Start with the question you need to answer
If you are preparing an application, begin by reading the requirements for your chosen route. Then use the self-assessment guide to identify what is already supported by evidence and what needs attention. The evidence index helps you organise the material; the improvement plan helps you address the gaps.
If you are reviewing ongoing provision, start with a specific issue: delayed learner support, unclear assessment criteria, low survey participation or inconsistent review records. Define what you need to understand, collect proportionate evidence and assign an action to a person who can carry it out.
These materials are open to institutions whether or not they apply to CQASE. Using a template does not establish membership or accreditation. Reviewers assess the substance of the evidence and the institution’s practice, not whether a preferred document format has been copied.
Practical guides
Conduct an institutional self-assessment
Assign responsibilities, map the requirements and distinguish a documented policy from evidence that it works.
Read the guide →DocumentationPrepare verifiable evidence
Choose useful sources, record versions and dates, and separate public information from confidential supporting records.
Read the guide →ImprovementWrite and evaluate an improvement plan
Turn an identified problem into a specific action, a responsible owner and a result that can be checked.
Read the guide →Working templates
Evidence index
Use one row for each of the six areas; the same source may support several areas. Record the area, evidence URL, source title, date, relevant section and a brief note. Explain what the source demonstrates and note any access arrangements or limitations. The download lists the six accreditation areas as a starting point; membership applicants can use M01–M06 instead. The template is optional; an organised shared folder is also accepted.
A reviewer should be able to move from a requirement to the right document without searching an unexplained folder. If the same policy supports several requirements, refer to the specific sections rather than uploading several copies.
Download evidence index · CSV ↓Improvement plan
Record the issue and supporting evidence, the planned action, owner, target date, success measure, current status and completion evidence. Add an evaluation date so that an action is checked after implementation rather than simply marked complete.
The template is optional. Membership only needs one short priority with an owner and date; accreditation uses a one-page plan with two actions. The additional columns can support a more detailed internal review. Keep completed actions in the record so the institution can explain what changed and whether it helped.
Download improvement plan · CSV ↓Sharing experience with other institutions
A useful practice example explains the problem, the setting, the action and the result. Include enough context for another institution to understand whether the approach might apply to its learners or delivery model. A small, well-documented improvement is more useful than a broad claim of success.
Members may voluntarily share an anonymised practical example or improvement insight; this is not a condition of membership or renewal. Contributions may describe an effective change or a lesson from an approach that did not work as expected. Remove learner identities, personal staff information and confidential material; publication requires agreement.
Member case studies are published with permission and describe their context and limitations. Illustrative learning examples are labelled separately from institutional case studies.
Questions about a resource, suggested corrections and proposals for cooperation can be sent to office@cqase.org. Material changes to the standards will be recorded on the framework pages and communicated to affected institutions.