This document provides information about an in-house induction seminar for staff at Tom Mboya University College on the topic of quality assurance. The seminar will take place from November 19-20, 2015. Quality assurance is defined as activities focused on fulfilling quality requirements and providing confidence that standards will be met. It involves evaluating programs and institutions to ensure agreed-upon standards are being maintained and improved.

1. TOM MBOYA UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE
A constituent College of
Maseno University
P.O Box 199 - 40300, Homa Bay.
Email: homabay@maseno.ac.ke

2. IN-HOUSE INDUCTION
SEMINAR for STAFF
of
TOM MBOYA UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE
19th -to- 20th Nov.2015

3. Workshop Theme:
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Ref: Workshop.sem/Staff/vol.2
Motto: Do the right things, right the first time, every time.
PART ONE

4. Authored by:
Dr. S O William
Senior Lecturer &
Acting Finance Director
TMUC
Approved by:
Prof. J Kobiero
Principal
TMUC

5. Specific Workshop
Objective:
Bring-out 'strong
interpersonal skills' &
develop quadruple-
dominance in the model of
Staff’s thinking(mind)

6. What is
QUALITY ASSURANCE?
Quality assurance (QA) is a way
of preventing mistakes or defects
in manufactured products and
avoiding problems when
delivering solutions or services
to customers;

7. ISO 9000 defines
Quality Assurance as
"part of quality management
focused on providing
confidence that quality
requirements will be fulfilled".

8. Quality Assurance !!
Is the means by which an
institution can guarantee
that the standards and
quality of its educational
provisions are being
maintained and enhanced.

9. Quality Assurance !!
It is the means through
which an Institution
confirms that conditions
are in place for students to
achieve standards set by
the Institution.

10. Quality assurance!!
Relates to a continuous process
of evaluating (assessing,
monitoring, guaranteeing,
maintaining and improving) the
quality of a higher education
system, Institutions or Academic
programmes.

11. Quality assurance!!
Is a means to an end! not an
end in itself. It is a way of
defining and securing good
learning through support
for students.

12. Quality Assurance !!
Helps to describe and guarantee
the level of achievement
represented by higher education
qualification. It is also about
communication, of both
intentions and the means of
achieving them.

13. Internal quality assurance!!
Refers to each Institution’s policies
and mechanisms for ensuring that it
is fulfilling its own purposes as well
as the standards that apply to higher
education in general or to the
profession or discipline in particular.

14. External quality assurance
Refers to an external body,
which may be a Quality
Assurance Agency (for
example, CHE) or another
body from the higher
education institution (HEI).

15. Quality Assurance
Assesses its operations or
that of its programmes in
order to determine
whether it is meeting the
standards that have been
agreed on.

16. Please note!!:
Quality in higher education
is perceived as consisting
of a synthesis of
conformity, adaptability
and continuous
improvement;

17. it is a synthesis of a range of
expectations of many
stakeholders;
• Students may focus on facilities provided and perceived
usefulness of education on future employment.
• Academic staff may pay attention to the teaching learning
process.
• Management may give importance to the institution’s
achievements.
• Parents may consider the achievement of their children.
• Employers may consider the competence of the
graduates. Quality can therefore be viewed from
many approaches.

18. QUALITY ASSURANCE
-vs-
QUALITY CONTROL
Quality assurance is the means
by which an institution can
guarantee that the standards and
quality of its educational
provisions are being maintained
and enhanced.

19. It is the means through
which an institution
confirms that conditions
are in place for students to
achieve standards set by
the institution.

20. Quality control checks whether
activities were carried out as
intended. It refers to periodic
checks of how effectively a
programme achieves its stated
aims and objectives and success
of students in attaining the
intended learning outcomes.

21. Quality control or monitoring is
usually undertaken by a
university department. It may
take into account reports from
external examiners, staff and
feedback from students, alumni
and employer, reports from
professionals and accreditation
bodies.

22. It may lead to adjustments of
curriculum or assessment
methods.
The terms “quality assurance”
and “quality control” are often
used interchangeably to refer
to ways of ensuring the
quality of a service or product.

23. The terms, however, have different
meanings.
•Assurance: The act of giving
confidence, the state of being certain
or the act of making certain.
•Quality Assurance: The planned
and systematic activities
implemented in a quality system so
that quality requirements for a
product or service will be fulfilled.

24. •Control: An evaluation to
indicate needed corrective
responses; the act of guiding a
process in which variability is
attributable to a constant system
of chance causes.
Quality Control: The observation
techniques and activities used to
fulfill requirements for quality.

