Implementation Barriers to Internal Quality Assurance in Private Higher Education in Ghana

Abstract

The National Accreditation Board (NAB) in Ghana is the agency responsible for monitoring the external accreditation requirements nationwide. Internal quality management of individual universities and university colleges in the country are expected to complement the external accreditation monitoring by NAB. The NAB has traditionally evaluated Universities/University Colleges in relation to a set of standards. With internal quality assurance, the responsibility rests with the institutions’ to manage effectively their own quality. This means that, NAB expects mature institutions that can successfully identify their own strengths and areas for needed improvement, and then develop a strategy to bring necessary changes that are evidenced by outcomes. This study explored how the national quality assurance schemes are understood and implemented and barriers to implementation in four private University Colleges in Ghana. Academic, administrative staff and students from the private institutions completed a set of questionnaires that tapped their perceptions on issues causing implementation barriers to internal quality assurance. Quality management decisions emerged as a major barrier to the implementation of internal quality assurance, especially the failure to link identification of quality objectives to the institutional strategic plan. Student involvement was barrier that adversely affected the implementation of internal quality assurance. Another barrier was the lack of effective coordination resulting in dichotomy in Strategic planning and quality management in looking at different aspects of the present and future of higher education. Dominance of culture not open to change and improvement was an important barrier to the implementation of internal quality assurance in private higher education where there are strong traditions in place and departments and units are quite independent. Transparency, openness, responsiveness and creativity should form the bases of the ideal culture for quality improvement in private higher education institutions.