AUDITING MODELS FOR QUALITY EDUCATION IN ITALY

14 AUDITING MODELS FOR QUALITY EDUCATION IN ITALY Marco Bechis, Annamaria Torazzo Abstract: The recognition of quality in the educational sector is seeing great diffusion because of the strategic importance of the teaching system to numerous interlocutors. The instrument of certification, in connection with the more specific tool of accreditation, provides for the implementation of an effective quality process management system to monitor and improve educational offerings to the satisfaction of numerous stakeholders. This paper delineates the international and national evolution of the sector, with particular reference to the recent law on the accreditation of structures for professional education and vocational guidance. Keywords: Education, Certification, Accreditation, Auditing Introduction The ISO 9001:2000 international standard promotes the adoption of a process approach for the development, performance and improvement of the effectiveness of quality management systems in order to increase customer satisfaction by observing the requirements of the customers themselves (UNI EN ISO 9001, 2000). The education sector in Italy, which is currently in a phase of cost-cutting and drastic process re-engineering, is adapting to the requirements of the aforementioned standard to improve the quality of instruction (planning, realization and provision of education) and related services. The implementation of a quality system in educational organizations, according to the ISO 9000 family of standards, implies the satisfaction of several requirements, including the planning, offering and provisionof educational services and their final auditing (UNI Linee Guida 23, 1998). Beside the process of providing education, there is also the process of resources education, which is concerned with all operative personnel (instruction, administration, etc.). The process approach, which is characterized by strong individual involvement, also implies the management of human resources, in particular defining the necessary competence of the staff influencing the quality of service, the efficiency of training actions, the attainment level to which activities influence the quality of service, the maintenance of appropriate records (with reference to the staff's educational degrees, training, abilitiesand experience). The development of such a quality management system should be finalized to the satisfaction of all stakeholders in the scholastic sector: students, parents, teachers, administrative staff, enterprises and organizations that will benefit from the competence of the students, and society in general. Furthermore, the analysis of relative benefits introduces some long-term aspects which are very difficult to quantify, as a considerable number of advantages are not of an immediate nature (as seen in the increment in revenues and/or financing for an increasing number of students) but will be appreciated only by future generations in terms of greater competence. From a certain point of view, the problem could be seen as the quantification of the sustainability of the system itself. The quality of education worldwide On the international stage, ISO 1 recently accepted a DGN 2 proposal of the Mexican national standards organization, an ISO member, for the establishment of a new International Workshop Agreement (IWA) dealing with the application of ISO 9001:2000 standards to education (Aguilar Romo 2002; ISO/IEC JTC1 SC36; ISO/TC 176 2002). This stemmed from interest in this field on the part of the Ministry of 1 International Organization for Standardization. 2 Dirección General de Normas.

15 Public Education in Mexico, which launched a specific Quality Program for all educational organizations 3 The aforementioned proposal appears to be well articulated; in fact, DGN has already established the objectives of and motives behind the project, the agreements for cooperation, the logistical aspects and its main points of reference, specifically: ISO Handbook: ISO 9001 for small business IWA-1: Quality Management Systems Guidelines for process improvement in health service organizations HB90.7-2000 Education and Training, Guide to ISO 9001:2000 (Australia) Guidelines on the application of ISO 9000 series to further education and training (UK) Aplicación de las normas ISO 9000 a la Enseñanza y la Formación, Centro Europeo para el Desarrollo de la Formación Profesional In Europe, ENQA (the European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) (EC n 561/98, 1998) was established due to promotion by the EU and the Bologna Declaration (The European higher education area, 1999) in order to develop the field of quality assurance in academic and post-academic education. On the occasion of a workshop in Paris (September 22-23, 2000), a comparative report on institutional evaluation (or institutional review ) systems adopted by universities in six countries (Finland, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway and Sweden) and in the Association of European Universities 4 was compiled. The report showed that the prevailing methodology in all of those countries was selfassessment 5 followed by comparison among institutions at the same level (peer review) and onsiteevaluations conducted by external teams (site visits) (Hämäläinen, Pehu-Voima, Wahlén, 2001). The analysis yields strong characterizations of self-assessment at the national level. While Norway, for instance, leaves a great deal of freedom in the choice of parameters and thus has institutions oriented toward evaluating their own specific initiatives, the UK proposes integrating the evaluation of global scholastic structures and that of individual course programs (in terms of the impact evaluation of structural quality on the level of the programs). Furthermore, a lack of clarity and unanimity in the definition of external validation organizations (particularly in peer reviews) has emerged. In fact, they are generally teams from educational institutions with varying management experience (in Ireland, Finland and Sweden, the members of the working groups include stakeholders from the industrial and business worlds; in