The Asia Pacific Accreditation and Certification Commission (APACC) conducted the APACC International Accreditors' Training Program from May 20 to 24, 2024 via Zoom platform. A total of 44 participants attended the training, consisting of 27 certified accreditors and 12 new applicant accreditors from Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste, including five local staff members of the Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC) who were also trained as potential documentation officers. The training served as the third accreditors’ training of APACC, following the second training held in 2022.
The five-day training program was organized to orient the applicant accreditors on the updates on APACC instruments and processes anchored from the seven APACC criteria.The participants were also briefed on the roles and responsibilities of the APACC accreditors before, during, and after onsite evaluations. The training was successfully implemented under the supervision of Prof. G.L.D. Wickramasinghe, APACC President and CPSC Director General, together with Prof. Romulita Alto, CPSC Project-Based Faculty Consultant and Program Coordinator.
In the opening ceremony held on May 20, 2024, Prof. Wickramasinghe delivered his welcome remarks wherein he recalled the extensive process of accreditation and certification for the quality assurance within TVET institutions. He also thanked the participants for showing interest and support to APACC and CPSC. Furthermore, Prof. Alto briefly discussed the general objective of the program as well as the overview of APACC updates and types of APACC evaluation.
The topics throughout the five-day sessions revolved around the seven APACC criteria as follows: (I) Governance and Management, (II) Teaching and Learning, (III) Human Resources, (IV) Research and Development, (V) Image and Sustainability, (VI) Other Resources, and (VII) Support to Students. These were respectively discussed by Prof. Alto, Dr. Hazrat Hussain, Pn. Noor Aidi binti Nadzri, Dr. H. Chithral Ambawatte, Engr. Dr. Mian Khuram Ahsan, Prof. Chuluuntsetseg Dagvadorj, and Dr. Kesavan Ulaganathen. Each lecture was followed by a question and answer session for further clarifications about the criterion.
In addition, Prof. Alto discussed the desirable characteristics of APACC accreditors, the rules in institutional evaluation, and the responsibilities of the APACC team in conducting the evaluation. Prof. Alto also facilitated a mock audit that was carried out by selected participants who acted as the lead accreditor, member accreditor, and the accreditee. Afterwards, former APACC Officer Mrs. Adrienne Abril-Nonan shared some tips in writing a coherent report during the last day of the training.
The participants showed enthusiasm throughout the five-day training period. During the closing ceremony, selected participants expressed their gratitude to APACC and CPSC for the given opportunity to be part of the training. Likewise, Prof. Alto extended her appreciation to the participants for their commitment in completing the sessions as well as to the APACC team for the poured dedication to achieve the success of the training program. Lastly, Dr. Kesavan delivered his closing remarks in which he emphasized the significance of accreditation in ensuring quality delivery, implementation, and outcome within TVET institutions. The five-day training program concluded with an online exam administered to the new applicants for APACC accreditors.The accreditors who will pass the examinations will be included in the current pool of certified accreditors who may be tapped by APACC as lead/member accreditors for future onsite evaluations.
