Evaluations
The FINHEEC conducts three principal types of evaluations:
- Audits of quality assurance systems of Higher Education Institutions (universities and polytechnics)
- Centres of excellence evaluation in education
- Programme and thematic evaluations
Audits are evaluations of higher education institutions' quality assurance systems. In other words, the methods, processes and mechanisms that the institution uses to maintain and develop the quality of its education and other activities.
Centres of Excellence evaluations are conducted separately on both University and Polytechnic sectors. FINHEEC proposes Centres to the Ministry of Education and Culture, which grants performance-based funding to the selected units.
For programme and thematic evaluations, FINHEEC applies the following criteria in choosing the targets of evaluation. The programme or theme is significant in regards to education and society, and a rapidly growing, developing or problematic field of higher education.
Moreover, FINHEEC conducts contracted evaluations in case they fit thematically into FINHEEC's strategy. In practice, contracted evaluations have concerned only higher education institutions that are not administered by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Evaluation Processes
As far as evaluation processes are concerned, FINHEEC does not have a rigid, predetermined evaluation pattern that is applied in every project. In fact, the chosen methods can vary according to the target of evaluation and phrasing of evaluation questions.
In the beginning of each project, the objectives and implementation practices of the evaluation are defined. The point of view and suitable evaluation methods for the project are also chosen at this stage. When deciding both on the process and methods, FINHEEC actively pursues to take the special characteristics of the evaluation target into consideration in order to achieve a coherent evaluation scheme that corresponds to the evaluation needs in the best possible way. This includes analysing the perspectives of the higher education units under review.
The following outline, however, is a basic pattern that most evaluation projects follow:
1. The Council makes a decision on an evaluation and appoints a steering committee.
2. The steering committee makes a proposition to the Council about the composition of an external evaluation team and prepares both a review and project plan.
3. The Council appoints the external evaluation team and approves the project plan.
4. The higher education institution(s) under review compile(s) self-evaluation reports to the external evaluation team.
5. The external evaluation team visits the higher education institutions involved and writes a review report.
6. The review report is published.