Sweden, furthermore, there are student representatives and representatives from other Nordic countries, while in Finland there are experts from English-speaking countries). In particular, the UK implemented a 6-year evaluation cycle focused on aspects dealing with accountability, strictly connected with the evaluation of programs and quality assurance measures (various procedures, assessment process management, credit system management, collaboration). Moreover, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) 6 was established to formalize opportune standards ( subject standards ) for academies and a Code of Practice for Universities. France, which was among the first countries to propose the evaluation of academic institutions (more than fifteen years ago), identified its main objectives as the improvement of education and research, the dissemination of research results and internal cooperation. In addition, France has also carried out combined reviews for various areas and/or cities, with particular emphasis on cooperation in the use of 3 In the Quality Program, the Comité Técnico Nacional de Normalización de Sistemas de Calidad - COTENNSISCAL (Spain) set up a Working Group to produce a Guidance Document for the application of ISO 9001:2000 QMS Standard to education services organizations. 4 On March 31, 2001, the merging of the Association of European Universities (Brussels) and the Confederation of EU Rectors Conferences (Geneva) generated the European University Association (EUA, Geneva and Brussels), whose mission is to promote the development of a coherent system of European higher education and research, through active support and guidance to its members as autonomous institutions in their development of the quality of teaching, learning and research and in enhancing their contributions to society. 5 Substantially based on questionnaires filled out by teachers, staff, students and other stakeholders, also external to the university structure, for instance enterprises and families, all of which can be influenced by the quality of teaching. 6 Its mission is to promote public confidence that quality of provision and standards of awards in higher education are being safeguarded and enhanced.

16 resources. Ireland has emphasized institutional and quality improvement more than accountability; however, a unified direction among the various evaluation methodologies (e.g., institutions and programs) has not yet appeared on a national level. Norway appears to apply a broad concept of auditing, mainly based on strategic and qualitative development aspects. A priority objective for Sweden and Finland is the improvement of processes related to education, the organization of institutions and execution, also with reference to their capacity for change ; however, a focus on other aspects such as leadership, internal cooperation, involvement of the students, regional impact and relations with the external world has also been noted. In the case of the Association of European Universities, in contrast to the previous guidelines, the focus lies exclusively on the improvement and the introduction of a European dimension in evaluations, with particular reference to the development of change strategies. One could note that the quality of research has not been included in the evaluation process, while it should be an objective for every audit team, in addition to those processes related to administrative procedures and educational processes (quality of programs and instruction). Furthermore, the formalization of a quality assurance organization (such as the QAA in the UK) could configure the process of evaluation as a true "accreditation (or second-stage evaluation) procedure for educational structures. In the future, substantial variations in methodologies should not be recorded, rather we are likely to see remarkable developments with regard to procedures and objectives, which currently seem to be very different. The evaluations of the institutions should preferably be connected with those of the programs, as is already the case in the UK, and the process of improvement should be examined with reference to the results of previous evaluations. The diffusion of quality in the Italian school system There has been strong interest in this topic in Italy, as we have seen in our experience with quality evaluation for courses of study at various academies. The first Campus-CRUI 1 project (1995-2000), which involved 94 courses of study (mostly those of engineering departments) at 32 universities, adopted an evaluation model based on ISO 9000:1994 standards. Subsequently, in October 1999, the SI.N.A.I. (Sistema Nazionale di Accreditamento dei corsi di studio in Ingegneria) was set up on the basis of proposals by the Collegio dei Presidi delle Facoltà di Ingegneria. The model this organization applied was inspired by that of the CRUI and involved more didactic than organizational auditing. In the same period, the CNVSU (Comitato Nazionale per la Valutazione del Sistema Universitario) (Legge 19 Ottobre 1999, n 370) was established as an institutional organization for ENQA in the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) and replaced the Observatory for the Evaluation of the University System. Among its tasks were the definition of general criteria for the evaluation of university activities, the realization of an annual external evaluation program for universities and/or individual educational structures, and the creation of standards, parameters and technical documents. In particular, a CNVSU working group on Accreditation for courses of study proposed an informational model which had never really been tested and was based on ISO 9000:2000 standards articulated in five aspects (Requirements; Program; Resources and services; Observation, analysis and improvement; Organization) (D.M. 3 novembre 1999, n 509, 1999);(Ministero dell Istruzione, dell Università e della Ricerca MIUR, 2001). Subsequently, and from a certain point of view as a synthesis of the three previous initiatives (Campus- CRUI, SI.N.A.I and CNVSU), the three-year CampusOne project was launched, financed by funds 1 Conferenza dei Rettori delle Università Italiane.

