ACCREDITATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Prepared by

Mr. Patrick Modakewau
First Assistant Secretary for
Human Resource Development, Department of Education,
Papua New Guinea

Mr. Pedro Cortez
Superintendent of Curriculum
Technical Vocational Education and Training Division
Department of Education, Papua New Guinea

15-26 August 2005, CPSC, Philippines

INTRODUCTION

National Context of Higher Education in PNG

The human resource development is identified by successive governments as a fundamental priority for a sustainable and continuing national development of Papua New Guinea. This commitment recognises that people are a valuable national resource and its worth potentially increasing. Achievements in higher education in Papua New Guinea some 40 years ago are diverse and notable.

Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)

Higher Education in PNG is defined as post-Grade 12 education. There are more than 30 IHEs and majority are responsible to their parent departments. Most are mono-disciplinary offering a single or limited range of programs. The enrolments range from about 200 to approximately 4,000 equivalent fulltime students. Currently, there are six universities, nine teachers' colleges, seven technical and business colleges, nine schools of nursing, and 8 other higher education institutions.

Office of Higher Education (OHE)

The Higher Education Act established the Commission for Higher Education (CHE) as the government's principal advisory and consultative body in higher education, and the Office of Higher Education (OHE) as its public service arm.

OHE aims to foster the rational development of higher education according to the needs and resources of Papua New Guinea and the rationalisation and coordination of institutions of higher education.

National Higher Education Plan II, 2000-2004 (NHEP II)

The National Higher Education Plan II was developed by the Office of Higher Education following the development of the White Paper on Higher Education. This Plan provides for a pragmatic and manageable approach to strengthening higher education, research, science and technology over the five year period. The Plan has eight components:

• Legislation, Structure and Coordination
  
  
• Academic Programs
  
  
• Access, Equity and Output
  
  
• Accreditation and Quality Assurance
  
  
• Distance and Flexible Learning
  
  
• Resources
  
  
• Institutional Governance and Management
  
  
• Research, Science and Technology
  
  

Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education

In 1995, the OHE prepared an extensive report, "Accreditation and Higher Education in Papua New Guinea", which examined the various interrelated aspects of institutional and program accreditation and credit transfer. Several successive consultancies produced further policy guidelines and action strategies.

In 1996, CHE established the "CHE Academic Accreditation Committee". The policy on Accreditation and Quality Assurance stipulates the rational development of Higher Education by encouraging amalgamation and affiliation of smaller institutions with larger institutions of higher education.

In 1997, it was resolved at an Evaluation and Planning Workshop that "relevance and quality in the higher education sector are best achieved by adopting a national system which deals with awards, accreditation and quality, and advanced standing in an integrated way".

The White Paper proposed the establishment of an Accreditation and Quality Advancement Committee, which would be assisted by appropriately constituted panels and external moderators. The Committee would investigate and plan ways of gaining quality and cost efficiency through rationalisation, institutional and program accreditation, affiliation, credit accumulation and transfer, qualification awards and articulation pathways, and quality assurance management system.

The policy statement on Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Institutions of Higher Education in PNG was commissioned by CHE as part of its commitment made in the first NHEP and later re-asserted in the second NHEP.

The National Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation Committee was established and the Guidelines for Institutional Accreditation was launched in 2000.

Technical Education and Training Institutions

The Education Act defines the Technical and Business Colleges as National Institutions within the National Education System. The Education Act gives authority to the Secretary for Education to accredit academic and training programs conducted in these institutions.
The PNG Education System was reformed since 1999 in two ways through structural and curriculum reforms.

The major structural change was the amalgamation of the Technical and Vocational sectors under the Technical Vocational Education and Training Division (TVETD). The major curriculum reform was the re-alignment of the curriculum to meeting the needs of all stakeholders through wide consultation and needs analysis. The competency-based training approach to training was adopted as opposed to the behavioural objective approach. The policy shift arose from a concern that technical education was not relevant to the needs of the stakeholders, particularly industry and employers.

The inadequate matching of the content and assessment of technically-oriented higher education programs with occupational standards causes uncertainty over the competence of the graduates.

Responsibility for Technical Education and Training

Existing institutional provisions and management arrangements for technical education and training require a major review. Under the existing arrangements, the financial responsibility for technical/business colleges is divided between the OHE and the TVET Division.

The responsibilities for training standards and curriculum development are also divided, but in a more complicated way. The Curriculum Branch of TVET Division, through the Boards of Studies, is responsible for curriculum development; the National Apprenticeship and Trade Testing Board (NATTB) which is administered by the Department of Labour and Industrial Relations (DLIR) is responsible for establishing the National Competency Standards for trades and occupations in PNG; the National Training Council, which also under DLIR, is responsible for the registration of private training providers.

There are only seven established National Competency Standards for seven core trades in PNG.

