2. Kenya Medical Training College
QUALITY ASSURANCE
POLICY
Policy Details
Name: Quality Assurance Policy
Category: Academic
Policy Reference Number:
Policy Effective From:
Policy Last Revised:
Director …………………………….. Signature …………………… Date ………………
2016
4. iii Quality Assurance Policy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENT v
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi
GLOSSARY OF TERMS vii
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 KMTC Vision, Mission and Core Values 1
1.1.1 Vision 2
1.1.2 Mission 2
1.1.3 Core Values 2
1.2 Legal and Institutional Framework 2
1.3 Quality Assurance Policy Statement 2
1.4 Strategic Context 2
1.5 Situation Analysis 3
1.6 The Purpose of the Policy 3
1.7 The Objectives of the Policy 4
1.8 Guiding Principles 4
1.8.1 Quality Teaching, Learning and Research 4
1.8.2 Facilities and Resources 5
1.8.3 Outreach Professional Services 5
1.8.4 Collaboration 5
1.8.5 Commitment to Change & Innovation 5
2.0 POLICY ELEMENTS 6
2.1 Quality Assurance Policy Governance 6
2.2 Features of the Quality Assurance Process 6
2.3 Responsibility for Policy Implementation 6
2.4 Monitoring and Evaluation 7
2.5 Review of the Policy 7
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS 8
5. ivQuality Assurance Policy
FOREWORD
The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) is a Semi-Autonomous State Agency
(SAGA) under the Ministry of Health entrusted with the role of training of the various
health care workers, to serve the local, regional and international markets. The College
aligns its strategies to those of the health sector, which in turn draws its focus from
the National Agenda. The College has defined obligations towards achieving the right
to health as stipulated in the Kenya Constitution (2010) and plays significant role in
attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Vision 2030.
This policy specifies the college’s approach to quality assurance and continuous
improvement and is an outcome of its’ principles, features, structures and standards.
The College has therefore, put in place mechanisms for regular review and improvement
if its processes, standards, objectives, outcomes and outputs.
The College aims to provide a stimulating and innovative environment for teaching,
learning, and research and community service. KMTC approach to continuous
improvement is aimed at putting in place quality assurance and quality improvement
systems benchmarked locally and internationally, against leading research and medical
training institutions.
The Quality Assurance activity is a continuous process. Each key area has precepts and
general guidelines on quality assurance mechanisms which may be revised whenever
its principles are significantly affected by changes in policy or procedures.
It is therefore hoped that the implementation of this policy will lead to quality
improvement in training systems and overall achievement of the mission of the College.
Peter K. Tum
DIRECTOR, KENYA MEDICAL TRAINING COLLEGE
6. v Quality Assurance Policy
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We wish to acknowledge the contribution and support of the Director KMTC for
conceiving the need for having a QA policy and availing the technical group to
develop this policy. We also thank IntraHealth’s USAID funded FUNZOKenya project for
providing technical and financial support for the successful development of this Quality
Assurance policy. We also thank the Ministry of Health and its regulatory bodies for
providing invaluable inputs.
Finally we appreciate the technical group for working tirelessly to actualize the QA
policy document.
7. viQuality Assurance Policy
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ICT Information and Communication Technology
KMTC Kenya Medical Training Institute
MOH Ministry of Health
PEPFAR President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
QA Quality Assurance
QI Quality Improvement
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
8. vii Quality Assurance Policy
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Assessment: Is the process of identifying and ensuring that appropriate internal
procedures are in place and operational and that outcomes of academic programs and
activities are in accordance with established standards.
Audit: Is a process of identifying and ensuring that appropriate internal quality
assurance processes are in place and operational.
Curriculum: Refers to educational plan that spells out which goals and objectives
should be achieved, which topics should be covered and which methods are to be used
for learning, teaching and evaluation.
Evaluation: Refers to the process of measuring outcomes and impact of QA guidelines.
Knowledge: Is the acquisition or awareness of facts, data, information, ideas or principles
to which one has access through formal or individual study, research, observation,
experience or intuition.
Monitoring: Is the process of following the progress of the implementation of
planned activities and their outputs (using process/output indicators) against expected
outcomes.
Professionalism: Means adherence to a set of values comprising both a formally
agreed-upon code of conduct and the informal expectations of colleagues, clients and
society.
