Conclusions

In 2007 the Ministers asked BFUG to continue the stocktaking process based on national reports. As overarching action line, stocktaking aims at developing the qualitative analysis of the Bologna Process, especially with regard to mobility, its global context and its social dimension. The fields covered by the 2009 stocktaking include the degree system and employability of graduates, recognition of degrees and study periods and implementation of all aspects of quality assurance in line with the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG). With a view to the development of more student-centred, outcome-based learning, the 2009 exercise addressed in an integrated way national qualifications frameworks, learning outcomes and credits, lifelong learning, and the recognition of prior learning.

ENQA Report 2005 - Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG)

A template for national reports and for national strategies on the social dimension (the latter prepared by the Social Dimension Coordination Group) was approved by BFUG, as well as the indicators that would help drafting the countries’ scorecards.

• BFUG13_4b Template for national reports 2007-2009
• BFUG13_4d DRAFT TEMPLATE for NATIONAL ACTION PLANS ON SOCIAL DIMENSION OF THE BOLOGNA PROCESS
• BFUG13_4c BOLOGNA PROCESS STOCKTAKING 2009 List of indicators

The indicators for the 2009 stocktaking were designed to verify whether the original goals of the Bologna process - which were expected to be achieved by 2010 - were actually being achieved in reality. Whereas in 2005 it was sufficient to show that work had been started, and for the 2007 stocktaking it was often enough that some work towards achieving the goals could be demonstrated or that legislation was in place, in 2009 the criteria for the indicators were substantially more demanding.
Because of the more demanding indicators, the overall picture for the whole EHEA is not as “green” in 2009 as it was in the two previous stocktaking reports in 2005 and 2007, although there are a number countries that have improved their scores in this stocktaking exercise (see the report for the various action lines). The more detailed analysis that was applied to the information provided in the 2009 national reports clearly showed whether the reforms really concerned the whole higher education system or applied only to parts of it. It is likely that this has lowered the scores of some countries that might have given an overall answer “yes” in 2007, when in fact some parts of the HE system were not actually covered by the reforms.

Bologna Process Stocktaking Report 2009

Terms of reference

In the Bergen communiqué, Ministers gave the BFUG an explicit mandate on a number of issues that should be included in the stocktaking for 2007.
Particularly, new quantifiable indicators were designed for:

• implementation of the national frameworks for qualifications
• implementation of the standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area
• awarding and recognition of joint degrees
• procedures for the recognition of prior learning.

More additional issues were included in the analytical part of the stocktaking report:

• Progress on implementing the third cycle
• Increasing the employability of graduates with bachelor qualification
• Creating opportunities for flexible learning paths in higher education

In their London Communiqué of 2007 Ministers confirmed that they

In order to realise the stocktaking objectives set by the Ministers, the Working Group shall:

1. Identify the key issues to be addressed through the stocktaking and identify which issues should be covered by the quantifiable indicators
2. Develop the methodology to be used in this exercise, in particular addressing the requests by the ministers as stated in the London communiqué:
   • identify the ways to further development of the qualitative analysis in stocktaking and
   • identify the ways to address in an integrated way national qualifications frameworks, learning outcomes and credits, lifelong learning, and the recognition of prior learning
3. Collaborate with partner and other organisations in order to maximise the use of data sources;
4. Prepare the structure for the national reports to be submitted by member States and used in the 2009 stocktaking;
5. Prepare a report for approval by the BFUG in advance of the Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve Conference in 2009.

Source: BFUG12_6_5 Stocktaking - Draft ToR