The regulation for Turkish Qualifications Framework (henceforth TQF) states that the regulation on the inclusion of all quality assured qualifications gained through education and training programs and other learning pathways into the TQF and the quality assurance of the qualifications to be included in the TQF should be published in the Official Journal upon the approval of the TQF Coordination Board.

In line with this, the draft of the Regulation on the Quality Assurance of Qualifications to be included in the TQF has been prepared by Vocational Qualifications Authority (henceforth VQA) and finalized with the comments and suggestions of the institutions and organizations represented in the TQF Council.  The Draft Regulation which was approved by the TQF Coordination Council in which the Ministry of National Education, the Council of Higher Education and VQA are represented at the highest level, put into effect by being published in the Official Gazette dated March 25, 2018 and numbered 30371.

The Regulation includes the duties and responsibilities of the institutions responsible for the quality assurance, the quality assurance criteria and the quality assurance of all qualifications, which are awarded as a result of formal and non-formal education and training programs and through the validation of non-formal and informal learning. The Regulation, which is designed in line with the quality assurance principles defined in the European Qualifications Framework and which sets out the quality criteria that must be met by all diplomas, certificates and Vocational Qualifications Certificates issued Turkey, is also the first national legislation for the quality assurance of qualifications.

Quality assurance criteria that should be met by qualifications to be included in the TQF are

• Qualification form is prepared and approved.
• Valid and reliable assessment and evaluation process is carried out.
• Certification processes are conducted in a transparent and impartial way.
• The processes related to the qualifications are subject to self-assessment and external evaluation.
• Units, teams or bodies conducting the external evaluation are subject to regular review.
• Improvement activities are carried out in the light of the findings of self-assessment and external evaluation.
• Involvement of stakeholders is maintained in the processes related to the qualifications.
• Processes related to qualifications are implemented based on the explicit and measurable objectives, criteria and guidelines.
• Allocation of sufficient and appropriate resources for all processes are maintained.
• Feedback mechanisms are established and implemented.
• Electronic accessibility to the outcomes of all processes is maintained.

Within one year following the publication of the Regulation, quality assurance paper and guidelines shall be prepared by responsible bodies and within two years, responsible bodies shall establish the quality assurance systems and initiate the implementation of the systems through education institutions and awarding bodies.

Through the full and effective implementation of the Regulation on Quality Assurance, the quality of the qualifications which are the most important output of the education and training system will increase to the highest level at the national and international level.