About the ASG-QA

The ASG-QA are a set of standards and guidelines for internal and external quality assurance in higher education.

They are developed to bring added value to higher education institutions and quality assurance agencies by providing a unified framework applicable to all quality assurance processes, allowing an enhancement-led approach for institutional and educational quality.

About the ASG-QA User’s Guide

The aim of this Users’ Guide is to further support the implementation of the ASG-QA by providing practical guidance and explanation, including:

• clarifications to improve the understanding and interpretation of the ASG-QA, particularly related to aspects of individual standards that have proved challenging in the first years of their use;
• guidance on the implementation of the standards for HEIs and QAAs in the early stages of development;
• examples of how HEIs and QAAs can demonstrate that they are meeting the commitments of the ASG-QA when undergoing internal or external reviews.

Structure of the Users’ Guide

• The Users’ Guide is structured in the same way as the ASG-QA. It comprises of two sections, namely: Section 1 – Standards and Guidelines for Internal Quality Assurance (Part A of the ASG – QA)
• Section 2 is in two parts. The first part is on Standards and Guidelines for External Quality Assurance (Part B of ASG – QA) and the second part is on Standards and Guidelines for External Quality Agencies’ Internal Quality Assurance (Part C of the ASG – QA) .
• The Guide has used a tabular format for ease of reference to the various standards and guidelines, in conjunction with focus or guiding points, and examples of good practice or evidence. The agreed reference therefore still remains the ASG – QA document.
• Section 1 of the Users’ Guide is long, because HEIs have to take custody of nurturing and upholding their own quality and, in so doing, have to ensure that internal quality assurance is robust enough to prepare themselves for all types of external quality assurance activities such as programme accreditation, institutional accreditation, quality audits, and reviews. This section also includes standards and guidelines for open and distance learning (ODL).
• The three parts of the ASG-QA are interlinked. This should be kept in mind when using the Users’ Guide. In addressing the standards and guidelines in Part A, HEIs should be mindful of the standards and guidelines in Part B that QAAs will apply when conducting external quality reviews at institutions so as to ensure that their internal quality assurance systems and processes are aligned with or satisfy external quality assurance criteria and processes.
• QAAs should also give due recognition to the existence of internal quality assurance standards (Part A) used by HEIs when they engage in self-assessments to see to it that their internal quality assurance is appropriate for the external quality assurance activities they are involved in.
• Similarly, QAAs should consider the standards and guidelines in Part B when they engage in activities to assure their own quality (Part C), because there is a close connection between the two Parts. The implementation of the ASG-QA, complemented by the Users’ Guide, should be seen as a combined effort between HEIs and QAAs at the institutional, national, regional and continental levels to strive for harmonisation and a common African higher education space, based on the generic principles of quality assurance and quality enhancement.

Download the ASG-QA User’s Guide