Glossary
The following provide definitions and explanations of many of the most commonly used terms within the quality management documentation found on this site and within other related materials, such as the University's Annual Report and the Strategic Plan.
Action plans
Refers to specific actions that respond to short- and longer-term strategic objectives. Action plans include details of resource commitments and time horizons for accomplishment. Action plan development represents the critical stage in planning when strategic objectives and goals are made specific so that effective, organisation-wide understanding and deployment are possible.
Alignment
Refers to consistency of plans, processes, information, resource decisions, actions, results, analysis and learning to support key organisation-wide goals. Effective alignment requires a common understanding of purposes and goals and use of complementary measures and information for planning, tracking, analysis, and improvement at three levels: the organisational level/senior leader level; the key process level; and the program, school, class or individual level.
Benchmarking
Comparing your organisation against another organisation on some aspect of performance – process, product or service – at which the other organization excels with the objective of finding ways in which you can improve your performance.
Continuous improvement
Constantly seeking to improve the quality of the process, product or service, taking the view that we can always improve on current performance.
External reference points
These might include guidelines, protocols, codes of practice and frameworks that are developed externally and applied across the sector in setting standards. AUQA will refer to these in Cycle 2 Audits in determining fitness of purpose.
Fitness for purpose
Purpose is broadly defined by the mission, goals, objectives and specifications set in the context of stakeholder expectations and external factors. Quality is a matter of achieving the desired objectives. Fitness for purpose means both that an organisation has procedures in place that are appropriate to achieve the specified purpose, and there is evidence to show that these procedures are in fact achieving the specified purpose. During an audit, data will be interpreted in the light of the institution's strategic directions (purpose).
Fitness of purpose
Fitness of purpose must be considered at the time that an institution's objectives are determined; quality is then a matter of achieving these objectives. In achieving fitness of purpose, the institution will conform to external reference points, especially the National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes, which define universities in Australia. During an audit, data will be interpreted in the light of the National Protocols and other relevant external reference points.
Governance
Refers to the system of management and controls exercised in the stewardship of the organisation. Governance processes may include approving strategic direction, creating and enforcing policy, monitoring and evaluating senior leaders' performance, succession planning, financial auditing, establishing senior leaders' compensation and benefits, and managing risk. Ensuring effective governance is important to stakeholders' and the larger society's trust and to organisational effectiveness.
Measures and indicators
Refers to quantitative or qualitative information that measures input, output, and performance dimensions of programs, offerings, processes, services, and the overall organisation (outcome). Measures and indicators might be simple (derived from one measurement) or composite.
Mission
Refers to the overall function of an organisation. The mission answers the question. "What is this organisation attempting to accomplish?" The mission might define students, stakeholders, or markets served; distinctive competencies; or technologies used.
Performance indicators
A means of representing the outcomes for an organisation, or any of its parts or processes. They need to be developed in close relation to specified objectives and need to be interpreted in an informed way.
Quality
Achieving quality in education involves two steps. The first step is for institutions to set objectives that embody what is expected and required by students, employers, legislation and statutes, in addition to responding to broader issues, such as the demands arising from the characteristic nature of academic activity and the rapid development of knowledge. The second step is for the institution to ensure that it attains its objectives. Quality is related to standards if the objectives include explicit specification of levels of attainment.
Quality assurance
Policies, attitudes, actions, procedures designed to ensure consistent outcomes of a high standard and meeting the various needs served by the university. In assuring quality, the decision-making unit will need to specify practices, resources and activities to ensure consistently high standards in any project.
For example:
- Moderation of assessment across different modes of delivery
- Supervisor training or supervisor code of conduct
- External examiners
- Customer service standards eg. response times
Quality control
Procedures for checking that a specified standard of requirement is being achieved.
Eg., exam results, number of publications, staff appraisal data. Relates to targets and performance indicators.
Quality enhancement
Raising quality standards further via continuous improvement of strategies, processes, actions in response to results against targets and other performance indicators.
Quality management
The management function that determines and implements quality policy.
Quality system
Encompasses the management function and the procedures by which quality outcomes are achieved.
Self-review
Process of analysis and reflection on success or otherwise of achieving targets, objectives and goals outlined in the strategic plan for the unit or area.
Stakeholders
In higher education include students, staff, parents, employers, the government, the community, professional associations, graduates. Not all stakeholders will have the same needs and expectations.
Standards
A specification or other criterion designed to be used consistently as a rule, guideline or definition of a level of performance or achievement.
Strategic objectives
Refers to an organisation's articulated aims or responses to address major change and improvement, competitiveness issues, and/or education advantages. Strategic objectives generally are focused externally and relate to significant student, stakeholder, market, program, service or technological opportunities and challenges (strategic challenges).
Theme
A distinct unifying concept that is significant for an institution's strategic plan or academic profile.
(These definitions have been sourced from AUQA and the Education Criteria for Performance Excellence).