25. •Quality Assurance makes
sure you are doing the
right things, the right way.
•Quality Control makes
sure the results of what
you've done are what you
expected

26. Quality as
Excellence / Exceptionality:
This is the traditional concept of
quality where the emphasis is placed
on attaining high-level standards,
being excellent. In higher education
institutions, an institution that
demonstrates exceptionally high
standards is seen as a quality
institution.

27. However, it is not possible for
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) to
condemn Institutions that do not
attain exceptional standards,
because this would not serve the
purpose of accountability or self-
improvement.
This definition may be used in
evaluating doctoral programs or
cutting-edge research.

28. Quality as
Conformance to Standards/Threshold:
This concept has its origins
from the manufacturing
industry. The word ‘standard’
is used to indicate pre-
determined specifications or
expectations.

29. Tom Mboya University
as a higher learning institution
expect nothing less than the
pre-determined standards of
quality in her academic and
professional dispensation, this
status often warrant the timely
basis for accreditation.

30. The factors to approve the
above would be seen in; the
number of full-time
Professors, the percentage of
them with final degrees, or the
number of articles published
per full-time equivalent (FTE)
academic staff.

31. Conforming to standards may
result in approval to start a
program or recognition for a
particular status or funding
depending on the context e.g.
Business Incubation Program.
This concept of quality makes
assessment fairly easy.

32. Quality as
fitness-for-purpose (FFP):
This concept is based on the view
that quality has no meaning except
in relation to the purpose of the
product or service. This quality
concept is improvement oriented,
but who determines the purpose,
what are appropriate purposes?

33. The purposes may be determined by
the institution itself
(quality then is effectiveness in
achieving Institutional goals).
However, it might be possible that
an institution has set its goals too
low and by doing this easily achieves
them. Goals may be set by the
government or by a group of
stakeholders.

34. Quality as added value:
This concept focuses on the
students. Quality means the value
added to the student during
education and training. It is the
way from formulating learning
outcomes to realizing the
outcomes in the graduates.

35. The basic question is ‘what has the
student learned?’ An institution that
enables a student to enhance his/her
knowledge, competence and
employability is seen as successful in
its efforts and therefore in generating
quality education and training. One
has to pay attention to what is
expected otherwise the definition can
be rendered meaningless.

36. Quality as
satisfaction of the customer/client:
This is a variation of fitness-for-purpose.
The concept is based on the
customer’s needs and satisfaction
therefore; quality corresponds to the
satisfaction of the customers. In
higher education there are many
customers and they must all be
considered.

37. They include;
• Students (who are direct
consumers and invest their active
time in learning),
• Parents (who pay for the
educational services for their
children) and the
• Government (that sets national
policies and invests public money
for educational purposes).

38. ACCREDITATION
This is the process by which a government
or a quality assurance agency evaluates the
quality of a higher education institution as
a whole or a specific educational program
in order to formally recognize it as having
met certain predetermined criteria or
standards. The result of this process is
usually the awarding of a status of
recognition, and sometimes a license to
operate within a time-limited validity.

39. Accreditation
Can therefore be defined as a “process of
quality control and assurance” whereby, as a
result of inspection or assessment, an
institution or its programmes is recognized as
meeting minimum acceptable standards.
In Kenya, accreditation means Public
acceptance and confirmation as evidenced by
award of a Charter that a university meets and
continues to meet the standards of academic
excellence set by the Commission.

40. For any institutions to be accredited the
Commission must be satisfied that the
institution concerned has adequate; Physical,
Human, Library and Financial resources,
viable relevant academic programmes and
sound structure of governance.
In Kenya, accreditation is compulsory for any
institution that wishes to offer degree
programmes and/or set up a private
university. Any institution not abiding by this
requirement commits an offence, and hence would be
running illegal university operations.

41. Quality Assessment
(Quality Review or Evaluation)
This indicates the actual process of external
evaluation (reviewing, measuring, and
judging) of the quality of higher education
institutions and programmes. It consists of
those techniques that are carried out by an
external body in order to evaluate the quality
of the higher education processes, practices,
programmes and services. It’s important
aspects include:

42. • The context (national, institutional);
• The methods (self-assessment, assessment by
peer review, site inspection);
• The levels (systems, institution, department,
individuals);
• The mechanisms (rewards, policies, structures,
cultures);
• Values are attached to quality assessment such
as academic values (subject field); managerial
values (staff, their teaching skills and classroom
practices); Employment values (graduate output
characteristics and e-learning)

43. QUALITY AUDIT
This is the process of quality assessment
by which an external body assures that
the institution or program quality
assurance procedures; or the overall
(internal and external) quality assurance
procedures of the system are adequate
and are being carried out. In Kenya this is
what is referred to as Re-inspection of
universities.

