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A capacity-building workshop on the new External Quality Assurance (EQA) system was held at Lancers Inn in Maseru. The review and development of the EQA system were supported by the Commonwealth of Learning (CoL). The workshop was delivered through a structured series of sessions for different audiences. It began with a dedicated session for CHE internal staff, followed by engagements with external stakeholders, which included Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Employers, Government Departments and Professional bodies on second day. An additional briefing session was also conducted for Council and Higher Education Quality Assurance Committee (HEQAC) Members. The workshop guided participants through the key components of the EQA system, including the Institutional Audit Framework (AIF), Programme Accreditation Framework (PAF), and Tuition Provider Framework (TPF). It also demonstrated how Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) integrates and aligns these frameworks to ensure effective internal quality assurance.
Participants were also briefed on the improvements introduced in the revised system. Notably, standards have been restructured so that those applicable at the institutional level are now aligned with the IAF, while programme-level standards are placed under PAF. This reorganisation has eliminated redundancies and enhanced clarity within the system.
The revised External Quality Assurance (EQA) system places strong emphasis on strengthening Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) within HEIs. It requires that academic programmes be aligned with national priorities and demonstrate clear relevance to labour market needs.
This approach calls for institutions to take greater responsibility for their IQA mechanisms and actively involve key stakeholders in programme design and review processes, including industry representatives and relevant professional bodies, to ensure that programmes remain responsive, credible, and fit for purpose.
CHE Staff
Stakeholders
Concil Members and HEQAC