STATUS OF ACCREDITATION AND ARTICULATION OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

Background

Four of the seven Technical and Business Colleges in PNG, namely:

• Lae Technical College
  
  
• Port Moresby Business College
  
  
• Goroka Technical College
  
  
• Kokopo Business College

within the TVET Division of the National Department of Education are offering diploma programmes in

• Applied Science
  
  
• Architectural Drafting
  
  
• Business Studies (with specialisation in Accounting, Management, Office Administration and Computing)
  
  
• Building
  
  
• Civil Engineering
  
  
• Electrical Engineering (with specialization in Power and Electronics)
  
  
• Mechanical Engineering and
  
  
• Hospitality Management

These programmes are primarily intended for training Papua New Guineans to work as technicians and technologists in the formal sectors of employment. The curriculum for diploma courses are approved by the respective Board of Studies comprising representatives from commerce & industry, universities, government departments, statutory bodies, technical and business colleges and the National Department of Education. The Education Act gives the authority to the Secretary for Education to grant the diploma award to students who have successfully completed the requirements of the course.

The National Higher Education Policy, as a part of the "measures to improve quality" requires the implementation of the National Accreditation Policy; and as part of the "measures to increase the range of higher education programmes" requires the articulation between institutions and programmes.

The purpose of accreditation is to provide an acceptable professional evaluation of the quality of educational institutions or programmes and encourage consistent improvement in such programmes. The accreditation of any programme considerably enhances the respectability of that programme. Moreover, a rigorous system of national accreditation could pave the way for international recognition of the programmes. Articulation arrangements motivate capable students; provide retraining pathways and second chance to those who did not make the right 'choice' at the first instance. A direct consequence of all these will be substantial increase to the value of our technical vocational, education and training programmes.

A number of graduates from the technical and business colleges have done extremely well in their chosen careers. Some of them are currently holding the top job in a government department or a professional organization. A doctoral degree or business ownership has not been out of reach to the graduates. Despite all these achievements, there is no formal arrangement for the accreditation and articulation of the programmes offered by the colleges. This has been frustrating to a number of highly motivated graduates. No country can afford to hold back its motivated and capable citizens or waste its meager resources on the repetition of an already completed training. In recognition of the importance of the above issues, the National Department of Education has initiated the steps to get the diploma programmes formally accredited and articulated to corresponding degree programmes in the local universities.

The staff of the Technical and Business Colleges and the TVET Head Office are actively engaged in the preparations for the accreditation  and articulation of the diploma programmes.

For strategic reasons and to set the benchmarks, the Diploma in Business Studies (Accounting, Management, Office Administration and Business Computing) programme was chosen as the starting point. At the end of the successful completion of the accreditation and articulation programmes, the 'top bracket' of the graduates will be able to progress to the institutions of higher learning. The goal of the National Department of Education is start locally and then to link up globally, by establishing strategic partnerships and enhancing the quality of the programmes to international standards. The task is enormous but with the commitment of the staff and students the success is
certainly achievable.

Accreditation with the local university in 1997

The early attempts to accredit the diploma programme and articulated with the corresponding degree programs at a local university began in 1997. A Senior Curriculum Officer was tasked to work on the accreditation documentation on the diploma programmes for the purpose of submission to the PNG University of Technology. He laid down the ground work using the set of guidelines in the Accreditation Policy.

Evaluation Questionnaires were developed to gauge the quality of teaching facilities and resources at the colleges that offer the diploma programs. The questionnaires were sent to the colleges and employers and responses were collected and evaluated.

In June 1997 a delegation from Technical Division head office and Lae Technical College met with the Vice-Chancellor and staff of PNG University of Technology for the preliminary discussion on the accreditation of the technical colleges' diploma programs to the corresponding programs at the university. It was agreed in the meeting that a formal submission of accreditation documents will be made to the university. The sudden resignation of the Senior Curriculum Officer in mid-1997 prompted the appointment of a coordinating committee led by the Superintendent Inspections to continue the work that had been started. An editing committee was also appointed to ensure correctness and compliance to guidelines. After many meetings and deliberations, the Accreditation Documentation was completed in March 1998.

The documents on the Accreditation of the diploma programmes were presented at a formal ceremony to the PNG University of Technology on 30th March 1998. The diploma programmes include, Building and Architectural Drafting, Business Studies, Accounting, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

It took more than 2 years for the PNG University of Technology to formally respond on the accreditation proposal of the diploma programmes, and only to say that the "quality of training" in the technical colleges is of low standard. The response was taken very seriously but attempts to get further discussions with the university became futile and less receptive. 

