Dr. Jim Murray:

There is external input into the QQI awards where curricula are developed and the same applies for assessment. These things are not static but are developed, revised and changed over time. We have quite a lot of documents out on consultation, for example, one of which is very germane to today's discussion, on work-integrated learning and statutory quality assurance guidelines. We have a suite of policies on assessment. Assessment is not static. It is now changing radically in the world that we are facing with technology and how it affects academic integrity measures. Generative AI is a reality. The idea that a centralised authority can be on top of all of this would need to be looked at very carefully if it was being considered. From my point of view and experience, I think it is not a reality but we have to keep working on the systems we have in place for quality assurance and ensure they are continually assessed. We look at the effectiveness of the quality assurance of providers, and we do that continually and periodically through a raft of institutional reviews and quality dialogue meetings and we pick it up in our validation work and certification and so forth. It is quite a sophisticated system and sometimes the evidence for light touch regulation is never brought forward. It is said a lot but I am not sure what exactly the light touch is.