AQ 97 - Hicks

AQ 97

Proceedings of the AQ 97 Conference
Winchester, 2 December 1997

The Engineering Professors' Council Quality Management Project

Peter Hicks
Head of Quality
Faculty of Technology
University of Portsmouth
[email protected]

Abstract

The Engineering Professors' Council initiated a project in early 1996 to develop a quality management framework for use in Departments. The concepts are embodied in their occasional paper EPC9 [1]. This paper describes the development of these concepts and their formal implementation on the World Wide Web. The model is applicable to all departments because of its generic design. The generic backbone has cursor-picked 'hot-links' upward to University policies and downward into specific Departmental policies. Thus the facility exists for instant electronic access to 'latest' versions of all relevant information across the spectrum of university quality management activities. The format of the model is presented at an Appendix.

Introduction

Of necessity, academic departments which are involved in professional accreditation and in teaching quality assessment become involved in extensive preparation of documentation, a significant amount of which is duplicated across both activities. The internalization of quality assurance should fulfil a significant proportion of the needs of all interested parties.

A pilot study was initiated by the Engineering Professors' Council (EPC) and, following a general invitation to participate, the universities of Cambridge, Heriot-Watt, Northumbria, Portsmouth, Queens Belfast and Surrey were selected. Financial support in varying measure came from HEQC, HEFCE, IChemE, ICE, IEE, IMechE, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Council.

Participation by all the six universities included prototyping the internalized system and acting as a trial site for implementation, with audit before and after implementation.

At Portsmouth, quality assurance systems are already well established through a strong centrally led activity, and so it was decided to endeavour to generate a usable generic EPC9 approach in electronic format, applicable at department level. There were also some useful local enhancements to be made in line with EPC9, but that is not detailed further here.

EPC9 quality management framework

The EPC9 document [1] is commended as an excellent distillation of many variables into a user-friendly and logical format. It contains sections which deal with all the typical activities of a department, and it also presents a tabulated records and evidence checklist.

Using it, together with the Web-based facility, has resulted in what can be summarized as quality assurance and enhancement the easy way: both in terms of practices, understanding and broader-based departmental operation.

The interpretation and development of the EPC9 document at Portsmouth has aimed to produce a Web-based model that is easily understood by staff and students and which is in a form that is applicable to all departments in all universities. Hot-linking from the generic backbone to specific university and departmental documents will give the local flavour to practices and requirements.

It is anticipated that many universities will already be moving to electronic issue and control of documentation, if they have not already done so. This project showed that the electronic conversion of word-processed documents to HTML formats is relatively straightforward.

To have the latest authoritative version of quality and all other documentation instantly available in electronic format gives significant cost savings and efficiency improvements, itself a quality enhancement.

Appendix 1 identifies the generic backbone. The detail can be accessed under http://www.mech.port.ac.uk/qualitymanagement/.

The project has been developed at The University of Portsmouth by the author but is not necessarily University policy.

References

"Specification for a quality management framework at department level", EPC Occasional Paper No. 9, EPC, c/o University College London, Gower Street, London, December 1996.

Appendix: Quality management framework

1. INTRODUCTION

2. QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN THE UNIVERSITY, FACULTY AND DEPARTMENT

3. THE FRAMEWORK
   3.1  Rationale
   3.2  Policy and Objectives
   3.3  Organization for Quality
   3.4  Quality Assurance Systems and Documentation
   3.5  Quality Improvement
   3.6  Academic Standards
   3.7  Departmental Operation

4. THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS
   4.1  Design and Revision of Programmes of Study
   4.2  Delivery and Management of Programmes
   4.3  Delivery and Management of Units
   4.4  Assessment of Students
   4.5  Service Support of Programmes
   4.6  Student Support and Guidance
   4.7  Staff Student Communications
   4.8  Research and its Supervision
   4.9  Admissions
   4.10 Staff Recruitment, Appraisal, Development
   4.11 Collaborative Arrangements

5.STANDARDS
   5.1  Introduction
   5.2  External Interfaces
   5.3  The Application of Appropriate Academic Standards

6. CONTROL OF THE FRAMEWORK
   6.1  Document Control
   6.2  Records
   6.3  Internal Audit
   6.4  Internal review

7.QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
   7.1  Problem Reporting and Corrective Action
   7.2  Review of Programmes
   7.3  Review of Quality Management Framework