44. Quality Audit
Looks to the system for achieving good
quality and not at the quality itself. A
quality audit can be realized only by
persons (quality auditors) who are not
directly involved in the areas being
audited. Quality audit can be undertaken
to meet internal goals (internal audit) or
external goals (external audit). The result
of the audit must be documented.

45. Quality Assurance in Kenya
Quality assurance in higher education in
Kenya is undertaken by several
institutions/bodies, for example,
• Higher education institutions (HEIs);
• Professional bodies;
• Directorate of Quality Assurance and
Standards (MOE); and
• Commission for Higher Education.
National quality assurance continuum can be
presented in a Matrix with the following
distribution of responsibilities:

46. Operationalisation of
Accreditation
The function of accreditation
of universities in Kenya is
carried out by the Commission
through the use of rules,
guidelines and standards.

47. (a) The 1989 Universities Rules
In 1989, pursuant to the Universities Act,
1985, the Commission developed and
caused their publication in the Kenya
Gazette of the Universities
(Establishment of Universities)
(Standardization, Accreditation and
Supervision) Rules, 1989, which provide
for the establishment and accreditation
of universities in Kenya.

48. The Rules provide that upon their becoming
operational, no university would operate in the
country without the express authority of the
Commission or any other person competent to grant
such authority under the Universities Act, 1985.
These Rules apply to:
(i) Private universities;
(ii) Public universities other than a public
university established by an Act of Parliament;
(iii) Universities established outside Kenya (foreign
universities); and
(iv) Any Agency or agency of such university
operating or intending to operate as such on
behalf of such university within Kenya.

49. Two principles included in
Quality Assurance are:
"Fit for purpose" (the product should be
suitable for the intended purpose); and
"Right first time" (mistakes should be
eliminated). QA includes management of
the quality of raw materials, assemblies,
products and components, services
related to production, and management,
production and inspection processes.

50. Suitable quality
Is determined by product users, clients
or customers, not by society in general. It
is not related to cost, and adjectives or
descriptors such as "high" and "poor" are
not applicable. For example, a low priced
product may be viewed as having high
quality because it is disposable, whereas
another may be viewed as having poor
quality because it is not disposable.

51. Key Features of Accreditation
The key features of the Commission’s accreditation
process include:
(a) Accreditation is compulsory in Kenya for private
institutions.
(b) The achievement of an accreditation status is
not an indefinite status, but,
(i) It is a continuous process;
(ii) Periodic review is the lifeline of accreditations
and programmes; and
(iii) Institutions seeking accreditation undergo a
number of stages (stipulated in the Universities
Rules).

52. (c) Use of peer review/consultative process in subject /discipline
/profession.
(d) Self-Study / Evaluation by institution based on institution’s
vision, mission, philosophy and objectives.
(e) Site visits / inspections to verify available resources.
(f) Action / judgment by the Commission is more of a
developmental approach where the Commission works with
the institution to reach the desired standards, after which the
Commission will:
(i) Grant a Letter of Interim Authority to a newly established
institution;
(ii) Award a Charter to an existing institution;
(iii) Grant a Re-inspection Certificate to an Accredited institution;
(iv) Grant a Certificate of Validation to a post secondary school
institution; and
(v) Grant Authority to a post secondary school institution to
collaborate with other institutions for purpose of offering

53. INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDIZATION FOR
ORGANIZATIONS (ISO)
ISO 9000 is an international standard
that many companies use to ensure
that their quality assurance system is
in place and effective. Conformance
to ISO 9000 is said to guarantee that
a company delivers quality products
and services.

54. ISO 9000 is a series of standards, developed
and published by the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO), that
define, establish, and maintain an effective
quality assurance system for manufacturing
and service industries.
The ISO 9000 standard is the most widely
known and has perhaps had the most impact
of the 13,000 standards published by the ISO.
It serves many different industries and
organizations as a guide to quality products,
service, and management.

