The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in Andorra (AQUA) has published the final report of its first Strategic Plan (2023–2025), a document that presents the main results achieved during this period and reinforces the Agency’s commitment to quality, transparency, and continuous improvement of the Andorran higher education system.

A highly positive overall assessment

The 2023–2025 Strategic Plan aimed to consolidate AQUA as a quality assurance agency aligned with the standards and guidelines of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), through the evaluation, accreditation, and certification of teaching and research.

The Plan included 37 actions, grouped into 16 strategic objectives and 6 strategic lines. At the end of the period, the results show a high level of implementation:

• 34 actions completed (91.90%) and 3 actions ongoing (8.10%).
• 14 strategic objectives fully achieved (87.50%) and 2 partially achieved (12.50%).

No actions remained uninitiated.

Key achievements include progress in the review and digitalisation of internal processes, improvements in human resources management, increased institutional visibility, and strengthened international positioning of the Agency.

A plan developed with stakeholder participation

The Strategic Plan was developed through a participatory process led by AQUA’s management and technical team. The initial proposal was shared with higher education institutions established in Andorra, the ministry responsible for higher education, and a group of external experts, who provided feedback and suggestions prior to final approval by AQUA’s Steering Committee.

The methodology included a review of the Agency’s mission, vision, and values; a SWOT analysis; the definition of strategic lines and objectives; the development of an action plan; and a monitoring system with indicators to assess progress on an annual basis.

Monitoring, implementation, and pending actions

Monitoring of the Plan was carried out through annual reports integrated into the Internal Quality Management System (IQMS), supported by regular review meetings and updates on the status of each action.

The strategic lines fully completed are:

• Improvement of the internal management system,
• Optimisation and efficient use of resources,
• Enhancement of institutional visibility,
• Promotion of a quality culture.

Three actions remain ongoing, related to:

• the acquisition of the SIACES Good Practices Seal,
• the development of an institutional evaluation guide,
• the full implementation of a centralised digital working system for external evaluations.

Transparency and accountability

By publishing this report, AQUA strengthens its commitment to transparency and accountability, providing citizens and other stakeholders in the higher education system with a clear overview of the level of achievement of the established objectives.

The final report is available here.