Report Writing on Quality Assurance
By Dr. Y Ratana
From 4-8 November 2013, Dr. Y Ratana (Dean of Undergraduate Studies Division and Director of the Academic Foundation Year Department) joined 71 other participants from Accreditation Committee of Cambodia (ACC), UNESCO representatives, assessors, and representatives from other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in a three-day plenary workshop called “Report Writing on Quality Assurance,” organized by ACC. The meeting was presided over by Excellency Ing Virak Cheat (Secretary of State, Cabinet Council of Ministers and member of Supreme National Council of Education), Mr. Samon Thiya (Secretary- General of ACC), and a representative from UNESCO.
The aim of the workshop was to share experiences from different ACC and HEIs’ assessors on quality report writing and self-assessment evaluation of higher education institutions. This quality report writing is also good for internal quality assurance of all higher education institutions.
During the workshop participants were divided into fi ve groups. Each group worked together to share their knowledge and understanding of the assessment mechanism, evaluation procedures, assessment indicators, and overall assessment in order to better enhance the knowledge of assessors about evaluation tools and indicators. The workshop main discussion focused on the format of assessors’ assessment report writing, methodology of assessment, and general report writing.
The workshop provided ACC with better knowledge and understanding on quality report writing and self assessment evaluation conducted by assessors. Benefits from the workshop included:
ACC is in the process of moving from the Cabinet Council of Ministers to the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports. Mr. Samon Tiya and Mr. Ing Virak Cheat said that “ACC will continue to play an important role in higher education, nation building, and enhancing assessors mechanism and procedures.” ACC intends to setup another workshop to train HEIs on writing self-assessment reports and assessment reports for institutional accreditation.
This workshop was a follow-up on last year’s workshop on quality assurance of APQN. Since then ACC has begun the paperwork to implement six minimum standards for Foundation Year programs for accreditation recognition and 9 minimum standards for whole institutional accreditation recognition. However, the implementation lacks practicality. UNESCO is pleased with the work progress that has been made by ACC and HEIs in Cambodia to enhance the quality education and best practice. UNESCO aims to continue to support ACC and HEIs work to improve education.