17 derived from UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems licenses (together with the analogous CampusLike project, which did not receive financial support)(dpcm 28 marzo 2001). A uniform model for all Italian Universities was articulated in five macroprocesses, called dimensions of evaluation (Organizational system; Requirements and objectives; Resources; Educational process; Results, Analysis and improvement), and adopts a process approach according to the ISO 9001:2000 standard. Quality improvement in the national scholastic system began with a project on Quality in education (Mantova, 1991-92) as a result of the first letter of intent between the Ministry of Public Education and Confindustria (July 1990). Then a guideline document (Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione, prot. n 2927, 1995) specifying a triennial organizational model was issued, involving a number of Poles for Quality (Milan, Mantova-Padova-Vicenza, Rome) and Networks of Schools (in some southern Italian provinces)(legge n 59, 15 marzo 1997; Decreto Legislativo n 300, 30 luglio 1999): As a consequence, all conditions of self-reference were eliminated (now the main interlocutors are the recipients of educational services) and professional education (which had a residual connotation connected with negative phenomena such as truancy, failure and abandonment) was re-evaluated. A confirmation of the validity of such methodologies can be derived from the case analysis of a scholastic institute in Lombardia (UNI EN ISO 9001, 1994), where most positive results are attributable to organizational aspects and to relationships with the outside world, while didactics, which are not necessarily included in the ISO 9001 model, evidenced a series of critical aspects (Table 1) (Lateana 2002). ASPECT CONSIDERATIONS EFFECTIVENESS Organization Support of decisions; positive nature of optional services High Didactics Uniqueness of didactics Low Relationships Knowledge of rights; sense of belonging; stress on bureaucracy Medium Relations with the outside world Table 1: School image; access to financing; network of relationships in the territory; self-assessment and external assessment Effectiveness of the ISO 9001 Quality System High Table 2 shows the number of institutions accredited under SINCERT in the commodity science sector EA (European Cooperation for Accreditation) No. 37, Education, by region in Italy. Valled Aosta Piemonte Lombardia Trentino Alto Adige Friuli Venezia Giulia Veneto Liguria Emilia Romagna Toscana Umbria Abruzzo Lazio Marche Molise Campania Basilicata Puglia Calabria Sicilia Sardegna TOTAL ISO 9001: 94 ISO 9002: 94 ISO 9001: 00 1 38 26 7 18 65 12 55 4 8 20 55 11 16 69 3 7 23 84 24 546 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 9 2 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 21 1 142 1019 50 6 97 20 142 46 41 18 97 25 11 62 10 33 42 97 48 2007 TOTAL 2 182 1047 57 24 162 33 206 52 49 38 153 37 27 133 13 40 66 181 72 2574 Table 2: Certification of Education in Italy (August 31, 2003) Source: SINCERT - Sistema Nazionale per l'accreditamento degli Organismi di Certificazione, Italy It can be noted that nearly 80% of certifications are distributed across only 7 regions (in particular Lombardia at 41%, followed by Emilia Romagna at 8%, and Piemonte / Sicilia at 7% each). According to Vision 2000, the percentage of certifications in the education sector (78%) is decidedly higher than national figure for all EA sectors (52%, for a total of about 69,000 certifications); significant are the

18 situations in Lombardia, Trentino Alto Adige, Toscana, Umbria and Puglia, which denote a particular sensitivity towards the new organizational model (with percentages above 83%; in particular, the percentage in Lombardia is 97%). One critical aspect in the accreditation process is the auditor, who might be qualified according to regionally defined criteria. In this context, one can consider the recent ISO 19011 standard (UNI EN ISO 19011, 2003), which focuses on principles of activity, the realization of the audit, and the auditor s competence in terms of knowledge and abilities. This competence is determined using a "process-based" approach (inputs, outputs, indicators) and, similar to what is realized for quality and environmental aspects, could refer to the specific discipline (EA No. 37). In addition, there should also be a formal method for the evaluation, maintenance and continuous professional development of auditors / team leaders in this sector (Bechis, Torazzo, Marchese, 2003). In order to include the auditor in the List of Auditors for Accreditation, the Piemonte region, for example, requires third-party auditors appointed by a certification association ; nominated by a Quality System Certification Body accredited in the field of educational products (EA No. 37) by SINCERT or an equivalent organization which is a signatory of a Multilateral Agreement within EA ; "an auditor who has attended and passed with positive results both a public regional course then a follow-up audit on site (Regione Piemonte, Bando per l