Formal Agreements

​​​​Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS)

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) reports on its outcomes to its line Department, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, through a Performance Delivery Agreement (PDA).  The PDA, which is developed annually since 2015 (and referred to as a Management Framework Agreement prior to 2018), is linked to objectives contained in QQI’s Corporate Plan which is derived from QQI's S​​​​​tatement of Strategy 2019 -2021. The 2020​ Performance Delivery Agreement will be available shortly​​​.

Under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies 2016, Government Departments are required to have written Oversight Agreements in place with State Bodies under their aegis.  The Oversight Agreement for 2018-2021 is available here. This agreement is reviewed on an annual basis by the Department and QQI.


Further Education and Training Authority (SOLAS)

Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and the Further Education and Training Authority (SOLAS) are delighted to announce the publication of the new Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations.  Both QQI and SOLAS are committed to enhancing the quality, performance and coherence of further education and training and the Memorandum signals the organisations' continued joint commitment to working together to facilitate the coordination and complementarity of their activities. 
The Memorandum, which will be implemented over the period 2020-2023, sets out a framework for cooperation and communications between SOLAS and QQI, as well as close partnership-working with the further education and training sector.  It sets out a range of actions which will support the three key commitments presented in the document: coherence of approach, alignment of activities and partnerships for enhancement. Click here to download the Memorandum. 


Higher Education Authority (HEA)

The Higher Education Authority is the statutory planning and policy development body for higher education and research in Ireland. It is also the funding body for higher education.  The HEA publishes extensive statistics on higher education and is the national contact point for Erasmus+ and other European funding programmes for higher education.

In July 2018, a new Memorandum of Understanding between the HEA and QQI came into operation.  The Memorandum provides an agreed framework for cooperation and communication between the two organisations in the interests of the higher education sector as a whole.  The MoU, which is being implemented over the period 2018 – 2020, sets out a range of actions.  These actions support the four key commitments presented in the document: coherence of approach, alignment of activities, Ireland in an international context, and partnerships for enhancement. 
The MoU is available here.