UNITA Quality Assurance

 1. INPUTS/RESOURCES (OK), 2. ACTIVITIES/SUB-TASKS (OK), 3. OUTPUTS (OK), 4. OUTCOMES (OK), 5. IMPACT (OK), 6. INDICATORS DATA SHEET (OK), 7. DATA COLLECTION (OK), 8. INDICATORS CONFIRMATION (OK).

Task number	1.3
Name	UNITA Quality Assurance
Strategic Axes	Quality, Impact and Sustainability
Workpackage	Governance, management and quality

Objectives

Continuous increase of quality through the internal and external independent assessment of all Task activities, and at building the UNITA quality assurance strategy matching with the ambition of developing a model of European University.

• Introduce the new partners to the achievements and lessons learned from phase one and to Quality Assurance practices 
• Update the general synoptic assessment of partner Quality Assurance systems
• Implement and test the evaluation of progress, processes, cost-efficiency, and deliverables of the first year
• Co-develop together with TT1.1 and disseminate the UNITA Quality Assurance strategy

Inputs & Resources

Source documentation:

• UNITA Tasks_Team_List_20231120
• UNITA Budget documents

Resources

• Human Resources: List of staff on the task, roles and position: Co-leaders Cinzia Bertea UNITO e Vlad Chereches UVT + 24 TT members (Profiles: often from QA offices or QA teams/VR).
• Financial: Budget allocated to the task: 560.460€+260.000€ for “other costs” of the WP1 as a whole, but no specific distribution per task.
• Materials: Type of materials required (computers, software, scientific tools,…): Datacloud, Big Blue Button.
• Intangible: Type of intangible materials (communication tools, data bases,…): Datacloud applications; Quality Review Checklists.

Activities & Actions

Source documentation: In each WP folder, document entitled “WPx_full_description)

• Task Description – T1.3 description
• GANTT – WP1 GANTT

List of Activities	Activity Title	Actions	Deadline
1	Introduce the new partners to the achievements and lessons learned from phase one and to Quality Assurance practices.	The new partners have been associated with the project's activities since June 2021, resulting in an easier and shorter acquaintance process.	(M1-M2)
2	Update the general synoptic assessment of partner Quality Assurance systems.	Building on phase one benchmarking by the QEB, by including the new partners' QA systems frameworks. Update and adopt the UNITA Quality Assurance policy to be implemented at partner and alliance level, with quantitative and qualitative indicators fitting the new WP and Tasks structure. Define opportunities of partner Quality Assurance synergies, further developing the common Quality Assurance policy respecting different institutional/regional/national contexts. Together with TTs 1.2 and 5.4, agree on the methodology for the evaluation of progress, processes, cost-efficiency, and deliverables, including systematic feedback from students, staff and stakeholders. Update the Quality Assurance plan by drawing a map through a logical table relating Tasks and indicators, defining all the processes to reach the objectives, and building a management quality system with procedure and codification for each process or activity. Train all the Task teams to the quality assurance policy and plan.	(M3-M12)
3	Implement and test the evaluation of progress, processes, cost-efficiency, and deliverables of the first year.	Producing a report for the QEB. Support the QEB in the production of the annual report with recommendations for the Governance Board (GB). Monitor the implementation of the corrective actions decided by the GB and evolve the quality assurance requirements and plan accordingly. Repeat evaluations emphasising identified areas of improvement. Evaluate and realize the independent assessment given by an external European Evaluation Agency, accommodating modifications in the interest of improvement. Draw lessons from the implementation of the quality assurance plan integrating best practices based on an inventory, mapping of the main QA processes on teaching, research, and public engagement.	(M13-M48)
4	Co-develop together with TT1.1 and disseminate the UNITA Quality Assurance strategy.	Matching with the ambition of developing a model of European University. Internally disseminate the strategy to all actors and in particular to the Quality Assurance Boards of the partners. Benchmark Quality Assurance strategy and practices with other European Universities by organizing and participating to mutual learning workshops.	(M24-M48)

Indicators

These indicators have been gathered from the different source (list below) and have been gathered from interviews driven by Task 5.4 UNITA impact observatory.

