This document discusses benchmarking in education quality assurance. Benchmarking involves systematically measuring an organization's performance against others to identify best practices and areas for improvement. It should be used to learn from the best performers, not just copy them, and to strive to surpass standards over time through innovation. The document recommends internal and external benchmarking, outlines benchmarking categories, and provides guidance on planning, implementation, review and ensuring a culture of continuous improvement.

1. Quality Assurance in
Education

2.  ‘‘Benchmarking is about bridging the
gap between where we are and where
we want to be.’’ (Edward Sallis)
 A benchmark is a standard against
which to measure present
performance.
 a systematic process for measuring
and
comparing the performance of one
organization against those of others.

3. Set Standard
Measure
Compare
Performance
Results

4. Let us discuss now;
 what is your opinion about
Benchmarking?
 How will you exercise benchmarking?
 How will you define the best? (Standard)
 How will you learn form the best?
 What will you need to become the best?
 How will you do better then the best?

5. What benchmarking is not?
• copying or trying to catch up;
• a panacea or a quick fix;
• spying or educational espionage;
• educational tourism;
• a cost reduction exercise.
What benchmarking is?
• about learning from and trying to surpass the
best;
• identifying gaps in performance;
• closing the gap between present quality and
expectation;
• seeking fresh approaches so that it aids innovation
and new thinking.

6.  Internal Benchmarking:
◦ comparing and learning from the performance of
different departments or subjects.
 systematic lesson observations,
 information-sharing forums and
 knowledge-sharing communities
 Functional Benchmarking:
◦ Comparing your institution’s performance with other
schools, colleges or universities who are
competitors.
 Competitive
 Collaborative
Continue….

7.  The Educational Travel Club:
◦ To carry out inter-institutional benchmarking it is
often useful to visit other schools to see how they
do things.
 Conferences and Seminars,
 Good data can be obtained from official sources,
 Inspection reports and from the educational press.
 Generic Benchmarking:
◦ Making comparisons with outstanding practice,
regardless of the industry, is a very powerful means
of quality improvement.
 Management systems, Personnel Management,
 Quality Assurance Processes, and Customer
Care.

8. Let us discuss now;
 what is your opinion, which category
was best to adoptable?
 Why do you exercise benchmarking?
 Why do you define the best? (Standard)
 Why do you learn form the best?
 Why do you need to become the best?
 How will you do better then the best?

9.  How good do we want to be?
 Are there standards available that we can
benchmark ourselves against?
 How well are we doing in comparison with the best?
 Do we know who is doing it best?
 How do we compare with the best?
 What are they doing that makes them so good?
 Where are the gaps in our performance?
 How can we learn their lessons?
 How best can we bridge our gaps?
 How can we do better than the best?
 What do we need to do to become the best?

10.  Planning
 Identifying Potential Partner
 Analyze the Process and Practices
 Adapt your own Practice to become
the best
 Review the Success of the Activity

11.  Benchmarking creates a better understanding of your
current position.
 Benchmarking provides a means to find out how other
organizations are doing.
 Benchmarking ensures that the institution has a
series of stretching goals.
 Benchmarking encourages a culture of innovation.
 It ensures that there is a striving to be best.
 It establishes realistic action plans.
 Benchmarking can be used to underpin other quality
initiatives such as the Business Excellence Model.

12.  Name and Shame Culture: “Poor Performance”
 It can be a waste of effort and that the rewards do
not outweigh the time that has to be invested.
 It is very difficult to replicate those aspects of the
organization that lead to outstanding performance.
Important Note:
However, despite these reservations,
benchmarking
is usually regarded as a positive technique and
one
that can lead to positive improvements if
planned
and executed properly.