Quality Assurance Decision Making Fora
The purpose of Kerry ETB’s Governance System is to ensure that teaching, learning and assessment, are quality assured, including work based learning and assessment. The overarching governance unit is the Kerry ETB Quality Council. A number of governance units report to the Quality Council. Kerry ETB has taken the opportunity to maximise external involvement in its governance. The Quality Council is chaired by an external Chairperson.
Kerry ETB’s Governance System
Membership of the Kerry ETB Quality Council
- Chairperson – Brendan Touhy, former Secretary-General of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
- Secretariat – Owen O Donnell, Director of FET, assisted by AEO/QA Officer, Bernadette Corridan
- Staff Member Kerry College Clash Campus – Engineering Teacher – John Skinner
- Staff Member Kerry College Monavalley Campus – Medical Secretary Instructor – Mary Jo Staunton
- Staff Member Coordinator Killarney VTOS – VTOS Co-ordinator – Mary O’Connor
- Staff Member Kerry College Clash Campus – Principal – Mary Lucey
- Staff Member Kerry College Listowel Campus – Principal – Stephen Goulding
- Staff Member Kerry College Monavalley Campus – Manager – Con O’Sullivan (Commis Chef Programme Board Representative)
- Staff Member FET Centres – AEO – Shivaun Shanahan
- ETBI Representative – Quality Assurance Manager – Jenny Conroy
- Industry representative – Hotelier – Michael Vaughan
Kerry ETB publishes meeting notes on the work of the Quality Council which meets on a quarterly basis:
- Quality Council Meeting Note June 15th 2018
- Quality Council Meeting Note October 2nd 2018
- Quality Council Meeting Note December 11th 2018
- Quality Council Meeting Note February 5th 2019
- Quality Council Meeting Note April 2nd 2019
- Quality Council Meeting Note June 4th 2019.
- Quality Council Meeting Note October 1st 2019.
We also publish the arrangements that apply to the membership, appointment and rotation, agenda management, and review of our governance units. These arrangements are set out in the terms of reference for each of the governance units:
FET Quality Council Terms of Reference
Programme Governance Board Terms of Reference
Quality Assurance Governance Board Terms of Reference
National Programme Board for the Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme Terms of Reference
National Examination Board for the Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme Terms of Reference
The Quality Assurance Unit at Kerry ETB
The Quality Assurance (QA) Unit supports the work of the Kerry ETB Quality Assurance Decision Making Fora. The unit reports directly to the Director of Further Education and Training and acts as the first point of contact for awarding bodies. The QA unit communicates information received from awarding bodies to the relevant governance units. The QA Unit has four key functions
- Functions in respect of QA policy and procedure
a) Agreeing a schedule for QA policy and procedure development and review, based on consideration of internal and external priorities
b) Ensuring that QA policies and procedures are developed in accordance with an agreed process of drafting and consultation
c) Ensuring that QA policies and procedures have regard to the requirements of all awarding bodies
d) Ensuring that QA policies and procedures are submitted to the relevant governance units in accordance with their terms of reference
e) Ensuring agreed policies and procedures are accessible externally and internally
f) Arranging the provision of briefing and training, as appropriate, to support the implementation of agreed QA policies and procedures
g) Gathering feedback across centres on the implementation of agreed QA policies and procedures - A function in respect of Kerry ETB programmes:
a) Managing the development of programmes following programme proposal approval
b) Ensuring that programme development documentation meets the relevant procedures of the awarding body
c) Developing a schedule for programme review and ensuring it is undertaken in accordance with the procedures of the relevant awarding body
d) Conducting analyses of programme data - A function in respect of assessment
a) The central management of External Authentication and collating data from the authentication process (IV and EA, and RAP)
b) Completing grade analysis for benchmarking reports
c) Presenting the outcomes of RAP and Examination Board meetings to governance for ratification
d) Synthesising the analysis of outcomes provided by the RAP and Examination Board meetings - A function in respect of monitoring and review
a) Developing a schedule for service reviews
b) Synthesising the analysis received from centres on learner feedback
c) Coordinating the self-evaluation of the ETB in preparation for external review
d) Tracking and reporting on agreed actions following monitoring and review outcomes
The QA Unit also has responsibilities in respect of governance, risk management and disseminating good practice:
- Governance – working with the secretaries of governance units to schedule agenda items as per agreed terms of reference
a) Providing reports to governance units as per their terms of reference
b) Liaising with Secretaries on the management of, and coordination between, governance units to ensure that terms of reference are agreed, any amendments to terms of reference are recorded and are approved by the Quality Council
c) Ensuring that members are appointed and vacancies that arise for any reason are filled and that membership is rotated in accordance with the terms of reference
d) The outcomes of decisions travel from one governance unit to the other, as per their agreed term of reference
e) Ensuring the governance unit has an opportunity to provide feedback on its performance
f) Ensuring any reports required by the Quality Council from its sub-committees are received - Risk Management – contributing to the risk register of Kerry ETB
- Facilitating QA enhancement activities – serving as a vehicle for gathering, sharing, and highlighting good practice in conjunction with centres
The QA Unit places a strong emphasis on building an understanding of the implementation of QAP across FET provision as part of continuous improvement. The unit’s relationship with centres is a mutual one- premised on providing mutual support in a multi-layered governance environment.
