STANDING COMMITTEE ON EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY (SCOEA)

2000 ANNUAL REPORT

INTRODUCTION

This is the first annual report of the Standing Committee on Evaluation and Accountability (SCOEA), a provincial committee established in 1997 by the Ministry responsible for post secondary education, and the Advanced Education Council of BC (and its sub-groups).

The SCOEA grew out of two earlier committees: the Institutional Evaluation Steering Committee and the Accountability Working Group. It addresses the Goal of Accountability set out in the BC college and institute system strategic plan Charting a New Course.

THE EVOLUTION OF SCOEA

SOME MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS & INITIATIVES OF SCOEA in 1999-2000

• 1998 System Performance Report on the set of system performance indicators SCOEA has developed. This report reflects the complexity of what the BC college, institute and agency sector does and its progress toward the goals of Charting a New Course
• Performance Indicators and Funding Workshop with Dr. Joseph Burke, October 2000
• The successful pilot of new Institutional Evaluation Framework at the College of New Caledonia and Northern Lights College. A third pilot is scheduled to begin at Kwantlen University College in the fall.
• Publication of a Glossary of Evaluation and Accountability Terms
• Study to determine institutional utilization of 1998 System Performance Report
• The Committee's membership and appointment mechanisms were clarified in discussions with the Assistant Deputy Minister, MAETT in April 2000.
• The Committee clarified the Terms of Reference and membership of its two Sub-committees: the Institutional Evaluation Subcommittee and the System Performance Indicators subcommittee.

COMMUNICATIONS

Reports

• The 1998 Performance Report for BC's College, Institute and Agency System
• The Executive Summary of the Institutional Evaluation Framework

Presentations about BC's college, institute and agency system's accountability processes to

• The first full Congress of Colleges and Polytechnics, Quebec, June 1999
• Association of Canadian Community Colleges "Making Sense of Program Development", Ottawa, March 2000
• Canadian Comprehensive Auditing Foundation Western Regional Conference, Vancouver, March 2000
• Kaleidoscope 2000, Vancouver, May 2000
• AECBC Annual Conference, Nelson, June 2000

SCOEA MEETINGS

SCOEA met five times in 1999-2000. At its meetings it received presentations from Kerry Jothen, CEO, ITAC, (January 1999), Bob Cowin and Patricia Beatty-Guenther, BC Institutional Researchers & Planners (October 1999) and Errol Price and Morris Sydor, Office of the Auditor General (December 1999)

MANDATE

To act as a Standing Committee with joint reporting responsibility to the Boards of the colleges, university colleges, institutes and agencies of BC and to the Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology.

The Standing Committee on Evaluation and Accountability (SCOEA) will provide recommendations and assistance to

• Boards in discharging their responsibilities for institutional evaluation and accountability, and
• The Minister in discharging responsibility for system accountability and performance reporting.

TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

The tasks of the Standing Committee are to provide recommendations to, and assist institutional Boards and the Ministry respectively in all relevant matters concerning institutional evaluation and accountability and system-wide performance measurement and accountability.

More specifically, the Standing Committee will:

• Develop, adopt and maintain a glossary of terms related to evaluation, accountability and performance measures as they apply to the BC college, institute and agency system;
• Provide recommendations and assistance in the development, maintenance and refinement of the college, institute and agency system's performance measurement framework;
• Provide recommendations and assistance in the development, production and refinement of the college, institute and agency system's annual performance measurement report;
• Provide recommendations and assistance in the integration and alignment of institutional evaluation and accountability process while respecting the unique aspects of the mission and mandate of each institution;
• Act as one of the several sources of information to the Ministry regarding the achievement, and appropriateness, of the objectives outlined in the strategic plan; Charting a New Course;
• Establish ad-hoc project teams to perform research and propose resolutions to issues related to the Standing Committee's mandate;
• Prepare and submit an annual budget request to the Ministry.

SCOEA'S MEMBERSHIP

TERMS OF OFFICE: Members are expected to serve a minimum of one year, preferably two, with a maximum of four years.

INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVED ON THE STANDING COMMITTEE IN 1999-2000

Institutions

• Julian Albanese, Canadian Federation of Students
• Jim Cooke, Dean, Capilano College
• Chris Czartoryski, Education Council, ECIAD
• Karen Eryou, Canadian Federation of Students
• Jack Finnbogason, Kwantlen University College (until March 2000)
• Doug Fletcher, Faculty, Kwantlen University College (from March 2000)
• David Frampton, Faculty, Camosun College
• Jim Johnson, Faculty, Okanagan University College
• Linda Martin, Vice President, Vancouver Community College
• Bill Mikaloff, Support Staff, Northwest Community College
• Penny Parry, Council of Governors, Douglas College
• Zena Seldon, Education Council, University College of the Cariboo
• Max Sternberg, Support, Camosun College
• Terry Weninger, CEO, College of New Caledonia
• Ian Wickett, Council of Governors, Okanagan University College Government
• Barry Anderson, MOE
• Georgia Bekiou, MAETT
• Rod Macdonald, MAETT
• Shawn Mendes, ITAC

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION:

SCOEA is composed of as follows:

INSTITUTIONAL EVALUATION SUBCOMMITTEE

SCOEA has appointed a subcommittee to implement, monitor and maintain policies and procedures that govern the Institutional Evaluation process, and propose revisions of these to SCOEA.

In 1999-2000 the Institutional Evaluation Subcommittee has been chaired by Jim Cooke (SCOEA) and comprises Georgia Bekiou (SCOEA), Jean Cockburn (Douglas College) Edwin Deas (Malaspina) (until March 2000), Linda Kaivanto (MAETT), Bill Mikaloff, Northwest College, Max Sternberg (SCOEA), (until May 2000), Alastair Watt (Cariboo)

SYSTEM PERFORMANCE REPORT INDICATORS SUBCOMMITTEE

This subcommittee has responsibility to recommend annually to SCOEA which performance indicators, based on the system's strategic plan, Charting a New Course should be adopted. In 1999-2000 the Subcommittee has been co-chaired by Georgia Bekiou (SCOEA) and Rod Church (Malaspina), with the following members: Julian Albanese (SCOEA), Norah Andrew (Fraser Valley), Michael Bennett (MAETT), Martin Gerson (Langara), Jim Johnson (SCOEA), Louise Krohn (Justice Institute), Rod MacDonald (SCOEA), Zena Seldon (SCOEA), John Wertschek (Emily Carr) (until June 2000), Ran Yu (ITAC).

The Chair of SCOEA, Terry Weninger, is an ex officio member of both subcommittees.

SCOEA ADMINISTRATION AND FUNDING

Administration and staff support for the Standing Committee on Evaluation and Accountability is provided by the Advanced Education Council of British Columbia. Funding for SCOEA's operation comes from the Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Technology.

LEGISLATION RELATED TO ACCOUNTABILITY

Three sections of the College and Institute Act (December 1998) relate to evaluation and accountability:

GOAL OF ACCOUNTABILITY
CHARTING A NEW COURSE

Goal
…to enable the college, institute and agency system to measure performance as a basis for continual improvements and report on overall effectiveness and efficiency.

Objectives

• To promote and foster within and among institutions, the Ministry and system-wide organizations, a culture of accountability which uses performance measurement as a basis for continual improvement and reporting on effectiveness.
• To develop and implement a performance measurement system, including key performance indicators, that will provide accessible, timely, consistent and reliable information.
• To develop and implement a performance-reporting framework which will provide accountability to learners, system partners, the Minister and the public.

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Copyright (c) 2001 AECBC / Comments to: info@scoea.bc.ca / 25 July 2001 / Disclaimer