Program Review: Is a process of holistic appraisal of a course/program and resources,
with a view to its further improvement.
Quality Assurance: Is a system of procedures, checks, audits, and corrective actions
to ensure that all training, research, testing, monitoring, sampling, analysis, and other
technical and reporting activities are of the highest achievable quality.
Quality Management: Refers to all the processes that are in place to facilitate
achievement of quality in an institution.
Quality: Refers to fitness for purpose for which they were designed.
9. viiiQuality Assurance Policy
Regulatory Body: Is a licensing organization that exercise a regulatory function, that
include imposing requirements, restrictions and conditions, setting standards in relation
to any activity, and securing compliance or enforcement.
Research: Is the scientific inquiry or an organized quest for new knowledge and better
understanding, such as of the natural world or determinants of health and disease.
Research can take several forms: empiric (observational), analytic, experimental,
theoretical and applied.
Skill: Is the ability to perform a task well, usually gained by training or experience; a
systematic and coordinated pattern of mental and/or physical activity.
Staff members: Includes the professionals and employees of the college, as well as
formally appointed administrators in their capacity in making non-academic decisions
(deans, head of departments and executive officers).
Stakeholders: Include government agencies, public and private institutions, individuals,
groups that are affected and participate in the implementation of this policy.
Standard in Education: Refers to model design or formulation related to various
aspects of medical education and presented in a manner that enables the assessment
of graduates’ performance in compliance with generally accepted professional
requirements.
10. 1 Quality Assurance Policy
1
Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) was established in 1927 as a Training Depot at
the Kenya Institute of Administration–Kabete, the then Jeans School, near Nairobi. The
College developed over the years as a Department of the Ministry of Health and was
relocated to Kenyatta National Hospital, formerly King George VI Hospital. The college
become a State Corporation established through an Act of Parliament vide Cap. 261
(1990), of the Laws of Kenya. The college is ISO 9001:2008 certified.
As a state agency, KMTC is entrusted to train and develop human resources for health
for local, regional and international markets. The College aligns its strategies to those of
the health sector towards the attainment of socio-economic development as outlined
in Kenya Vision 2030.
This policy specifies the college’s approach to quality assurance and continuous
improvement as well as its principles, features, structures and standards. The college
endeavors to provide quality teaching, learning, research, consultancy and service
delivery through continuous quality improvement in an enabling stimulating and
innovative environment. The Policy is premised on the need to provide high standards
in teaching and learning and is based on best practices locally, regionally and
internationally benchmarking against leading research and training institutions.
The main strategic intent of this policy is to ensure:
• Training and developing competent health professionals.
• Expanding and sustaining health training opportunities.
• Developing and sustaining quality management systems in teaching and learning.
• Enhancing research capacity in health training.
• Institutionalize consultancy services.
• Embracing (ICT) Information and Communication Technology.
• Attracting, developing and retaining qualified human resource.
• Expanding facilities for competitive college education.
KMTC embodies and delivers training for health professionals with particular regard to
delivery of healthcare. This policy seeks to enhance quality training and development
of health professionals for strengthening health care delivery in the health sector. This
document is anchored to the College’s vision, mission and core values.
INTRODUCTION
11. 2Quality Assurance Policy
1.1 KMTC Vision, Mission and Core Values
1.1.1 Vision
A model institution in the training and development of competent health professionals.
1.1.2 Mission
To produce competent health professionals through training and research and provide
consultancy services.
1.1.3 Core Values
• Accountability and integrity
• Responsiveness
• Equity
• Teamwork
• Professionalism
• Creativity and innovation
1.2 Legal and Institutional Framework
The Constitution of Kenya (2010) under the bill of rights provides the right to the highest
attainable health for all Kenyans. KMTC established under Cap 261 (1990) endeavors to
contribute to the attainment of this right by production of human resource for health
for the country.
TheKenyaVision2030underthesocialpillarenvisagessocialandeconomicdevelopment
which is dependent on healthy citizens. This policy therefore is instrumental in ensuring
that health practitioners graduating from KMTC have the requisite knowledge, skills,
attitude and competencies for effective practice.
1.3 Quality Assurance Policy Statement
KMTC shall adhere to its training standards in the design, delivery and evaluation of
its training programs. In addition, it will recognize the relevant regulatory bodies and
other internationally recognized institution. KMTC shall seek to provide its training,
teaching and research programs to the highest level of quality to ensure the graduates
are safe and competent to practice.
