financial commitments on the one hand, and those of Bruxelles Formation (French-speaking public service) responsible for the organisation and regulation of vocational training provision and skills validation in Brussels on the other.  An internal quality service is responsible for the quality approach of Bruxelles Formation.

Bruxelles Formation is certified ISO 9001.

Ifapme and sfpme

IFAPME is managed by a Management Committee made up of representatives of workers’ organisations, interprofessional employers’ organisations or self‑employed organisations, and employers’ or self‑employed organisations representative of various sectors.

Its strategic orientations and objectives are defined through a management contract concluded between the Walloon Government and the Management Committee. The management contract is accompanied by a dashboard of indicators. It is operationalised through a corporate plan structured around project‑management processes and bilateral agreements with the training centres of the IFAPME Network.

A management contract execution report is produced each year. The results of the evaluations are analysed and may generate suggestions for improvements.

On the other hand, IFAPME has been certified the ISO 9001 since 2014. The certification applies to its management system for creating, organising and promoting qualifying training, preferably work based, for young people and adults.

The SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) Training Service (sfpme) is a service of the Directorate for Education and Professional Training Administration of the French Community Commission (COCOF). As a public administration service, sfpme is subject to a specific governance system defined by the COCOF, which frames the structures, rules and decision-making processes guiding and supervising its missions in adult professional training.

This governance system is based on a legal and regulatory framework defining administrative powers, responsibilities and obligations, and is supervised by an internal good governance control service.

It also relies on a structured organisational model, including hierarchical functions, organisational charts and a division of responsibilities across functional units.

More specifically regarding work based vocational training, the efp training centre is bound by a 2024–2027 management contract, which also applies to sfpme activity. This contract sets strategic orientations and operational objectives and is implemented through annual plans, operational procedures and monitoring and evaluation indicators.

To account for contract execution, an annual report is prepared, including data on activities carried out and indicators to measure their effects.

Training quality is ensured through a structured internal steering process, including accreditation and pedagogical evaluation of courses delivered by the efp, coordination of continuous assessments and examinations, and oversight of the use of public funds.

Sfpme also ensures the quality of workplace based training through the accreditation and support of training companies and the monitoring of work based learners, thereby contributing to resource management and continuous improvement of training provision.