This document discusses several projects related to quality assurance and self-assessment in higher education institutions. It summarizes the specific objectives of three projects: 1) Developing a university self-assessment framework and establishing infrastructure for effective self-assessment processes in Armenia. 2) Developing and adjusting quality assurance systems in partner countries to be internationally comparable. 3) Establishing a quality assurance agency and standards in Turkmenistan based on European standards. It also outlines the work packages, activities, timelines, and financial considerations of the projects.

1. Development and Integration
of University Self-Assessment
Systems

2. Consortium:
P1 Applicant - Koblenz-Landau University P9 - Vanadzor branch of State Engineering
Koblenz, Germany University of Armenia
P2 Partner - ASIIN Consult GmbH Vanadzor, Armenia
Düsseldorf, Germany P10 - Gyumri State Pedagogical Institute
P3 – Link Campus University of Malta after M. Nalbandyan
Roma, Italy Gyumri, Armenia
P4 - Wrocław University of Technology P11 - State Engineering University of
Wrocław, Poland Armenia (Polytechnic)
P5 - Université du Maine (Le Mans University) Yerevan, Armenia
Le Mans, France P12 - National Center For Professional
P6 - Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts Education Quality Assurance
Yerevan, Armenia Yerevan, Armenia
P7 - Yerevan State University P13 - Ministry of Education and Science
Yerevan, Armenia Yerevan, Armenia
P8 - Yerevan State Medical University
Yerevan, Armenia

3. Specific objectives of the project
• To develop a university self-assessment framework
• To train the staff responsible for effective university
self-assessment processes
• To establish a necessary infrastructure for effective
university self-assessment
• To promote student involvement in university self-
assessment processes
• To make the self-assessment mechanism an
integral part of university functioning
• To make the result public for further application and
elaboration

4. PICQA Promoting Internationalization and
Comparability of Quality Assurance in Higher Education
Specific objectives of the project
The project aims at developing new and at adjusting
existing models for external quality assurance sys-
tems in higher education in the partner countries
which are acceptable and comparable regionally and
internationally. The competences of HEIs in the
partner countries in external and internal quality
assurance will be developed in order to prepare
them for applying its methods and instruments.

5. DEQUE Development of Quality Assurance
System in Turkmenistan on the Base of Bologna Standards
Specific objectives of the project
• To develop standards, formal procedures and
associated instructions for the assurance of the
education quality in Turkmenistan on the basis of
European and national quality assurance standards.
• To establish National Agency of Quality Assurance.
• To promote international co-operation of the
Agency to enhancing quality assurance decisions
and quality assessment.

6. Work package: Fact-finding
at Partner Institutions
Study of local practices at EU and Armenian participating universities.
The resultant study will be the basis for developing a draft model
for both institutional and programme self-assessment systems.
2. Assessment of extant mechanisms. January – March, 2010.
The fact-finding will be conducted through the document analyses and a
questionnaire designed by the Work Group (WG) involving both PC and
EU institutions. The questionnaire will contain the following criteria: prog-
ramme (design and approval, learning outcomes, teaching and learning,
student and teacher assessment, teacher professional development,
resources, monitoring and feedback), institutional (institutional capacity,
financial aspects, knowledge management, information manage-
ment, student support services, internal quality assurance system).

7. Work package: Fact-finding
at Partner Institutions
3. Analyzing the results and planning benchmarking. April, 2010.
PCIs will conduct a survey and provide a report on the state of
affairs. The WG will study the results and identify the areas in
need of improvement at the conference held at Université du
Maine. The qualitative part of the survey will provide for a more
grounded approach, enabling establishment of the criteria,
standards and procedures for self-assessment peculiar to the
particular situation. The facts and evidences revealed through the
study will feed into a new set of criteria, standards and
procedures for institutional and programme self-assessment
ensuring coverage of the areas in need of improvement.

8. Some financial aspects:
Equipment
VAT problem: Tempus project can not pay VAT; by Tempus
agreement, signed by all NIS countries, all purchases are
free from VAT. But it is very difficult to realise this right.
Equipment can be purchased by 3 ways:
by money transferring from the project account to account
of a seller; better if the account of the seller is in EU, but the
seller can deliver the equipment to corresponding NIS country;
it is better way to buy big consignments of equipment;
by cash in NIS or EU country; it is better way to buy
separate inexpensive units;
In all the cases the main document, which should be presented,
is an invoice with stamp “paid”. VAT can not be mentioned in the
invoice; or VAT should be paid by corresponding university.

9. Some financial aspects:
Travels
Originals of tickets should be presented.
For aircraft tickets (ordinary or electronic) it is
necessary to present boarding passes.
In the contract the maximal level of per diem
expenses is represented; real sums will be
determined depends of a budget situation.
Participation in project events will depend on 3 factors:
1. Real contribution of the person and the university.
2. Propositions of the home university.
3. Financial possibilities.