This paper focuses on the distinction that can be made between promoting effectiveness and efficiency in the context of higher education. Rather than simply pursuing quality outputs, the challenge for the HEIs is to achieve an optimum return on the inputs that are available to them (OECD, 2006).

The literature on efficiency in higher education has tended to attract the interest of economists of education only, as opposed to researchers working in quality assurance and education (for example, De Witte and López-Torres, 2015). Efficiency signifies a level of performance where the lowest amount of input is used to create the greatest level of output. However, this paper will argue that a greater focus on efficiency in QA, as opposed to simply effectiveness, would raise awareness of the need to not only focus on establishing the processes to achieve the desired result, but would also raise questions about whether, for example, all the processes currently employed are indeed necessary, or whether some processes could be modified without adversely impacting on the quality of the desired results, thereby ensuring the entire enterprise becomes more sustainable for the HEI to continue.  This is important given the increasing requirement for HEIs world-wide to be able to do more with less (Claeys-Kulick and Estermann, 2015).

Yet, an analysis of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) shows that the word ‘efficient’ is almost completely missing. In fact it is only used when commenting on the actual work of QA agencies themselves, i.e., rather than the HEIs or their programmes. This occurs in the explanatory comment relating to the standard on Resources. On the other hand, an analysis of the Quality Assurance (QA) criteria used by two QA agencies in Belgium (AEQES, 2015) and Lithuania (SKVC, 2010), shows that assessing efficiency is certainly a feature in external quality assurance. The methodologies used by the two agencies surveyed also shows mechanisms for recognising good and effective practice.

The paper highlights the importance of the effectiveness/efficiency distinction in promoting quality assurance in higher education. While both may be used to refer to the quality of the output, ‘efficiency’ offers the added advantage of raising questions about how the inputs are managed in generating the quality, i.e., quality of the output. A focus on efficiency can therefore help to identify practices that, while they may yield impressive results, may actually be doing so at a considerable cost (whether in terms of finance, personnel, time, etc). Of course, while ‘efficiency’ directs a welcome focus on inputs, it can be argued that this may lead to a reduced importance on the actual quality of the output, and the pursuit of excellence. The paper emphasise therefore the need for external QA processes to seek out and recognise the pursuit of excellence, so that HEIs do not simply focus on being effective, or even efficient, but also pursue excellence.

Author Profile(s)
Cathal de Paor is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick. As Director of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), he has responsibility for various postgraduate programmes in teacher education, both initial and CPD. He has worked as a member of assessment panels for the professional body of teachers in Ireland (Teaching Council), as well as for QA agencies in Belgium (AEQES) and Lithuania (SKVC). He has undertaken a number of commissioned evaluations for the Irish Ministry of Education on and has published on quality, teacher education, and programme evaluation.