eGDCMonitoring
To enable us to monitor challenges to and developments of the programmes we regulate, we routinely monitor education providers via questionnaire.
The basis of the routine monitoring process is the monitoring questionnaire. The provider is required to provide basic programme information, answer questions on a range of areas, and detail progress against any actions set by previous inspection reports. This is known as the General Monitoring (GM) process.
GM is supported by new processes to provide a comprehensive monitoring web that covers the entire life cycle of a programme. From 2023 onwards, GM will be supplemented by Additional Monitoring (AM) and Progress Monitoring (PM).
We monitor our education programmes for three main reasons:
- To identify any new risks or issues that may impact upon the successful delivery of programmes, both in the case of individual training providers and across the wider sector
- Receive an update of progress against actions from previous inspections
- Determine inspection activity for the following academic year.
You can find the Monitoring provider guidance here.
GM aims to gain a yearly update as to the running of a programme to ensure ongoing compliance with the Standards for Education. The information is used to identify any significant risks faced by a programme and decide whether additional EQA activity is required.
Awarding Organisations (AOs) are bodies who award qualifications for providers other than themselves. The monitoring process for AOs has been updated to fall in line with the GM of other programmes, however the questions are slightly different in that they will reflect what assurance they have as external bodies of delivery centres.
Associated to GM is the new AM process which will be utilised in two instances:
- Where an outcome cannot be decided upon through review of the GM return only.
- Where the EQA Team need to make queries as a result of a concern being raised by a programme or about a programme by a third party.
The PM process will be utilised in the following instances:
- To check in with new programmes or programmes who have recently submitted a programme modification.
- To follow up on Inspection action progress.
- To check in with inactive approved programmes.