Expert External Evaluation In A Public Institution For Adult Education

The article presents the process of the expert external evaluation (EEE) at Cene Štupar – Ljubljana Public Education Centre, one of the largest public institutions for adult education in Slovenia. The reason to participate in EEE under the aegis of SIAE was to upgrade the established quality assurance system at the institution. EEE is a form of external evaluation developed by SIAE and used in adult education. It is intended for expert external certification of quality assurance in adult education in an educational organization, in categories selected by the organization evaluated. It is based on an internal evaluation, previously carried out by the institution using self-assessment in two areas: internal quality assurance system and the support for the participants in education. With the implementation of EEE, we wanted to receive a comprehensive external information on the areas where we are already achieving the quality standards and where there are possibilities for improvement. The EEE process consisted of: preparing selfevaluation report and an analysis of the self-evaluation by expert external evaluators. The evaluators prepared the EEE report with recommendations, which formed the basis for planning, implementation, and monitoring of improvements. The key finding of EEE was that we needed to continue with systematic introduction of quality assurance, as it enables transparency, understanding and regulation of work processes, a comprehensive approach to improvement, and easier introduction of changes.