AQRF Referencing Report
of AMS
Date of submission: e.g. 01 July 2017
Version: e.g. First Draft / Edition
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Outline of the AQRF Referencing Report
1. Introduction
Status of the Referencing Report
Example(s):
(a) This is the first edition of referencing report of country name.
or
(b) This is the second edition of country name’s referencing report
following the update in the country name’s national education
framework / national education system. The first edition was
submitted on DD/MM/YYY.
Summary of the level-to-level referencing process results and in meeting
the 11 criteria
Example(s):
There are 10 levels in country name’s NQF. Based on learning outcome
and concept of “best-fit”, levels 5 and 6 of country name’s NQF can be
considered comparable to level 6 of AQRF.
The detailed responses to the 11 criteria can be found in Section 2 of this
report.
Description on the preparation of the AQRF Referencing Report and
process
You may consider the following questions to prepare the description:
Duration of preparing the AQRF Referencing Report and process
Composition of the National AQRF Committee
Stakeholders involved (e.g. policy makers, education and training
providers, learners, employers, etc)
Information on the involvement of international expert and
observer(s) from another AMS
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Statement of endorsement of the referencing report by stakeholders
involved in the process
Example:
This report is endorsed by the stakeholders involved in the referencing
process, and the list of stakeholders is in ANNEX 1.
2. Response to the 11 AQRF criteria
Criteria 1. The structure of the education and training system is
described
Information required:
The essential structure of the system covering ages, stages and pathways of
education and training, including formal, non-formal and informal learning
should be described in outline. Linkages between these pathways and major
progressions should be clear. If possible some general statistics should be
included.
Criteria 2. The responsibilities and legal basis of all relevant national
bodies involved in the referencing process are clearly
determined and published by the main public authority
responsible for the referencing process
Information required:
Different Member States have different institutional structures. It is necessary
to take into account all of the bodies that have a legitimate role in the
referencing process and to clarify (for international readers) their roles. Bodies
with these types of functions are generally considered as having such
legitimate role:
those responsible for governing the processes through which nationally
recognised qualifications are designed and awarded;
those bodies that support the labour market relevance of education and
training;
those in charge of quality assurance in relation to design and award of
nationally recognised qualifications;
those managing and maintaining a qualifications framework (if in
existence);
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those responsible for the recognition of foreign qualifications and
providing information on national qualifications; and
representatives of institutions awarding qualifications; and
representatives of those using qualifications (employers, learners).
Criteria 3. The procedures for inclusion of qualifications in the national
qualifications framework or for describing the place of
qualifications in the national qualifications system are
transparent
Information required:
The qualifications that exist in the country are described in terms of the
education provision in the country and how they are located in an NQF where
one exists. Allocating specific qualifications to an NQF level brings meaning to
the NQF level for citizens and, through the referencing process, to the AQRF
level. It is therefore critically important for the referencing process that the way
a qualification is located at an NQF level is described in full and examples are
provided that illustrate how the rules governing the process are applied. The
NQF level of all the major qualifications (or types) needs to be evident in the
report.
Criteria 4. There is a clear and demonstrable link between the
qualifications levels in the national qualifications framework
or system and the level descriptors of the AQRF
Information required:
A clear statement of the agreed relationship between the national qualifications
system and the AQRF levels is made. Where an NQF exists the levels in the
national framework should be used. The procedure for matching of levels
needs to be described in detail; this procedure should be robust and
transparent, probably including a careful explanation of assumptions,
approximations and professional judgements.
Criteria 5. The basis in agreed standards of the national framework or
qualifications system and its qualifications is described
Information required:
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Where possible these standards should be based on the principle of learning
outcomes. They should include achievement standards, credit arrangements
and other methods of validation where these are available.
Criteria 6. The national quality assurance system(s) for education and
training refer(s) to the national qualifications framework or
system are described. All of the bodies responsible for
quality assurance state their unequivocal support for the
referencing outcome.
Information required:
Referencing reports need to explain the main national quality assurance
systems that operate in the education, training and qualifications system. Other
quality assurance measures that could be addressed include, for example,
qualifications requirements for teachers and trainers, accreditation and external
evaluation of providers or programmes, relationship between bodies
responsible for quality assurance from different levels and with different
functions.