1.4 Strategic Context
The strategic intent of this policy contributes to the achievement of the KMTC mandate
as stipulated in the Act Cap 261 (1990) of the Laws of Kenya including:
12. 3 Quality Assurance Policy
a) To provide facilities for College education for national health manpower
requirements.
b) To play an important role in the development and expansion of opportunities
for Kenyans wishing to continue with their education.
c) To provide consultancy services in health related areas.
d) To develop health trainers who can effectively teach, conduct operational
research, develop relevant and usable health learning materials.
e) To conduct examinations for and grant diplomas.
f) To determine who may teach and what may be taught and how it may be taught
in the College.
g) To examine and make proposals for establishment of constituent training centers
and faculties.
1.5 Situation Analysis
Currently Quality Assurance at KMTC takes a variety of methods both internal and
external. Internal Quality Assurance takes the form of setting of examinations,
moderation of examination papers by internal and external examiners and review by
academic board of the various programs.
KMTC has embraced Kenya Quality Model for Health and therefore looks at training as
a continuous process. In many cases, emphasis has mainly been on controlling inputs,
with comparatively little attention given to the processes and outcomes. At institutional
level, there has been challenges in monitoring educational performance in a systematic
manner as well as in implementing quality training related decisions. Implementation
of decisions and outcomes of reports related to quality have been affected largely due
to lack of Quality Assurance policy.
To address these critical issues, KMTC needed to develop a Quality Assurance Policy that
spells out the principles, guidelines and procedures for implementing the institutions
quality assurance processes.
1.6 The Purpose of the Policy
The purpose of the KMTC quality assurance policy is to:
• Harmonize various quality assurance aspects/activities within KMTC.
• Ensure effective performance of staff and students.
13. 4Quality Assurance Policy
• Improve the campus environs in order to attract and retain staff and students.
• Strengthen ties with County, National, Regional and International Quality
Assurance agencies and institutions.
• Continuously improve the QA system, through reviews, streamlining and
modernizing of QA function, policies, procedures and their supporting protocols.
• Provide leadership in the transformation of the KMTC core Quality Assurance
business processes through the implementation of Quality Assurance initiative.
• Establish and maintain KMTC as a center of excellence in health professional
education.
1.7 The Objectives of the Policy
1. To provide guidance in development and implementation of internal and external
quality assurance procedures and practices.
2. To ensure that the quality of training programs at KMTC meet standards expected
by stakeholders.
3. To ensure that KMTC graduates have attained knowledge skills and attitude for
effective practice.
4. To ensure KMTC implements quality assurance processes in all its programs and
colleges.
5. To provide a mechanism for implementation of internal and external standards
and criteria consistent with internationally recognized standards.
6. To facilitate development of a culture of continuous quality improvement to
achieve academic excellence.
7. To enable identify areas of strength and excellence as well as areas in need of
focused attention for continuous improvement.
8. Outline and strengthen roles and functions of the Quality Assurance Policy in all
the KMTC Campuses.
9. Provide a guarantee to the public and employers of quality education attainment
at the colleges.
10. Standardize the health care professional competency of graduates from all its
campuses and colleges.
1.8 Guiding Principles
Quality assurance initiatives within KMTC will be based on the following principles:
1.81 Quality Teaching, Learning and Research
Ensuring that the College environment meets students and staff needs through
14. 5 Quality Assurance Policy
rigorous academic planning and evaluation. The need to focus on results, performance
and outcomes of both students and staff, and provide leadership and motivation, to
support staff development, career progression and high completion rates.
1.8.2 Facilities and Resources
KMTC shall ensure provision of adequate facilities and resources to support quality
training.
1.8.3 Outreach Professional Services
Identifying and disseminating good practices within and from outside the College
upholding the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, gender mainstreaming and
equal opportunities for all students and staff.
1.8.4 Collaboration
The College shall provide an overview of the college’s precepts, principles and guidelines
on collaboration with other organizations and interdepartmental in offering taught
programs and other areas either at external level or between departments. This policy
takes cognizance of functions assigned to two levels of collaboration as outlined in the
KMTC collaboration policy with the resultant synergy accrued from the collaborative
activities with other institutions and agencies.
