Developing a framework for managing academic standards, quality and enhancement: addressing concerns and embedding good practice

The British Council's project Excellence in Higher Education (2005-2010) demonstrated that countries in the Arab region, facing challenges in developing academic quality systems, benefited from sharing experiences with one another and with other countries. This paper suggests that the concept of an overarching framework for managing academic standards, quality and enhancement, now embedded in the UK, could be of assistance in the Arab region. Findings from institutional audits in the UK, Bahrain and Oman were compared, revealing that many recommendations made in UK reports also featured in reports about Bahrain and Oman. Actions taken by UK institutions may therefore be of interest in these contexts. A framework designed by a UK university, using the concept of 'gatekeepers' for those with executive responsibility to manage academic standards and quality and 'gateways' for committees that assure academic standards and quality, is presented to illustrate essential components of an overarching framework.