A range of competent quality assurance bodies are important to the referencing
process, such as the following but not limited to:
the government ministries;
qualifications bodies, particularly those with national oversight of the
system or of the major sectors (general, vocational, higher education)
but also those bodies that assess learning, validate non-formal and
informal learning, issue awards and certificates;
quality assurance bodies such as those that set standards for learning in
general, vocational and higher education and those that evaluate
institutions or programmes;
bodies that set occupational, vocational and educational standards in a
country or employment/education sector;
bodies that manage the development and implementation of NQFs,
especially the NQFs that regulate standards in sectors and nationally;
and
bodies that disburse public funds to learning institutions and require
compliance with quality criteria.
Benchmarks for evaluating quality assurance processes for all education and
training sectors may be based but not limited to the following quality assurance
framework:
East Asia Summit Vocational Education and Training Quality Assurance
Framework (includes the quality principles, agency quality standards
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and quality indicators)
International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher
Education (INQAAHE) Guidelines of Good Practice for Quality
Assurance1
ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN) ASEAN Quality Assurance
Framework for Higher Education2
Criteria 7. The process of referencing has been devised by the main
public authority and has been endorsed by the main
stakeholders in the qualifications system
Information required:
A statement describing the management process used to provide a valid,
reliable and trusted outcome of referencing.
Criteria 8. People from other countries who are experienced in the field
of qualifications are involved in the referencing process and
its reporting.
Information required:
The referencing process should clarify the relationship between the AQRF and
the national qualifications system for a person without particular understanding
of the qualifications system concerned. To support this process a person or
persons from another country is involved in the referencing process to act as
an adviser and supporter of the referencing process. The advice of the foreign
person should be given with a view to optimising the trust in use of the AQRF
as an instrument for transparency.
There is no obligation on the part of the host country to accept the advice of the
foreign person.
The referencing report should state who was involved and explain why these
experts were invited and how they were involved in the process (roles,
activities) and at what stage and how their feedback was taken into account.
Criteria 9. One comprehensive report, setting out the referencing and
the evidence supporting it shall be published by the
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Requirements for full member.
2
Requirements for full member.
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competent national bodies and shall address separately and
in order each of the referencing criteria
Information required:
Whatever the scope of the referencing process this report should be written by
the competent bodies in consultation with stakeholders and agreed by them.
The single report should contain all relevant information on the results of the
referencing of national qualifications levels to the AQRF and refer to further
resources for evidence if necessary. There should be no supplementary or
minority view reports
Criteria 10. The outcome of referencing is published by the ASEAN
Secretariat and by the main national public body
Information required:
In order to make public the process of referencing and its outcome.
Criteria 11. Following the referencing process all certification and
awarding bodies are encouraged to indicate a clear reference
to the appropriate AQRF level on new qualifications
certificates, diplomas issued
Information required:
In order to show that the AQRF is a force for cooperation and mobility of direct
relevance to citizens of ASEAN.
3. Future Plans and Next Steps
Proposed information to be included, but not limited to:
Describe plans and strategies in the development and implementation of NQF
(e.g. plans on review the NQF every five-years and the manner of updating
the AQRF Referencing Report)
Highlight the expected challenges and strategies to address the challenges
Expected impact of referencing AQRF on users of NQF
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Describe socialisation plans for NQF and AQRF (e.g. workshop to enhance
awareness, activities to encourage the utilisation of NQF and AQRF)
4. Annexes
Proposed information to be included, but not limited to:
List of stakeholders involved in the referencing process and preparation
Reviews from stakeholders and statement from international experts and
observers from other AMS
Mapping of NQF to AQRF (e.g. level descriptors for NQF and AQRF)
Visual example taken from Malta Referencing Report to EQF (2016):
Note: The manner the domains EQF and Malta Qualifications Framework
(MQF) used are different from AQRF. This is for illustration purpose only.
5. Glossary
Suggested inclusion: Provide a glossary of terms relevant to the country’s education
and training system and which are used in this report.
6. References
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Suggested inclusion: Include here any references that may have been used within the
report.
