AQUA's pool of experts

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What role do external expert panels play?

According to the Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), external quality assurance processes must be carried out by groups of external experts. Expert panel members accredit their technical ability to act as external experts through their experience and training. In addition, AQUA completes its training in those specific aspects necessary for the development of the evaluations. External experts participating in the panels of external experts carry out the evaluation of the different state degrees in Andorra (advanced professional diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees). For each evaluation process, a specific panel of external experts is set up, which includes specialists in the specific field of the degree to be evaluated.

What types of profiles are selected?

• Doctoral academic staff, with academic experience, research and/or management teaching in the field of the degree subject to evaluation.

• Students with a higher education degree related to the field of the degree being evaluated.

• Professionals with extensive experience in the field of knowledge of the degree being evaluated.

What tasks do members of external expert panels perform?

External experts will be part of a panel to evaluate a specific curriculum and will have to:

• Participate in a paid training session

• Contribute knowledge and experience from a field of knowledge to assess the achievement of standards and evaluation criteria.

• Carry out, if necessary, a visit to the facilities of higher education institutions and / or interviews with the agents involved, in face-to-face or virtual format.

• Write expert reports.

• Coordinate with the other members of the panel of experts, in face-to-face or virtual format.

• The task of the panel of experts is timely, that is, it is carried out for a specific service.

How are members of external expert panels compensated?

All members of the expert panels will be remunerated for their participation in the training session and the meetings held, including the individual analysis of the curriculum and / or the interviews and visits carried out (if applicable); as a target:

Evaluations without visit or interviews (approvals of curricula)

• Training session.
• Individual analysis of the curriculum and first discussion and sharing meeting with the other members of the panel in order to write the preliminary expert report.
• Second meeting to share the allegations of the Institution of Higher Education (if applicable) and drafting of the final expert report.

Evaluations with visit and interviews (renewals of study plans)

• Training session.
• Individual analysis of the curriculum, first discussion meeting and preparation of questions for interviews.
• Visit and interviews.
• Second pooling meeting and drafting of the preliminary expert report that incorporates the analysis of evidence, interviews and the visit.
• Third meeting to share the allegations of the Institution of Higher Education (if applicable) and drafting of the final expert report.
   

Each member of the panel is entitled to receive the following remuneration* for each action carried out in the framework of the evaluation:

Remuneration for each action

• Meeting, visit or interviews (includes prior analysis of information and subsequent consultations or clarifications): 200 €
• Meeting, visit or interviews of short duration or derived from already remunerated meetings (includes the previous analysis of the information and consultations or later clarifications): 30 €
• Training session: 75 €

Training, meetings, visits or interviews will be by videoconference.

If necessary, AQUA will cover the cost of travel and subsistence.

*Amounts approved to the AQUA Steering Committee on February 26, 2021

How can you become a member of a panel of external experts?

To participate as a member of an external panel of experts you must register on the expert profile capture form. When AQUA receives the request for evaluation of a curriculum, it will contact the experts in that subject area to appoint the panel.