Guide to external evaulation and review

External evaluation and review (EER) is the name given to the periodic review of tertiary education organisations (TEOs), conducted by NZQA.

It is one essential element in NZQA’s evaluative quality assurance framework.

Every EER produces a report on the relative quality of a TEO. These reports are published on our website.

Find EER reports

1.2 What is evaluation?

Evaluation is the act of judging the merit, value or worth of something.

The object judged could be an action, a process, an object, a person, or an organisation.

Evaluation is a common human activity. We do it all the time, in every walk of life. For example, the act of preferring one brand of soap over another is itself evaluative.

We may be guided by considerations of cost, quality or accessibility. But when we decide to put that particular brand of soap in our shopping basket, we have made an evaluative decision.

1.4 Overview of the EER process

An EER runs from the moment it has been scheduled and first contact made until all work has been completed and a report is published.

Every EER aims to gather enough information to reach an accurate view of the current overall quality of a TEO.

The following EER phases are the norm. They will usually occur as described and in sequence, whatever the TEO under review.

Under special circumstances, however, NZQA may need to change the process or timing of one or more of the phases. Whenever this happens, NZQA will give the TEO advance warning and explanation, and invite a response as appropriate.

EER phases

Scheduling: NZQA will advise a TEO of when it will conduct enquiry for their next EER. NZQA will allocate a team to conduct the EER.
Scoping: NZQA and the TEO will work together to confirm what will be evaluated in the EER, and how.
Enquiry: NZQA will collect or validate information on the performance and capability in self-assessment of the TEO. This will usually include spending time at the TEO itself.
Judgement: NZQA will reach views on the quality of the TEO. These will take the form of findings, ratings and statements of confidence.
Reporting: NZQA will issue draft and final reports on the TEO. The reports will explain the reasons for NZQA’s judgment, and the TEO is invited to provide feedback on the draft report.
Closure: all final EER reports are published on the NZQA website.
Categories: once an EER report is published, a TEO category will be assigned. The category derives from the two statements of confidence. Every category bestows incentives or sanctions on the TEO.