Higher Education Quality Council

Membership Type: Intermediate
Email: heqc@bqpca.gov.bt
Year in which Organisation/Agency commenced operations: 2011
Countries/regions/states of operation: Bhutan

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Title: Mr
First Name: Duba
Job Title: Director
Phone: +975-2-336174
Fax: +975-2-326706
Email Id: duba@bmhc.gov.bt

Nominated Contact Person (if different from CEO)

Title: Ms
First Name: Sangye
Surname: Choden
Job Title: Sr. Program Officer
Phone: +975-2-334101
Fax: +975-2-334101
Email Id: sangyec@education.gov.bt
Alternative Email Id: sangyerigs@yahoo.com.au

Organisation Details

Higher Education Quality Council
Address: Bhutan Qualifications and Professionals Certification Authority, Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Namgaychhoeling Campus, Thimphu 11001
Bhutan
Website: www.bqpca.gov.bt

Additional Contacts

Name 1: Mr. Nar B Raika
Email 1: heqc@bqpca.gov.bt

Criteria Requirements for Full Member

1 Criterion: Nature of the operations of the agency:
Measure: The agency is responsible for reviews at institutional or programme level of post-secondary
education institutions or post-secondary quality assurance agencies
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
2 Criterion: Mission statement and objectives:
Measure: The agency has formulated a mission statement and objectives which are consistent with the nature of the agency
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
3 Criterion: Agency staff, Numbers, Profile, Roles:
Measure: The profile of the staff is consistent with the Mission Statement
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
4 Criterion: Profile of reviewers:
Measure: The profile of the reviewers is consistent with the Mission Statement
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
5 Criterion: Independence:
Measure: The judgements and recommendations of the agency’s reports cannot be changed by third parties
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
6 Criterion: Resources:
Measure: The agency has sufficient resources to run its operations in accordance with its mission statement and objectives
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
7 Criterion: External quality assurance criteria and processes:
Measure: The description of the processes and criteria applied should be transparent and publicly available and normally include:
self evaluation, site visit, public report and follow-up measure
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
8 Criterion: Quality assurance:
Measure: The description of the processes and criteria applied should be transparent and publicly available and normally include:
self evaluation, site visit, public report and follow-up measure
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members

Criteria Requirements for Institutional Member

Institutional Member Criteria:
Measure: Institutional Members are institutions of higher education in the region that are in good standing with the relevant quality assurance agency if one exists.
Proof of recognition as a Higher Education Institution: Applicable Only For Institutional Members
Proof of the organisation’s good standing with the local QA agency: Applicable Only For Institutional Members

Criteria Requirements for Associate Member

Associate Member Criteria:
Measure:Associate Members are organisations with a major interest and active involvement in evaluation, accreditation and quality assurance in higher education, but without the responsibility for assuring the quality of institutions, education programs, or external quality assurance agencies
Applicable Only For Associate Members

Criteria Requirements for Intermediate Member

1 Criterion: Nature of the operations of the agency:
Measure: The agency is responsible for reviews at institutional or programme level of post-secondary education institutions or post-secondary quality assurance agencies
Description: The Tertiary Education Policy (TEP), 2010 necessitates establishment of the Bhutan Accreditation Council (BAC), a national autonomous body having overall authority on accreditation, quality assurance, and interpreting and recognizing qualifications.


The Quality Assurance and Accreditation Division (QAAD)under Department of Adult & Higher Education (DAHE), Ministry of Education (MoE) serves as the Secretariat to the BAC and therefore is responsible for the quality assurance, accreditation and recognition of qualifications.

The Quality Assurance and Accreditation was established in the first quarter of 2011. During its two years of operation QAAD has been able facilitate the establishment of the Bhutan Accreditation Council and put in place the policy documents (Accreditation Principles, Bhutan Qualifications Framework, Accreditation Manual) and has carried sensitization of the policy documents for all the stakeholders. The QAAD is targeting to pilot accreditation in few institutions by the end of July 2014.

The QAAD has developed the "Accreditation Principle (AP)' and is currently developing the Accreditation Manual. The AP is available on www.education.gov.bt

There are 4 staff in the QAAD:

1. Mr. N. B Raika, Chief Program Officer (CPO)
2. Ms. Sangye Choden, Senior Program Officer (SPO)
3. Mr. Tshewang Dorni, Assistant Program Officer (APO)
4. Ms. Tshewang Lham, Adm. Assistant

Background on the staff of QAAD
MR. NB RAIKA, CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER
1. Educational Qualification.

a) M.Ed. from the University of Newcastle, Australia.
b) Advanced Diploma from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom.
c) B.Ed. degree was from the National Institute of Education, Bhutan.