iscrizione, 2001). In addition, the problem of consultants qualifications is felt at a global level; to this end, in fact, ISO has set up a working group under Italian leadership to draft the ISO/TS 21095 technical specification (Draft ISO/TS 21095, 2002), based on the UNI 10836 standard (UNI 10836, 1999), the first standard to establish objective criteria for quality system consultants. Such indications, although not mandatory, could be used to harmonize certification schemes for quality management system consultants. Such a specification will not only establish guidelines for the consultants qualifications (personal characteristics, competence and ethical aspects) but will also provide organizations with objective criteria for the selection and use of consultants in accordance with Vision 2000 standards (in particular, the contract should evidence the scope of the consultant's activities, the activities which remain the responsibility of the organization, the duration of consulting activities and the results to be achieved). Furthermore, the consultants should demonstrate their ability to cover aspects such as process identification, effectiveness/efficiency evaluation and continuous improvement. Relationship between accreditation and certification The Draft Bill on School Reform, which is currently under debate in the Italian Parliament, provides for compulsory education (Legge n 144, 17 maggio 1999) until the age of 18 or until the achievement of a qualification, and compulsory schooling (Legge n 9, 20 gennaio 1999) from 6 to 14; only after having completed compulsory schooling can pupils choose between secondary and professional education (Table 3). The document also proposes the certificate of attendance at primary school, with a minimum of 12 years necessary to get a qualification. Nursery school (optional) COMPULSORY EDUCATION COMPULSORY SCHOOL Secondary studies Primary school Secondary school Secondary or professional education Table 3: Structure of the Scholastic System in Italy The important Law by Decree 166/2001 of the Italian Ministry of Labor and Social Security (Decreto 166, 25 maggio 2001) has introduced a series of innovations both for quality assurance in the school sector (both public and private), not to be considered excluded from the certification bodies, and for

19 access to financing from the European Social Fund (ESF) 1 for developing and realizing professional education 2 and/or vocational guidance 3 activities. One fundamental distinction is the one between certification, attestation of conformity to determined standards issued by an independently recognized third-party body", and accreditation, an act by means of which the competent public administration recognizes an organization's ability to propose and to realize educational intervention vocational guidelines financed with public funds. The scope of accreditation is to introduce quality standards for the stakeholders in the system of professional education according to objective parameters, in order to realize a public policy for the development of human resources in the territories in question. The operative centers of private and public organizations to be accredited are those which organize and provide activities concerned with vocational guidelines and professional education, financed with public funds, in respect of the objectives of regional programming. This confirms what is expressed in Law 196/97 (Legge n 196, 24 giugno 1997), which, in order to promote employment, promotes an increase in the status of professional education as an instrument for improving quality in the workforce. Every operative center can be accredited for one or more of the following macrotypes: Compulsory education (system of professional education and apprenticeship, according to the rules provided in Law 144/99 (Legge n 144,17 maggio 1999), Advanced education (after compulsory education, Advanced Technical Education or IFTS (Istruzione Formazione Tecnica Superiore), higher education with cycles within and following those in the universities), Continuing education (for employed persons, in CIG 4 and mobility, unemployed persons for whom education is a prerequisite for employment, and apprentices who have concluded their compulsory education). According to Legislative Decree 112/1998 (Decreto Legislativo n 112, 31 marzo 1998), the task of the government is to define minimum requirements for the accreditation of operative centers which manage professional education, with particular reference to the following criteria: Managerial (A1) and logistic (A2) abilities; Business situation (B); Professional competence (C); Levels of effectiveness and efficiency in the activities previously realized (D); Interrelations with the social and production system present in the territory (E). Such criteria have been defined by a particular Labor Commission 5, and approved in the Agreement of February 18, 2000; they constitute a common basis for regional systems of accreditation, but they are not exhaustive because every single region can define additional criteria, in line with the intentions of the legislature to allow the regions a certain degree of autonomy. 