KPI4HE project workshop held at YSU: Initial version development

The ''Establishment of National Framework of Key Performance Indicators for Good Governance and Quality Towards Inclusive, Digital and Green Oriented Higher Education in Armenia'' (KPI4HE) project aims to improve higher education system governance, university strategic planning and management, and contribute to quality, inclusive, digital and green oriented higher education in Armenia. This will be achieved through the development and implementation of the National framework of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for higher education (NF-KPI), operationalization of Institutional Research and Planning Services (IRPS) and revision of State Institutional Accreditation Standards in line with NF-KPI. 

Elina Asriyan, the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at YSU, delivered the opening speech at the workshop for Armenian partners of the project. Emphasizing the importance of participation from representatives of partner universities and organizations, she stated, "We are united by a very important project. I hope it will play a major role in increasing the efficiency of the higher education sector. It can be said that we are all familiar with the concept of KPIs, and universities and organizations are continuously working in this area, making calculations to ensure the measurability of their goals. This workshop will bring us one step closer to our common goal and make our work more visible and measurable."    

Rafayel Barkhudaryan, the Vice-Rector for Scientific Affairs at YSU, spoke about YSU's institutional research framework and data collection resources, noting that institutional research is conducted in different structural divisions of YSU, including the Quality Assurance Center, the Educational-Methodological Department, and the Center of Innovational Social Research. The vice-rector also presented YSU's information platforms, which facilitate the regulation of various processes.  

Mikayel Hovhannisyan, the Vice-Rector for Development and Innovation at YSU, highlighted the pivotal role of institutional research in the university's strategic planning process.

He presented methods to enhance the strategic planning process, focusing on the effective use of institutional research results. The vice-rector emphasized that if this process is organized correctly, it can yield the necessary data to develop an effective and measurable strategy.

At the workshop, Lana Karlova, Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office in Armenia, emphasized the importance of the project’s development and the changes it brings to the educational system. She noted that YSU is involved in 8 ongoing projects.

"Each project is a new step toward quality. How well we achieve this depends on us. Given that the higher education sector is currently facing challenges, it’s essential to identify the changes we can implement to improve our work," she emphasized.

Mkrtich Ayvazyan, Deputy Chairman of the Higher Education and Science Committee of the RA MoESCS, also attended the workshop. He spoke about the significance of the project under development, noting that the new draft law on "Higher Education and Science" has been circulated. This draft includes various provisions, including new financing mechanisms. He explained that base funding will be based on the results of universities’ institutional activities, which will be measured by KPIs.

Arsen Aproyan, the Head of the Grants Coordination Department at YSU International Cooperation Office and Co-Coordinator of the KPI4HE project, presented the completed and planned main works. He emphasized that a year ago, the 10-month activity report of the project was presented at the University of Oldenburg. 

"During these ten months, we have organized 12 online partnership meetings. We held 2 meetings at Yerevan State University and one workshop at the University of Oldenburg, from which we received very positive feedback. Looking ahead, we plan to organize another workshop for all universities in Armenia, ensuring that both state and private institutions are involved in developing the national framework. I think these discussions will enhance the effectiveness of our work and help us establish the foundational structure of KPI4HE. Subsequently, we will work step by step with our European partners to complete the process by the end of the year," said A. Aproyan, who added that the project will be tested by all universities over the next six months.  

The workshop participants were divided into thematic groups titled "Education", "Science", and "Mission of the University". Working in different thematic groups, they presented proposals that may be incorporated into the final version of the KPI4HE project. 

The coordinator of this three-year national program is Yerevan State University. Participants include the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance (ANQA), five universities from Armenia, one NGO, and three European universities: TU Dresden, the University of Oldenburg (Germany), and the University of Genoa (Italy).