Tender for Thematic Analysis of QQI Validation Reports

QQI is currently the main statutory body in Ireland awarding educational qualifications in the further education and training (FET) sector and the independent higher education (HE) sector. Learners access QQI awards by enrolling on validated programmes of education and training delivered by third-party organisations referred to as providers. The validation of such programmes before they are offered to learners is one of QQI’s main awarding-body functions. Validation is a regulatory process that evaluates: 1. whether a programme proposed by a provider can be expected to enable a learner who meets its access criteria to achieve and demonstrate the specified programme learning outcomes, and 2. whether the specified programme learning outcomes are consistent with the specified QQI award type (i.e. qualification) and the applicable QQI award standard. Validation of a new programme occurs before a programme is offered to learners and typically expires after about five years. Once the validation period has elapsed, a provider must apply again for validation (revalidation) to continue enrolling new learners. The revalidation process involves both a review of the original programme and an evaluation of the updated version proposed to be provided in the future. Groups of related programmes may be validated or revalidated together. References to validation (e.g. reports, panels, applications) should, unless otherwise indicated, be understood as references to the validation of new programmes or to the review and revalidation of updated programmes. Before a programme is validated, it is evaluated against a set of published criteria by a group of people with relevant expertise selected to evaluate that programme and referred to as the independent evaluation panel. The findings are communicated in an ‘independent evaluation report’ (IER) that addresses the validation criteria and may address the findings of the programme review. The IER also includes: - an outline of the validation application and each programme, - details of the panel membership, - the panel’s recommendation(s) to QQI regarding validation of the programme(s), - recommended special conditions of validation if deemed necessary by the panel, - recommendations to the provider and, in some instances, commendations. QQI requires an analysis of IERs relating to applications for (1) new programme validation, and (2) programme revalidation, determined by QQI during the period September 2018 to November 2024. Relevant reporting involves approximately 1940 programmes, 648 principal programmes, and 598 available reports. The focus of the qualitative analysis will be on these IERs. Application documentation including programme descriptors will not be made available for analysis. We require thematic and trend analyses of a representative sample of the available IERs. The thematic analysis of the IERs should have regard to the twelve broad validation criteria, however, there may be themes that cut across these. Overall, the objectives of the project are to identify: - Themes emerging from the areas of strength and areas for improvement identified in the validation reports and how they relate to programmatic dimensions such as NFQ level, discipline, provider type etc. - How useful or otherwise the reporting mechanisms are in identifying and effectively communicating critical issues. In addition to the above, the analysis is required to attempt to address the following questions. - What strengths and weaknesses feature most prominently? - Is there evidence that providers are learning from validation? - how effective is the reporting in the context of the purpose of validation and the validation policy and criteria - Has the nature of programmes submitted for validation changed significantly since 2018? Where practicable, the analysis is required to identify themes within clusters of reports with similar features.