AVAs: adding value to access? A cost‐benefit analysis of access quality assurance
| Date | 01 June 1997 |
| Pages | 80-84 |
| Published date | 01 June 1997 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09684889710165125 |
| Author | David Wilkinson |
| Subject Matter | Education |
Introduction
In the previous issue of this journal the author
outlined the history of access courses and the
development of the national quality assurance
framework developed to maintain standards
within such provision. The diversity of meth-
ods of validation, through authorized validat-
ing agencies (AVAs), and the national frame-
work of access quality assurance to which they
belong, has been the focus of recent debate
concentrating, inter alia, on the effectiveness
of the arrangements (Parry, 1995). This is in
keeping with other educational provision
where questions about the costs of quality
have been raised (Harvey and Green, 1993;
Vroeijenstijn, 1996). This article is timely in
adding to that debate in the access environ-
ment by introducing some of the costs and
benefits of AVA initiated (external) quality
assurance processes and highlighting the
problematic nature of conducting such an
analysis.
Cost/benefit analysis
In essence, cost-benefit analysis determines
all the costs and benefits, broadly considered,
of a project or enterprise. If the analysis shows
more benefit than cost (i.e. net benefits are
positive) then the activity under examination
can be said to be economically worthwhile
(Armstrong, 1993; Hough, 1994; Phelps,
1996). In many cases cost-benefit analysis is a
relatively straightforward exercise; however, in
this case the analysis is more complex. The
previous article “Assuring quality in access
courses – the authorized version”, highlights
the various people and institutions involved in
the external quality assurance processes – all
of whom have their own distinct agendas
relating to their needs for quality. For some
these needs will be similar, but for others they
may be unique. It is therefore possible for an
AVA quality assurance process to have very
different cost-benefit implications for the
people/ institutions involved.
Through consultation with access tutors,
course co-ordinators, college managers,
students, higher education staff, AVA staff,
80
Quality Assurance in Education
Volume 5 · Number 2 · 1997 · pp. 80–84
© MCB University Press · ISSN 0968-4883
AVAs: adding value to
access? A cost-benefit
analysis of access
quality assurance
David Wilkinson
The author
David Wilkinson is a Research Student of the Continuing
Education Research Unit at City University, London, UK.
Abstract
Builds on the article in
Quality Assurance in Education
,
Vol. 5 No. 1, “Assuring quality in access courses – the
authorized version”, by discussing the problematic nature
of applying cost-benefit analysis to the quality assurance
mechanisms of this type of educational provision.
The author is indebted to Jasvir Kaur of the
Department of Continuing Education at City
University for her help with the research work on
which this article is based. Comments given by
Dr Pat Davies and Professor Peter Robert of City
University also greatly assisted in shaping the work.
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