Progress in Developing a National Quality Management System for Higher Education in Oman

Abstract

The post‐secondary education sector in Oman consists of a complex suite of public and private institutions, in a number of distinct segments, offering local and foreign programmes developed through their respective quality assurance systems. The Omani higher education quality management system is undergoing significant advances to address this situation. Some of these advances are briefly outlined in this paper. Infrastructural policies and frameworks, institutional and programme standards and quality assurance processes and a range of quality enhancement activities are all in progress. Experience shows that the methods used to develop national frameworks and processes are, in themselves, vital factors in the success of those frameworks and processes. Most particularly, benchmarking and consultation have proven effective when complemented with training and support strategies, sourced internationally and, of increasing importance, locally.

Keywords:

• Oman
• national system
• classification of education
• quality assurance
• standards
• quality audit
• accreditation
• training
• network