A/2.4 University Quality Framework

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2.4.1 QUT Quality Management
2.4.2 QUT Quality Framework
Related Documents
Modification History

2.4.1 QUT Quality Management

QUT's vision is to bring to the community the benefits of teaching, research, technology and service.

The primary internal community which QUT seeks to serve is its students. The primary external communities are employers of QUT graduates; business, industry, the professions and government in Australia and overseas; the national and international community of scholars and researchers; and the individual members of the wider community. QUT is committed to ensuring that its educational programs and services meet or exceed the requirements of these socially and culturally diverse communities.

QUT's quality system is based on the following four principles

• continuous improvement of our processes, activities, courses, products and services as the basis of achieving our vision
• input and involvement of our communities in design, delivery, evaluation and improvement activities
• the need to involve and empower all staff and students in identifying and implementing quality improvements
• systematic use of qualitative and quantitative feedback as a basis for identifying and prioritising improvement opportunities.

Faculties and divisions will develop quality systems in the context of QUT's vision and quality framework, specify the requirements of its communities (internal and external), design its products, services and procedures in the light of these requirements, and allocate its resources and facilities so that these requirements are met.

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2.4.2 QUT Quality Framework

a. Context

The QUT Quality Framework is a core component of the University's planning and quality assurance process. The Framework articulates the key components of QUT business and how quality assurance and continuous improvement mechanisms facilitate the achievement of strategic goals and priorities articulated throughout the QUT Institutional Plan and Top Level Plans.

The Framework formalises the various embedded quality assurance processes established within the University. The Framework also articulates the engagement of all staff throughout the University in the wide-ranging continuous improvement and quality assurance processes in operation across the organisation.

b. Purpose

The purpose of the QUT Quality Framework is to:

• articulate QUT's embedded approach to quality assurance and improvement at University, operational and individual levels within the organisation
• explain the Quality Improvement Cycle occurring as part of 'business as usual' practice within QUT
• identify the benefits of the QUT Quality Framework
• highlight related quality improvement websites and documents within and external to QUT.

c. The QUT Quality Framework

Click here to view QUT Quality Framework diagram.

The context in which the Quality Framework is applied primarily stems from the University's annual planning cycle in which priorities and objectives are defined and strategies documented for implementation within a three - five year timeframe. The University's strategic plan, the QUT Blueprint , and four top-level plans contain the corporate level priorities as shown below.

d. QUT Blueprint priorities

QUT as a whole will work towards achieving the following ambitions:

• To build our research capacity in selected areas
• To strengthen our reputation for quality teaching and learning and provide one of the best learning environments in Australia
• To strengthen our " real-world " positioning in teaching and research through better partnerships across internal and external boundaries
• To integrate information and communications technology into our teaching, research, business / support functions and infrastructure
• To develop environments that foster and reward high-quality scholarship and that build a sense of community.

These priorities have a range of thematic elements and common components running through all of them such as internationalisation, engagement with broad communities, commercialisation, consultancy and community service.

The significant issues relating to the University's four top-level plans include the following:

• learning and teaching :
• strategic leadership and positioning, planning and management
• client and market focus: including knowledge of students, clients and markets, client relationship management, client satisfaction and perceptions of value
• course and curriculum design, development and improvement
• engagement with broad communities: internationalisation, commercialisation, consultancy, community service

• research and innovation :
• strategic leadership and positioning, planning and management
• client and market focus: including knowledge of clients and markets, client relationship management, client satisfaction and perceptions of value
• research management
• research training
• engagement with broad communities: internationalisation, commercialisation, consultancy, community service

• people and culture :
• leadership (individual and team): strategic leadership, understanding of the business environment, adopted models of organisational leadership,
• people: organisational values, organisational climate and culture, involvement and commitment, 'ownership'
• human resource management: workforce planning, mentoring, development, appraisal, equal employment opportunities, health, safety and well-being.

• finance and infrastructure :
• support services: student, academic and research support
• general management and administration: the planning process, governance, integration and use of knowledge in decision making, creation and management of knowledge, administrative processes and procedures
• financial management: development, application and management of financial resources
• assets and facilities management: physical facilities, information technology, laboratory provision.

