Evaluation consists in the systematic, documented and detailed assessment, marking and recording of the work of higher education institutions, with the use of objective criteria, and the critical analysis και identification of existing weaknesses and discrepancies in connection with the academic profile, objectives and mission of institutions.
Evaluation of the work performed by institutions is performed in two stages:
a. internal evaluation carried out by institutions themselves, and
b. external evaluation carried out by a panel of independent experts under the supervision of the HQA.
The internal evaluation process is a periodical participatory process which is carried out under the auspices of the institution’s QAU. It is basically a self-evaluation process, which gives the very identity of the institution (or its academic unit) as it reflects and highlights all areas of its operation, positive and negative, and documents the institution’s or unit’s ambitions. The internal evaluation process is concluded with the preparation of the internal evaluation report, which is approved by the institution’s (or the academic unit’s) administration and is then forwarded to the HQA in order for the external evaluation process to commence.
External evaluation of academic units
External evaluation is the last stage of the cycle of the quality assurance process for the academic unit. It is comprised of the analytical review and examination of the internal evaluation results by the external evaluation committee. The members of the committee are drawn from the Register of Independent Experts set up, maintained and updated by the HQA.
The purpose of the external evaluation process is to determine the completeness, transparency and objectivity of the internal evaluation which was conducted by the Internal Evaluation Group (IEG) of the academic unit, and to formulate an objective neutral opinion. In particular, external evaluation pursues the following goals:
- to point out best practices and areas for improvement,
- to highlight and provide documented support for the logical requests of the academic unit made at the level of the institution or the state,
- to collect and promote the best practices nationwide.
Following the site visit to the academic unit under review, and discussions and contacts with members of the administration, teaching and administrative staff, students and social partners, the committee of experts prepares the external evaluation report. The report summarises the external evaluation outcomes, including an examination and in-depth analysis of the following:
- the achievements of the academic unit,
- the areas for improvement or corrective actions,
- the effectiveness of the actions already taken by the unit in order to assure and improve the quality of the work performed, and
- in general, the adherence of the academic unit to its mission and objectives.
During the period 2008 – 2015, the HQA, as part of its mission, carried out the external evaluation of 397 academic units of Greek institutions of higher education.
Here you can find the external evaluation reports of the academic units.
Institutional evaluation
Each institution of higher education is responsible for ensuring and continually improving the quality of its teaching and research work, as well as for the effective operation and performance of its services. Institutions develop and implement an internal system of principles, criteria, and regulations, the proper functioning of which is evaluated by the HQA.
The main objectives of the institutional evaluation are summarised as follows:
- To reinforce the institution’s self-knowledge
- To bring forward advantages and best practices
- To identify drawbacks and weaknesses
- To implement suggested improvements
During the implementation of the national quality assurance system, the HQA, having completed the external evaluation of academic units, carried out the external evaluation of the country’s 36 institutions of higher education (24 Universities and 12 TEIs) from October 2015 to July 2016.
Here you can find a brief description of the external evaluation outcomes presented by the HQA, and of the external evaluation reports of institutions of higher education.
