Tender for Thematic Analysis of QQI Validation Reports

QQI is currently the main statutory body in Ireland awarding educational qualifications in the further education and training (FET) sector and the independent higher education (HE) sector. Learners access QQI awards by enrolling on validated programmes of education and training delivered by third-party organisations referred to as providers. The validation …

CPV: 79000000 Бизнес услуги: право, маркетинг, консултиране, набиране на персонал, печат и охрана
Краен срок:
Септ. 25, 2025, обяд
Вид на крайния срок:
Подаване на оферта
Място на изпълнение:
Tender for Thematic Analysis of QQI Validation Reports
Издаващ орган:
Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
Номер на наградата:
0

1. Buyer

1.1 Buyer

Official name : Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
Legal type of the buyer : Body governed by public law, controlled by a central government authority
Activity of the contracting authority : Education

2. Procedure

2.1 Procedure

Title : Tender for Thematic Analysis of QQI Validation Reports
Description : QQI is currently the main statutory body in Ireland awarding educational qualifications in the further education and training (FET) sector and the independent higher education (HE) sector. Learners access QQI awards by enrolling on validated programmes of education and training delivered by third-party organisations referred to as providers. The validation of such programmes before they are offered to learners is one of QQI’s main awarding-body functions. Validation is a regulatory process that evaluates: 1. whether a programme proposed by a provider can be expected to enable a learner who meets its access criteria to achieve and demonstrate the specified programme learning outcomes, and 2. whether the specified programme learning outcomes are consistent with the specified QQI award type (i.e. qualification) and the applicable QQI award standard. Validation of a new programme occurs before a programme is offered to learners and typically expires after about five years. Once the validation period has elapsed, a provider must apply again for validation (revalidation) to continue enrolling new learners. The revalidation process involves both a review of the original programme and an evaluation of the updated version proposed to be provided in the future. Groups of related programmes may be validated or revalidated together. References to validation (e.g. reports, panels, applications) should, unless otherwise indicated, be understood as references to the validation of new programmes or to the review and revalidation of updated programmes. Before a programme is validated, it is evaluated against a set of published criteria by a group of people with relevant expertise selected to evaluate that programme and referred to as the independent evaluation panel. The findings are communicated in an ‘independent evaluation report’ (IER) that addresses the validation criteria and may address the findings of the programme review. The IER also includes: - an outline of the validation application and each programme, - details of the panel membership, - the panel’s recommendation(s) to QQI regarding validation of the programme(s), - recommended special conditions of validation if deemed necessary by the panel, - recommendations to the provider and, in some instances, commendations. QQI requires an analysis of IERs relating to applications for (1) new programme validation, and (2) programme revalidation, determined by QQI during the period September 2018 to November 2024. Relevant reporting involves approximately 1940 programmes, 648 principal programmes, and 598 available reports. The focus of the qualitative analysis will be on these IERs. Application documentation including programme descriptors will not be made available for analysis. We require thematic and trend analyses of a representative sample of the available IERs. The thematic analysis of the IERs should have regard to the twelve broad validation criteria, however, there may be themes that cut across these. Overall, the objectives of the project are to identify: - Themes emerging from the areas of strength and areas for improvement identified in the validation reports and how they relate to programmatic dimensions such as NFQ level, discipline, provider type etc. - How useful or otherwise the reporting mechanisms are in identifying and effectively communicating critical issues. In addition to the above, the analysis is required to attempt to address the following questions. - What strengths and weaknesses feature most prominently? - Is there evidence that providers are learning from validation? - how effective is the reporting in the context of the purpose of validation and the validation policy and criteria - Has the nature of programmes submitted for validation changed significantly since 2018? Where practicable, the analysis is required to identify themes within clusters of reports with similar features.
Procedure identifier : 3f0a5f5b-c31f-4655-bc52-5105698da7ae
Type of procedure : Open
The procedure is accelerated : no

2.1.1 Purpose

Main nature of the contract : Services
Main classification ( cpv ): 79000000 Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