55. ISO 9000 series
Quality management principles
The ISO 9000 series are based on eight
quality management principles.
The eight quality management principles
are defined in ISO 9000:2005, Quality
management systems – Fundamentals
and vocabulary, and in ISO 9004:2009,
Managing for the sustained success of an
organization – A quality management
approach.

56. Principle 1 – Customer focus
Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should
understand current and future customer needs, should meet
customer requirements and strive to exceed customer
expectations.
Principle 2 – Leadership
Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction of the
organization. They should create and maintain the internal
environment in which people can become fully involved in
achieving the organization’s objectives.
Principle 3 – Involvement of people
People at all levels are the essence of an organization and their
full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the
organization’s benefit.
Principle 4 – Process approach
A desired result is achieved more efficiently when activities and
related resources are managed as a process.

57. Principle 5 – System approach to management
Identifying, understanding and managing interrelated
processes as a system contributes to the organization’s
effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives.
Principle 6 – Continual improvement
Continual improvement of the organization’s overall
performance should be a permanent objective of the
organization.
Principle 7 – Factual approach to decision making
Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and
information.
Principle 8 – Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
An organization and its suppliers are interdependent and a
mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of
both to create value.

58. Workshop Theme:
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Ref: Workshop.sem/Staff/vol.2
Motto: Do the right things, right the first time, every time.
PART TWO

59. TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
TQM is a management philosophy
that seeks to integrate all
organizational functions (marketing,
finance, design, engineering, and production,
customer service, etc.) to focus on
meeting customer needs and
organizational objectives.

60. TQM views an organization as a
collection of processes. It maintains
that organizations must strive to
continuously improve these
processes by incorporating the
knowledge and experiences of
workers.
The simple objective of TQM is;
Do the right things, right the first time, every time.

61. The quality of products is
dependent upon that of the
participating constituents, some
of which are sustainable and
effectively controlled while others
are not.
The process(es) which are
managed with QA pertain to Total
Quality Management.

62. If the specification does not reflect
the true quality requirements, the
product's quality cannot be
guaranteed. For instance, the
parameters for a pressure vessel
should cover not only the material
and dimensions but operating,
environmental, safety, reliability
and maintainability requirements.

63. The key principles of TQM are as following:
Management Commitment
• Plan (drive, direct)
• Do (deploy, support, participate)
• Check (review)
• Act (recognize, communicate, revise)

64. Employee Empowerment
• Training
• Suggestion scheme
• Measurement and recognition
• Excellence teams
To be successful in implementing Total Quality
Management, an organization must concentrate
on the four key elements:
1. Foundation
2. Building Bricks
3. Binding Mortar
4. Roof

65. These elements can be divided into
groups according to their function. The
groups are:
1. Ethics 2. Integrity 3. Trust
4. Training 5. Teamwork 6. Leadership
7. Recognition 8. Communication

66. These elements can be divided into
four groups according to their
function. The groups are:
1. Foundation – It includes: Ethics,
Integrity and Trust.
2. Building Bricks – It includes:
Training, Teamwork and Leadership.
3. Binding Mortar – It includes:
Communication.
4. Roof – It includes: Recognition.

67. Total Quality Management
Model House (Teamwork)
1. Ethics
2. Integrity
3. Trust
4. Training
5. Teamwork
6. Leadership
7. Recognition
8. Communication

68. Analytical
Thinking
Imaginative
Thinking
Sequential
Thinking
Interpersonal
Thinking
Models of Thinking:
Thinking Preferences !!
Ned Herrman
explains
physiological and
functional
specialization of the
human brain by
dicothamizing it into
four quadrants
(models of thinking).

69. Four quadrants (models of thinking).
Analytical Thinking;
Such skills include demonstration of the
ability to apply logical thinking to
gathering and analyzing information,
designing and testing solutions to
problems, and formulating plans.
Analytical
Thinking

70. In 1999, Richards J. Heuer Jr., explained that:
Thinking analytically
is a skill like carpentry work or driving a
car. TMUC requires pioneers with
multitasking spirit, staffs who would
come-up with valid, and relevant
activities, workable formulae in order to
meet the targeted objection of the
University.
--single mind managing multiple duties--

71. Imaginative Thinking
The ability to imagine things that are
not real: the ability to form a picture
in your mind of something that you
have not seen or experienced
The ability to think of new things
Something that only exists or
happens in your mind
Imaginative
Thinking

72. Sequential Thinking;
Sequential thinking is the process in
which thoughts are put into the order
of priority concerning the issue at
hand and viewed individually as to
their merits and demerits. This
enables the individual to take the
right decision.
Sequential
Thinking

73. Interpersonal thinking;
Relating to the interactions between individuals:
interpersonal skills existing or occurring between
individuals: interpersonal communication or
conflict. Interpersonal skills are the life skills we
use every day to communicate and interact with
other people, both individually and in groups.
People who have worked on developing strong
interpersonal skills are usually more successful in
both their professional and personal lives.

