Higher education policies related to quality assurance are implemented in many countries. The purposes of such policies are to ensure the provision for high-quality education, university accountability and transparency in the use of public funding and meeting the needs of the diverse stakeholders. The current Australian Higher Education Quality Assurance Framework was implemented in the year 2000. It can be described that the framework has been enjoyed by universities, academics and other providers in Australia. This paper provides a brief history of quality assurance, its evolution in higher education in Australia and current changes and trends in quality assurance in other developed countries. It then provides an analysis of the success and deficiencies of the current framework used in Australia and suggestions which may be helpful in the development of the new framework. The analysis includes the thoughts of the three authors based on their experience in managing quality and reviews in seven different institutions and the views of more than 40 participants who are staff members from 25 Australian universities.

In order to ensure the delivery of a service of the highest possible quality, it is an essential requirement that laboratories undertake strict internal quality control (QC) measures as well as participate in external quality assessment (EQA) schemes. For any given test, a critical part of the internal QC process involves the establishment of reference intervals using samples taken from normal individuals, and then calculating limits representing the 95% range. This forms the basis for assessment of abnormal test results, which will in turn impact on laboratory performance in proficiency testing exercises in EQA programmes. Whereas for plasma-based assay systems, variability in performance in EQA exercises is usually determined by measurement of a coefficient of variation (CV), results of genetic testing is usually measured in absolute terms. Despite this, results of genetic EQA programmes confirm that errors in testing do occur, as much because of inadvertent sample switching and transcription errors as to analytical mistakes. EQA programmes involving identification of mutations by DNA sequencing, such as haemophilia, is made difficult by the high information content of sequence data. Nevertheless, results show that errors are usually made in the naming of the mutations, indicating that this is an evolving and poorly standardized area. Developing countries face particular challenges in the encouragement of laboratories to participate in local EQA programmes, as well as in relation to the logistical issues of sample provision, distribution and result collation in an effective and affordable manner.

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