Source documentation: In each WP folder, document entitled “WPx_full_description)

• Task Description – T1.3 description
• GANTT – WP1 GANTT
• List of Indicators – UNITA indicators

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Primary IndicatorsSecondary IndicatorsSub-Indicators

These indicators have been chosen and agree during the Phase 2 proposal made to the European Commission.

Indicator	Indicator Description	Unit of Measurement	Data Source	Frequency	Baseline	Target	Type
a	Percentage of quality assessed UNITA projects including those from constellation projects	Percentage	QEB Office: Quality Review Reports approved by the QEB	Annual	40	100	Outcome
b	Overall assessment score of the Quality Review Checklist for UNITA	Percentage	QEB Office: UNITA Quality Review Report approved by the QEB	Annual	79	85	Outcome

These indicators have been chosen and agree during the Phase 2 proposal made to the European Commission.

These indicators have been chosen and agree during the Phase 2 proposal made to the European Commission.

Impact

Source documentation:

• Task and WP long-term objectives Task Description - T1.3 description - WP1 Objectives
• UNITA Mission Statement (from Grant Agreement)

	Users / Beneficiaries Intern to UNITA	End-Users / Beneficiaries extern to UNITA
1) Who are the stakeholders benefiting of the task’s actions?	Partners of UNITA	- Other universities the UNITA partners collaborate with (exchange students; visiting professors) - National accreditation agencies - European Commission - Other EU alliances - Enterprises (participating to events and conferences)
2) To what extent has the local/international society changed as a result of outcomes compared to before UNITA? What are the long term results for them?	To be defined in interview	Possible impact measures: - Conference proceedings - Research outputs - Consultancy for external entities (C/terzi) on QA

Task Progress Overview

As part of our ongoing Open Project tracking, we’re surfacing here every activity, action, deliverable, milestone and risk grouped under the task UNITA Quality Assurance.

Subject	Start Date	Due Date	Type	Priority	Status	Assignee	Description
1.3.3. Implement and test the evaluation of progress, processes, cost-efficiency, and deliverables of the first year			Activity	Normal	In Progress	TL1.3
1.3.4. Co-develop together with TT1.1 and disseminate the UNITA Quality Assurance strategy			Activity	Normal	To Do	TL1.3
1.3.1. Introduce the new partners to the achievements and lessons learned from phase one and to Quality Assurance practices			Activity	Normal	Done	TL1.3
1.3.2. Update the general synoptic assessment of partner Quality Assurance systems			Activity	Normal	Done	TL1.3
D1.3 UNITA Quality Assurance plan implemented			Deliverable	Normal	Done	TL1.3	Electronic format. In English with summary in each partmer's national language. ± 50 pages. Sections in the UNITA quality guide • The UNITA Quality Assurance plan at partner and alliance level. • Assessments of task procedures and outputs described and analysed on the first two years • Independent assessment given by an external European Evaluation Agency, accommodating modifications in the interest of improvement UNITO, UVT SEN
MS14 First annual monitoring of the QA Plan implementation			Milestone	Normal	To Do	TL1.3	Monitoring report of the QA Plan UNITO, UVT
MS01 External intermediate quality evaluation			Milestone	Normal	To Do	TL1.3	Independent assessment on the quality assurance processes of the first two years given by an external European Evaluation Agency.  Report of the external agency transmitted to the Quality and Evaluation Board and to the Governance Board UNITO, UVT
R1.3.1 The project's results are not at the European standard level			Risk	Normal	In Progress	TL1.3	Resolution or mitigation action based on the risk response strategy: The Quality Assurance policy and tools will be improved, and the Task teams will receive regular feedbacks and advice from the QEB on the quality of their collaboration and results (including deliverables), reinforced by the external independent evaluation.