External Reviews

According to the external evaluation coordinated by ENQA, ANECA fulfils the The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA.

The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA require an external review of quality assurance agencies every 5 years. Furthermore, the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) requests a positive external review to be listed as member of the Register.


 

External review process

ANECA was subject to external review since its creation. We were externally reviewed in 2007 – we were one of the first seven European agencies who did so – and we are being reviewed again in 2012. Besides, ANECA has coordinated the external review of other European quality Assurance agencies.

  • Spanish version:

    English version:

    Panel of Experts involved in the review:

    Dorte Kristoffersen     Panel Chairperson Audit Director AUQA, Secretary Asia Pacific Quality Network APQN
    Hildegard Vermeiren     Panel Secretary Professor University College Ghent, Belgium
    Fiona Croizer     Panel Member Assistant Director, Development and Enhancement Group, QAA (Quality Assurance Agency), United Kingdom
    Julio Pedrosa     Panel Member Former Rector, Professor University of Aveiro, Portugal
    Michel Troquet     Panel Member Professor University Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand. Director of the École Polytechnique Marseille, France
    Mabel Tekaya     Panel Member Student of University of Picardie Jules Verne, France

     

  • Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) provide that quality assurance agencies should carry out an external review every 5 years. Regarding the positive evaluation of ANECA in 2007 by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), the aim of ANECA’s review in 2012 is to confirm compliance with these criteria.

    ​​The 'Self-Evaluation Report' of ANECA, based on the Term of References defined by the Agency, is the background (reference) document for the process, which includes the reflection that the Agency performed to assess and contextualize their level of compliance with the ENQA’s requirements. Subsequently, in September, will take place an assessment visit by an external review panel of international experts appointed by the European association of agencies (ENQA).

    ENQA Board reconfirmed Full membership of the Spanish Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation on 19 December 2012:

    Analyzing all the information gathered in the self-evaluation report marked the starting point of this evaluation process. The Agency itself values and sets in a context its level of compliance with ENQA requirements. Subsequently, on September 2012, an international expert group appointed by ENQA visited ANECA.

    During the external review process the following documentation was analyzed: 

  • The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assuranc e in the EHEA establish that quality assurance agencies should undergo external evaluation every 5 years.

    The Agency's external evaluation process began in 2017 and, after a positive evaluation, in 2012 ANECA was again ratified as an Agency with full rights under the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), following which it was entered in the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR).

    In 2017, this Agency is evaluated again by a panel coordinated by ENQA, following the new procedure established in the new guidelines for reviewing quality assurance agencies published by ENQA. (Guidelines for ENQA Agency reviews, 2016).

    The self-evaluation process has been carried out according to the considerations expressed in the Self-evaluation Report , with the aim of proving compliance with the new Standards and guidelines 2015 approved at the ministerial conference held in May 2015.

    On the basis of the review panel’s findings, the external review report was published, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the Agency as well as recommendations for ensuring fulfillment of quality standards.

    Finally, ENQA Board granted Full Membership at its meeting of November 2017, confirming ANECA´s full compliance with the standards that maintain our Agency within ENQA.

    In the year 2019 the Follow-up was carried out:  

  • The Agency submitted its request for the fourth external evaluation process to ENQA and EQAR in 2022. On this occasion it has chosen to renew its membership through a more specific review process (Targeted Review), put in place by ENQA and EQAR IN 2021.

    ANECA can undergo this new model of evaluation given that it has already passed 3 complete evaluations in the past. This situation presents a new challenge for the Agency, which will be one of the first in Europe to be evaluated using this new model of evaluation.

    The Terms of Reference (TOR) agreed with ENQA y EQAR, define the scope of this evaluation process which is fundamentally based on ANECA’s programmes for the evaluation of education and institutions.

    The self- assessment process has been carried out according to the considerations expressed in the self- assessment report, with the aim of proving compliance with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA approved at the ministerial conference held in May 2015.

    At the meeting of 16 December 2022, the ENQA Agency Review Committee validated the external review report of ANECA, and approved the reconfirmation of ANECA as a member of this organisation, reaffirming the Agency's compliance with the 2015 European standards. 

    The Committee concluded that the report had been prepared in accordance with ENQA's Guidelines for Specific Reviews.