74. Employers often seek to hire staff with
'strong interpersonal skills' - they want people
who will work well in a team and be able to
communicate effectively with colleagues,
customers and clients.
7% of individuals have dominance in a single quadrant
60% of individuals have double-dominance
30% of individuals have triple-dominance
3% of individuals have quadruple-dominance (whole brain)
Analytical
Thinking
Imaginative
Thinking
Sequential
Thinking
Interpersonal
Thinking

75. Quality Assurance in
Schools and Departments
QA is very important in every
school, department or sections
in all fields within a University;
because it helps to identify the
standards of equipments and
services.

76. Other details from the file of;
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND
STANDARDS IN KENYA
Please note: the below extracted information from
the files of Quality Assurance in Kenya;
Under the leadership of Mr. Mohammed Mwinyi
pembe the current Acting Director;
Quality Assurance and Standards in Kenya.
Source Reference;
Handbook on Processes for Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Kenya
© Commission for Higher Education, Nairobi, Kenya. August 2008

77. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND STANDARDS IN
KENYA –QA(K)
Under the leadership of Mr. Mohammed Mwinyi pembe as
the current Acting Director; Quality Assurance and
Standards in Kenya, states;
Our Mandate: The Directorate derives its mandate
from the Education Act, Cap 211, of the Laws of
Kenya that states "The Minister shall appoint officers
with authority to enter and inspect any school, or
any place at which it is of reasonably suspected that
a school is being conducted, at any time, with or
without notice, and to report to him with respect to
the school or any aspect thereof"

78. This include the Directorate of Basic
Education, Directorate of Policy and
Planning, Directorate of Quality
Assurance and Standards, Directorate
of Higher Education and the
Directorate of Technical Education
(the latter two have since
been moved to the Ministry of Higher
Education and Ministry of Science
and Technology).

79. The mandate of the Directorate
subsequently changed from that
of control to the one of quality
audit and quality development
with a view to providing support
services to all education
institutions and stakeholders.

80. QA(K) - Objectives: To:-
•Have a regular reporting to the Ministry of
Education on the general quality of education in
Kenya at national, provincial, district and school
levels with reports on specific aspects of education
as required.
•Monitor the performance of teachers and
educational institutions in accordance with all-
round standard performance indicators.
•Ensure the equitable distribution of teachers by
working out the curriculum based establishment
(secondary/college) and class-based staffing
(primary).

81. * Carry out regular and full panel Quality
Assurance and Standards assessment of all
Education Institutions on a regular basis.
• Advise on the provision of proper and
adequate physical facilities in all
educational institutions.
• Ensure that the appropriate curriculum
is operational in institutions.
• Organize and administer co-curricular
activities with a view to developing an
all-round child.

82. Our Core Values:
Our core values are derived from the
Ministry of Education Charter to
reflect the Directorate objectives.
1. Impartial Judgment
This is demonstrated by ensuring
that our judgments are secure,
first hand, reliable, valid,
comprehensive, prognostic and
corporate.

83. 2. Respect for Value Added
Progress
By examining entry behavior and
assessing the value added and
progress made on individual learner
and institution.

84. 3. Integrity
upholding transparency and
accountability through objective
quality assurance and standards
assessment and reporting.

85. 4. Professionalism
capacity building of the officers on
the job and subject mastery and skills
upgrading of teachers through in-
servicing and conducting Teachers
Proficiency Course.

86. 5. Team work
By carrying out our activities as
panels and embracing the
participation of other stakeholders
by using lay – Quality Assurance and
Standards officers/education
officers/relevant professionals,
etc. Secondly, by corroborating the
findings.

87. 6. Quality Assurance
By establishing, developing and
monitoring Educational and Training
standards through quality audit and
control and giving feedback to
stakeholders.

88. 7. Fidelity to Law
All our operations are carried out in
respect to the legal mandate in
Education Act CAP. 211 Part V
Section 18 and Subsidiary
Legislations and other Policy
frameworks like;
Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2005.

89. 8. Good Rapport
By using collegial approach and
respect of individual differences and
resources and regional disparities.

90. End of Session