1 The Structural Funds, in particular the ESF (Treaty of Rome, 1957), represent the principal financial instruments through which the European Community supports the strengthening of the economic and social cohesion, thus reducing the differences between levels of development in various regions. Among its objectives is to favor adequacy and modernization of policies and educational and occupational systems (Communitarian Situation to Support Ob. 3 ESF 2000-2006, approved with Decision No. 1120 on July 18, 2000). 2 Interventions of pre-qualification, qualification, re-qualification, specialization, modernization realized with systems that use methodologies of on-site and/or distance learning. 3 Interventions of an informative, educational, or consultative character created to promote self-defined guidelines and to support the definition of a personal path of education and employment. 4 Cassa Integrazione Guadagni (Unemployment Financial Support). 5 Including representatives from the regions of Calabria, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Lombardia, Piemonte, Puglia and Toscana, designated by the Coordination of the Regions.

20 A comparison of some operative realities in the regions has shown how obtaining certification according to ISO 9001 standards has been considered a voluntary action on the one hand and a mandatory aspect on the other. In addition, accreditation was introduced in various regions at different times, but in any case on the basis of national decrees. A connection to ISO 9000:2000 standards, in particular ISO 9001 for the criteria A1, A2, C and D (effectiveness) and ISO 9004 for the criteria B and D (efficiency) arises as a matter of course: There are several differences between the process of regional accreditation by second parties and the process of certification by third parties (ISO 9001), and in fact the latter does not seem to offer sufficient assurance of conformity to all the criteria mentioned. This is specified by an agreement which requires certified structures for ISO 9001 and the exclusion of regional controls for criteria A1, A2, B and C during the accreditation procedure, even if ISO 9001 standards do not contemplate aspects connected with the institution's business situation (criterion B). For the operative centers which already have an ISO 9001-certified quality management system, or which have equivalent systems recognized at the European level, a simple procedure of accreditation is expected, with specific arrangements defined by the regions (in particular, in addition to criteria D and E, the possession of other indicators relevant to criteria A, C and B not included in the quality system has to be reviewed). To this end, it is specified that certification must be granted by certification bodies accredited by SINCERT for EA Sector No. 37 or by equivalent bodies which are signatories of an MLA (Multilateral Agreement) within EA and, for equivalent systems, by analogous institutions. In order to provide the services, the operative centers should be structured along the following processbased lines: Diagnosis (survey of occupational and educational requirements) Planning (courses, individual interventions) Provision of services (education, consulting, etc.) Monitoring and evaluation (programs and results) Promotion (management of relations and distribution of services, searches for partnerships) Quality and research (quality management system, improvement, research and development of educational services) Coordination and direction (definition of strategies and standards, finding resources, supervision, service improvement, human resources development) Administration (conformity to standards, accounting and business reviews, etc.) The architecture of the national model (Table 4) shows a series of indicators for the aforementioned criteria (divided into sub-criteria) with detailed parameters, indices (subdivided for the three macrotypes and including threshold values for quantitative parameters, or conditions for qualitative parameters) and verification procedures (document analysis, local audits, specialist opinions, verification using data samples). With regard to professional competences, the model identifies the professional figures of Director, Business / Financial Manager, Territorial and Sector Education Requirements Analyst, Education Requirements Analyst, Designer, Auditor, Coordinator, Instructor, Instructor-Tutor and Vocational Guidance Counselor. Such roles refer to eight functions which are divided into three macrotypes: government (direction, administration, coordination), process (analysis, planning, evaluation) and product (teaching, guidelines). Table 5 shows an example of typical competences in the professional function of an auditor. The minimum national standards (threshold levels) for professional competence, defined as the application of knowledge, ability and behavior in practice (UNI EN ISO 10015, 2001), with triennial revision, will be discussed further with reference to the eight functions.