The Quality Framework has implicit in its Quality Improvement Cycle, the notion of improvement in all the above priority areas and plans.

Key components of the Quality Framework include -

Planning:

• An annual planning framework which engages all faculties and divisions in:
• strategic planning
• workforce planning,
• budget planning, and
• risk management and business continuity

Implementing:

• Implementation through governance processes and integration (eg responsible committees / officers),
• budget allocations and reviews,
• operational plans at organisational level,
• senior staff performance agreements, and
• Performance Planning and Review process for all staff.

Reviewing:

• Annual reports and reporting across the University's core activities
• statistics and data
• performance / corporate reviews
• external and internal audits
• staff surveys
• client surveys
• budget re-forecast reviews

Improving:

• Implementing recommendations from quinquennial Corporate Review process
• Reward and recognition
• Refocusing planning
• Continuous improvement processes / projects.

e. The Quality Improvement Cycle

The Quality Improvement Cycle can be applied to any activity at any level of the organisation through a four-step cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving.

It is recognised that some of the quality assurance and accreditation mechanisms and requirements in use at QUT use differing terminology from the Quality Improvement Cycle, however their intent is consistent.

• Planning
  • The Planning step of the quality improvement cycle is defined by the questions: What do we know about where we need to improve? Based on what we know, what do we want to do? Why do we want to do it? How do we do it? How will we know if we have achieved it? What has to be done, by whom, when, how and with what resources?
• Implementation
  • The Implementation step of the quality improvement cycle is about action: Assign responsibility, allocate resources, set timeframes, document performance indicators and review processes.
• Reviewing
  • The Reviewing step of the quality improvement cycle is evidence-based and defined by the questions: What were the outcomes? To what extent did we achieve what we hoped for? What did we learn along the way?
• Improvement
  • The Improvement step of the quality improvement cycle is defined by the questions: What do we now know and what do we need to do better? How do we incorporate this into planning?

  The Quality Improvement Cycle is relevant to any level of the organisation:

• University Level: application of quality improvement can occur in relation to the strategic planning, positioning and corporate review and improvement cycles of QUT. At the highest visioning level it can define why we are here and what we want to be: ie QUT Blueprint . It can then assist in defining top level plans, strategies, actions and resources which will give life to the Blueprint : ie Top Level Plans for Teaching and Learning, Research and Commercialisation, People and Culture, and Finance and Infrastructure.
• Operational Level: application of quality improvement can occur in relation to operational and functional plans cascading from the Blueprint and Top Level Plans, policy and procedures. At the operational level, quality improvement encourages all persons involved in a policy, process or activity to be responsible for its improvement and quality of the outcome.
• Individual Action Level: application of quality improvement can occur in relation to individual interaction with a process or activity. It is simply thinking about how to do something, doing it, observing the outcome and taking action to ensure that the actual outcome aligned with the planned outcome. It is about doing things better to improve the overall quality of the University's operations.

f. Benefits of QUT Quality Framework

The QUT Quality Framework:

• Recognises and Highlights:
  • Client focus
  • Continuous improvement
  • Self-review
  • Integration of Strategic Planning and quality assurance processes
  • Involvement and responsibility of all staff in continuously improving QUT approaches and practices
  • Compatibility with a range of Quality Frameworks/systems in use at QUT ie ISO series
  • Compatibility with industry / professional body quality assurance and accreditation processes and requirements
  • Simplicity of implementation and recognition that quality assurance and continuous improvement processes are not 'add-ons', rather that they are a core part of QUT organisational and individual practice
• Facilitates:
  • Organisational learning and development
  • Shared participation and ownership by staff of quality assurance
  • Frank and candid accounts of organisational performance against determined criteria aligned with strategic plans.
• Provides:
  • Clients with increasingly relevant, high quality and improving services and products
  • Recognition of achievements of QUT through possible quality endorsements/ commendations
  • QUT with ongoing learnings, knowledge and understanding of itself which assist with strategic planning and positioning.

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Related Documents

MOPP A/2.2 University Planning Framework

MOPP A/2.3 Corporate Reviews

QUT Planning and Quality, Finance and Resource Planning website

Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) website

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) website

Australian Business Excellence Framework

International Standards Organisation (ISO) website

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Modification History

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