Improving Quality Management in Higher

Education Using the European

Foundation for Quality Management

Excellence Model: a Case Study of

Estonian Higher Education Institutions

Anneli Lorenz

project manager 2008-2012

Praha 24.04.2014

What is Quality?

Do we know now?

GOLAS OF THE QUALITY PROJECT

Internal quality management system;

strengths and areas for improvement;

best practices;

accredation process;

increase the competitiveness of Estonian

institutions of higher education and support their

success in the European Union and worldwide.

MORE ABOUT PROJECT

• From 2009 to 2012 (three processes – 2009/10,

2010/11, 2011/12);

• 17 universities and Federation of Estonian

Students Unions (EÜL)

• more than 300 people are trained in quality.

USED QUALITY MODEL

• European excellence award model and

scoring matrix (EFQM Excellence Award,

EFQM-European Foundation for Quality

Management).

The EFQM Exellence Model

STEPS OF PROJECT

Final seminar/conference

Conducting a feedback survey and analysis of results

Assessors' follow-up visits to organisations

Feedback training for organisations

Compiling and submission of feedback documents to organisations

Visit of organisations by assessors

Training of assessors

Submission of organisations' self-analysis documents

Training of representatives of organisations

Selection of organisations

Where were we 2009-2012?

RESULTS

MAIN OBSERVATION

(based on the assessment criteria):

LEADERSHIP

• Responsibility at all levels of management are

not clearly defined;

• how to motivate managers to deal with the

quality?

POLICY AND STRATEGY

• Development plans and strategies require

clearer objective of adopting, reviewing,

measuring and making of the improvements.

EMPLOYEES

• Development discussion - planned, but

implementation depends on the middle managers;

• participation in the training/courses - there are no

links between training/courses and organizational

choices;

• career opportunities - opportunities exist in all

institutions of higher education;

• employee motivation process - works if the

employees also participate in the process.

PARTNERSHIPS AND RESOURCES

• A choice of partners based on historical

tradition and personal relationships;

• searching for partners but their finding is not

determined by clear targets;

• analysis and assessment of cooperation with

external partners;

• the need to increase the focus on

internationalisation and to set relevant targets.

PROCESSES

• Question about systematic management;

• importance of support processes.

STAKEHOLDER RESULTS

• Stakeholder specification;

• students feedback doesn`t have targets, trends

and comparisons;

• student mobility;

• the results are not comparable.

EMPLOYEE RESULTS

• Satisfaction of employees;

• indicators - participation in research

conferences, the number of publications, the

distribution of qualifications, offices and ages,

the length of employment.

SOCIETY RESULTS

• Area of improvement is the weakness in

measuring the effectiveness of goals.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Results are, but goals should be more accurate;

• risk management – important;

VALUES OF THE PROJECT

• The top management in quality;

• development of quality systems in HEI;

• quality awareness and systems in HEI;

• the ability to show and analyse the aspects that

ensure quality in the HEI;

• ensuring the compliance of indicators with the

priorities of the HEI;

• higher investment in employees.

Thank you!

Questions?anneli.lorenz@emu.ee