21 CRITERIA SUB-CRITERIA INDICATORS Management (A1) abilities Organization of activities and management of financial resources, Realization of activities, Monitoring and evaluation Type of previous working experience, Type of operative areas, Type of implementation Logistical abilities (A2) Business situation (B) Structural resources Infrastructural resources education Resources infrastructural guidelines - Adequacy of venues Adequacy and appropriateness of instruments and equipment Adequacy of databases Business/financial reliability of the center, business/financial reliability of legal representative Professional Competence (C) Direction, Administration Type of previous working experience, Type of operative areas, Type of operation Analysis of requirements, Planning, Evaluation, Coordination, Guidelines, Instruction, Instruction- Tutoring Types of operative areas, Types of operation Effectiveness (D1) Efficiency (D2) Relations system (E) Table 4: Services and educational activities Services and guidelines, Services and activities for employment Services and educational activity Services and guidelines, Services and activities for employment - National model of accreditation Level of completion, abandonment, educational success, employment and re-entry into the school system, satisfaction Level of (operative) effectiveness, satisfaction Level of expense, Cost / student, Cost / graduating student, Cost / employed student Level of expense, Cost per customer Relations with local institutional and social system, Relations with economic system, Relations with scholastic system, Relations with families of the students The model finally shows a list of procedures for operative centers during accreditation, the specifications of which are already treated in ISO 9001 standards, which represent typical requirements of the accreditation system. With reference to the provision of education planned in their territories, the regions are responsible for such procedures of accreditation and can also apply for external resources to realize preliminary examinations, local auditing and relative controls, provided that independence or third party activity is ensured with regard to the organizations to be accredited.

