The general framework for quality assurance is established by the Education Code of the Republic of Moldova, which defines quality evaluation as a multi-criteria process analysing the extent to which institutions and programmes comply with national reference standards.

In the Republic of Moldova, there are no separate regulations specifically dedicated to quality assurance in early childhood education and school education. The regulatory framework establishes common provisions for the entire general education system, while internal and external evaluation mechanisms apply to all levels of general education, including early childhood education, in accordance with the Education Code and the Methodology for the evaluation of general education institutions.

Responsible bodies

In 2018, the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research (ANACEC) was established and assumed responsibilities for evaluation and accreditation across all levels of education. In its areas of activity, the agency cooperates with central and local public authorities as well as with international organisations. Its objective is to ensure the quality of services provided by institutions in the fields of education and research, thereby contributing to meeting the needs of society and the labour market in the training of competent professionals (source: ANACEC).

In addition, quality management in general education is ensured at several levels of governance:

• at national level, it is coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of Moldova; 
• at local level, it is carried out by the specialised local authority in the field of education; 
• at institutional level, it is the responsibility of the managers of general education institutions.

Approaches and methods for quality assurance

The procedures for both internal and external evaluation are applied to all general education institutions without exception, regardless of their organisational form or ownership type, including their branches.

External evaluation takes the following forms:

a) external evaluation for the purpose of provisional operating authorisation;

b) external evaluation for accreditation;

c) periodic external evaluation.

Internal evaluation is a self-assessment procedure carried out by a specially appointed commission within the institution at the end of the academic year, following the systematisation of data regarding the development and outcomes of the educational process. The internal evaluation commission is constituted annually by the order of the institution’s director and comprises senior management, teaching staff with administrative responsibilities, a representative of the pupil council (for gymnasiums and lyceums), a parent council representative, and, where appropriate, a representative of the local public authority or a local NGO. The number of members of the internal evaluation commission varies from three to seven, depending on the size of the institution, with the director or one of the deputy directors acting as the chair.

Internal evaluation involves measuring, analysing, and assessing the full range of actions, processes, resources, strategies, and outputs that determine the quality of educational services provided by the institution. Based on the scores obtained, the internal evaluation commission assigns one of the following ratings: very good (86.00–100%), good (64.00–85.99%), satisfactory (50.00–63.99%), or unsatisfactory (0–49.99%). 

The results of internal evaluation are reflected in the institution’s Activity Report, which is presented to and approved by the joint meeting of the teaching/professional council and the administration council, and published on the institution’s website.

External evaluation for provisional operating authorisation is required in the case of:

a) the establishment of a new institution;

b) the reorganisation of an existing institution;

c) other cases provided for by current legislation.

The procedure for external evaluation for provisional operating authorisation is generally conducted by the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research (ANACEC), and, if necessary, members of the commission conduct on-site visits. The commission submits the evaluation report to the relevant department, which forwards it to the President of ANACEC, along with a recommendation on whether provisional operating authorisation should be granted, forming the basis for the issuing of an official order.

External evaluation for accreditation follows provisional operating authorisation and must take place no later than five years after authorisation. Institution leaders or founders request accreditation by submitting an application and evaluation file to ANACEC. 

The accreditation procedure includes examination of the evaluation file, on-site visits, assessment of annual evaluations of management and teaching staff over the past five years, determination of compliance with quality standards, identification of areas for improvement, and advisory support. 

An institution is accredited if it achieves a minimum of 50% per standard. Concurrently, based on the scores obtained, the institution is awarded one of the ratings: very good (86.00–100%), good (64.00–85.99%), satisfactory (50.00–63.99%), or unsatisfactory (0–49.99%), which is recorded in the accreditation certificate.

Periodic external evaluation involves analysing all aspects contributing to the design, organisation, and implementation of the educational process in order to:

a) establish compliance with legislative and regulatory frameworks;

b) extend the validity of previous accreditation;

c) assess the quality of the educational process and assign ratings;

d) provide methodological support to achieve standards.

The results of periodic external evaluation are similarly rated (very good, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory), provided that a minimum of 50% per standard is achieved. 

ANACEC reserves the right to determine the form of periodic external evaluation:

• through file review by the relevant department or 
• by conducting an on-site visit. 

Upon initiating external evaluation, the President of ANACEC issues an order establishing the evaluation commission, which consists of an odd number of members (at least three), including a chair and members, primarily staff from the relevant ANACEC department, and, if necessary, experts from the ANACEC Evaluators Register, representatives of the Ministry of Education and Research, local authorities, or recognised specialists in general education.

The periodic external evaluation report contains: a) a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the institution’s Activity Report; b) the level of compliance with quality standards; c) progress since the previous evaluation; d) identified strengths and weaknesses; e) areas for institutional improvement; f)  recommendations for rating based on the scores obtained. 

The specialised department submits the periodic external evaluation report to the specialised commission in general education, in both electronic and hard copy formats, prepared and signed by the members of the external evaluation commission. The specialised commission in general education validates the results of the external evaluation and forwards the report to the President of the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education and Research. The President of ANACEC issues the order granting the rating, on the basis of which ANACEC issues the certificate (source: Methodology for the evaluation of general education institutions).

The results of external evaluations are documented in ANACEC evaluation reports and are used to make accreditation decisions, provide recommendations for institutional improvement, and inform educational policy development at the system level. Where non-compliance is identified, institutions must implement corrective measures and report on progress. Internal evaluation results are used by institutions for planning institutional development and strengthening a culture of quality at the organisational level.