Ireland – Education and training services – RFT Updating QQI Assessment Infrastructure 2026

QQI is the Qualifications and Quality Assurance Authority of Ireland with responsibility for (among other things) - the external quality assurance of providers of further education (FET) and training or higher education (HE) (providers) in Ireland including designated, delegated and listed awarding bodies. - the external quality assurance of designated and listed awarding bodies that are not providers. - the provision of statutory guidelines on the quality assurance of education, training, research and related services. - determining national policies and criteria for access, transfer and progression in relation to learners (ATP), and monitoring the implementation of procedures for ATP by providers. - promoting, maintaining, further developing and implementing the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), which is a system of levels and types for awards of qualifications based on standards of knowledge, skill or competence . - deciding which awards are included in the NFQ. - facilitating the recognition of qualifications inside and outside the state. Those functions operate at system level or at the level of organisations providing programmes of education and training (providers). QQI is also an awarding body. It established standards for its awards, and awards qualifications to persons who have completed programmes of education and training that it has validated (validation is approval of a programme prior to its delivery) that are offered by providers of programmes without the authority to award NFQ qualifications. It can also delegate its authority to providers meeting certain criteria. Updating QQI’s assessment infrastructure may require changes/supplementation to, or impact upon, all the above in due course. It is important to appreciate that QQI’s infrastructure is primarily focussed on the quality assurance of standards-based formative and summative assessment and is not intended to guide on how to assess learners in specific situations. Any substantial changes to QQI’s assessment infrastructure will be preceded by consultation documents (green and white papers) that will provide stakeholders with opportunities to express their views on the issues and options at the green paper stage and on proposed new policy or guidelines at the white paper stage. QQI-award specific infrastructure needs to be replaced as soon as practicable. In replacing these we plan to separate policy and procedures relating to assessment that QQI needs to maintain as an awarding body from guidelines on the quality assurance of assessment that will be relevant to all providers.