Responsible Bodies

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) funds and creates policy for the higher and further education and research sectors. DFHERIS also oversees the work of the state agencies and public institutions operating in these areas. Since its establishment in 2020, the Department has taken primary responsibility for the FET sector including governance, oversight, and funding arrangements to support the sector, while also driving strategic reform and transformation efforts.

Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are the public providers of further education and training (FET) in the local community, with pathways for learners across Apprenticeships and Traineeships, Youth Services, Outdoor Education Services and Community Education Services. Adult education and training is also provided by community based education and training providers. 

The ETBs were established in 2013 under the Education and Training Boards Act. Quality assurance in the ETBs must have regard to the statutory structures in the 2013 Act and any associated codes of governance, including:

• The Code of Governance of Education and Training Boards,

• The Codes of Governance for Public Sector Bodies,

• Circulars issued by the Department of Education,

• The terms of funding and planning requirements under SOLAS,

• The requirements of the Comptroller and Auditor General, and

• The Teaching Council with respect to regulated staff and other relevant statutory obligations as public sector bodies.

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the statutory agency with responsibility for the external quality assurance of higher education and further education and training. Within the legislation, public providers, such as the ETBs, must have their quality assurance approved by QQI and are subject to external monitoring and review by QQI. Some community education providers also have their own quality assurance procedures approved by QQI.

QQI issues quality assurance guidelines, approves providers’ quality assurance procedures and monitors and externally reviews providers.

QQI also determines standards for awards at levels 1 to level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). Further education and training (FET) providers, such as the ETBs, wishing to offer QQI awards on the NFQ must have their programmes validated by QQI.

Approaches and Methods for Quality Assurance

Firstly, all providers offering QQI awards are required to have a quality assurance system approved by QQI. To do this, a provider must be able to demonstrate its capacity to monitor, evaluate and improve the quality of programmes and services it offers to learners, in line with QQI QA guidelines.

Secondly, QQI validates programmes submitted by those FET providers whose quality assurance procedures have been approved by QQI. Validation is the process by which QQI evaluates a programme, before it is delivered, to ensure that it can provide a learner with the opportunity to achieve a specified award.

Thirdly, QQI monitors and evaluates programmes. Monitoring is a multi-faceted system of gathering information on providers’ programmes, services and the quality assurance systems which support them. If the evaluation of this information indicates it is necessary, then either the validation of the programme or the approval of the quality assurance procedures can be reviewed.

Providers are also subject to external QA review by QQI. External review is a core element of the broader quality cycle of engagement with providers, providing an external dimension to internal quality assurance and review activity.

In 2018, QQI established the inaugural review of quality-assurance in Education and Training Boards outlining the aims, scope and methodology for the inaugural reviews of the 16 ETBs, which were conducted between March 2021 and May 2022. 

The review methodology which was based on the internationally accepted and recognised approach to review and in QQI’s methodology for cyclical reviews in the higher education sector, included the following elements:

• a self-evaluation conducted by each ETB, resulting in the production of a self-evaluation report,

• an external assessment and site visit by a team of reviewers,

• the publication of a review report including findings and recommendations, and