External and internal influences as driving forces and/or stumbling-blocks in the development of the South African quality assurance system nationally as well as institutionally

Abstract

The development of national and institutional quality assurance and management systems is often forced (rightfully or wrongly) into a specific direction by external and internal environmental influences. In South Africa such influences play a major role in both the national higher education policy developments and the implementation of the higher education policies institutionally. The impact of these guiding interventions resulted in a study to identify the most important internal and external environmental influences directing or hampering national and institutional quality assurance and management developments as well as their implementation in the South African higher education system. These internal and external influences will be discussed and evaluated critically during the presentation.


South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.16(2) 2002: 69-74