Analysing Implementation of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance at Institutional Level: Outcomes of the IBAR Project

The IBAR project studied barriers higher education institutions experienced to implementing the ESG part 1. Our paper reports on the major findings of this project. After sketching our conceptual approach, we conclude that the ESG Part 1 seem to be functioning as a codification of many policies and practices of quality assurance in higher education institutions in the seven countries studied, thus establishing common criteria and methodologies to some extent. They may need more time (together with further adaptation of national policies in many countries) to act as modification of some others closer to the ‘inner life’ of academe, esp. learning-outcome based curricula and assessment; recognition of teaching in academic careers; serious consideration of stakeholders in quality assurance and curriculum review