1.8.5 Commitment to Change and Innovation
QA initiatives will promote change through innovative culture and continuous quality
improvement. This will build on the past experiences, seeking opportunities for needed
change and promoting creativity among staff and students within the college.
15. 6Quality Assurance Policy
2
2.1 Quality Assurance Policy Governance
TheKMTCboardofmanagementshallprovidetheoverallapprovalontheimplementation
of the QA strategy and guidelines on the recommendation of the academic board.
There shall be established Quality Assurance Committees at departmental level,
constituent college level and the KMTC headquarters. This policy shall be implemented
in all the constituent campuses of KMTC and centrally coordinated by the Senior
Management headed by the Director. The Principal of the respective campuses shall
provide leadership at the campus level.
2.2 Features of the Quality Assurance Process
a) KMTC commits to a QA process that includes self-evaluation, evidence collection,
peer review, external assessment, feedback to relevant stakeholders and action
plan.
b) The Policy shall apply to all units of the KMTC campuses through internal quality
assurance mechanisms on a continuous basis and external quality assurance
strategies which will be periodic.
c) KMTC shall focus on efficient management, planning and resource utilization to
achieve excellence and to ensure continuous improvement.
d) A commitment to judging outcomes and processes against internal standards,
national health training standards and internationally recognized standards.
e) KMTC shall periodically appraise its education system using recognized quality
health education assessment tools to determine the readiness of colleges to
improve their training management systems as well as scale up trainings.
f) The Internal Quality Assurance mechanisms shall focus on the quality of programs
and courses, faculty, teaching and learning resources, practicum experiences, staff
and student performance assessment, support services and infrastructure.
g) The College shall employ quality improvement tools and standards that include
Health Professional Management tools, optimizing performance and quality and
such other tools as may be determined from time to time.
h) External quality assurance from peer reviewers and regulatory entities shall be
incorporated for enhanced quality improvement.
2.3 Responsibility for Policy Implementation
The Director KMTC shall oversee the implementation of the policy. Designated persons
POLICY ELEMENTS
16. 7 Quality Assurance Policy
at the KMTC Colleges shall take a responsibility to implement the policy in the Colleges.
2.4 Monitoring and Evaluation
The College shall conduct monitoring and evaluation of this policy implementation
with the objective of promoting continuous improvement.
2.5 Review of the Policy
This policy shall be reviewed from time to time but not later than five years or when
need arises.
17. 8Quality Assurance Policy
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
S/No Name Designation Station
1. Mr. Peter K. Tum Director, KMTC KMTC
2. Dr. Leah Bii Ag. Deputy Director,
Academics
KMTC, HQ
3. Mr. John Anyira Ag. Deputy Director,
Finance &
Administration
KMTC, HQ
4. Dr. Lucy Waweru Ag. Registrar
Academics
KMTC, HQ
5. Mr. Gordon Agalo HOD, Medical
Engineering
Nairobi Campus
6. Mr. Peter Kariuki HOD, Laboratory
Sciences
Nairobi Campus
7. Mr. Daniel Kangutu HOD, Physiotherapy Nairobi Campus
8. Mr. Bernard Kamuti Principal Machakos Campus
9. Mr. David Okach Principal Lake Victoria Campus
10. Florence A. Hawa Principal Port Reitz Campus
11. Isaac Cheptiony Lecturer KMTC, Nairobi
12. Mr. Jeremiah Sakuda Chief Examinations
officer
KMTC, HQ
13. Mr. Bernard Kariuki Deputy Chief
Examinations officer
KMTC, HQ
14. Mr. David Maingi Assistant Director
Regulatory Systems
USAID|FUNZOKenya
Project
15. Mr. Isaac Munene Senior Manager
Systems
Strengthening
USAID|FUNZOKenya
Project
16. Salome Mwangi Program Officer USAID|FUNZOKenya
Project
17. Ms. Charity Ngugi Personal Secretary KMTC, HQ
18. Kenya Medical Training College
Kenya Medical Training College,
P.O Box 30195- 00100
Nairobi, Kenya
Phone (254) – 020-2725711/2/3/4
Fax (254) – 020-2722907
Email: info@kmtc.ac.ke
Website: www.kmtc.ac.ke
This publication is made possible by the generous contribution of the American people through the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
USAID or the United States Government.
