Abstract:

The best practice that we present is the continuous improvement model developed in the faculties/centers of the University of Barcelona (UB) to manage the review and improvement of university bachelor's and master's degrees. Currently, the UB has 74 bachelor's degrees and 170 master's degrees, which means that the improvement model covers almost 250 degrees.
This practice is supported by the UB's own process management model (SAIQU) developed by the UB's Agency for Policies and Quality (APQUB), in accordance with the circle of continuous improvement and following the standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area.

This good practice is endorsed by the positive evaluation by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (an evaluation agency registered to the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education) of its design in 2008 and its development in 2021 with the maximum assessment in the dimension of Design, Review and Improvement of training programs.
The model allows university faculties/centers to work in more effective ways, to have a comprehensive vision of degree management, and quality-based management with different levels of work.
It is a model oriented to results and continuous improvement as well as transparency in the results obtained.

The model integrates 3 levels:
1) Strategic
It is planned and directed in accordance with the UB's Quality Policy, as well as with the UB's institutional strategy.
This allows the faculties/centers to define the vision, values and strategic objectives that are developed through a master plan.
2) Organizational
Process management facilitates a shared global vision, which is translated into the process map of each faculty/center.
It also makes it possible to identify the interrelationships between activities and ensure consistency by linking each activity to the people who carry them out and to institutional strategies.
3) Operational
The procedures that set the guidelines of how the whole sequence of activities of a process is carried out in a practical way are elaborated.
Improvement proposals are defined by means of an improvement plan.
The fulfillment of these improvement commitments is reviewed annually in accordance with the procedure for monitoring and improvement of university degrees and masters.

In accordance with the above, the results and performance obtained are measured, as well as the perception and satisfaction of the stakeholders (satisfaction surveys, complaints, suggestions and acknowledgements).

The results, performance and perceptions are incorporated into the scorecard of each faculty/center. This scorecard is made up of a coherent set of indicators, structured by processes, which make it possible to monitor the performance of teaching in relation to the university's strategy (indicators linked to the program contract), its strategy as a faculty/center (indicators linked to the Master Plan) and its objectives (defined in the improvement plan).

This methodology provides the faculties/centers with the necessary information to evaluate, monitor and forecast results, and also helps in decision-making in order to redefine annual objectives and priorities in the University of Barcelona's strategic action, when necessary.

Keywords:

Accreditation, Quality, Quality Policy.