22 AREA Monitoring actions and educational programs Results evaluation Tabel 5: TASKS Project analysis, selection / creation of models and instruments for conformity evaluations, identification of critical aspects and a relative system of regulation Project analysis, selection / creation of models and instruments for effectiveness and efficiency evaluations, survey and interpretation of data, identification of strengths/weaknesses in improvement activities, reporting Competences of the auditor NECESSARY COMPETENCES Gap analysis, identification of critical aspects and lacks of balance, compilation of diagnosis reports and problem-solving Measurement of rates of realization, success, employment, re-entry into the school system, use of competences, expenses, satisfaction, cost per student. VERIFICATION PROCEDURES DOCUMENT ANALYSIS (curriculum, portfolio of realized technical experience) and DIRECT TESTING (simulations, case analysis) It is clear that the regions wish to render the process of accreditation independent from that of certification, without further excluding the possible utilization of any certified bodies already formed in Italy and/or abroad, and without denying a status quo limited to a single phase of the process. Since July 1, 2003, accreditation has been a mandatory requirement for all operative centers subject to the National Collective Agreement for Professional Education (Contratto collettivo nazionale di lavoro, 2002) for the proposal and realization of interventions of vocational guidance and education. Adherence to the requirements ( maintenance ) in accredited operative centers will be monitored annually by the regions 6. In the case of temporary accreditation granted by the regions for recently established operative centers, a two-year period is provided for in order to demonstrate adherence to an appropriate level of effectiveness and efficiency (requirement D), as well as the maturity of a system of interrelations with the social and economic system present in the territory (requirement E). Within both regional and national borders (Ministry of Labor and Social Security), there are two different lists for all accredited operative centers, with a specification of the related macrotypes of accreditation. In the future these lists will be interchangeable, with the option for every center to choose different paths of excellence as result of the continuous improvement of the average level of requirements toward the identification of true indicators of excellence. Conclusions Our analysis of the Italian school sector shows both a complex situation in rapid evolution leading to the end of a traditional system characterized by self-reference, and the beginning of a new course in which the true interlocutors of the school system are represented by the numerous stakeholders and not only by institutions (as was the case in the past). One typical aspect of the present school system is found in the increasing autonomy of peripheral structures of education, as well as the high level of specificity and differentiation in instruction. In such a situation, only the diffusion of consolidated management instruments, such as certification and accreditation, can offer an opportunity to control and improve the overall process of knowledge management with a view to improving quality assurance for all stakeholders. 6 In such cases, as well as during the granting or renewal of accreditation, the region is to suspend or revoke the accreditation of the operative centers because of evident differences or changes in the conditions and requirements of the original accreditation ; furthermore, if there are considerable non-conformities in operative centers with quality system certifications, the regions will indicate the differences to the competent certification body (DM 166/2001).

23 Furthermore, if the evaluation of education can offer better assurance in terms of transparency on the one hand and the communication of information towards the outside world on the other, it will trigger a positive process of improvement. REFERENCES 1. UNI EN ISO 9001 (2000): Sistemi di gestione per la qualità, Requisiti, Milano 2. UNI Linee Guida 23 (1998): Linee Guida per lo sviluppo e l adozione di un sistema qualità negli organismi di formazione secondo la norma UNI EN ISO 9001, Milano 3. Aguilar Romo, M. (2002): Estados Unidos Mexicanos - Secretaria de Economia, DGN - Dirección General de Normas, Proposal for IWA-2: Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001 on Education, Naucalpan de Juárez 4. ISO/IEC JTC1 SC36 - Information Technology for Learning (2002): Education and Training, Proposal for International Workshop Agreement on Guidelines for the Application of ISO 9001 on Education, TMB - Technical Management Board 23/02, Généve 5. ISO/TC 176 (2002): 20th Plenary, IWA-2: