On March 25-28, the University of Genoa (UNIGE) hosted the Erasmus+ KPI4HE project’s Workshop on operationalisation of Institutional Research and Planning Services (IRPS) with focus on Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS).
The Workshop aimed at the discussion and development of methodologies and tools for Institutional Research and Strategic Planning (IRSP), along with the practical application of the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS).
ANQA was represented by Ruben Topchyan, director, Varduhi Gyulazyan, head of Institutional and Programme Accreditation Division and Ofelya Petrosyan, lawyer.
Ruben Topchyan, ANQA’s director, delivered a presentation "Accreditation and NF-KPI system: current challenges and future perspectives". Dr. Topchyan highlighted key changes in the approach to accreditation & QA: from qualitative to evidence-based QA. Ruben Topchyan placed particular emphasis on the following topics:
- the data-informed reviews and new QA approaches;
- the importance of integrating performance data (KPI trends) directly into the review;
- the use of KPI benchmarks to assess whether targets are met (e.g., graduation rates, employability, research output);
- the alignment of strategic accountability and institutional autonomy;
- the need for QA standards revisions (linked to ESG);
- the introduction of mechanisms for skill-based evaluations.
Varduhi Gyulazyan, head of Institutional and Programme Accreditation Division, presented the roadmap for conducting IRSP, the main steps of which are as follows:
- the piloting of the National Framework of Key Performance Indicators (NF-KPI);
- the establishment of a working group involving independent experts, representatives from the Ministry, HEIs, ANQA and students;
- the development of data collection templates based on the NF-KPI areas;
- the piloting of KPIs by the HEIs;
- the review of the collected data and finalisation of the NF-KPIs;
- the alignment of NF-KPI with accreditation criteria and standards;
- the clarification of reform objectives following the example of Ireland.
The main expected outcome of this process are performance agreements and financing of HEIs based on the KPIS.
Establishment of National framework of Key Performance Indicators for good governance and quality towards inclusive, digital and green-oriented higher education in Armenia" (KPI4HE) is a three-year project. KPI4HE aims at improving higher education system governance, university strategic planning and management contributing to quality and inclusive, digital and green oriented higher education in Armenia through development and implementation of National framework of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for higher education (NF-KPI), operationalization of Institutional Research and Planning Services (IRPS) and revision of state institutional accreditation criteria and standards in line with NF-KPI.