Quality assurance in adult and continuing vocational education in the Republic of Moldova forms part of the national quality assurance system in education, as regulated by the Education Code of the Republic of Moldova. Policies in this field aim to ensure the quality of adult education programmes, align them with labour market requirements, and integrate adult education into the lifelong learning system.

Responsible bodies

According to legislation, quality management in the education system is carried out at:

• national level – by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova and the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research;
• institutional level – by internal quality assurance structures.

Internal evaluation/self-assessment is conducted by institutional quality assurance structures in accordance with institutional regulations and national reference standards. It involves the systematic collection of data on educational, research, and artistic activities; surveys of staff, students, learners, graduates, employers, and other stakeholders; and the assessment of the performance of teaching staff, research personnel, and other participants involved in the institution’s activities. The process culminates in the preparation of a self-assessment report.

External evaluation of education quality is a comprehensive process analysing the quality of a study programme, group of programmes, or the educational, research, or artistic activities of an institution, and providing recommendations for quality improvement. External evaluation is carried out based on the analysis of the self-assessment report and an on-site visit by expert evaluators from ANACEC or another quality assurance agency registered in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR).

Approaches and methods for quality assurance

Quality assurance in adult education is based on an integrated system that combines internal and external evaluation of institutions and adult vocational training programmes.

Internal evaluation (self-assessment) for the purposes of provisional authorisation and accreditation of study programmes and institutions is carried out independently by the institution. The self-assessment report is prepared in accordance with the requirements set out in the External Quality Evaluation Guide approved by the ANACEC Board.

External quality evaluation in adult education is conducted by the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research or other quality assurance agencies registered in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education. 

Procedures for external evaluation are established in the Methodology for External Quality Evaluation in Higher, Vocational, and Adult Education. External evaluation is requested by adult education providers to demonstrate compliance with minimum quality standards.

Under the current regulatory framework, external evaluation may be organised per study programme or per group of programmes within the same professional training domain, for full-time, part-time, or distance learning, for the purposes of provisional operating authorisation, accreditation, or re-accreditation. Part-time and distance programmes cannot be accredited unless the same programme is accredited in full-time mode.

Specific objectives of provisional operating authorisation, accreditation, and re-accreditation of adult professional training programmes include:

• ensuring that the educational community, beneficiaries, employers, and the general public are confident that the programme and provider meet state educational standards and national and international best practices;
• assisting institutions in developing effective management and a genuine quality culture, and providing evidence of quality assurance;
• providing methodological support for aligning programmes with the values of the European Education Area;
• encouraging institutions to enhance teaching quality, evidenced by relevant results aligned with labour market requirements;
• promoting cooperation between institutions in monitoring, ensuring, and comparing teaching quality.

External evaluation for provisional operating authorisation is requested when initiating a new adult professional training programme in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework and relevant legislation. It demonstrates the existence of necessary resources, facilities, and institutional structures for delivering the programme. 

External evaluation for accreditation is requested after the first graduating class of the authorised adult professional training programme. 

External evaluation for re-accreditation is requested upon expiration of the accreditation term if the programme has at least one graduating class during the reference period. External evaluation for accreditation/re-accreditation aims to demonstrate the existence and functionality of resources, facilities and institutional structures at a minimum acceptable level, which ensure the premises for the further development of the teaching process for the adult professional training programme in accordance with the regulatory framework in force (source: External Quality Evaluation Guide).

External evaluation commissions consist of at least three members selected from the Agency’s Register of Expert Evaluators and include representatives of the educational/academic community, specialists in the evaluated field, student representatives enrolled at the time of evaluation, and employer representatives working in the relevant sector. Governing Council members of the Agency cannot serve on evaluation commissions during their term. 

The external evaluation commission verifies the fulfilment of accreditation standards by examining the self-assessment report submitted and by conducting a site visit to the institution. The evaluation visit to the educational institution may last up to five days.

The external evaluation report includes a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the self-assessment report submitted by the educational institution/consortium/partnership/branch, the data identified during the evaluation visit, the progress recorded since the previous evaluation (in the case of re-accreditation), the strengths and weaknesses identified by the evaluated institution and confirmed by the external evaluation commission, as well as a set of mandatory recommendations or areas for improvement aimed at enhancing quality.

The external evaluation report also contains a recommendation regarding the outcome of the evaluation of the study programme or educational institution: provisional authorisation or refusal of authorisation; accreditation; or non-accreditation. These recommendations are justified on the basis of the data presented in the file submitted to the Agency, the information collected during the evaluation visit, and the results of the analysis of documents made available by the institution subject to external evaluation.

The external evaluation commission adopts decisions either by consensus or by a simple majority of its members.

In the case of adult professional training programmes with a maximum duration of 600 hours / 20 study credits, intended to be delivered within six consecutive months, when a new programme is initiated, the external evaluation for the purpose of provisional operating authorisation and accreditation of the study programme is carried out through a single external evaluation consisting of two stages: one for provisional operating authorisation and one for accreditation.

The decision regarding the granting or refusal of provisional operating authorisation, accreditation or non-accreditation of a study programme or educational institution, as well as the withdrawal of the right of an educational institution to operate or to organise a study programme, is adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on the basis of the results of the external evaluation conducted by ANACEC or by another quality assurance agency registered in the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) (source: Methodology for External Quality Evaluation in Higher, Vocational, and Adult Education).