The implementation of a quality assurance policy, in line with internationally established standards, is one of the institutional objectives of Lisbon Polytechnic Institute. It is enshrined in the statutes and other strategic documents, in compliance with internationally established standards.
This Quality Assurance policy corresponds to a commitment to the continuous improvement of IPL, through its organic units, and the involvement of all those in it, to work on the definition and fulfillment of the Quality Culture objectives. Quality Culture presupposes the active participation of all elements of the academic community and its strategic partners in the process of analysis and reflection on reality and their perspective on the future of IPL.
Services Certification
Integrated into its quality policy, the services of the IPL chairmanship (national and international representation of its activities, administrative support for the hiring of goods and services, human resource management and technical and logistical support for its organic units) are certified by the international standard: NP EN ISO 9001:2015.ods and services, human resource management and technical and logistical support to its organic units) are certified by the international standard: NP EN ISO 9001:2015.
Policy for Quality
Within the framework of the strategic objectives of Lisbon Polytechnic (IPL) and with the aim of improving the services and promoting the quality of teaching imparted in its UO, the IPL has created a quality structure under control of the Presidency of the Institute, with the aim of formalizing an internal quality management system, which promotes a process of self-evaluation of services and of the UO. This structure also takes into account the emergence of the Higher Education Assessment and Accreditation Agency (A3ES), created in the context of the creation of the European Higher Education Area and the realization of the Bologna Process, established by the State in 2007, with a view to promoting and ensuring the quality of higher education.
Internal and External Assessment
Before the emergence of the higher education assessment system, the IPL already showed concern about the quality of the teaching provided. From the 80s, some UO of the Institute already carried out periodic evaluations of the teaching, gathering the opinion of students and lecturers, and promoting the discussion, dissemination and publication of the results, with the aim of continuously improving the quality of education on offer.
The legal framework of higher education assessment, published by the nº38/2007 Act of August 16, determines that quality assessment is mandatory, taking place within the framework of the European quality assurance system in higher education.
External evaluation focuses on higher education institutions and their study cycles, the competent authority responsible under current legislation being A3ES, established by Decree-Law No. 369/2007 November 5.
As such, IPL has initiated a process of coordination and systematization of the various structures related to quality management existing in the Presidency Services, the SAS and its UO, so as to adjust the Institute to the new context in the Portuguese and European higher education system.