The Board of Directors of the National Agency for Assessment and Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Scientific Research held its eighth meeting on Monday, January 13, 2020 at the headquarters of the sector of higher education and scientific research. H.E. Mr. Said AMZAZ, Minister of National Education, Professional Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, representing H.E. the Prime Minister, H.E. Driss OUAOUICHA, Minister Delegate in charge of Higher Education and Scientific Research, chaired the said meeting.

The two Ministers opened the meeting by thanking and appreciating the members whose terms of office had come to an end, as well as by welcoming the new members of the Agency’s Board. The two ministers invited these new members to support the work of the board by submitting proposals and recommendations for the improvement of the board’s work, confirming that their effective adherence in the process of quality assurance in higher education and scientific research will be an added value in the assessment of public and private higher education institutions especially as Morocco is in the forefront of important reforms in training and education and the launching of the Bachelor’s degree courses scheduled for September 2020 as well as the launching of the operation of assessment of public and private higher education institutions for the first time.

The two Ministers pointed out to the importance of the agenda, in particular the following three key points:

• First item: Draft of the 2020 Agency budget,
• Second Item: Draft assessment of the three categories of higher education institutions: Academic Institutions, Non-University Institutions (NURSEs) and Private Higher Education Institutions,
• Third Point: the Agency’s Strategic Plan (2020-2024), which is such an ambitious and important project.

At the end of their speeches, the Ministers apologized for having left the Council for their commitment to attend a royal activity and they delegated the Secretary General of the sector Mr. Mohamed ABOUSALEH to continue the proceedings of the Council.

Subsequently, the Director of the Agency took the floor, thanking and appreciating the outgoing Board members and renewing his welcome to the new members and asking for their commitment in promoting the Agency’s work through their proposals whilst confirming the Agency’s openness to its partners, particularly the members of board of directors.

Following the speeches, the agenda is as follows:

• Introduction of the new members of Board of Directors;
• Approval of the minutes of the meeting of November 7, 2019,
• Presentation on the assessment process of training courses;
• Agency’s assessment process;
• Adopting the budget for 201 and 2019 and presenting the draft budget for 2020;
• Launching the institutional assessment;
• Agency Strategic Plan “2020-2024”;
• Approval of the draft framework agreement between ANEAQ and the quality assurance body in Guinea,
• Miscellaneous;

Pursuant to the approval of the minutes of the last meeting of Board of Directors, and as part of the implementation of the role of the special committees, and to enable the agency to carry out its missions, the members of the Board appointed two of its members to the permanent committees, replacing the two outgoing members, as follows:

• Nadia BENCHDIMA: Member of the Scientific Research Assessment Committee;
• Nazha HAYAT: Member of the Training Courses Assessment Committee;

In order to involve the new members in the context of the agency’s work, the Director presented an overview of the agency since its creation, particularly with regard to its missions, the powers of Board of Directors and assessment of the agency’s activities in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He also reported on the assessment of training courses in 2019.

In addition, the Director shed light on the external evaluation process of ANEAQ in the framework of the African HAQAA initiative with the support of the European Union, relating to the development of the ASG-QA African Quality Criteria, following the preparation of the ANEAQ self-evaluation report Two international experts were subsequently appointed to conduct the site visit during the period between September and November 2018. Such operation resulted in an external assessment report, which is published on the agency’s website.

The Director also pointed out that the Agency is preparing to launch the assessment of institutions as the core of the Agency’s tasks, especially following the approval of the quality criteria by the Government Council and their publication in the official gazette. He further added that the Agency aims at assessing all the public and private higher education institutions over the next five years according to a program drawn up for this purpose, which is an ambitious project where the synergy of the efforts of all actors is required.

Likewise, it has been specified that this year’s institutional assessment will be based on a typical experience of one institution per university among the twelve universities of the Kingdom on the proposal of H.E. the Minister Delegate in charge of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

As far as the methodology is concerned, the members of Board of Directors suggested the establishment of an effective methodology to ensure the success of this very important national project.

The Director also drew the attention of the members of Board of Directors to the financial issue of institutional evaluation since the current payment schedule for services, fixed in accordance with the joint ministerial note of the Minister of Economy and Finance and the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Executives’ Training, covers only 20% of the assessment fees of an institution which amounts to 200,000 Dirhams according to a comprehensive provided fees table.

On this basis, a number of members proposed the awarding of the Certificate of Distinction “Labelling” to institutions/universities to encourage their involvement in the assessment process. The agency may also establish a national classification of institutions/universities according to the Ministry’s 2017-2022 action plan.

As a result, some members called for greater priority to be given to experts in view of their role in the work of the agency, especially with regard to the selection, training and recruitment of foreign experts.

As part of the cooperation and partnership with a number of quality assurance bodies to which the Agency is committed, the framework agreement concluded between ANEAQ and the quality assurance body in Guinea has been submitted for approval. The agreement was adopted unanimously by the members of the Board. In order to facilitate the Agency’s work, the decision to delegate the Director of the Agency to approve the agreement was taken on condition that the Board be informed thereof.

Afterwards, the Director detailed the Agency’s strategic plan (2020-2024) comprising five main thrusts as follows:

• First axis : Agency governance,
• Second axis : Follow-up of the implementation of the Agency’s missions,
• Third axis : Enhancing cooperation and partnership,
• Fourth axis : Supporting and consolidating the culture of evaluation and quality assurance,
• Fifth axis : from prior control to accompanying control,

Board members appreciated this ambitious strategic plan which will be an added value to higher education in Morocco. Regarding some points of this plan, questions were asked and answered.

As part of the Agency’s strategic plan, in particular the fifth axis, which aims at moving from prior control to accompanying control of the Agency as a public establishment in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 00-69, the Director requested the Board to authorize the Agency to carry out the necessary administrative procedures for the adoption of a procurement rules and methods system specific to the Agency in accordance with Article 9 of Law No. 0-12 concerning the Agency, and this in coordination with the Ministry of Economy and Finance. This with a view to concluding a multiannual program contract between the supervisory ministry, the Ministry of Finance and the chairman of the agency’s board or the director delegated for this purpose. At the end of the meeting, all board members expressed their affirmative opinion on this matter.

Decision N° 01/2020

Approval of the minutes of the meeting of Board of Directors of the Agency dated November 7, 2018

Decision N° 02/2020

Approval of the Agency’s draft budget for the year 2020

Decision N° 03/2020

Approval of a proposal for authorization of the agency to conduct the necessary administrative procedures for the adoption of a system of procurement rules and methods specific to the agency (in accordance with Article 9 of Law No. 80-12 on the agency)

Decision N° 04/2020

Approval of the draft framework agreement concluded between ANEAQ and the quality assurance body in Guinea with delegation of the Director to approve the agreements on condition of informing the Board thereof.

Decision N° 05/2020

Appointment of two members of Board of Directors to special committees

• Nadia BENCHDIMA: Member of the Scientific Research Assessment Committee;
• Nazha HAYAT: Member of the Training Courses Assessment Committee;