UNITA Quality Assurance

Task number	3
Name	UNITA Quality Assurance
Strategic Axes	Governance, 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 & Sub-Tasks

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

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

Activities/Sub-Tasks

List of activities	Actions to implement	Deadline
A1.3.1 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 projects activities since June 2021, resulting in an easier and shorter acquaintance process.	Dec 2023
A1.3.2 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 QA 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.	Oct 2024
A1.3.3 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.	Oct 2027
A1.3.4 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.	Oct 2027

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.

Outputs

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

• Task Description – T1.1 description
• GANTT – WP1 GANTT

Primary indicators

Indicators gathered from the proposal

• IND 1.1.a – Number of governance structures fully participated by all ten university full partners.
  Baseline 2022: 0
  Target 2027: 4 (GB, QEB, SA, MC)
  Level: Alliance
  Already reached
• IND 1.1.b – Number of partners in the Legal Entity
  Baseline 2022: 6
  Target 2027: 10
  Level: Alliance
  Nearly done
• IND 1.1.c – Number of co-designed long-term strategies for UNITA
  Baseline 2022: 1
  Target 2027: 12
  Level: Alliance
  Extracted from deliverables

Secondary indicators

To be defined by T5.4 members previously to interviews and to be proposed to task co leader

• Proposal: Number and brief description on the updates introduced in the governance structures. They have 16-20 strategies already planned (but not long term). They will have to choose 12 as starting points for long term strategies.

Subtask Outputs

Sub Task Outputs Indicate concerned sub task	Outputs indicator Expected results at the sub-task level / To be verified in interview with task co-leaders	Source of data To be verified in interview with task co-leaders
A1.1.2 Update and maintain the governance structures (Governance Board, Student Assembly, Quality and Evaluation Board)	* Updates introduced in the governance structures	* WP meeting minutes?
A1.1.3 Establish the agenda of the new bodies of the enlarged alliance
A1.1.4 Coordinate the development of the UNITA model for a European University

Outcomes

Source documentation:

• Task Description – T1.1 description
• GANTT – WP1 GANTT

Task Outcomes Identify the outcomes	Outcomes indicator Expected results at the task level / To be verified in interview with task co-leaders	Source of data To be verified in interview with task co-leaders
List objectives and primary indicators at task level to reach them	* UNITA model for a European University	* From deliverable
What are the benefits of the actions for the alliance partners? How does the task transform the partners?	* Student Assembly? To ask, evolution of student participation in student elections, if it happens (example). This should be an internal indicator, because we are not sure we want to disclose the results.	* Data from the student elections platform
To what extent did the task contribute to achieve WP’s and/or UNITA’s goals?	* Monitor participation to governance board (for internal purposes)	* Governance Board minutes

Impacts

Source documentation:

• Task and WP long-term objectives Task Description - T1.1 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 * Not only internal partners but also the EU commission and other alliances. Also the community of our member universities.	To check with the T5.1 list
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 ?

Indicators' data sheet

Description	Unit of measurement	Source of data	Frequency	Baseline (2022)	Target 2027	Possible sub indicators
Number of governance structures fully participated by all ten university full partners	Number (or percentage)	?	Once	0	4 (100%)
Number of partners in the Legal Entity	Number (or percentage)	?	Once	6	10 (100%)
Number of co-designed long-term strategies for UNITA	Number	?	Mid-term and project end	1	12

Data collection

• Manual collection: -
• Automatic collection: -