Audit concepts

This section gives the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council’s (FINHEEC’s) interpretation of the concepts used in this manual. The definitions are based on established usage and interpretation by international evaluation organisations, which FINHEEC has adapted for Finnish higher education and evaluation culture.

This means that FINHEEC is not committed to the concepts and terminology of any individual quality assessment method (e.g. ISO, EFQM or BSC).

Accreditation
The word ’accreditation’ (Latin ad + credere) means to prove something creditable and publicly acknowledge its worth in relation to external criteria. Accreditation usually refers either to an official approval of HEIs or their programmes or to the awarding of different quality labels to HEIs or their programmes.

Auditing
Auditing is independent external evaluation to ascertain whether a QA system conforms to its stated objectives, is effective and fits its purpose. Auditing does not address the objectives or the results of operations as such but evaluates the processes that the HEI uses to manage and improve the quality of its education and other activities.

Certification
Certification is the verification and validation of an achieved standard or status. It often includes a certificate of the standard or status achieved. The certificate can be awarded by a first party (the management of an organisation), a second party (the customer) or a third party (an accredited external certifier).

Criteria
See evaluation criteria.

Enhancement-led evaluation
Enhancement-led evaluation refers to evaluation geared to support HEIs in improving their education and other activities. FINHEEC sees enhancement-led evaluation as a user-led process in which the evaluation method is tailored according to the objectives of the evaluation, its theme and the needs of the participants.

Evaluation
Evaluation is systematic appraisal and highlighting of value or comparison against objectives and targets, and “measurement” of performance (assessment, as in quality assessment) against set criteria. FINHEEC sees evaluation as a process geared to highlight development needs and putting forward proposals.

Evaluation model (method)
In the evaluation of higher education institutions, the evaluation model or evaluation method refers to an established European approach comprising four components: (1) a national or other external evaluation organisation; (2) a selfevaluation; (3) a peer evaluation, including audit visits; and (4) a public evaluation report.

Evaluation types
Evaluation types can be summarised according to use as: 1. evaluation, 2. accreditation, 3. auditing and 4. benchmarking. These different approaches are used to evaluate three different targets (organisations, degree programmes and subjects) and they can be used for different purposes, from the development of operations to indicating accountability.

Quality assurance
Quality assurance refers to the procedures, processes and systems that safeguard and improve the quality of a HEI, its education and other activities. The Finnish term laatutyö (quality work) often means the same as quality assurance, but is sometimes also used to refer to the development of QA systems.

Quality assurance system
FINHEEC’s concept ‘quality assurance system’ is based on a concept that has become established in European quality evaluation. The concept includes both quality management and quality enhancement. It can be used in two ways: it may refer to the QA system of an individual HEI or to the national system for assuring higher education quality. The institutional QA system refers to the entity composed of the quality assurance organisation, respective responsibilities, procedures, processes and resources. The national QA system refers to the procedures and processes of the HEIs, FINHEEC and the Ministry of Education as a whole and to legislation enacted to assure higher education quality.

Quality
Quality can be defined in many ways, for instance, quality as exception, as perfection, as fitness for purpose, as value for money, and as transformative13 . In the auditing of QA systems, quality refers to the appropriateness (fitness for purpose) of quality assurance methods, processes and systems in relation to stated objectives or aims. Understood in this way, quality is verified achievement of objectives.

Quality culture
Quality culture includes both measures geared to improve quality and individual and collective commitment to maintaining and improving quality.

Self-evaluation
Self-evaluation means that a unit or an organisation appraises its own activities, their prerequisites and outcomes. Self-evaluation is a way of collecting information on the evaluation target and a tool for HEIs to improve their activities. Self-evaluation can be undertaken on the organisation’s own initiative or at the behest of an external body.

Stakeholder/interest group
Stakeholders are groups or organisations with vested interests in the matter. The stakeholders of a HEI are its staff, students, the students' parents and other taxpayers, employers, the Government, society, trade unions, and higher education graduates.

SWOT analysis
SWOT analysis is a method used in the evaluation and development of activities. A SWOT analysis lists the organisation’s Strengths, Weaknesses and Opportunities.

Source of information: Audits of Quality Assurance Systems of Finnish Higher Education Institutions Audit Manual for 2005–2007. (PDF.)