Secretariat Report, Project Plan and Task Groups Reports, Acapulco 6. Council Recommendation (EC) n 561/98 of 24 September 1998 on European cooperation in quality assurance in higher education, Bruxelles 7. The European higher education area (1999): Joint declaration of the European Ministers of Education, Bologna 8. Hämäläinen, K.; Pehu-Voima, S.; Wahlén, S. (2001): Institutional Evaluations in Europe, In: ENQA Workshop Reports 1, Helsinki 9. Legge 19 Ottobre 1999, n 370, "Disposizioni in materia di università e di ricerca scientifica e tecnologica", In: G.U. n 252 del 26 ottobre 1999, Roma 10. D.M. 3 novembre 1999, n 509, Regolamento recante norme concernenti l autonomia didattica degli atenei, In: G.U. n 2 del 4 gennaio 2000, Roma 11. Ministero dell Istruzione, dell Università e della Ricerca - MIUR (2001): Comitato nazionale per la valutazione del sistema universitario, L attivazione di un sistema di accreditamento dei corsi di studio nell Università italiana: prime raccomandazioni e proposte, DOC 12/01, Roma 12. DPCM 28 marzo 2001: Criteri di utilizzo dei proventi di cui all art. 1, lettera e) della Determinazione del Consiglio dei Ministri del 25 gennaio 2001, Roma 13. Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione (1995): Nota ai Provveditorati, prot. n 2927, Roma 14. Legge 15 marzo 1997, n 59, "Delega al Governo per il conferimento di funzioni e compiti alle regioni ed enti locali, per la riforma della Pubblica Amministrazione e per la semplificazione amministrativa", In: G.U. n 63 del 17 marzo 1997, art. 21, Roma 15. Decreto Legislativo 30 luglio 1999, n 300, Riforma dell'organization del governo a norma dell'articolo 11 della legge 15 marzo 1997, n 59, In: S.O. n 163/L alla G.U. del 30 agosto 1999, n 203, Roma 16. UNI EN ISO 9001 (1994): Sistemi Qualità - Modello per l assicurazione della qualità nella progettazione, sviluppo, fabbricazione, installazione ed assistenza, Milano 17. Lateana, F. (2002): ITC Schiaparelli-Gramsci, Convegno La qualità nel settore della formazione, Certiquality, Milano 18. UNI EN ISO 19011 (2003): Linee guida per gli audit dei sistemi di gestione per la qualità e/o di gestione ambientale, Milano 19. BECHIS, M.; TORAZZO, A.; MARCHESE, A. (2003): The new ISO 19011 standard for management system auditing, In: Journal of Commodity Science, vol. 42 (I), pp. 43-56

24 20. Regione Piemonte, Bando per l iscrizione al corso per accreditatori degli operatori e delle sedi operative per la formazione e l orientamento professionale, In esecuzione della D.G.R. n 77-4447 del 12/11/01 e della determinazione n 1241 del 17/12/01, Torino 21. Draft ISO/TS 21095 (2002): Guidelines for the selection and utilization of quality management system consultants, Généve 22. UNI 10836 (1999): Gestione per la qualità ed assicurazione della qualità - Linee guida per la qualificazione dei consultants nei sistemi qualità, Milano 23. Legge 17 maggio 1999, n 144, "Misure in materia di investimenti, delega al Governo per il riordino degli incentivi all'occupazione e della normativa che disciplina l'inail, nonché disposizioni per il riordino degli enti previdenziali", In: S.O. n 99, art. 68 alla G.U. n 118 del 22 maggio 1999, Roma 24. Legge 20 gennaio 1999, n 9, "Disposizioni urgenti per l'elevamento dell'obbligo di istruzione", In: G.U. n 21 del 27 gennaio 1999, Roma 25. Decreto 166 del 25 maggio 2001, Disposizioni in materia di accreditamento dei soggetti attuatori nel sistema di formazione professionale, Ministero del Lavoro e della Previdenza Sociale, Roma 26. Legge 24 giugno 1997, n 196 "Norme in materia di promozione dell'occupazione", art. 17, In: S.O. n 136 alla G.U. n 154 del 4 luglio 1997, Roma 27. Legge 17 maggio 1999, n 144, "Misure in materia di investimenti, delega al Governo per il riordino degli incentivi all'occupazione e della normativa che disciplina l'inail, nonché disposizioni per il riordino degli enti previdenziali", In: S.O. n 99 alla G.U. n 118 del 22 maggio 1999, Roma 28. Decreto Legislativo 31 marzo 1998, n 112, "Conferimento di funzioni e compiti amministrativi dello Stato alle regioni ed agli enti locali, in attuazione del capo I della legge 15 marzo 1997, n 59", art. 142, In: S.O. n 77 alla G.U. n 92 del 21 aprile 1998, Roma 29. UNI EN ISO 10015 (2001): Gestione per la qualità - Linee guida per la formazione, Milano 30. Contratto collettivo nazionale di lavoro - Formazione professionale (2002), Venezia * Marco BECHIS, Università degli Studi di Torino - Dipartimento di Scienze Merceologiche, piazza Arbarello 8, 10122 Torino,Italy phone: +39.11.6706266, fax: +39.11.6706260 bechis@econ.unito.it ** Annamaria TORAZZO, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale - Dipartimento di Studi per l Impresa ed il Territorio, via Perrone 18, 28100 Novara, Italy phone: +39.321.375412, fax: +39.321.375405 annamaria.torazzo@eco.unipmn.it