Under Law No. 80-12 relating to the National Agency for Assessment and Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Scientific Research, as amended, assessment is designated as an activity, carried out by experts, which consists of auditing the academic and institutional performance of higher education and scientific research systems in order to ensure quality.

To this end, the Agency is responsible for:

• Assessment of public and private higher education and scientific research institutions;
• Assessment of training courses in order to obtain or renew accreditation;
• Assessment of the activities of doctoral study centers;
• Assessment of scientific research and the effectiveness of its structures;
• Assessment of university cooperation programs in the fields of training and scientific research;
• Assessment of foreign training and scientific research institutions;
• Conducting expertise on equivalence files of Higher Education degrees.

Any Moroccan or foreign person: teacher, researcher, engineer, administrator, or professional, whose candidacy is approved by one of the special committees, based on significant training and experience acquired in one of the Agency’s fields of activity.

The complexity and size of the assessment mission may require the appointment of a committee of experts chaired by one of its members designated by the Agency on the basis of his or her competence and in-depth knowledge of the subject matter to be assessed. The committee of experts is called upon to compare and harmonize points of view in order to reach a collective assessment.

The expert’s mission, and as required by the Agency, is to:

1. Carry out an in-depth and critical reading of the self-assessment report, in order to thoroughly prepare the on-site visit;
2. Carry out visits to the evaluated institutions, research units and doctoral study centers;
3. Study all the files and documents necessary for the fulfilment of the assessment mission;
4. Conduct interviews with managers, teachers, administrative staff, students and certain economic actors dealing with the institution, object of the assessment;
5. Carry out an impartial and objective assessment in compliance with the assessment criteria and quality standards set by the Agency;
6. Provide suggestions and advice for quality assurance and improvement;
7. Draft the assessment report in a constructive manner and submit it to the Agency;
8. Notify the Agency when difficulties are encountered during the course of his/her work, stating the reasons;
9. Attend meetings held by the Agency (on-site expertise, coordination, etc.);
10. Attend training activities and seminars provided by the Agency;
11. Adhere to the Agency’s missions and objectives, mobilize his/her skills to assume his/her responsibilities and fully contribute to the success of his/her mission.

The expert must observe the principles on which the Agency bases its assessment and quality assurance practices. Such principles are :

• Competence: The expert must not accept an assignment that eludes his competence. He must ask the Agency to appoint another expert to carry out the mission.
• Independence: The expert is independent; he cannot have any direct or indirect relationship with the institution subject to the assessment. As a rule, when the expert believes that there is a risk of bias or suspicion, he must renounce to the assignment.
• Integrity: The expert is independent, has no direct or indirect relationship with the institution subject to the assessment, and as a rule, if the expert believes that there is a risk of bias or suspicion, he must renounce to the assignment.
• Objectivity: The expert shall collect, evaluate and communicate information relating to the activity or process in question with accuracy and relevance. The conclusions he makes are supported by elements found in the self-assessment report, interviews and documents, and are motivated by reference to the state of knowledge and best practices in the specified areas.
• Respect for diversity: The expert shall respect the diversity of institutions’ projects and training courses, as well as the diversity of the objectives of the courses, provided that they meet the general objectives of higher education and scientific research.
• Confidentiality: The expert commits himself to keeping confidential all information of which he may become aware, as well as the content of confidential or restricted documents which he has the opportunity to consult for the purposes of his mission or during its completion.

For any mission, the expert must provide a clear and precise report within the time limits set by the Agency.

The deadlines for carrying out an expertise vary according to the mission (number of files, size of the establishment or structure to be assessed) and its complexity.

In the event of incidents (difficulties in visiting the premises, obtaining essential documents or information, etc.) that could affect compliance with the deadlines, the expert must inform the Agency as soon as possible.

He must always act with the utmost diligence, as failure to meet deadlines, due to his own negligence alone, may result in questioning his liability.

The findings shall, save in exceptional cases, be set out in a written report. They must be clear, consistent and justified.

The assessment report shall be drafted in accordance with the form provided by the Agency, including the strengths and weaknesses identified during the assessment mission and the suggested recommendations.

If the report submitted by the expert does not meet the Agency’s formal and substantive expectations in this respect, the Agency reserves the right to demand the necessary improvements.

Where there is a committee of experts, the report must be approved by at least a majority of the experts’ votes.

The reports and assessment work carried out by an expert or a committee of experts in accordance with this contract shall be the exclusive property of the Agency.