Breakout session - Positioning Your Organisation for Success Under iQAF

As providers prepare for NZQA's Integrated Quality Assurance Framework (iQAF), an important consideration is not just how to respond to the framework itself for compliance, but how to position their organisation for success within it. This presentation will explore practical approaches to preparing for and operating under iQAF. Drawing on observations from across the tertiary sector, it will examine how self-review, moderation, programme review, learner feedback, graduate outcomes, organisational planning, and the Tertiary Evaluation Indicators (TEIs) can work together to provide meaningful evidence of educational performance and continuous improvement. The session will also consider what can be learned from NZQA's published findings under the previous quality assurance framework. As at June 2026, more than 96% of providers were Category 1 or Category 2 under EER, with almost two-thirds achieving Category 1 status. However, monitoring findings between 2020 and 2024 show that 79% of providers partially met or did not meet monitoring criteria for internal moderation systems. Participants will explore what these findings may indicate about the organisational capabilities and practices likely to support success under iQAF. Particular attention will be given to how PTEs can strengthen and align existing systems, evidence, and evaluative processes, rather than creating parallel compliance frameworks.