Quality Assurance in Ghanaian Higher Education Institutions: Opportunities and Constraints

This work examines quality assurance processes and practices in Higher Education Institutions in Ghana, using a mixed method approach, which combined surveys, reviews and expert interviews of past and present quality assurance directors. Ten universities were studied. The results demonstrate that quality assurance at higher institutions of learning in Ghana employ both internal and external quality assurance mechanisms. The external factors promoting quality assurance practices identified include accreditation, affiliation and institutional academic audits, while internal factors include strong leadership commitment for quality, strong vision and communication of the need for quality, the existence of a clear and well-communicated quality policy, reliable information management and documentation system, a structured Quality Management System, the willingness of people to accept the cultural changes that come with quality assurance practices, people seeing quality assurance as an improvement and not a policing activity, training in quality, affiliation, professional bodies’ standards and norms, institutional self-monitoring and evaluation. Constraining factors include: low capacity in quality management, centralisation of the NAB, quality mindedness of community members, information management, quality of academic staff and staff skills mix, absence of Quality Assurance Frameworks or Guidelines and absence of Labour market information, funding for Quality assurance, inadequate facilities, hiring practices, affiliation, work load, lack of teaching and learning training requirements for higher education institutions in Ghana.