Renewal of Accreditation Efforts in 2002

The accreditation efforts were revived in 2002 when the TVETD re-engaged the same officer who was leading the 1997 accreditation, to renew the efforts on the accreditation and articulation of the diploma programmes. An Accreditation Steering Committee (ASC) was established and had its first meeting on July 15, 2002. This meeting highlighted the issues and the preparation for the accreditation and articulation processes. The discussion papers include:

• Issues for consideration
  
  
• Gap Analysis and Directions Planning
  
  
• Excerpts from National Accreditation Policy relating to 'Academic Audit Processes" and Programme Accreditation Requirements
  
  
• Excerpts from a copyrighted document of Waikato Institute of Technology on 'Requirements for the Approval of Curriculum/Approval Documents

It was decided that the preparation for accreditation be done in small "discipline-based" groups and the ASC to receive and deliberate on periodic reports from each "discipline-based" group. The small groups involved appropriate representatives of the various branches of TVETD and the diploma-teaching colleges to immediately begin work on the accreditation document including robust course descriptors. Due to travel constraints because of limited funds, the input from members of the group was only done through the mailing system. Attempts were made to secure funding for the travel of the ASC Chairman to Lae Technical College for sensitising the senior college staff about the discussion papers.

In the meantime, colleges were asked to collect the relevant information:

• Any records of:
  
  
  • Students' evaluation of teaching, courses and facilities of the diploma programmes
    
    
  • Employers' evaluation of the diploma graduates.
    
    

• Any information on:

  • The performance of diploma graduates who have pursued higher education locally or overseas
    
    
  • Names and addresses of employers of self-sponsored diploma graduates
    
    
  • Names of diploma graduates who have been admitted to a professional association
    
    
  • Names of diploma graduates who have progressed in their career significantly following the training at the technical/business college.
    
    
• Copy of external moderators' reports on diploma assessment instruments
  
  
• The updated version of the curriculum vitae of staff/lecturers
  
  

• involved in the teaching and administration of diploma programmes, containing all the details listed under "Issues for Consideration" (including recent professional development), preferably in electronic form.

• List of diploma teaching facilities, including laboratories, workshops and major equipment.

• Any letter of commendation or support from industry.

• Library Catalogue

• Student Programme Handbooks

• Resource packs including laboratory manuals.

The sincere efforts of TVET head office and colleges were, once again, interrupted by the resignation of this officer in 2003. The efforts to gain accreditation of the diploma programmes will continue to be pursued and the following issues to be addressed:

• External Moderation/Vetting of Assessments: External moderation/vetting of assessments is an integral part of quality management in educational training.
  
  
• Employer Evaluation of Graduates: Industry support is a crucial factor for accreditation.
  
  

• Workshop/Laboratory Equipment: One of the major problems anticipated, if the Accreditation Panel visits our engineering/scienceworkshops/laboratories is the poor state of the teaching/learning equipment. There is an urgent need to carry out a critical analysis of the budget and get the priorities right.

• Staffing: The qualifications and experience of the teachers of the diploma subjects/courses must be defensible and should be in par with the university staffing.

• Library: Library is another significant issue that needs careful attention and upgrading.

• Review of Courses: Courses must be reviewed regularly. It will be quite difficult to defend any course, which has not been reviewed within the past five years.

• Technical Vocational Education and Training Support Project for PNG: A highly professional approach to the project design and development is an absolute and urgent necessity to support the capacity of technical colleges.

• Committee of Technical Vocational Education and Training (CoTVET): There is a need to mobilize industry support by involving the
  representatives of the peak bodies in a 'high profile version' of the now 'defunct' Committee of Technical Education (COTE). The Chairpersons of the Boards of Studies also could be more actively involved in the accreditation process.

• Format of Presentation of the Accreditation Documentation: The presentation format of the accreditation documentation will depend upon the purpose and the agency to which the presentation is being made. The Curriculum Branch will be mainly responsible for the Programme Approval and Accreditation documentation and it is the responsibility of the Operations Branch to ensure that the professional recommendations of the Curriculum Branch on the human, physical and resources requirements
  for the programme are met.

• Self-study: The "Guidelines for Institutional Accreditation" sets out the procedures that institutions seeking accreditation must follow. It requires a systems approach for a successful accreditation process involving all TVET Branches and Colleges.

MAJOR CONSTRAINTS IN ACHIEVING THE ACCREDITATION

There are several constraints which affect to achieve the accreditation of the diploma courses with the universities:

• Lack of Occupational Standards and Competencies for all trades/occupations hinder the appropriate course design and assessment
  
  
• Responsibilities for higher technical education and training are distributed amongst multiple agencies
  
  
• Lack of National Manpower Assessment to link graduate output with the labour market needs
  
  
• The difficulty in maintaining satisfactory levels of funding to improve college facilities and learning resources
  
  
• Inadequate attention to effectiveness of teaching and learning
  
  
• OHE has limited institutional capacity to provide services to higher education institutions
  
  
• Institutions lacked staff capacities and numbers, financial management ystems, resource planning and management.