2.1.2 Place of performance

Country : Ireland
Anywhere in the given country

2.1.3 Value

Estimated value excluding VAT : 80 000 Euro

2.1.4 General information

Legal basis :
Directive 2014/24/EU

5. Lot

5.1 Lot technical ID : LOT-0001

Title : Tender for Thematic Analysis of QQI Validation Reports
Description : QQI is currently the main statutory body in Ireland awarding educational qualifications in the further education and training (FET) sector and the independent higher education (HE) sector. Learners access QQI awards by enrolling on validated programmes of education and training delivered by third-party organisations referred to as providers. The validation of such programmes before they are offered to learners is one of QQI’s main awarding-body functions. Validation is a regulatory process that evaluates: 1. whether a programme proposed by a provider can be expected to enable a learner who meets its access criteria to achieve and demonstrate the specified programme learning outcomes, and 2. whether the specified programme learning outcomes are consistent with the specified QQI award type (i.e. qualification) and the applicable QQI award standard. Validation of a new programme occurs before a programme is offered to learners and typically expires after about five years. Once the validation period has elapsed, a provider must apply again for validation (revalidation) to continue enrolling new learners. The revalidation process involves both a review of the original programme and an evaluation of the updated version proposed to be provided in the future. Groups of related programmes may be validated or revalidated together. References to validation (e.g. reports, panels, applications) should, unless otherwise indicated, be understood as references to the validation of new programmes or to the review and revalidation of updated programmes. Before a programme is validated, it is evaluated against a set of published criteria by a group of people with relevant expertise selected to evaluate that programme and referred to as the independent evaluation panel. The findings are communicated in an ‘independent evaluation report’ (IER) that addresses the validation criteria and may address the findings of the programme review. The IER also includes: - an outline of the validation application and each programme, - details of the panel membership, - the panel’s recommendation(s) to QQI regarding validation of the programme(s), - recommended special conditions of validation if deemed necessary by the panel, - recommendations to the provider and, in some instances, commendations. QQI requires an analysis of IERs relating to applications for (1) new programme validation, and (2) programme revalidation, determined by QQI during the period September 2018 to November 2024. Relevant reporting involves approximately 1940 programmes, 648 principal programmes, and 598 available reports. The focus of the qualitative analysis will be on these IERs. Application documentation including programme descriptors will not be made available for analysis. We require thematic and trend analyses of a representative sample of the available IERs. The thematic analysis of the IERs should have regard to the twelve broad validation criteria, however, there may be themes that cut across these. Overall, the objectives of the project are to identify: - Themes emerging from the areas of strength and areas for improvement identified in the validation reports and how they relate to programmatic dimensions such as NFQ level, discipline, provider type etc. - How useful or otherwise the reporting mechanisms are in identifying and effectively communicating critical issues. In addition to the above, the analysis is required to attempt to address the following questions. - What strengths and weaknesses feature most prominently? - Is there evidence that providers are learning from validation? - how effective is the reporting in the context of the purpose of validation and the validation policy and criteria - Has the nature of programmes submitted for validation changed significantly since 2018? Where practicable, the analysis is required to identify themes within clusters of reports with similar features.
Internal identifier : 0

5.1.1 Purpose

Main nature of the contract : Services
Main classification ( cpv ): 79000000 Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

5.1.2 Place of performance

Country : Ireland
Anywhere in the given country
Additional information :

5.1.3 Estimated duration

Start date : 01/10/2025
Other duration : Unknown

5.1.5 Value

Estimated value excluding VAT : 80 000 Euro

5.1.6 General information

Reserved participation : Participation is not reserved.
Procurement Project not financed with EU Funds.
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) : yes

5.1.7 Strategic procurement

Aim of strategic procurement : No strategic procurement
Approach to reducing environmental impacts : Other

5.1.11 Procurement documents

Languages in which the procurement documents are officially available : English
Languages in which the procurement documents (or their parts) are unofficially available : English

5.1.12 Terms of procurement

Terms of submission :
Electronic submission : Required
Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted : English
Electronic catalogue : Not allowed
Tenderers may submit more than one tender : Not allowed
Deadline for receipt of tenders : 25/09/2025 12:00 +01:00
Deadline until which the tender must remain valid : 3 Month
Information about public opening :
Opening date : 26/09/2025 00:00 +01:00
Terms of contract :
The execution of the contract must be performed within the framework of sheltered employment programmes : Not yet known
Electronic invoicing : Allowed
Electronic ordering will be used : no
Electronic payment will be used : no

5.1.15 Techniques

Framework agreement :
No framework agreement
Information about the dynamic purchasing system :
No dynamic purchase system

5.1.16 Further information, mediation and review

Review organisation : The High Court of Ireland
Organisation providing offline access to the procurement documents : Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
Organisation providing more information on the review procedures : Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
Organisation receiving requests to participate : Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
Organisation processing tenders : Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)

8. Organisations

8.1 ORG-0001

Official name : Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
Registration number : IE9848745L
Postal address : 26/27 Denzille Lane
Town : Dublin
Postcode : D02 P266
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Dublin ( IE061 )
Country : Ireland
Telephone : 0876993996
Internet address : https://www.qqi.ie
Buyer profile : https://www.qqi.ie
Roles of this organisation :
Buyer
Organisation providing offline access to the procurement documents
Organisation receiving requests to participate
Organisation processing tenders
Organisation providing more information on the review procedures

8.1 ORG-0002

Official name : The High Court of Ireland
Registration number : The High Court of Ireland
Department : The High Court of Ireland
Postal address : Four Courts, Inns Quay, Dublin 7
Town : Dublin
Postcode : D07 WDX8
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Dublin ( IE061 )
Country : Ireland
Telephone : +353 1 8886000
Roles of this organisation :
Review organisation

8.1 ORG-0003

Official name : European Dynamics S.A.
Registration number : 002024901000
Department : European Dynamics S.A.
Town : Athens
Postcode : 15125
Country subdivision (NUTS) : Βόρειος Τομέας Αθηνών ( EL301 )
Country : Greece
Telephone : +30 2108094500
Roles of this organisation :
TED eSender

Notice information

Notice identifier/version : 396b1d66-4f28-45bb-9311-62dd2ceb1456 - 01
Form type : Competition
Notice type : Contract or concession notice – standard regime
Notice dispatch date : 03/07/2025 15:55 +01:00
Languages in which this notice is officially available : English
Notice publication number : 00437112-2025
OJ S issue number : 127/2025
Publication date : 07/07/2025