2. Work Experience & Roles

After teaching briefly in a high school, moved to teaching at the National Institute of Education which was renamed as the Samtse College of Education in 2006 when it joined the Royal University of Bhutan. During his twenty-year tenure in the institute he has taken many responsibilities including a member of Academic Board to the University, Coordinator of examinations, Head of mathematics department, Program leader of B.Ed.(Primary), etc. He joined the newly established division under the Ministry of Education in April 2011 as its chief Program Officer. Any other task assigned by the Supervisors
MS. SANGYE CHODEN, SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER
1. Educational Qualification.

a) Masters Degree in Commerce, specialization in Economics and Finance, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia.
b) Certificate in Administrative Management, Institute of Management, Thimphu.
c) B.Com (Hons), Sherubtse College, University of Delhi.
2. Work Experience & Roles
From 2001-2011: Programme Officer, PED, Ministry of Finance
Since her appointment in 2001 till April 2011, she worked in various positions in the Public Enterprise Division, Ministry of Finance. The Division is entrusted with the overall responsibility relating to government owned corporations and the administration of government investment in various companies and corporations. It is also responsible for providing overall strategic directions to the state owned enterprises in terms of policy and planning.

From April 2011 till date: Senior Program Officer, QAAD

She joined the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Division, Department of Adult and Higher Education as a Senior Program Officer in April 2011.

MR. TSHEWANG DORJI, ASSISTANT PROGRAM OFFICER

1. Educational Qualification
a) Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration, Royal Institute of Management (RIM), Thimphu, Bhutan
b) Bachelor of Science (Life science), Sherubtse College, Royal University of Bhutan, Trashigang, Bhutan
2. Work Experience & Roles
He joined the Quality Assurance & Accreditation Division, Department of Adult & Higher Education, Ministry of Education in January as Assistant Program officer (APO) in January 2013.
MS. TSHEWANG LHAM, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

1. Educational qualification

a) Class XII, Kelki Higher Secondary School, Thimphu, Bhutan
b) Class X, Tshenkharla Middle Secondary School, Lhuntse, Bhutan

2. Work Experience & Roles

Prior to joining the current work place, has served as a Messenger in the Scholarship and Student Support Division, Department of Adult and Higher Education, Ministry of Education for the past five years. She acquired various experiences related to office management tasks, which include but not limited to, preparing letters, organizing and attending meetings, communicating and providing support services to students, maintaining office files and data, and dealing with different kinds of people on a daily basis. She also carried out other administrative office works as instructed by my superiors.

She joined the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Division, Department of Adult and Higher Education as a Administrative Assistant in July 2013.
2 Criterion: Mission statement and objectives:
Measure: The agency has formulated a mission statement and objectives which are consistent with the nature of the agency
The Vision of DAHE is to be;
?An apex Department striving to build Bhutan into a knowledge-based GNH society through provision of world class tertiary education and life-long learning opportunities?

The mission is to
"To ensure provision for pursuit of quality tertiary education both within & abroad with systematic mechanism in place"- (QAAD)

The objective of QAAD in terms of QA and accreditation is to;
1. Institute quality assurance mechanism for ensuring quality tertiary education
2. Ensure credible accreditation of all tertiary education institution in Bhutan
3 Criterion: :
Proof of the organisation’s good standing with the local QA agency
Bhutan is a small country both in terms of size and number. The field of quality assurance and accreditation is fairly new and the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Division is the only QA agency in Bhutan.

Criteria Requirements for Observer

Criterion For Observers:
Measure: APQN accepts as Observers organisations outside the Asia-Pacific region, including: external quality assurance agencies; institutions with a major interest in evaluation, accreditation and quality assurance in higher education; other regional networks that have major interests in and strong links with the region
Criteria Requirements for Observer: Applicable Only For Observers

Documentation and Fees

Additional Information: I will be emailing additional supporting information
Upon approval of my application I agree to pay:
  • $500 (Initial Joining Fee: Full Member, Intermediate Member, Associate Member)
I will be applying for support for: None

Documents Submitted












Tertiary_Education_Policy,_2010.pdf
Vision_and_Mission_of_DAHE1.doc


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