About TLQAA+

The Project "Programme Evaluation for Transparency and Recognition of Skills and Qualifications" (TLQAA+) is a three-year structural project supported by the European Programme Erasmus+. In the following a brief summary.
 

The Erasmus+ TLQAA+ is dedicated to strengthening quality assurance and qualifications recognition in Lebanese Higher Education. The project aims to support the evaluation of academic programmes across Lebanon while further developing a national qualifications framework that reflects the needs of students, higher education institutions, and society.

At its core, TLQAA+ brings together two essential priorities: the quality of academic programmes and their relevance to learners, institutions, the labour market, and the wider community. The project also addresses emerging challenges in higher education, including the recognition and quality assurance of non-traditional learning methods, such as technology-based learning, MOOCs, and online learning.

Recognizing that Lebanon is a small country with limited resources, TLQAA+ experiments with a tree-based approach to standards and procedures. This approach moves from general core standards, to domain-specific standards, and finally to programme-specific standards and procedures. It allows evaluations to be adapted according to the availability of resources and expertise, with the appropriate level of depth selected for each evaluation context.

TLQAA+ is designed as an inclusive and collaborative project. Selected activities are open to associate institutions and individual experts who can contribute to the national dialogue on quality, recognition, and employability.

Project Objectives

The objectives of TLQAA+ can be divided into direct and indirect objectives.

Direct Objectives

The project focuses on developing the essential building blocks needed for programme evaluation within the Lebanese Higher Education system. It also seeks to establish processes that connect programme evaluation with the recognition of skills and qualifications.
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These building blocks include:

• A set of descriptors for a Lebanese Qualifications Framework
• Global descriptive indicators to support internal and external evaluation, as well as strategic planning
• Core standards and guidelines for the evaluation of academic programmes
• Guidelines and training courses for establishing and developing internal quality assurance units
• Training of 30 to 40 experts to conduct programme reviews through a training-of-trainers approach
• A communication model and platform to support dialogue with labour market stakeholders, enhance employability, and maintain the Lebanese Qualifications Framework
• A pilot evaluation to test and validate the developed tools, standards, and procedures

Indirect Objectives

In addition to its direct outcomes, TLQAA+ contributes to broader developments within Lebanese Higher Education, including:

• Maintaining and nurturing a climate of trust across the Lebanese Higher Education sector
• Identifying quality issues linked to different course delivery modes, especially technology-based learning
• Improving understanding of quality and recognition issues related to the internationalization of higher education
• Testing and refining the draft Lebanese Qualifications Framework through practical experimentation

Project Activities

To achieve its objectives, TLQAA+ is structured around 13 work packages, grouped into five main areas:

Preparation

This area includes the definition of a National Qualifications Framework, the development of global descriptive indicators, the quality assurance of different delivery modes, and the connection between recognition, qualifications frameworks, and quality assurance.

Programme Standards and Guidelines

This component focuses on developing core standards and guidelines for programme evaluation, as well as specific standards and guidelines for programmes in Engineering, Health Sciences, and Human and Social Sciences.

Capacity Building and Validation

TLQAA+ supports the development of internal quality assurance units, the selection and training of experts, and the implementation of pilot programme evaluations.

Dissemination

The project promotes the sharing of results, tools, and good practices with stakeholders across the higher education sector and beyond.

Project Management and Quality Control

This area ensures effective coordination, monitoring, and quality control throughout the lifetime of the project.