In addition to the regular institutional evaluations that are done at the request of individual institutions, the IEP has conducted several national or regional evaluations at the joint request of institutions and public authorities. Thus, all universities in Ireland, Catalonia, Slovakia, Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina were evaluated, as well as a sample of 10 institutions per year in Portugal (in 3 rounds). The evaluations in Portugal have included public and private universities and polytechnics.
In all cases, each institution receives its own evaluation report and, whenever it is appropriate, the IEP produces, in addition, a sector report that highlights shared issues and challenges and facilitates a fruitful dialogue among all key actors and stakeholders, including governments.
The rising demand for this type of national or regional requests are a response to the growing awareness of the imperatives – but also the benefits – of a systematic approach to quality assurance in the context of the internationally competitive race for knowledge, investments and human capital. The IEP methodology is particularly suited to increase the potential of higher education institutions to meet these new requirements.
Each of the regional or national evaluations has involved experienced higher education leaders from between twelve to over fifty different national systems. This breadth and diversity of experience has proved highly beneficial in allowing the IEP to undertake in-depth diagnoses of the issues at stake and to come forward with strategically useful and workable recommendations for the future. The diversity of experience has also proved useful in identifying, understanding and challenging implicit national understandings and taboos, and in working beyond these to identify potential solutions for the development and implementation of innovative national or regional strategies and major reforms.