Governance

The ENIC (previously UK NARIC) national recognition agency function for the UK is delivered on behalf of the UK Government, under contract with the Department for Education, by Ecctis Limited.

Ecctis Limited has a long and successful history in managing information and data services and customer-facing services since its formation in the 1990s, including the management of UK NARIC from 1997 to the end of 2020 when, due to the UK leaving the EU at the end of the Brexit transition period, UK NARIC became UK ENIC.

The UK ENIC Quality and Standards Group (QSG) is in place to safeguard service standards and develop methodological, operational and service delivery practices and processes so as to ensure the highest quality service provision

Meeting twice a year, the QSG provides a regular mechanism for the review of UK ENIC activities and operations. With a membership comprising important representative stakeholders from the arena of education, skills, and professional bodies, the QSG provides independent feedback and advice.

The QSG is specifically tasked to support UK ENIC in:

  • Assuring the quality of information provision and the recognition process and procedures in place, having regard to the Lisbon Recognition Convention, the ENIC-NARIC service requirements and the Code of Practice for the Recognition of International Qualifications;
  • Monitoring the quality and delivery of the ENIC-NARIC services according to the conditions set out in the UK ENIC contract;
  • Advising on the direction and the organisation of the information development programmes;
  • Advising on the content and presentation of the principal online databases and relevant information provision;
  • Assisting in the validation of recommendations and statements accorded to international qualifications;
  • Advising on evaluation criteria;
  • Advising on processes and procedures, including the consideration of appeal cases against evaluation decisions, both formally and on a case-by-case basis;
  • Providing advice on the range and appropriateness of services provided by UK ENIC.

The basis of QSG review meetings is the consideration of UK ENIC progress reports, which include reporting on work programmes, performance indicators and statistical analyses.

Membership

The work of the QSG requires the support of the stakeholders of UK ENIC services from higher and further education sectors, employment advisory services, the quality and accreditation sector, UK qualifications and awarding bodies, the professional / regulatory sector, education statutory bodies and national agencies. The membership of the Group should be proposed by UK ENIC based on its knowledge and experience and be approved by the contract authority.

The current representatives who sit on the QSG are:

  • Chris Lyons - UK ENIC (chair)
  • Ben Adams - Ofqual
  • Alex Bols - GuildHE
  • John Bramwell - Independent
  • Richard Budd - Lancaster University
  • Bella Malins - Russell Group & University College London
  • Ann Lamb - Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
  • Emma Meredith - Association of Colleges (AOC)
  • Petra Olsson - Cambridge Assessment International Education
  • Frances Rowan - Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
  • Andy Smith - Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)
  • Ula Tang-Plowman - British Universities' International Liaison Association (BUILA)
  • Katy Turff - Engineering Council
  • Stephen Vickers - Independent
  • Lawrence Watson - Independent
  • Pamela Wilkinson - Department for Education