The Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC), together with the Mongolian National Council for Education Accreditation (MNCEA), have implemented the In-Country Program on Quality Assurance of TVET Institutions through Accreditation from June 12 to 16, 2023. The training program was held at the University of Finance and Economics, Bayanzurkh District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and was participated by a total of 90 TVET practitioners, directors, administrators, and instructors from all over the country.
The program was primarily designed to give precedence to the strengthening of the national accreditation and certification system and practices of quality assurance within TVET institutions in Mongolia. The objectives of the program include: to appreciate the need and importance of quality assurance in TVET; identify best practices in TVET quality assurance systems in CPSC member countries; comprehend the need and importance of regional accreditation; gain insights on Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission (APACC) accreditation as a continuous improvement approach to organizational excellence in TVET; and develop an action plan to prepare for APACC accreditation in the future.
The program was jointly supervised by CPSC Director General and APACC President, Prof. G.L.D. Wickramasinghe; MNCEA Vice Chairman and Director of Secretariat Office, Dr. Ariunbold Jaaljav; and Mongolian Ministry of Education and Science TVET Division Head, Ms. Khaliunaa Avirmed. CPSC Governing Board-Engaged Faculty Consultant, Dr. Kesavan Ulaganathen served as Program Coordinator and Resource Person. Local coordination such as event logistics and participant nominations were done by MNCEA headed by accreditation experts namely: Ms. Basbayar Batmunkh, Mr. Yondonsambuu Tserenpuu, and Ms. Otgonbuzmaa Bandi, Ph.D.
Resource persons who were engaged to deliver the lectures and facilitation of the sessions include MNCEA accreditation expert of TVET institutions in Mongolia, Mrs. Oyuntsegtseg Bar, Ph.D. and Senior Consultant Mongolian Management of Consultants’ Association, Education Evaluator and Member of the Certification Committee of Mongolian Certification LLC, Prof. Chuluuna Dagvadorj. She is also currently an active APACC accreditor and former faculty consultant in CPSC.
The opening ceremony was conducted on June 12, 2023 and was attended by key officials from CPSC and MNCEA. During his opening remarks, Prof. Wickramasinghe signified CPSC’s strong commitment in continuously implementing quality training programs in Mongolia in collaboration with MNCEA and the Ministry of Education and Science in the future. He also hoped for the TVET institutions in Mongolia to apply for APACC accreditation and evaluation in the future. Likewise, Ms. Khaliunaa Avirmed affirmed Mongolia’s cooperation with CPSC and APACC and cited the importance of implementing quality assurance of programs of TVET institutions in the current environment of TVET systems in the world.
The sessions focused on discussing and presenting the seven criteria of APACC namely: (1) Governance and Management; (2) Teaching and Learning; (3) Human Resources; (4) Research and Development; (5) Image and Sustainability; (6) Other Resources; and (7) Support to Students. These discussions were mainly facilitated by Dr. Kesavan Ulaganathen, and Prof. Chuluuna Dagvadorj. Prior to these, Prof. Wickramasinghe also delivered two lectures entitled: TVET Excellence in Today’s Competitive Environment; and Benchmarking Quality Assurance System in TVET. Mrs. Oyuntsegtseg Bar on the other hand, presented a lecture on the current national accreditation and certification systems and practices in Mongolia where she shared some of the Mongolian systems implemented by MNCEA as a supervising agency for TVET accreditation in the country.
The participants were further immersed in the lectures by accomplishing group tasks and activities that are anchored in the lecture sessions. These activities include: crafting SWOT analysis based on Quality Assurance and Quality Standards; brainstorming issues and challenges on the APACC criterion; and development of an action plan for Mongolian TVET institutions in preparation for application in the APACC accreditation. These action plans were presented during the last day of the training. In addition, a study visit was conducted by the participants to the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) to further supplement their knowledge in quality assurance and TVET accreditation - this institute served as a good case study for this program as it is currently an active accredited institution of APACC.
Photos during the study visit to IET
CPSC Inks Partnership with the Polytechnic College of Engineering and Technology (PCET), through a Memorandum of Understanding
In a continuous effort to expand its network of institutional partners and promote training programs, projects and activities of CPSC and APACC, the Staff College inked another partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Polytechnic College of Engineering and Technology (PCET) led by the Director General, Prof. G.L.D. Wickramasinghe; and Governing Board-Engaged Faculty Consultant, Dr. Kesavan Ulaganathen; and from PCET, Senior Specialist for International Cooperation, Ms. Enkhgal Tuuguu; and Human Resource Officer, Mrs. Enkh-Oyun Enkhtur.
The MoU was physically signed by the parties on June 15, 2023 at PCET grounds. The MoU aims to strengthen the partnership between CPSC-APACC and PCET in the development and implementation of training programs for Mongolian TVET practitioners in the near future as well as continuously promoting and encouraging Mongolian TVET institutions to apply for APACC accreditation and evaluation.
