Building HE Institutional QA System and QA Offices: The QA-SURE Project in Kosovo and Albania
Building HE Institutional QA System and QA Offices: The QA-SURE Project in Kosovo and Albania

Summary/Abstract: Purpose: This study examines the development and institutionalisation of internal quality assurance (QA) systems and QA offices within higher education institutions (HEIs) in Albania and Kosovo, as facilitated by the Erasmus+ QA-SURE project. It emphasises that focused interventions at the institutional level, as opposed to comprehensive reforms, can cultivate quality cultures in accordance with the 2015 requirements of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative case study methodology was employed, drawing on institutional documentation, project reports, stakeholder comments, and benchmarking data from five higher education institutions (three in Albania and two in Kosovo). The analysis concentrated on requirements assessment, the construction or rearrangement of QA offices, capacity-building training, and stakeholder engagement initiatives. Findings: The study reveals that the systematic establishment of QA offices—incorporated within governance frameworks and provided with resources, training, and stakeholder engagement—significantly enhances the efficacy of institutional QA. Results include enhanced QA documentation, improved stakeholder engagement, increased student empowerment, and a digital infrastructure for oversight and reporting. The QA-SURE project enabled a transition from fragmented QA initiatives to integrated, context-aware, and sustainable solutions. Originality/value: This study offers novel insights into how internally orientated, office-based quality assurance transformation—bolstered by international collaboration—can enhance national quality assurance frameworks. It improves the comprehension of institutional quality culture development in post-transition and resource-constrained environments.

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